This is an annual column where we stop to take a look around each of the four divisions at the midway point of the season. The purpose is to analyze the first half of the season to tell you where the teams stand today and where they are likely headed over the second half of the season.

 As always I pick the two teams most likely to meet in the championship game, hand out mid-season all-state picks as well as our mid-season player & coach of the year.

 If you are reading this article you have chosen to support the coverage of high school sports and our seven person team which is happy to bring it to you.

 On behalf of Pete, Jen, Jon, Justin, Reed  & Eliot I say thank you!

 Thank you to our Division I Coaches who are Gold Level Supporters: Brian Lynch (Alvirne), Dave Keefe (Central), Jim Mulvey (Portsmouth), Matt Regan (Bishop Guertin), Rob McLaughlin (Salem), Mark Elmendorf (Bedford), Jay McKenna (Winnacunnet), Jeff Holmes (Exeter) & Dave Chase (Concord)

 

If forced to pick the two teams that will meet in the final:

Portsmouth vs Winnacunnet

 Let’s start with the Clippers but I want to work our way through most of the division..

 Portsmouth has the most complete team in the division, do I think they go undefeated? No I think they lose at least once but I expect them to be the top seed. Meaning a team with an 11-7 (ish) record is going to have to come to Stone Gymnasium and beat Portsmouth after Jim Mulvey has spent the better part of two days watching film on every out of bounds play they’ve run since December.

 That gets them to Durham for the ninth time in ten years.

 Fifteen minute bus ride, a bigger floor to spread you out on and the familiarity this group has with that gymnasium.

 Go watch the Joe Bell game winning lay-up in the 2015 Division II championship game against Bishop Brady. Who is chasing him? Shon Parham (who read the play but was a second late), Joey Glynn and Cody Graham (then a freshman and 14 inches short on a dead on 80 foot heave that hit the bottom of the net as the buzzer sounded seconds after Bell’s lay-up).

 They’ve been here before and they understand the noise and the feel of Durham. That counts for something in March.

 You have to game plan for the 6’5 Joey Glynn but you can’t sacrifice open space to shooters like Mike Sanborn (12.6) and Shon Parham (he loves the kick out three off of offensive rebounds) while also protecting the glass against Alex Tavares (10.3) from the weak side.

 Cody Graham has been as good as any guard in the division and his improved court vision is a big reason why. Christian Peete is enjoying the move to Division I as much as anyone on the team as one night it falls on him to cover Alonzo Linton of Nashua North (who he held to 9 points), the next night it might be Troy Meservey of Bedford or taking a run at Cody Morissette of Exeter.

 If you’ve ever watched Peete play football (you can in the CHAD game HERE) you know he is the type of kid who hits the defender as he is running out of bounds with the football in his hands. He’s the type of kid you could wind up with one slight and he enjoys the challenge of defending the best player on the opposing team.

 Portsmouth is the best defensive team in Division I ( as Bedford head coach Mark Elmendorf said on the show Saturday morning) and between Glynn & Tavares they’re not getting beat on the boards many nights either.

 Are they unbeatable? Absolutely not and after having watched great shooting teams like Londonderry (2015), Trinity (2013) and the Clippers a year ago grind out low scoring title game victories it’s common to watch high school teams struggle to shoot in that setting. Meaning anyone can lose on the wrong night.

 That is where their defense can win the championship for them as it did a year ago.

 They are the best team in the division and the team they would most likely face in the title game would be ..

 The Winnacunnet Warriors …and here’s why

 When the pieces come together this is as good a team as any in the state.

 They have an all-state point guard in Liam Viviano ( Player Profile Page) who can break pressure and get to the line eight to ten times a game.

 They have a true post presence in sophomore Jack Schaake who is complimented by a 6’5 forward Logan Keene who is at his best when he is taking the ball to the rim on the baseline. Forward Freddy Schaake is excellent in their zone defense & in transition and someone who can protect the rim. He can also hit the occasional buzzer beater to boot.

 Zach Waterhouse (all-interview team) is showing the form he showed a year ago when he was one of the most improved players in the division over the course of the season. After scoring a total of four points over two games against Pinkerton & Spaulding (both losses) he has scored 50 points in back to back wins over Exeter & Concord. He’s doing this by using his athleticism and getting to the rim instead of settling for jumpers.

 Sophomore forward Ben Allen is starting to really come into his own (he was huge in a win over Concord Tuesday night) while players like Johnny Cadagan, Seth Provencher and Mike Fiacco are very solid glue guys.

 When you watch this team on the floor you plainly see there are a lot of personalities to manage but this is a hard working group and the chemistry looks good. Jay McKenna is doing another very nice job of defining roles and managing those personalities.

 It seems like Winnacunnet has had a very up & down season doesn’t it?

 They’re 8-3.

 It’s never been that bad and if they put their hands in their pockets at the end of the Bedford game they are 9-2 with wins over the Bulldogs, Exeter, Memorial & Nashua North and you’re calling me ‘Captain Obvious’ for putting them in the final.

 The other major contenders (in a division full of them):

 Bedford: Good defense, great chemistry and three players who average double figures. If Bedford can game plan for you in the tournament they have the personnel to give you trouble with their size and athleticism. You’re not going to find many players who are going to outwork Liam Greene (11.9) and if the Bulldogs can shake Troy Meservey (13.7) loose by running plays for him in the half court Bedford has enough offense to beat offensive minded teams like Memorial & Exeter.

 Exeter: They run some really nice sets for Cody Morissette (Player Profile Page) & Steve Natola (Player Profile Page) and when you get caught chasing either of them through screens Bobby Cliche (10.8), Nick Sowers & Kyle Shaw will bury shots on you from the wing. This isn’t a great defensive team and they can struggle on the glass as well but they move the basketball, are comfortable pushing the ball or operating in the half court and have not one but two players who can create their own shot with the game on the line. That can get you pretty far…

 Merrimack: They are two completely different teams when Ian Cummings (15.4) is on the bench as opposed to being on the floor because he draws so much attention that other players don’t need to create their own shot. Danny McKillop is one of the best forwards in the division, Owen Ploss has a nice touch in the lane, Joe DeGregorio is effective near the basket when he’s able to use his size and Zack Lachance may make it look like an adventure at times but he is very steady with the basketball. This team plays very good, really disciplined defense. They rarely give up second shots and with Jared Dyer and Alex Thornton coming off the bench they can guard teams with size.

 You didn’t think I could get through that without using the term ‘Grinding it out’ did you?

 Spaulding: it’s about depth with The Fighting McIsaacs. You know what you are getting every night from Cal Connelly & Ari Breakfield. Matt Roy is never going to be a scorer but he knows the offense, sets really good screens and passes very well out of the low post when the offense sends him there. Getting Griffin Towle back from injury was big as it takes pressure off JP Paradis and allows him to be a glue guy again, a role he is well suited for. Keagan Calero brings so much to this team that when he scores it’s almost a bonus. He’s guarding the best offensive guard on the other team and he isn’t going to take shots from the perimeter until his man has doubled off of him on to Connelly or Breakfield . All of which makes Isaiah Rose a pretty important piece if Spaulding is getting back to Durham after a one year absence. The freshman should have enough minutes under him by March to contribute to a possible Final Four run. There are going to be nights when they need his offense if they are going to advance.

 Alvirne: We are going to learn more about the Broncos in the second half of the season as they will face Bedford, Portsmouth, Exeter & Winnacunnet. This is a team that can really shoot it and when teams have worked to take away Max Boney-Liles (17.7) other players like Trevor Bolduc have stepped up. Big week begins tonight at Bedford and follows with a trip to Bishop Guertin on Friday, who might have found their mojo in a close loss to Portsmouth.

 The verdict is still out on: Salem (DJ Coletti breaking out for 22 points in a loss to Exeter was a good sign, Griffin Curtis needs scoring help, but giving up 78 points was…un-Salem like), Manchester Memorial (they are what they are….and I mean that in the nicest way possible), Nashua South ( I think this team is better than you think it is….), Londonderry (they can’t put two consistent weeks together…I still think they could get hot in the second half of the season..) and Nashua North ( they are missing…something..getting Casey Lane back will help…do you realize they have lost three games by a total of five points?).

 

 Your lower seeded team that will be a nightmare in Round 1: Manchester Memorial

 Nothing has changed here. Jack Quirk’s team has been to the Final Four in two of the last three seasons when no one could see it coming in February. Jake Carrier (16.6) has been all-state level all season long, Michael Roumraj is one  of the best playmakers in the division, Manny Alisandro is excellent when he is attacking from the baseline and both Tyson Thomas & Jake Santiago will go down fighting. This is not the team you want coming in for Round 1.

 

 Player of the Year at the mid-point of the season:  Cal Connelly of Spaulding

 In an extremely crowded field we will go with Connelly at the half-way point. Right now if I had to count on one player in a game I needed to win I’m going to McIsaac’s wooby.

 Runner-up: Cody Morissette of Exeter

 

 Coach of the Year at the mid-point of the season: Mark Elmendorf of Bedford

 Do they look like a team that had to replace their top six players from a quarterfinal team of a year ago?

 They do not…terrific job by Elmendorf in his second season at the helm.

 Runner-up: Tim Goodridge of Merrimack

 

  First Team All-State (First half of the season)

 Cal Connelly of Spaulding

 Kevin Genao of Nashua South

 Cody Morissette of Exeter

 Cody Graham of Portsmouth

 Ian Cummings of Merrimack

 Griffin Curtis of Salem

 Comments: There are twelve different players who could have made first team including Joey Glynn who only isn’t on the top list because of missing games early on with an injury…we’ll go with six for now.

 

 With apologies to: Jake Coleman of Londonderry, Max Bonney-Liles of Alvirne, Logan Galanes of Keene, Steve Natola of Exeter, Joey Glynn, Shon Parham and Mike Sanborn of Portsmouth, Arie Breakfield of Spaulding, Max Chartier, Troy Meservey & Liam Greene of Bedford, Liam Viviano of Winnacunnet, Jake Carrier & Michael Roumraj of Memorial, Antione Revere of Central, Jordan Santos of Trinity, Matt Giroux of Concord, Jay Reynolds of Pinkerton & Yanis Nyantenji of Bishop Guertin