There is a lot of finger pointing going on amongst Division III coaches and it has little to do with missed calls or damning accusations.

 No one seems to agree on who the favorite should be; they only agree that it’s not them.

“We lost too much to be favored, you need to talk about eight other teams before you’d get to us,” said Rob Fauci of defending champion Somersworth.

 “I can see ten different teams winning it and can list a few others with good shots as well,” said Inter-Lakes coach Mike Rathgeber.

 “It’s wide open. I don’t think you’ll see a favorite emerge for a few months,” summed up Conant head coach Eric Saucier.

 I’d agree with that. Unfortunately, it’s my job to name a favorite and all the contenders beside them today.

 Let’s just agree that there may be no more wide open race in 2019 than the one being played out in Division III.

 This is a year a 6 or a 7 seed could easily walk away with the title and more than ever, how you match up with whoever stands next to you in the draw will determine how enjoyable your March will be.

 Today we take a look at all the teams in the mix in our second of four basketball previews.

 

 Our Division III preview is sponsored by our friends & partners at Concord Orthopaedics.

 Concord Orthopaedics, with locations in Concord, Derry, New London & Windham, has been serving New Hampshire and beyond in specialized orthopaedic and arthritis care.

 Concord Orthopaedics is the sponsor of the coverage of Concord area high schools Bow, John Stark, Concord, Bishop Brady, Pembroke Academy, Kearsarge, and Merrimack Valley.

 

Division III Predicted Order

1. Campbell
2. White Mountain Regional
3. Conant
4. Monadnock
5. Mascenic Regional
6. Gilford
7. Somersworth
8.  St Thomas
9.  Belmont
10.  Berlin

Lurking just outside the Top 10: Inter-Lakes, Hopkinton, Mascoma, Winnisquam, Franklin, and Fall Mountain.

 

 A year after falling one game short in the Division III tournament the Campbell Cougars return five of their top seven scorers. New head coach Frank Girginis (who served as the Trinity girls coach a year ago) wants to play at the same pace the Cougars did a year ago…only this time he’s going to use the brake pedal more than the 2018 edition did. “We are going to get out & go,” said Girginis. “ But with some discipline as well.”

 “We have a lot of speed and the athletes to do it but there will be times you need to dial it back and play with more discipline. There are some teams that you can’t pressure 90 feet and you need to change up your looks. I think you’ll see us utilize that strategy this season.”

 Campbell was known last year as a team that played with a lot of swagger, and liked to tell you all about it. Whether that is dialed back as well will be something to watch, the Cougars were assessed two technical fouls in a pre-season jamboree in Belmont last Saturday.

 Girginis wasn’t with the team a year ago but sees a group ready to compete all the way to mid-March. “It’s a great group of kids and they are really buying into what we are trying to do.” Girginis has focused on team chemistry, moving a planned film session in the pre-season to a movie theatre and taking the entire team out to see ‘Creed 2’. “You can see the chemistry this group has out on the floor,” said Girginis. “We are developing that connection in the locker room as well.”

 It begins with point guard Jonah Crema who is set up for a big senior season. “Jonah does a terrific job getting us out on the break and defensively he is going to be at the front of our press.” Joining him in the backcourt is fellow returning starter, Joaquin Heller. “He really gets after it on defense,” said his new head coach. “You look for your guards to set a tempo for the team and they do that very well.”

 Not included in the five returning players is center Carter Vedrani, who missed last season with a football injury. Now healthy again after an all-state campaign in the fall Vedrani is going to be a difference maker for the Cougars. “He’s going to be a very big factor for us. He has tremendous footwork and gives us strength in the paint.” Fellow all-state football standout Chad Martel will play alongside Vedrani at power forward.

 Shooting guard Justin Furlong and junior small forward Brendan Rice will both contribute right away, with Rice capable of a breakout year after averaging 9 ppg. as a sophomore last season. “The pieces are there and the kids are very focused on getting back to the post-season again. This has been a fun group to coach early on and I’m excited to see what we can become over the course of the season.”

 The list of teams that have gone over to Conant in the playoffs and walked out with a win is a very short one. It’s a list that now contains White Mountains Regional who shocked the Orioles a year ago.

 Wherever Mike Curtis’ team ends up on night one of the tournament this year there will be no sneaking up on anyone. This is a team capable of being the last team standing in March. “Where we are today as opposed to where we were a year ago at this time is pretty dramatic,” said Curtis. “There has been an awful lot of improvement and as a group, we have come together. We’re still not there yet and there is still a lot of improvement to be made but I like where we are today.”

 It starts up front where 6’5 Zeke Pribbernow might be the most improved player of the bunch from last year to this season. “He’s three times the player he was on opening night a year ago and he has really put the work in to get there,” said Curtis. “His offensive range has improved and he has become an excellent shot-blocker. He needs to work on guarding the perimeter for us to be as good as we can be defensive.”

 Garrett Lachance and Connor Bosse are two very good athletes who lead the way defensively for the Spartans, who will mix up their defensive looks. “Buddy played in the Twin State Soccer game and Connor helped the team win the baseball championship a year ago so you’re talking about two excellent athletes. They are probably our two best defenders.”

 Griffin Crane, at 6’2 and headed down to Alabama after graduation to play college baseball, has the ability to guard all five positions on the floor. “Griffin brings a lot to the table for us,” said Curtis. “I want to see his shot selection get a little better but there is a lot he does that helps you win games.”

 The most valuable Spartan might be point guard Jack Curtis who looks poised for an all-state campaign. “He’s very unselfish, almost to a fault sometimes,” said his father. “With this group, I want to see us really share the ball and make the right passes and take the right shots. Jack is a big part of that and he has the ability to make passes at angles that you’re not going to see from a lot of other players.”

 6’4 Hunter Macleod will be the team’s 6th man and his coach wants to see more of the 10 rebound games as he had in the Belmont jamboree last weekend and less of the 2 rebound nights. “We need him to be more consistent for us because he will play a big role for us.”

 The bench will develop as the season goes along; with Gunner Carr being a part of that mix, but what Curtis wants to see is his players take the next step towards a run to SNHU in March. “These guys have been playing together since they were 12 so the chemistry is there, we just need to be consistent with how we share and move the basketball,” said Curtis. “We do that and we could become a very good basketball team.”

 It’s only been three seasons since Conant was last in the Final Four but for one of the best programs in New Hampshire that can feel like a long time. With four of five starters returning for head coach Eric Saucier that drought has a chance to end in March.

 “We have all the talent necessary to get back to the Final Four, what we need to develop is leadership. We need to come together as a group because talent alone isn’t going to get us there,” said Saucier.

 All-state 6’3 forward Peyton Springfield returns and should emerge as one of the team leaders as well. “Peyton has stepped up his game and he’s worked hard to do it,” said Saucier. “I want to see him put forth more effort defensively and lead by example that way. He’s certainly one of the best offensive players in our division.”

 Jake Drew will be a key factor in the Orioles backcourt along with Anthony Gautheir, who is battling an injury in the pre-season but should be ready for the opener. “Jake had a breakout year a year ago and I expect even better things from him this season. I’m looking for him to be more of a vocal leader for us.”

 Look for Connor Hart to fill the defensive specialist role vacated by graduating senior Ryan Smith last season (the White Mountains playoff game last year turned when Smith went out with an injury). Gavin Motuzas was strictly a shooter a year ago but has developed the ability to finish at the rim over the off-season.

 All of which gives Conant a team capable of being the last team standing in March. “This is a very tough division and our schedule is really challenging week to week,” said Saucier. “If we toughen up and our leadership is there I think we have a chance to be a very good basketball team.”

 Late in the second game of the Division III semifinals Monadnock Head Coach, Jim Hill kept his highly regarded freshman class out on the floor long after the game was decided.

 Campbell was in control wire to wire after the Huskies senior leading scorer Joe Minson was suspended for the game, but this wasn’t about making the score look closer or getting kids who never played some run. This was about getting more reps for a team capable of multiple trips back to the semifinals.

 “That run gave us a taste of post-season success. Playing in that game also let them know we had a lot of work to do and I feel like there has been really good carry-over into this season,” said Monadnock Jim Hill.

 Hill will lean heavily on sophomore guard Jake Kidney to handle the basketball while Joe Morrell and senior Jon Ross Plaisted will contribute right away. “We have more experience than we did a year ago and with that comes better depth.”

 Monadnock will have a frontcourt that can go up against any team in the division. 6’4 Tim Santaw, fresh off of a football championship, will again protect the rim alongside 6’5 center Tom Pouliot. “Tim is playing very well right now and he’s our leader,” said Hill of his senior captain.

 The breakout player in the program might be 6’3 sophomore forward Quinn Grover, who started last year as a freshman. “He’s taken his game to another level and you expect more of that to come throughout the season.”

 Senior Matt Dodd and freshman Kevin Putnam will both play right away for a team that could have eight different players start at any point during the season. “The chemistry is there, you can just see it with how we move the ball in practice,” said Hill. “The ball would die at times in our offense last year and what I’m seeing now is better movement and passing on the floor. In a really tough division, we’re going to have to play that way every night.”

 When you bring in John Langlois to coach your basketball team there are a couple of things you’re going to need to know.

 First of all, he’s going to throw himself into the job and the players better be prepared to come with him. He’s going to do it his own way, from coaching moves to having his limousine driver scout games for him…John is doing it his own way.

 Finally, he’s going to win. Langlois has won at just about every stop along the way with Campbell and Bedford being the most recent examples.

 So when Mascenic athletic director Kevin Rines hired Langlois to try and get the Vikings over the quarterfinal round hump he gave him absolute freedom to change whatever he saw fit, and right away Langlois has a team capable of a Final Four run. “ I didn’t watch any film from last season,” said the veteran first-year coach. “ Not one game. I wanted every player in the program to come in with a fresh start and that’s where began.”

 What Langlois would have seen on film was a team with a lot of potential, an offense ready from Day 1 and a defense that wasn’t good enough to win two tournament games. Junior guard Sammy Stauffeneker can shoot like his older brothers but might be the best playmaker of the bunch. “ We want to put the ball in Sammy’s hands and run an offense that lets him create,” said Langlois of his all-state guard. “ He has a chance to have a terrific season.”

 Junior shooting guard Trey Shaw, who saw valuable minutes as a freshman, returns from prep school and steps into the starting lineup from Day 1. “ He’s a great shooter and a terrific athlete, I’m excited to coach him. He’s been playing with this group since he was in grammar school so there was no time needed to get him re-acclimated. He fits right in for us.”

 Forward Zach Barthel started a year ago as a sophomore and may take the biggest leap forward in his junior season. He will play alongside TJ Hiott and 6’8 center Nate Long, who should be able to protect the rim for a team that may start four perimeter players. “As the saying goes, ‘ You can’t teach height’ and I think you’ll see him help us,” said Langlois.

 We know Mascenic can score…will they become a team also known for their defense? “I can promise you one thing; we will defend. That I can absolutely promise you.”

 If that’s true, Mascenic has a chance to finally break through the quarterfinals and get to SNHU in March.

 Watching my Alma Mater a year ago I couldn’t have been more excited about the future. Center Greg Madore had developed into an all-state center as a junior and was already talking about working with former Dover Head Coach Mike Romps of Romps Life to better develop his skills over the off-season.

 Sophomore Adrian Siravo, headed to UConn in two years on a baseball scholarship, was just starting to see his own potential and would undoubtedly make the same sophomore to junior leap that Madore had made. Tying it all together was a smart, clutch point guard in Nate Hudson who would run the Gilford offense again as a senior for a team that looked like a potential pre-season #1.

 There was only one problem…..Hudson was already a senior, news he broke to me shortly after his last game in Berlin in the Division III quarterfinals. That breaking news changed my outlook to the same one I hold today…..Gilford still has may have the best frontcourt in the entire division…one that could compete with anyone even in Division II.

 But who’s bringing the ball up and getting it to them?

 “ Well David,” my old high school basketball coach told me last week, “ we’re still figuring that out.”

 There are candidates likely to emerge and no doubt guards capable of the job but someone has to take it, because if Gilford finds another Nate Hudson…they are as good as any team in the division. “ We’ve improved across the board from last season,” said head coach Chip Veazey who started coaching at Gilford in 1984. “ The offense is a little ahead of the defense right now but that will change as we get into the real games.”

 Madore, at 6’5, should be a double-double machine in the post while Siravo is terrific in the open court and also has the ability to tip in any near misses at the rim. “ Adrian is much more comfortable than he was at this time a year ago,” said Veazey. “ You could see him trying to figure things out a year ago where now after a year of playing varsity it comes a lot quicker to him.”

 Korey Weston is a terrific athlete and is the kind of guard that can stick to your best perimeter player like glue. Connor Sullivan and Curtis Nelson each will get a chance to fill the void at point guard as well and Veazey has confidence in both.

 Logan Hughes, at 6’3, gives Gilford another athletic forward that can finish at the rim while 6’3 Malik Reese, son of football legend Mo Reese, has a chance to contribute right away off the bench.

 “ It’s a really good group of kids and a fun one to coach,” said Veazey. “ We’ll see what we become as a team.”

 Somersworth head coach Rob Fauci needs to replace 40 of the 67 points his team scored per game a year ago, with much of that production now residing at Plymouth State University (where Bryton Early has started games as a freshman) and Southern Maine C.C (where Tyler Clark is playing for Matt Richards).

 That’s a lot to replace. “ It doesn’t just happen magically, you need a lot of different players stepping into bigger roles to get to where we were at this time last season,” said Fauci.

 Lucky for him he still happens to have the pre-season player of the year, Evan Gray. “He’s looked terrific early on and his attitude has been great,” lauded his head coach. “It’s his year. We had a 3-headed monster last year and now it’s just Evan, but he’s more than capable of taking us to where we want to get to.”

 Also returning to the starting lineup is center Ethan Johnson who anchored the back of the Hilltoppers press a year ago. “ Ethan improved so much last season. He was at the back end of our press and also was such a good passer for us out of the post.”

 Jacob Hamilton showed flashes a year ago (including scoring 13 points in a playoff game)  playing behind Clark and now gets his opportunity to step into the starting lineup from day 1.

 Georgia transfer Travis Wright will see time at the point guard spot along with sophomore Jeremy Levesque. “ Travis has looked good for us, he needs to improve his defense but he’s coming along for us.”

 Luke Monesmith gave Fauci some good minutes off the bench a year ago and at 6’3 should be a factor in the frontcourt. In the end, though the defending champs will go as far as their first team all-state forward takes them.

 “ Evan really seems ready to lead this group, and it’s his time now. I’m excited to see the kind of season he has in front of him.”

 A year ago St Thomas was the lower seed other teams worried about. With their two leading scorers back and a very good senior class, the Saints don’t plan on sneaking up on anyone this time around.

“ Practices have been easy to start the season because of all the experience this group has,” said head coach Sean Murphy. “ You feel like you’re ahead of where we were the last two seasons.”

 Shawn Dekorne, fresh off an all-state football campaign, should have a breakout season this winter as well. Dekorne can get to the rim, defend and rebounds well for a guard. “He might be our best shooter,” said his head coach. “ He has a very high basketball IQ and I think he’s set up to have a very good season.”

 6’3 Andrew Cavanaugh put together an all-state season a year ago and seemed to improve by the week. Murphy can see all the off-season work his power forward put in paying off. “ He was such a weapon for us in the post last season. This season I think you’ll see him expand his game away from the basket as well. He’s a player teams are going to have to game plan for.”

 Diego Garcia went through the usual highs & lows of a first-year point guard last season but has settled into the role nicely for 2019. “ He really improved over the summer,” said Murphy. “ He has learned that you’re not going to get to the rim every time down the floor. He needs to add a mid-range game and pass the ball out for us to be effective.”

 Jack Benelli is another very good athlete who should make the Saints a very tough team to beat on the boards. “ Jack is great on the boards but where I think he can really be a factor for us is on defense. At 6’3 he has the size to give shooters a lot of problems.”

 The wild cad may be guard Kevin Zheng, who may start or be the first player off of Murphy’s bench. “ I would like to see him become that third scorer for us that we really need. Last year we just couldn’t keep up with teams we couldn’t hold down defensively. I think Kevin has the potential to be one of the players to change that.”

 The last time Belmont went to back to back quarterfinals….(searching for a Gerald Ford joke)…….well take it from someone who grew up 5 miles away….it’s been a while.

 After falling on the road in the quarterfinals to the eventual runner-up two years ago (Stevens) and the eventual champs last March (Somersworth) head coach Jim Cilley has built an expectation amongst his team that they are going to be in this for the long haul.

 “ I like this group a lot and what I like most is the potential for our defense to be really good,” said Cilley. “ There is a really good chemistry with this group and we have the athletes to give teams a lot of problems both with our defense and our rebounding. Where are we getting the scoring from? That’s what we have to figure out.”

 Power forward Aidan Rupp might be that guy, but Rupp is a player who can get his points with limited touches. That’s because of how active he is on the boards. “ We’re going to play to his strengths and that’s playing close to the basket. Aidan is a very good rebounder and he has the size & tenacity to finish down low.”

 Griffin Embree will run the point for the Red Raiders but it’s a crowded backcourt with potentially four different starters over the course of the season. Nate Sottack will only get better as a sophomore after being one of the first players off the team’s bench last season and Caleb Burke might be the team’s x-factor. “ Caleb needs to step up and produce,” said Cilley. “ If he can knock down shots he’s going to be really effective for us.”

 Defensively Cilley has no worries. “ I think Griffin & Nate have a chance to be one of the better defensive backcourts in our division. Both of them are excellent on the ball defenders and Nate has a knack for knocking the ball loose from ball-handlers.”

 Jackson Ruelke, another sophomore guard, has had a very good pre-season and will see minutes in the backcourt as well.

 Matt Thurber gives Belmont a center that can defend bigs in the post while Cam Magerer is not afraid to move opposing big men off of their spot. Add to the mix sophomore Isaiah Costa & junior Keith Landry and Cilley has enough pieces to make another run in March.

 The question remains…who takes over the scoring duties vacated by Matty Pluskis (now playing on a practice team at Wichita State) and Dylan Gansert?

“We have guys like Nate Sottack who can score in bunches when they get going but we have to find it consistently from one, two or three guys. That’s the key to our success this season.”

 There has been a lot of change for Berlin after a Final Four run a year ago. Dave Morrissette stepped down as head coach after the season and then projected starting center and key reserve a year ago, Damien Larochelle moved away.

 That’s two pretty big pieces to replace for a team that graduated two three-year starters in all-state guard Evan Arsenault and center Joey Fodor.

 Jared Lauze takes over as head coach after being the JV coach last season and a prior coaching stop at Gorham. What he inherits is a team with three players as good as any combination in the division, surrounded by a whole lot of ‘We don’t know yet.’

 “I love the veteran players we have back and how athletic they are,” said Lauze, “our issue is a lack of size and depth. That will have to develop as the season goes along.”

 At the center of it all is all-state forward Seth Balderrama who was one of the best scorers in the division a year ago.

 Balderrama is as good as any player in the state when he has you one on one from 15 feet in, with a fall away jumper that is almost unblock able. This season he’s going to need to attack the rim even more often with a lack of outside shooters to keep the defense spread out. “He’s very comfortable in the leadership role and I see him being even tougher as a player now that he’s a senior,” said Lauze. “The offense will go as he goes.”

 Michael Moore will take over at the point after playing off the ball a year ago. Moore is one of those players every coach in the division would die to have; he’s a very good defender, can handle the ball, shoot it and is unselfish.

 His head coach would agree with that assessment. “He’s such a tough kid and we have a lot of confidence in him running the point.”

 The X-factor will be guard Sinciere Davis, an elite defender who sacrificed shots a year ago. Davis is going to need to be the second scorer on this team. “He’s played more like a scorer early on and that’s what we need from him,” said Lauze. “We need him to be a complete player for us and I think he can do it.”

 Naciere Davis will also be called to contribute right away for a team that may struggle to rebound against some of the bigger teams in the division. Jalen Lacasse will step in right away as well for a team that may only start one player (Balderrama) over 6 feet tall. “We will run some new stuff but we’re not changing our style of play at all,” said Lauze. 

 Mike Rathgeber’s Inter-Lakes Lakers will go as their junior all-state forward goes and may find their 2019 identity as a team that wins with defense.

“Offensively Eli really will dictate a lot of what we do, both by the decisions he makes with the ball and the kind of defenses teams are going to throw at him,” said Rathgeber. “Defensively, I think we have the chance to be pretty good. I’ve been very encouraged early on by some of the guys who have stepped up.”

 A lot of that confidence comes from the play of point guard Deandre Miller, who can match up with any opposing guard on the Lakers schedule. “He has some tremendous potential as a defensive stopper for us and if you have one of those it feeds the rest of your defense.”

 The X-factor may be shooting guard Eli Dupigny, who is going to get open looks with all the attention that will be paid to Swanson. Rathgeber needs his 5’11 senior to become a reliable weapon on the perimeter. “He has shown it in spurts; he has a lot of natural ability as a basketball player. We’re just going to need to see it consistently this year.”

 Quinn Taylor returns to the starting lineup and has filled the glue-guy role from the Lakers since he stepped into the lineup. Eddie Bird should give the Lakers another perimeter threat to stretch the defense.

 The key will be Swanson, who has some terrific games last season where he was easily the best player on the floor and others where he seemed to be forcing too much & prone to bad turnovers. “He’s an outstanding kid and he has worked very hard at his game. He has traveled to AAU showcases and really put the work in over not just the summer but the fall. I don’t think there are many players in the division better than he is, how he plays this season will tell you a lot about how far we go in March.”

 A year after sneaking into the tournament short-handed Jim Barry has a team at Mascoma that might be the sleeper team in Division III and promises to be a nightmare to face on their home floor.

 “What we have with our seniors is the personnel to run the kind of pressure defense we want,” said Barry. “ and that hasn’t been the case in recent seasons.”

 Having guard Dakota Decocq back is another very good start. After putting together an all-state level season in the first half Decocq was ineligible the second half of the season.

 The Mascoma offense never seemed to recover. “He does an awful lot for us, as far as the attitude he brings to the court and his ability score & run the floor,” said his head coach. “He has the ability to be a really good player for us. If he becomes a good decision maker with the basketball, we’ll be a tough team to play.”

 Sophomore Connor Thompson showed enough flashes last season, including 20 points in the Royals playoff loss, that his head coach is excited about his development. Ben Schwarz is former co-player of the year Alex’s younger brother and will contribute right away while freshman Ben Seiler will play right away at point guard.

 “We should have more depth and that gives us the ability to put our full court and three-quarter pressure together,” said Barry, one of the most respected coaches in the division. “We don’t have a lot of size but we have the skill and the speed to give good teams trouble.”

 After missing the post-season a year ago Mike Donnell believes his Franklin team will carry-over the momentum from a very good football season that saw them nearly win the Division IV title. “ The thing that strikes me about this group is how well they play together,” said Donnell. “ They communicate very well out on the floor and I’ve loved what I’ve seen from our ball movement.”

 Guard Harrison Clark returns to the starting lineup after averaging 16 ppg. a year ago and will be joined in the backcourt by Ben Lafrance (“ He might be our best pure shooter”) and CJ  Gaslin. “ As far as athletic ability I’d put them against any team we face.”

 Two new additions could make the difference for the Golden Tornadoes with one familiar face joined by a new one.

 6’4 center Taryn Laramie is back after missing last season with an injury. The all-state football & baseball player will play a huge role right away. “ He brings a lot to the table as far as his ability to rebound and how physical he is in the paint,” said Donnell.

 Milford transfer Cam Robinson is a 6’2 lefty that should be one of the team’s best defenders. “ He was more of a facilitator with Milford last year but I’m asking him to be more of a scorer for us.”

 The team is also raising money throughout the season for pediatric cancer with a fundraiser that includes pledges for free throws made (NHsportspage is on board as a donor). “ It’s such a great cause and the kids are all about it, they’ve been great,” said Donnell. “ We are going to visit the children’s hospital in Hanover together as a team and are hoping to raise money for a great cause.”

 After a post-season streak was broken a year ago Winnisquam head coach Kevin Dame looks at his team and sees a lot of key players back & significant improvement. The only issue…he sees the same thing when he looks around the division. “ In that all-state meeting last year I just know there were a lot of sophomore & juniors being named,” joked Dame. “ Yes we are better and I’m excited about it, but this is a very deep division.”

 Kyle Mann returns after an all-state season as a junior and should have an even better season with the improvement of sophomore point guard Phil Nichols, who just happened to be our Division IV football player of the year. “ He’s really coming into his own,” said Dame. “ He has that swagger about him already and I think he’s set to have a very good season.”

 6’2 forward Gunnar Horman & guard Garrett Mango, another pair of familiar names from an undefeated football team, will step in right away. You’ll even see big man Angelo Glover creating space on the low block. “ They’re a really fun group of kids to coach and the chemistry is really evident,” said Dame.

 Dame is excited about the potential of freshman Caleb Bushway who may force his way into the starting lineup….giving the Bears a very good young nucleus. “ I know we’re a better team than we were a year ago, so it’s going to be fun to see how that affects our wins & losses. This is a very good year in our division, and you’re going to have to bring it every night.”

 

Pre-Season Player of the Year

Evan Gray of Somersworth

 

Pre-Season First Team All-State

Evan Gray of Somersworth

Seth Balderrama of Berlin

Eli Swanson of Inter-Lakes

Peyton Springfield of Conant

Sammy Stauffeneker of Mascenic Regional

 

Second Team All-State

Greg Madore of Gilford

Jack Curtis of White Mountains Regional

Andrew Cavanaugh of St Thomas

Joaquin Heller of Campbell

Zeke Pribbernow of White Mountains Regional

 

Players to watch: Dakota Decocq of Mascoma, Sinciere Davis of Berlin, Shawn Dekorne of St Thomas, Jonah Crema of Campbell, Jake Drew of Conant, Adrian Siravo of Gilford, Aidan Rupp of Belmont, Kevin Newton-Delgado & Caleb Yianakoplos of Hopkinton, Kyle Mann of Winnisquam, Trey Shaw of Mascenic Regional, Quinn Grover, Tim Santaw & Jake Kidney of Monadnock and Harrison Clark of Franklin.

 

 

 Listen LIVE to the New Hampshire High School Hoop Show wSaturday morning from 9 to 10 am as Justin McIsaac & I will be live from the 6th annual Coaches for a Cause Jamboree at Great Bay Community College.

 We’ll re-cap every single game from opening night and have a few surprise guests before we roll into the jamboree at high noon.

 You can listen by clicking the listen live link right on our homepage or on 99.9 FM & 1370 WFEA radio in the Manchester area Saturday morning.