It’s back! The Winter edition of the Top 10 is here. The listicle you can’t live without. Just remember– this is a STATE WEBSITE and I expect you to send me ideas for this list. YOU GOT THAT?!?!?!

The Top 10 is brought to you by TJ’S in Portsmouth! My absolute favorite spot in Portsmouth to catch a game. Tell Bethany that McIsaac sent you.

10. ELI SWANSON DID IT ALL

A quadruple double! 23 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, and 11 steals last Tuesday in a won over Moultonborough, the 4th straight for Interlakes. After wards he also drove the team bus home and washed everyone’s uniforms. Eli is one of our favorites for what a great kid he is, and he flexed his skill muscles on Tuesday.

9. THE BIGGEST GAME OF THE WEEK MIGHT NOT BE TOMORROW

It might be today, as the BG Girls (defending NH D1 Champs) take on defending MA D1 Champs Braintree – how often do you get to see defending state champs play each other in the regular season? Having the defending Boston city champs v Portsmouth at the Jamboree a few years back was awesome, but this one counts in the standings.

8. THAT GAME TOMORROW IS PRETTY BIG THOUGH

Salem at Exeter in a possible preview of a Durham game should be huge, with Pete Tarrier in the house. 7-0 Salem and 6-0 Exeter will be a pretty big clash of styles, with Salem looking to win a game in the 50’s, and Exeter hoping to play in the high 60’s or 70’s – Spaulding showed you can muck it up with Exeter, but still be on the short end of the decision. Salem put up 77 in a win over Dover, so they can get out and score if you let them – this one should be fun.

7. LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW BAD THAT CALL AGAINST THE SAINTS WAS

Listen, I understand the NFL refs are doing the best job they can, and it’s not easy when you’re 50-60 years old to keep up with the best athletes in the world, but COME ON. TommyLee Lewis got blown up by  Nickell Robey-Coleman about 10 minutes before the ball arrived, which would’ve given the Saints a 1st and goal at the 6, and a chance to run a bunch of clock before kicking a FG, or punching it in for a TD. Instead, you saw what happened (there was also a missed helmet-to-helmet on a defenseless receiver call missed, but who’s counting?).

Is this the worst missed call in history? I don’t know, the Eagles got 14 points off of missed calls in last years superbowl, but this is right up there.

6. THE GMC TRUCK WITH A TRANSFORMER FOR A TAILGATE

That commercials sucks. There are two commercials out that I really hate right now, and they both use “Nah nah nah nah, hey hey hey, goodbye” as a musical accompaniment. ANYWAY, I guess the hook on this tailgate is that it turns into like 6 different things – I know the tailgate is the basis of 73% of all modern country music, but I though opening and closing, and maybe sitting upon, were the main functions? Don’t @ me, Tailgate Twitter.

5. NATE CAMP’S KIDS CAN PLAY

We know Camper’s a very good coach of the Cougars boys team, but did you know his daughters Ellie and Caroline are pretty darn good players for the Cougar girls? In an overtime win over Jen Chick-Ruth’s alma matter, Caroline, a freshman, had 9 points, all in the 2nd half, to help lead the Cougars back from down 12 to a much needed W. Maybe more importantly, it let me talk smack to JCR after our ugly public twitter fight this week. Speaking of which….

4. BENNY THE BEAR THREATENED TO EAT ME THIS WEEK

This was disturbing on a number of levels, not the least of which was because I thought we had a mutual respect after I interviewed him at Durham. In the “3 up, 3 down” podcast Dave and I did, I selected CBNA as one of my 3 down. Jen Chick Ruth IMMEDIATELY went on the attack, and then brought Benny the Bear out of Hibernation, and from there, I found myself closer to a DiCaprio in The Revenant moment than I ever thought I’d be.

Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed, and I don’t have a lot of gaping wounds from a Benny attack. But I have emotional scars that may never heal.

3. SPAULDING WITH A BIG DUB AT PORTSMOUTH

My adopted nephew Arie Breakfield capped off a 47-43 OT win at Stone Gymnasium with a steal from Alex Tavares, and a slam dunk for the exclamation point, to give the Raiders their first win over Portsmouth since…. The Reagan Administration? I have Bob Lipman working on this right now.  (UPDATE: The last Spaulding win was 14 years TO THE DAY, and ALSO IN OVERTIME! 59-58 Spaulding in OT on 1/18/05 – cue the X-Files Music…)

2. ROUGH DAY FOR BRADY/PATS HATERS

Kellerman? Gone

That one guy from FS1 (can’t be bothered to remember his name)? Dead

Stephen A? FOH

Felger? STFU

Shaughnessy? Go repurpose that tomato can column AGAIN, you hack.

One day, after predicting for 14 straight years that the Pats are done, you might be right… but today is not that day, punks. I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAAAAAAAAKE!!!!!!

1. WAS THAT THE BEST (NON SUPERBOWL) PATRIOTS GAME OF ALL TIME?

Obviously, the first win over the Rams, the win over the Seahawks, and the miracle over Atlanta take precedent. But this wild and crazy win over the Chiefs, with 635 4th quarter reviews, Edleman making his left thumb teleporting out of the way of the football, Gronk dusting himself off for a vintage performance, Pat Mahomes showing he’s the next great one, and everything else I’m forgetting about may be the best non superbowl win for the Pats, and yes, I’m including the Tuck Rule/Snow Game. I felt like I was going to have a stroke 6 different times. Imagine not liking sports?

ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: Spaulding bowling with a 3rd place finish in their latest meet, Concord lurking at 5-2, CONCORD CHRISTIAN HAS WON TWO IN A ROW, Look out for Pelham, The Return of the Regan voice on Tuesday…

Justin McIsaac writes the Top 10 every week (usually). He is the 2018 NSMA NH Sportscaster of The Year.  He has 1,000 jobs, including radio color commentary for UNH Football, Producer of "NH Today with Jack Heath", HS play by play for MOSN, The McIsaac On Sports Network, college play by play for Dartmouth, St Anselm’s, UNE, Harvard, and whoever else will cut the check. Follow him on Twitter: @justin_mcisaac