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. AT LEAST ONE RAMS TEAM GOT A WIN OVER THE WEEKEND

Nute won a game! And they didn’t just win, they pounded Mt. Royal, 47-30 for their first win since the 15-16 season. Jeff Gray’s team got 19 points from Spencer Bridges to collect their first W since we had a President that didn’t watch TV for 7 hours a day. Nute’s had a tough time both as a team and an athletic program, so hopefully this can be a positive step for the Milton school.

9. THE NUMBER OF POINTS BOTH SPAULDING AND DOVER HAD AT THE HALF

That’s right, nine. NINE! It was one of the greatest halves of futility I’ve ever seen. The new Dover High gym has tight rims and a tough shooting background, BUT STILL. Layups being missed, jump shots, 3 pointers, even a missed dunk. It was rough. The 2nd half turned into a game eventually, but I don’t think I’ll see 9-9 after the first half again any time soon.

8. SPEAKING OF THAT GAME, KINGSLEY BREEN THREW THE BEST PASS I’VE EVER SEEN IN A HIGH SCHOOL GAME

In the left corner, the Dover Sophomore had a Spaulding defender on him, taking away a pass to the top of the key. So Breen instead threw a BEHIND THE BACK PASS ON A DIME to the right block, leading to an easy layup. Easily the best pass in a HS game I’ve seen en route to Dover’s first win over Spaulding in 10 tries.

7. SOUTH IS RISING

Don’t look know, but the Purple Panthers have gotten themselves to .500 after an 0-4 start, including back to back W’s over Dover and rival Nashua North. A brutal opening part to the schedule had South in a big hole, but things are looking up for Pete Tarrier’s Alma Mater.

6. DREW MUNIZ OF UNE WAS FAIRLY EFFICIENT

I do a bunch of games for the University of New England (shout out to Kyle Frank of Pelham and Anthony Sensombath of Newmarket who play for the squad), and they run the Grinnell style, which means a LOT of 3 point shots. Drew Muniz went into Wednesday’s game vs Curry College averaging around 5 points per game. He ended up with 56 – IN TWENTY MINUTES! Look at this stat line:

See that 12-16? That’s what he shot from 3 point range. I don’t care if you’re being guarded by a traffic cone, 12-16 from downtown is ridiculous!

5. EPPING IS IN THE DRIVERS SEAT

With an OT win over rival Newmarket, Nick Fiset’s Blue Devils currently sit atop D4 (by a few ratings percentage points) over Littleton. Not only is being in 1st good because being in 1st is awesome, but it also sets up Epping to miss Littleton in the semi-finals (assuming everything is chalk). Hunter Bullock dropped 32 vs Newmarket in the win Friday that could loom large once the action shifts to Plymouth

4. THE SPAULDING GIRLS ARE AN UNSTOPPABLE JUGGERNAUT

5 in a row and 6 of 7 for the Red Raiders, who dropped down to D2 this year after really struggling in D1 for a number of years. The latest win was a come from behind win over D1 Dover on Friday night, and suddenly Spaulding has a shot at hosting a playoff game if they can keep up their winning ways – lead by a trio of seniors in Katie Raymond, Eliza Brault and Brooke Clooney, the Red Raider girls got a break out performance from sophomore Mary Paradis, with 22 points and a go ahead 3 pointer late to finish of a comeback vs Dover. Spaulding is 8-4 for the first time since anyone I know can remember.

3. MAROON 5 STINKS

I had low expectations for the Super Bowl halftime show, and Maroon 5 still managed to disappoint. The highlight of the halftime show was Big Boi, and the 2 second tease of maybe hearing “Sweet Victory” by Sponge Bob. Just give me Bruno Mars every year, or re-run Prince’s halftime show, which was the GOAT of halftime shows.

2. ALL THE PATS HATERS CAN GTFO. AGAIN.

Max Kellerman, Felger & Maz, and all the other pukes that engage in a hot takes arms race to see who can end up sounding the dumbest will have to wait another year to say “SEE, WE TOLD YOU THEY STINK!!!” . Eventually, the Patriots will fade back into the pack, and have the normal ups and downs of most NFL teams. Eventually. But if you’re going to shovel dirt on TB12 and the gang, you better make damn sure they’re dead first. And they ain’t dead yet. Not by a long shot.

1. SIX!!!!!!

It’s really unbelievable that I’ve seen 6 super bowl wins, since, for the first half of my life, I was convinced I’d never see one. Getting slaughtered by the Bears in ’85 was the first time I was ever kicked in the teeth by sports (a 7 year old McIsaac was convinced that Craig James would run all over the Bears defense – whoops). 1990 was the low point, seeing the team get beat by a million every week, and then seeing Rod Rust say “I’m proud of my men”.

 ’96 felt like the start of something special, until that snake Bill Parcells spent all of Super Bowl week on the phone with the Jets (THE JETS!), instead of figuring out NOT to kick to Desmond Howard.

But now I’ve seen the Patriots win a super bowl in every conceivable way (except for a 45-3 blowout, which would be better for my mental well being quite frankly), after just clamping down on the Rams, and doing just enough on offense to get Brady and Belichick ring number 6. Enjoy it while it lasts, because I’ve seen the other side, and it’s not pretty.

ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: Somehow the NFL had one of the best commercials at the Super Bowl (Deet’s Nuts wins), Someone at the STATE PAPER keeps trying to give Exeter an L, Jared Goff’s deer in the headlights look, Goodell getting booed off stage.

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