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. BENNY BIG SHOT

Ben Henry and Con-Val have now won 15 games in a row, which is ridiculous for a team that won just 6 games last year. Late in a close game at Coe-Brown, Benny Big Shot came up with a HUGE 3 to help seal a W for the Cougars. You can say all you want about Con-Val not having played the other Top teams in D2, but winning at Coe-Brown, especially when the Bears had been playing really well going in, tells me that Con-Val will be a handful in March.

9. I’M BOYCOTTING THE OSCARS AGAIN

Not because there’s no host, or because it’s 5 hours long, or because I haven’t seen any of the movies, but because in 1995, those snakes at the Academy gave Best Picture to Forrest Gump, when everyone in the world knows Pulp Fiction should've won, and I haven't watched since. I would’ve accepted Shashank, or Quiz Show, but you’re not putting Forrest Gump over the best movie of the 90’s. Not on my watch.

8. JARED WOODMAN MIGHT NEED SOME HELP

In the player's locker room interview that will be up on the site at noon, he said he wants Dave Haley to play him in a movie. These are the type of warning signs that tell me young Mr. Woodman may have an undiagnosed head injury. Let’s get him to a doctor, stat.

7. 84 FEET WITH JEN-CHICK RUTH IS GOING TO BE THE NEXT BIG THING

Speaking of the player's locker room interviews, once you see Peyton Rivers and Jen Chick Ruth (And Avery Chick Ruth) do their best Jay Bilas impersonation, that’s it – all the interviews are going to be that. I won’t spoil all of it for you, but Peyton carries Avery for the entire 84 feet, and I’ve never seen anyone so terrified to drop a baby in my life.

Ok, so I did spoil it for you. Go watch anyway.

6. HE’S A MANN, BABY

Kyle Mann of Winnisquam needed 43 points to get over 1k for his career, and the kid came through with 44 in a win over Franklin. I don’t care if you’re playing a middle school team, 44 points in 32 minutes is something else, especially when you need it to get to a milestone.

5. I’M GONNA PICK EVERY D4 OPENING ROUND GAME, SO GET THE HATE TWEETS READY

Here we go:

#1 Epping over Bye  - as Sam Natti said, it’s been a tough year for Bye.

#9 PCA over Groveton – Just have a feeling Derek Summers is going to pull off an upset road win as they did to Pittsfield a few years back

#4 Woodsville over #13 Mt. Royal  - Normandin being out is a killer

#12 Derryfield over #5 Sunapee – Agree with Dave that this could be an upset – which probably means we’re both wrong

#2 Littleton over #15 Moultonborough – Sorry Moultonborough

#10 Lisbon over #7 Colebrook – I believe in America. And I believe in America’s team. Just don’t tell the 22 foot Mohawk in the Colebrook gym.

#3 Newmarket over #14 Wilton-Lyndeborough  - There’s a huge Mule in Newmarket’s gym, not as intimidating as the Mohawk, but close.

#6 Pittsfield over #11 Farmington – Maybe closer than you might think, but I need Thurston for color on later playoff games, so take care of business, Jay.

4. CODY MORISETTE WENT YARD FOR BC

Two-time Seacoast Champ for the Fighting McIsaacs Cody Morrisette was an outstanding basketball player – and an even better baseball player. Yesterday he hit his first collegiate dinger against Bethune Cookman – here’s to a bunch more Cody! 

3.  THE “ONSIDE CONVERSION” IN THE AAF

The AAF is the spring pro football league that everyone knows isn’t as good as the NFL, but we fans of it don’t really care, we just want some damn football to watch. ANYWAY, there’s a few fun quirks to the league, such as going for 2 after every TD, and no onside kicks – if you want the ball back after you score, you get a 4th and 12 play from your own 28. Convert, and you have the ball. Fail, and give it up in great field position. We finally saw one of these yesterday…

And it was awesome! I want this in the NFL (And NCAA football), and I want it there yesterday.

2.  A DOVER SPAULDING BOYS D1 OPENING ROUND MATCHUP IS ON THE TABLE

Spaulding could finish as the 4 or 5 seed (These two games vs North and Winna this week are HUGE for the Red Raiders), and Dover could well finish as the 12 or 13 seed, which would cause a rematch of Dover’s win over SHS (where nobody could throw it in the ocean in the first half) in the opening round. Dover Spaulding games are awesome so I’m hoping this happens somehow.

1. WATCHING YOUR OWN KID TRY TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP IS STRESSFUL AS HELL

If you follow me on twitter you’re all too aware of Cameron McIsaac, the Spaulding Bowling team, and their exploits this season. It came to a close Saturday with the individual championships in Merrimack, and Spaulding had quite the day.

The top 64 bowlers by average make it, those are split up into Championship  Flight (Top 32) and Medal Flight (Next 32). My boy finished 36 in his Freshman campaign, and kicked butt through the qualifying rounds, and did likewise through 2 rounds of match play, as I tried not to puke with nerves.

Once they get down to 4, they re-seed, and Cam was seeded 1st, an instant bye to the championship game. His team mate, James Gannon, made it to the last game, and Cam lost 171-166 in a great match (Spaulding also had 2 in the Championship final 4, Matt Pomerleau and eventual runner up Xavier Bamford).

You don’t think of bowling as exciting generally, but when it’s mano a mano with a championship on the line, and your own kiddo is up there trying to get a W, it gets pulse pounding really quick! Congrats to James Gannon, who won, and Mike Grover of Merrimack, who won the Championship flight.

ALSO RECEIVING VOTES: Did the Celtics really lose to the Bulls of all teams? This is the start of “contact a divorce attorney” season for NHSportspage as we don’t see our families for 3 weeks, Spaulding girls hosting a playoff game for the first time since 1996, Robert Kraft getting busted for The Tug Rule

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