High School: Milford (N.H.)
New England Roundup: New Hampshire
March, 31, 2012
Mar 31
2:41
PM ET
By Marc Thaler | ESPNBoston.com
History will show Merrimack High survived the 16-team Division I boys' basketball bracket to win the 2011-12 tournament title as a 7-seed.
But these Tomahawks were hardly a Cinderella squad.
“We knew we were better than a 7-seed,” said coach Tim Goodridge, whose team overcame a season-long rash of injuries to key contributors, and rattled off four postseason wins, the last one a 65-56 decision over No. 4 seed Manchester Central High that clinched the state crown March 17.
Goodridge's group was a preseason pick to reach the University of New Hampshire's Lundholm Gym for the Final Four. Cutting down the nets was a distinct possibility.
Yet the injury bug bit early –- and often. Kyle Richardson, the 6-foot 4-inch starting center, suffered a nasty knee injury in the preseason.
Dimitri Floras, early on offered a scholarship by UNH, missed a bulk of the regular season. The star junior broke his right wrist in late-January. Days later, 6-foot-3 senior Jared Peabody was sidelined with arm trouble.
Football standout Jackson King, a suffocating defender for the hoop team, also dealt with a freak injury. The senior, landing awkwardly after making a game-winning block in mid-February, broke his wrist. Classmate Bryan Courtemanche suffered a concussion.
“It felt like I was running a M.A.S.H. Unit for a while,” said Goodridge, who led Merrimack to its third Division I title this millennium, and first crown since 2004. “The last game was probably the first time we had everyone in uniform – and we had no excuses.”
Floras was a definite difference-maker. He made a cameo just before the tourney, but tweaked his ankle in the regular season's final week. Goodridge opted to sit Merrimack's maestro until “win or go home” became the slogan for every squad.
Goodridge made a good call.
The 6-foot-2 star scored 76 points in tourney wins over defending champ and 10-seed Bishop Guertin High of Nashua (62-51 overtime), 15-seed and surprise quarterfinalist Dover High (74-54), 6-seed Spaulding High of Rochester (53-39), and Central.
Merrimack's resilience, however, was truly tested during the regular season. Out of necessity, roles changed.
And changed.
And changed.
As a result, though, lesser-known talents were called upon to play key minutes. Dylan O'Brien, Brad Jarry, Connor Whelan and, before his concussion, Courtemanche took advantage of the opportunity.
Meanwhile, Jeff Giannelli, a towering 6-foot-7 presence in the post, and brothers Tyler and Eric Gendron assumed additional responsibilities.
The trio didn't disappoint, particularly Tyler, a 6-foot-5 senior, who filled in at point guard, and continued to score when needed. Gatorade, in turn, named him the Granite State's Player of the Year.
“I'm going to really miss this group. Eight seniors, 15 on the roster,” Goodridge said. “For them to adapt all season long was tremendous.”
TITLE NO. 18
The best part about a season concluding? Coaches whose teams win a title finally tell you what they really think.
Take Jim Mulvey, Portsmouth High's six-year coach. His second-seeded Clippers overwhelmed 5-seed Bedford High, 58-33, for the Division II boys' basketball title March 17 at UNH.
“I always told them we were the best team. We were the hardest working team,” said Mulvey, whose star senior guard Kamahl Walker, erupted for 22 points, six steals, four rebounds and three assists. “Pressure usually gets to you, when you get to Durham, if you're not prepared. We were prepared.”
Portsmouth's 25-point pasting earned the program its 18th state title dating to 1923. The championship erased back-to-back frustrating finishes for the team's 11 players, seven of whom were seniors.
A year earlier, Portsmouth lost the final by six points to defending champion Milford High. Two years earlier, the Clippers were KO'd by those same Spartans in overtime of the semifinals.
Fair to say Portsmouth (20-2 Div. II) was motivated?
“From Day 1,” the Clippers coach said. “It's much easier to win with seniors. They're more prepared. They understand it. They get it.”
Mulvey said his team really hit high gear midway through the season. Kyle DiCesare, also a standout football player, returned from a broken ankle that sidelined him in the fall.
DiCesare's return gave Portsmouth yet another offensive weapon, and further strengthened a defense that rarely allowed easy buckets.
Undersized big men Charlie Duprey (6-foot-4) and Gregg Tsougranis (6-foot-2) stood tall, especially in the final. Portsmouth's “bigs,” plus DiCesare at 6-foot-2, matched up with Bedford's giant front line.
The Bulldogs boasted three players at least two inches taller than Duprey: Colin McManus (6-foot-10), Trevor Fahmy (6-foot-8) and Roger Larrivee (6-foot-6).
The mismatch never materialized.
“This team felt so much like 2009 to me,” said Mulvey, referring to Portsmouth's previous title-winning team. “It just came together. It felt right. Unselfishness and commitment from all the kids. You just knew the kids were in it for one reason.”
Marc Thaler is a reporter for the New Hampshire Union Leader & Sunday News. He co-hosts the “N.H. High School Sports Show” on Manchester's WGIR-AM 610 and the Seacoast's 96.7 FM every Saturday from 7-9 a.m. Read his “New Hampshire GameDay” blog and follow him on Twitter: @marc_thaler.
But these Tomahawks were hardly a Cinderella squad.
“We knew we were better than a 7-seed,” said coach Tim Goodridge, whose team overcame a season-long rash of injuries to key contributors, and rattled off four postseason wins, the last one a 65-56 decision over No. 4 seed Manchester Central High that clinched the state crown March 17.
Goodridge's group was a preseason pick to reach the University of New Hampshire's Lundholm Gym for the Final Four. Cutting down the nets was a distinct possibility.
Yet the injury bug bit early –- and often. Kyle Richardson, the 6-foot 4-inch starting center, suffered a nasty knee injury in the preseason.
Dimitri Floras, early on offered a scholarship by UNH, missed a bulk of the regular season. The star junior broke his right wrist in late-January. Days later, 6-foot-3 senior Jared Peabody was sidelined with arm trouble.
Football standout Jackson King, a suffocating defender for the hoop team, also dealt with a freak injury. The senior, landing awkwardly after making a game-winning block in mid-February, broke his wrist. Classmate Bryan Courtemanche suffered a concussion.
“It felt like I was running a M.A.S.H. Unit for a while,” said Goodridge, who led Merrimack to its third Division I title this millennium, and first crown since 2004. “The last game was probably the first time we had everyone in uniform – and we had no excuses.”
Floras was a definite difference-maker. He made a cameo just before the tourney, but tweaked his ankle in the regular season's final week. Goodridge opted to sit Merrimack's maestro until “win or go home” became the slogan for every squad.
Goodridge made a good call.
The 6-foot-2 star scored 76 points in tourney wins over defending champ and 10-seed Bishop Guertin High of Nashua (62-51 overtime), 15-seed and surprise quarterfinalist Dover High (74-54), 6-seed Spaulding High of Rochester (53-39), and Central.
Merrimack's resilience, however, was truly tested during the regular season. Out of necessity, roles changed.
And changed.
And changed.
As a result, though, lesser-known talents were called upon to play key minutes. Dylan O'Brien, Brad Jarry, Connor Whelan and, before his concussion, Courtemanche took advantage of the opportunity.
Meanwhile, Jeff Giannelli, a towering 6-foot-7 presence in the post, and brothers Tyler and Eric Gendron assumed additional responsibilities.
The trio didn't disappoint, particularly Tyler, a 6-foot-5 senior, who filled in at point guard, and continued to score when needed. Gatorade, in turn, named him the Granite State's Player of the Year.
“I'm going to really miss this group. Eight seniors, 15 on the roster,” Goodridge said. “For them to adapt all season long was tremendous.”
TITLE NO. 18
The best part about a season concluding? Coaches whose teams win a title finally tell you what they really think.
Take Jim Mulvey, Portsmouth High's six-year coach. His second-seeded Clippers overwhelmed 5-seed Bedford High, 58-33, for the Division II boys' basketball title March 17 at UNH.
“I always told them we were the best team. We were the hardest working team,” said Mulvey, whose star senior guard Kamahl Walker, erupted for 22 points, six steals, four rebounds and three assists. “Pressure usually gets to you, when you get to Durham, if you're not prepared. We were prepared.”
Portsmouth's 25-point pasting earned the program its 18th state title dating to 1923. The championship erased back-to-back frustrating finishes for the team's 11 players, seven of whom were seniors.
A year earlier, Portsmouth lost the final by six points to defending champion Milford High. Two years earlier, the Clippers were KO'd by those same Spartans in overtime of the semifinals.
Fair to say Portsmouth (20-2 Div. II) was motivated?
“From Day 1,” the Clippers coach said. “It's much easier to win with seniors. They're more prepared. They understand it. They get it.”
Mulvey said his team really hit high gear midway through the season. Kyle DiCesare, also a standout football player, returned from a broken ankle that sidelined him in the fall.
DiCesare's return gave Portsmouth yet another offensive weapon, and further strengthened a defense that rarely allowed easy buckets.
Undersized big men Charlie Duprey (6-foot-4) and Gregg Tsougranis (6-foot-2) stood tall, especially in the final. Portsmouth's “bigs,” plus DiCesare at 6-foot-2, matched up with Bedford's giant front line.
The Bulldogs boasted three players at least two inches taller than Duprey: Colin McManus (6-foot-10), Trevor Fahmy (6-foot-8) and Roger Larrivee (6-foot-6).
The mismatch never materialized.
“This team felt so much like 2009 to me,” said Mulvey, referring to Portsmouth's previous title-winning team. “It just came together. It felt right. Unselfishness and commitment from all the kids. You just knew the kids were in it for one reason.”
Marc Thaler is a reporter for the New Hampshire Union Leader & Sunday News. He co-hosts the “N.H. High School Sports Show” on Manchester's WGIR-AM 610 and the Seacoast's 96.7 FM every Saturday from 7-9 a.m. Read his “New Hampshire GameDay” blog and follow him on Twitter: @marc_thaler.
In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPNHS, today announced Hayley Dowd of Peabody High School as its 2011-12 Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Dowd is the first Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Peabody High School.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Dowd as Massachusetts’s best high school girls soccer player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in May, Dowd joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook HS, Mich.), Heather O’Reilly (2001-02, East Brunswick HS, N.J.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).
The 5-foot-5 junior forward led the Tanners to a 22-0-2 record and the Division 1 state championship this past season. Dowd scored 41 goals and passed for 19 assists, recording seven goals and three assists in six postseason matches. An All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, Dowd is a two-time Northeastern Conference MVP. She has 121 goals and 43 assists through three varsity seasons.
Dowd has maintained an A average in the classroom. A member of the Peabody High Captain’s Council, she has volunteered locally as a youth soccer coach.
“Hayley Dowd can score working with her team, she can go 1-on-1 and if she is double-teamed she finds her teammates with passes for easy goals” said Fred Day, Salem High's head coach. “She never stops working off the ball. I would pay to watch her play.”
Dowd has verbally committed to play soccer on an athletic scholarship at Boston College beginning in the fall of 2013.
Dowd joins recent Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Soccer Players of the Year Sam Mewis (2010–11, 2009-10, Whitman-Hanson), Danielle Dakin (2008–09, Minnechaug), Hayley Brock (2007-08, Acton-Boxborough), and Amy Caldwell (2006-07, Braintree) among the state’s list of former award winners.
Here are the winners from the other five New England states:
CONNECTICUT: PAULA HAGOPIAN, KINGSWOOD-OXFORD
The 5-foot-4 senior forward scored 13 goals and passed for 10 assists this past season, leading the Wyverns to a 5-7-2 record. Also the 2011 Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association Player of the Year and a two-time All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, Hagopian led Kingswood Oxford to the 2010 New England Prep School Athletic Council Class B championship. She concluded her prep soccer career with 56 goals and 35 assists.
Hagopian has maintained a 3.73 GPA in the classroom. The first chair clarinet player in the Kingswood Oxford school band, she has volunteered locally as a peer tutor and at an area homeless shelter and food bank.
“Paula is so strong that defenders bounce off her,” said Matt Micros, a club coach with Connecticut FC. “She can hold the ball up well and also spin defenders with ease. What she lacks in technique she more than make up for with power and pace.”
Hagopian will attend Yale University where she will play soccer beginning this fall.
Hagopian joins recent Gatorade Connecticut Girls Soccer Players of the Year Riley Houle (2010–11, Windham), Kate McCarthy, (2009-10, Loomis Chaffee), Jessica Schloth (2008–09, St. Joseph), Alex Uscilla (2007-08, St. Joseph), and Bianca D’Agostino (2006-07, Loomis Chaffee) among the state’s list of former award winners.
RHODE ISLAND: McKENZIE MEEHAN, LA SALLE
The 5-foot-5 senior forward led the Rams to a 20-0-2 record and the Division 1 state championship this past season. Meehan scored 80 goals and passed for 14 assists, including two goals and two assists in a 6-2 win over Smithfield High in the state final. The returning Gatorade Rhode Island Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Meehan is a two-time All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. She recorded 16 hat tricks in 22 games with six four-goal games, four five-goal games and three six-goal games, concluding her prep soccer career with 181 goals and 41 assists.
Meehan has maintained an A average in the classroom. A member of La Salle’s Pegasus Gifted Student Program, she has volunteered locally as a peer Spanish tutor and a youth soccer coach.
“McKenzie Meehan should be on the national team,” said Keith Caldwell, Meehan’s coach with the Scorpions SC club team. “She’s the best goal-scorer I’ve ever seen. She is strong, athletic, tough and she holds the ball well. She’s not flashy. She just scores goals.”
Meehan has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on an athletic scholarship at Boston College beginning this fall.
Meehan joins recent Gatorade Rhode Island Girls Soccer Players of the Year Allison Kelley, (2009-10, 2008-09, La Salle), Katie Reilly (2007-08, St. Mary Academy-Bay View), and Erica Florenz (2006-2007, Scituate) among the state’s list of former award winners.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: MORGAN ANDREWS, MILFORD
The 5-foot-9 junior forward scored 31 goals and passed for six assists this past season, leading the Spartans (11-6-1) to the Division II state quarterfinals. The returning Gatorade New Hampshire Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Andrews is captain of the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Women’s National Team and is a member of the Under-23 National Team. The 2011 National Soccer Coaches Association of America National Girls Youth Player of the Year for club play and a two-time NSCAA All-American selection, she has 83 goals and 35 assists in three varsity campaigns.
Andrews has maintained a 3.03 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally as a youth soccer coach and mentor, and she founded a local “Kicks for Cans” charity program that involves coaches and players donating their time in exchange for canned goods that are brought to area food banks.
“Morgan Andrews, the kid’s a phenom,” said Jason Dewhurst, the director of coaching for the Stars of Massachusetts club team. “She plays way above her years. She always shows up to play, whether it’s training or games, it doesn’t matter. She’s a fierce competitor and wants to win. She deserves all the accolades she gets.”
Andrews has verbally committed to play soccer on an athletic scholarship at Boston College beginning in the fall of 2013.
Andrews joins recent Gatorade New Hampshire Girls Soccer Players of the Year Kailey Blain (2009-10, 2008-09, Merrimack), Kristy Zurmuhlen (2007-08, Fall Mountain Regional, and Lindsey Miller (2006-07, Bishop Guertin) among the state’s list of former award winners.
MAINE: CAITLIN BUCKSBAUM, FALMOUTH
The 5-foot-5 junior midfielder led the Yachtsmen to a 13-4-1 record and the Class B state championship this past season. Bucksbaum scored 10 goals and passed for 11 assists. In her first year at Falmouth High, Bucksbaum was a Maine Sunday Telegram First Team All-State selection and earned First Team All-Western Maine Conference recognition. As a sophomore in 2010, she started for Ardrey Kell High in Charlotte, N.C., which reached the Class 4A state final.
Bucksbaum has maintained an A average in the classroom. A member of Falmouth High’s Environmental Action Committee, she has volunteered locally as a peer math tutor, a youth soccer coach and with the Ronald McDonald House.
“Caitlin Bucksbaum is a good player. Her appetite to get better is amazing,” said Jason Dewhurst, the director of coaching for the Stars of Massachusetts club team. “She’s quick, athletic, has good feet and can strike a ball from distance.”
Bucksbaum joins recent Gatorade Maine Girls Soccer Players of the Year Allison Walton (2010–11, 2009-10, Brunswick, Elise Amioka (2008–09, Marshwood), Rachele Burns (2007-08, Gorham), and Kelsey Wilson (2006-07, Gorham) among the state’s list of former award winners.
VERMONT: LAUREN BERNARD, COLCHESTER
The 5-foot-3 senior forward/midfielder scored 24 goals and passed for five assists this past season, leading the Lakers (7-6-2) to the Div. I state quarterfinals. The state’s returning Gatorade Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Bernard is a two-time All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and was chosen as Burlington Free Press Player of the Year. She is a former member of the U.S. Soccer Federation Under-15 Women’s National Team, and a current member of the Under-18 National Team player pool.
Bernard has maintained a 3.93 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally with youth soccer programs and camps.
“She’s very strong technically and her left foot is deadly,” said Dwight Irish, head coach of rival Vergennes High. “If she has a little bit of room and she’s anywhere near the goal, she’s going to change the game.”
Bernard has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at Boston College this fall.
Bernard joins recent Gatorade Vermont Girls Soccer Players of the Year Brittany Pfaff, (2009-10, Rice Memorial), Natalie LeClair (2008–09, 2007-08, Essex), and Emily Milbank (2006-07, Champlain Valley Union) among the state’s list of former award winners.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Dowd as Massachusetts’s best high school girls soccer player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in May, Dowd joins an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook HS, Mich.), Heather O’Reilly (2001-02, East Brunswick HS, N.J.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).
The 5-foot-5 junior forward led the Tanners to a 22-0-2 record and the Division 1 state championship this past season. Dowd scored 41 goals and passed for 19 assists, recording seven goals and three assists in six postseason matches. An All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, Dowd is a two-time Northeastern Conference MVP. She has 121 goals and 43 assists through three varsity seasons.
Dowd has maintained an A average in the classroom. A member of the Peabody High Captain’s Council, she has volunteered locally as a youth soccer coach.
“Hayley Dowd can score working with her team, she can go 1-on-1 and if she is double-teamed she finds her teammates with passes for easy goals” said Fred Day, Salem High's head coach. “She never stops working off the ball. I would pay to watch her play.”
Dowd has verbally committed to play soccer on an athletic scholarship at Boston College beginning in the fall of 2013.
Dowd joins recent Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Soccer Players of the Year Sam Mewis (2010–11, 2009-10, Whitman-Hanson), Danielle Dakin (2008–09, Minnechaug), Hayley Brock (2007-08, Acton-Boxborough), and Amy Caldwell (2006-07, Braintree) among the state’s list of former award winners.
Here are the winners from the other five New England states:
CONNECTICUT: PAULA HAGOPIAN, KINGSWOOD-OXFORD
The 5-foot-4 senior forward scored 13 goals and passed for 10 assists this past season, leading the Wyverns to a 5-7-2 record. Also the 2011 Connecticut Soccer Coaches Association Player of the Year and a two-time All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, Hagopian led Kingswood Oxford to the 2010 New England Prep School Athletic Council Class B championship. She concluded her prep soccer career with 56 goals and 35 assists.
Hagopian has maintained a 3.73 GPA in the classroom. The first chair clarinet player in the Kingswood Oxford school band, she has volunteered locally as a peer tutor and at an area homeless shelter and food bank.
“Paula is so strong that defenders bounce off her,” said Matt Micros, a club coach with Connecticut FC. “She can hold the ball up well and also spin defenders with ease. What she lacks in technique she more than make up for with power and pace.”
Hagopian will attend Yale University where she will play soccer beginning this fall.
Hagopian joins recent Gatorade Connecticut Girls Soccer Players of the Year Riley Houle (2010–11, Windham), Kate McCarthy, (2009-10, Loomis Chaffee), Jessica Schloth (2008–09, St. Joseph), Alex Uscilla (2007-08, St. Joseph), and Bianca D’Agostino (2006-07, Loomis Chaffee) among the state’s list of former award winners.
RHODE ISLAND: McKENZIE MEEHAN, LA SALLE
The 5-foot-5 senior forward led the Rams to a 20-0-2 record and the Division 1 state championship this past season. Meehan scored 80 goals and passed for 14 assists, including two goals and two assists in a 6-2 win over Smithfield High in the state final. The returning Gatorade Rhode Island Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Meehan is a two-time All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. She recorded 16 hat tricks in 22 games with six four-goal games, four five-goal games and three six-goal games, concluding her prep soccer career with 181 goals and 41 assists.
Meehan has maintained an A average in the classroom. A member of La Salle’s Pegasus Gifted Student Program, she has volunteered locally as a peer Spanish tutor and a youth soccer coach.
“McKenzie Meehan should be on the national team,” said Keith Caldwell, Meehan’s coach with the Scorpions SC club team. “She’s the best goal-scorer I’ve ever seen. She is strong, athletic, tough and she holds the ball well. She’s not flashy. She just scores goals.”
Meehan has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on an athletic scholarship at Boston College beginning this fall.
Meehan joins recent Gatorade Rhode Island Girls Soccer Players of the Year Allison Kelley, (2009-10, 2008-09, La Salle), Katie Reilly (2007-08, St. Mary Academy-Bay View), and Erica Florenz (2006-2007, Scituate) among the state’s list of former award winners.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: MORGAN ANDREWS, MILFORD
The 5-foot-9 junior forward scored 31 goals and passed for six assists this past season, leading the Spartans (11-6-1) to the Division II state quarterfinals. The returning Gatorade New Hampshire Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Andrews is captain of the U.S. Soccer Under-17 Women’s National Team and is a member of the Under-23 National Team. The 2011 National Soccer Coaches Association of America National Girls Youth Player of the Year for club play and a two-time NSCAA All-American selection, she has 83 goals and 35 assists in three varsity campaigns.
Andrews has maintained a 3.03 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally as a youth soccer coach and mentor, and she founded a local “Kicks for Cans” charity program that involves coaches and players donating their time in exchange for canned goods that are brought to area food banks.
“Morgan Andrews, the kid’s a phenom,” said Jason Dewhurst, the director of coaching for the Stars of Massachusetts club team. “She plays way above her years. She always shows up to play, whether it’s training or games, it doesn’t matter. She’s a fierce competitor and wants to win. She deserves all the accolades she gets.”
Andrews has verbally committed to play soccer on an athletic scholarship at Boston College beginning in the fall of 2013.
Andrews joins recent Gatorade New Hampshire Girls Soccer Players of the Year Kailey Blain (2009-10, 2008-09, Merrimack), Kristy Zurmuhlen (2007-08, Fall Mountain Regional, and Lindsey Miller (2006-07, Bishop Guertin) among the state’s list of former award winners.
MAINE: CAITLIN BUCKSBAUM, FALMOUTH
The 5-foot-5 junior midfielder led the Yachtsmen to a 13-4-1 record and the Class B state championship this past season. Bucksbaum scored 10 goals and passed for 11 assists. In her first year at Falmouth High, Bucksbaum was a Maine Sunday Telegram First Team All-State selection and earned First Team All-Western Maine Conference recognition. As a sophomore in 2010, she started for Ardrey Kell High in Charlotte, N.C., which reached the Class 4A state final.
Bucksbaum has maintained an A average in the classroom. A member of Falmouth High’s Environmental Action Committee, she has volunteered locally as a peer math tutor, a youth soccer coach and with the Ronald McDonald House.
“Caitlin Bucksbaum is a good player. Her appetite to get better is amazing,” said Jason Dewhurst, the director of coaching for the Stars of Massachusetts club team. “She’s quick, athletic, has good feet and can strike a ball from distance.”
Bucksbaum joins recent Gatorade Maine Girls Soccer Players of the Year Allison Walton (2010–11, 2009-10, Brunswick, Elise Amioka (2008–09, Marshwood), Rachele Burns (2007-08, Gorham), and Kelsey Wilson (2006-07, Gorham) among the state’s list of former award winners.
VERMONT: LAUREN BERNARD, COLCHESTER
The 5-foot-3 senior forward/midfielder scored 24 goals and passed for five assists this past season, leading the Lakers (7-6-2) to the Div. I state quarterfinals. The state’s returning Gatorade Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Bernard is a two-time All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and was chosen as Burlington Free Press Player of the Year. She is a former member of the U.S. Soccer Federation Under-15 Women’s National Team, and a current member of the Under-18 National Team player pool.
Bernard has maintained a 3.93 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally with youth soccer programs and camps.
“She’s very strong technically and her left foot is deadly,” said Dwight Irish, head coach of rival Vergennes High. “If she has a little bit of room and she’s anywhere near the goal, she’s going to change the game.”
Bernard has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at Boston College this fall.
Bernard joins recent Gatorade Vermont Girls Soccer Players of the Year Brittany Pfaff, (2009-10, Rice Memorial), Natalie LeClair (2008–09, 2007-08, Essex), and Emily Milbank (2006-07, Champlain Valley Union) among the state’s list of former award winners.
Peabody's Rocha is Gatorade X-C Runner of the Year
January, 12, 2012
Jan 12
8:01
AM ET
By ESPNBoston.com
In its 27th year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN HS, today announced Catarina Rocha of Peabody High School as its 2011-12 Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year. Rocha is the first Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year to be chosen from Peabody High School.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the racecourse, distinguishes Rocha as Massachusetts’s best high school girls cross country runner. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced in January.
The 5-foot-4 junior captured third place at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional championships this past season with a time of 18:19.9. Rocha also qualified for the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships where she finished in seventh place, crossing the line in 17:38. The 2011-12 Boston Globe All-Scholastic co-Runner of the Year, she won the Division I individual state championship with a time of 18:12.
Rocha has maintained an A average in the classroom. An officer in her school’s student council, she has volunteered locally as a peer tutor on behalf of Challenger Sports, an area physical activity program for children with special needs.
“Catarina Rocha is a leader on her team and in the classroom,” said Peabody athletic director Phil Sheridan. “I have had the opportunity to watch her in all facets of life and she is very serious about her training, her studies and her commitment to helping others.”
Other New England recipients:
CONNECTICUT - REID WATSON, GLASTONBURY
The 5-foot-4 senior raced to the State Open individual championship this past season with a time of 18:35. Watson also won the Class LL state title, breaking the tape in 19:03, and took first at the Hartford Riverfront Invitational, the Stratton Brook Invitational and the Central Connecticut Conference Championships. Watson finished 15th at the New England Cross Country Championships and earned 25th at the Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional championships.
Watson has maintained a 3.64 GPA in the classroom. A peer tutor in her school, she has volunteered locally on behalf of youth sports programs and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in addition to fundraising to benefit the American Cancer Society.
“Having Reid on the team is like having another coach,” said Glastonbury head coach Brian Collins. “She’s been a great inspiration to all levels of runners. She took over a young and inexperienced team and helped guide them to a very successful season.”
Watson remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
MAINE - ABBEY LEONARDI, KENNEBUNK
The 5-foot-1 senior raced to a fourth consecutive Class A individual state championship this past season with a time of 18:27.19. The state’s three-time returning Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, Leonardi placed second at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional championships in 18:05.7 in addition to finishing fourth at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in 17:35.3. Also the four-time Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year as named by the Maine Sunday Telegram, she captured first place at the Maine Cross Country Festival of Champions and Western Maine Class A Regional Cross Country Championship Meet this past fall. With her three Gatorade State Track & Field Athlete of the Year trophies, Leonardi becomes the first athlete from any state to win Gatorade honors seven times in the award program’s 27-year history.
Leonardi has maintained an A average in the classroom. In addition to donating her time as a member of her school’s Captain’s Club to promote healthy lifestyle choices among her peers and area youth student-athletes, she has volunteered as part of fundraising efforts on behalf of displaced civilians in Sudan’s western region of Darfur.
“Abbey is the most focused athlete I have seen through my many years in this profession,” said Kennebunk High head coach Mike Dinehart. “Her practice regimen is a model for any athlete who wants to succeed. Not only does she challenge herself to garner the requisite hours to perform at such a high level, she is also able to apply that same work ethic to academics.”
Leonardi has verbally committed to an athletic scholarship at the University of Oregon beginning this fall.
NEW HAMPSHIRE - COURTNEY HAWKINS, MILFORD
The 5-foot-1 junior raced to the Meet of Champions individual state championship this past season with a time of 18:34.1. The Runner of the Year as named by the Nashua Telegraph, Hawkins placed 13th at the New England Cross Country Championships in 18:52 in addition to finishing 30th at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional championships in 19:35.8. Hawkins captured first place at the Manchester Invitational large school race. She finished 21st at the 2010 Meet of Champions as a sophomore.
Hawkins has maintained a 3.71 GPA in the classroom. A member of the National Honor Society and National Art Honor Society, she has volunteered locally at a summer day camp, as part of a holiday gift-giving campaign and on behalf of the St. Joseph Hospital Breast Care Center. Hawkins has also donated her time in association with conservation land cleanup efforts, with Project Linus to benefit needy children and as a youth athletic instructor. She has served as a fundraiser for the Gate City Striders track program, New England Pediatric Care and the American Cancer Society.
“Courtney is a true gem,” said Milford High head coach Mike Wright. “Not only is she a great athlete, but she is extremely coachable, dedicated, and loved by her opponents.”
RHODE ISLAND - MOLLY KEATING, LA SALLE ACADEMY
The 5-foot-4 senior raced to a third consecutive All-State Meet individual championship this past season with a time of 18:25, leading the Rams to second place as a team. A three-time First Team All-State selection as named by the Providence Journal, Keating placed second at the New England Cross Country Championships in 18:11 in addition to finishing 10th at the Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional in 19:09.9. She also captured first place at the 2009 and 2010 Class A meet as a sophomore and junior.
Keating has maintained an A average in the classroom. She has volunteered locally on behalf of her church, her school’s peer-mentoring program and multiple charity-fundraiser road races.
“One of the things I can easily say about her is that throughout her entire career, she’s had a tremendous, tremendous work ethic,” said Jim Doyle, head boys cross country coach at Bishop Hendricken High. “At one point, she had a terrible setback when she suffered a stress fracture, but she overcame that, rebounded again this year and was outstanding all year long. That’s the way she’s been for four years. I’ve always been impressed with her.”
Keating remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
VERMONT- ELLE PURRIER, RICHFORD
The 5-foot-3 junior raced to her second straight Division 3 individual state championship this past season, breaking the tape in 19:11.9. The state’s returning Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, Purrier won the New England Cross Country Championships with a time of 18:01 and the Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional championship in 18:30.6. She also earned titles at the Essex Invitational, the Harwood Invitational, the Burlington Invitational and the Northern Vermont Athletic Conference Championships.
Purrier has maintained a 3.93 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally on behalf of youth track programs and has delivered care baskets to elderly residents of the community.
“Elle is able to push herself unlike any student-athlete I’ve ever met,” said Richford head coach Andrew Hathaway. “The push comes from within, whether or not there’s a watch on her.”
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the racecourse, distinguishes Rocha as Massachusetts’s best high school girls cross country runner. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year award to be announced in January.
The 5-foot-4 junior captured third place at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional championships this past season with a time of 18:19.9. Rocha also qualified for the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships where she finished in seventh place, crossing the line in 17:38. The 2011-12 Boston Globe All-Scholastic co-Runner of the Year, she won the Division I individual state championship with a time of 18:12.
Rocha has maintained an A average in the classroom. An officer in her school’s student council, she has volunteered locally as a peer tutor on behalf of Challenger Sports, an area physical activity program for children with special needs.
“Catarina Rocha is a leader on her team and in the classroom,” said Peabody athletic director Phil Sheridan. “I have had the opportunity to watch her in all facets of life and she is very serious about her training, her studies and her commitment to helping others.”
Other New England recipients:
CONNECTICUT - REID WATSON, GLASTONBURY
The 5-foot-4 senior raced to the State Open individual championship this past season with a time of 18:35. Watson also won the Class LL state title, breaking the tape in 19:03, and took first at the Hartford Riverfront Invitational, the Stratton Brook Invitational and the Central Connecticut Conference Championships. Watson finished 15th at the New England Cross Country Championships and earned 25th at the Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional championships.
Watson has maintained a 3.64 GPA in the classroom. A peer tutor in her school, she has volunteered locally on behalf of youth sports programs and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in addition to fundraising to benefit the American Cancer Society.
“Having Reid on the team is like having another coach,” said Glastonbury head coach Brian Collins. “She’s been a great inspiration to all levels of runners. She took over a young and inexperienced team and helped guide them to a very successful season.”
Watson remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
MAINE - ABBEY LEONARDI, KENNEBUNK
The 5-foot-1 senior raced to a fourth consecutive Class A individual state championship this past season with a time of 18:27.19. The state’s three-time returning Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, Leonardi placed second at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional championships in 18:05.7 in addition to finishing fourth at the national Foot Locker Cross Country Championships in 17:35.3. Also the four-time Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year as named by the Maine Sunday Telegram, she captured first place at the Maine Cross Country Festival of Champions and Western Maine Class A Regional Cross Country Championship Meet this past fall. With her three Gatorade State Track & Field Athlete of the Year trophies, Leonardi becomes the first athlete from any state to win Gatorade honors seven times in the award program’s 27-year history.
Leonardi has maintained an A average in the classroom. In addition to donating her time as a member of her school’s Captain’s Club to promote healthy lifestyle choices among her peers and area youth student-athletes, she has volunteered as part of fundraising efforts on behalf of displaced civilians in Sudan’s western region of Darfur.
“Abbey is the most focused athlete I have seen through my many years in this profession,” said Kennebunk High head coach Mike Dinehart. “Her practice regimen is a model for any athlete who wants to succeed. Not only does she challenge herself to garner the requisite hours to perform at such a high level, she is also able to apply that same work ethic to academics.”
Leonardi has verbally committed to an athletic scholarship at the University of Oregon beginning this fall.
NEW HAMPSHIRE - COURTNEY HAWKINS, MILFORD
The 5-foot-1 junior raced to the Meet of Champions individual state championship this past season with a time of 18:34.1. The Runner of the Year as named by the Nashua Telegraph, Hawkins placed 13th at the New England Cross Country Championships in 18:52 in addition to finishing 30th at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional championships in 19:35.8. Hawkins captured first place at the Manchester Invitational large school race. She finished 21st at the 2010 Meet of Champions as a sophomore.
Hawkins has maintained a 3.71 GPA in the classroom. A member of the National Honor Society and National Art Honor Society, she has volunteered locally at a summer day camp, as part of a holiday gift-giving campaign and on behalf of the St. Joseph Hospital Breast Care Center. Hawkins has also donated her time in association with conservation land cleanup efforts, with Project Linus to benefit needy children and as a youth athletic instructor. She has served as a fundraiser for the Gate City Striders track program, New England Pediatric Care and the American Cancer Society.
“Courtney is a true gem,” said Milford High head coach Mike Wright. “Not only is she a great athlete, but she is extremely coachable, dedicated, and loved by her opponents.”
RHODE ISLAND - MOLLY KEATING, LA SALLE ACADEMY
The 5-foot-4 senior raced to a third consecutive All-State Meet individual championship this past season with a time of 18:25, leading the Rams to second place as a team. A three-time First Team All-State selection as named by the Providence Journal, Keating placed second at the New England Cross Country Championships in 18:11 in addition to finishing 10th at the Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional in 19:09.9. She also captured first place at the 2009 and 2010 Class A meet as a sophomore and junior.
Keating has maintained an A average in the classroom. She has volunteered locally on behalf of her church, her school’s peer-mentoring program and multiple charity-fundraiser road races.
“One of the things I can easily say about her is that throughout her entire career, she’s had a tremendous, tremendous work ethic,” said Jim Doyle, head boys cross country coach at Bishop Hendricken High. “At one point, she had a terrible setback when she suffered a stress fracture, but she overcame that, rebounded again this year and was outstanding all year long. That’s the way she’s been for four years. I’ve always been impressed with her.”
Keating remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.
VERMONT- ELLE PURRIER, RICHFORD
The 5-foot-3 junior raced to her second straight Division 3 individual state championship this past season, breaking the tape in 19:11.9. The state’s returning Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, Purrier won the New England Cross Country Championships with a time of 18:01 and the Nike Cross Nationals Northeast Regional championship in 18:30.6. She also earned titles at the Essex Invitational, the Harwood Invitational, the Burlington Invitational and the Northern Vermont Athletic Conference Championships.
Purrier has maintained a 3.93 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally on behalf of youth track programs and has delivered care baskets to elderly residents of the community.
“Elle is able to push herself unlike any student-athlete I’ve ever met,” said Richford head coach Andrew Hathaway. “The push comes from within, whether or not there’s a watch on her.”
New England Roundup: New Hampshire
January, 5, 2012
Jan 5
3:54
PM ET
By Marc Thaler | ESPNBoston.com
This had to be Merrimack High's mantra for the holiday tournament season: Why settle for just one title?
In the days after Christmas, the Tomahawks rolled to championships in arguably New Hampshire's top tournaments for boys' basketball and hockey.
The school's Division I hoop team, on the strength of a last-second 3-pointer from star guard Dimitri Floras, won the 48th annual Queen City Invitational Basketball Tournament at Manchester Memorial High. The Division II hockey club, thanks to a fourth-round shootout goal from forward Chris Fortin, copped the Bauer Classic crown at Manchester's JFK Coliseum.
Talk about a wild week.
The hockey team's four-day run to the crown was the more surprising story. The reigning state runners-up, the Tomahawks were considered a mystery when the season started shortly before the holiday break. They graduated one of the state's top snipers (Erik Glendye) and said goodbye to their coach (Dan Legro).
They're a mystery no more.
After starting 3-0 in league play, the Tomahawks won four games at JFK. They beat three Division I teams, including defending champion Trinity High of Manchester, 3-1; reigning runner-up and perennial power Hanover High, 4-3 (shootout); and then-No. 1-ranked Memorial, 2-1 (shootout), in the final.
Goaltender Brett Glendye -- who made 45 title-game saves -- was named tournament MVP. Teammate and forward David Downie also earned a spot on the all-tourney team.
"I looked at (the holiday tourney) as a 'prove it' opportunity for the kids," Merrimack coach Kurt Mithoefer said. "Thus far, the kids have proven the naysayers wrong in terms of offensive ability and being a mystery team."
On the hardwood, the Tomahawks ended the feel-good story of the QCIBT.
Floras hit the big bucket that lifted Merrimack a 57-54 win over upstart Manchester West High. The 6-foot 2-inch junior guard -- named the tourney MVP -- drained a lead-changing 3-pointer from the left corner with 7 seconds to play. He finished the contest with 20 points, six assists and four rebounds.
"I missed a lot of easy ones tonight and felt like I let my team down. But I got the one that mattered most, I guess," Floras told the New Hampshire Union Leader after the Dec. 28 title-game win.
Merrimack's path to the title round included wins over Seacoast squads Dover High, 59-51, and Exeter High, 58-39.
But in the high-stakes round, it took a charging violation to clinch the win. Jeff Giannelli, a 6-foot-7 tower, held his ground as West's Jocarl Bureau drove the lane for a potential game-winning layup. The pivotal play came with 2.1 seconds remaining in regulation.
The QCIBT runner-up a year earlier, Merrimack reached the championship game for the ninth time in the last 12 years. This year's title was the program's fourth in that span, and first since a three-peat from 2000-02.
"We played good. But my hats off to West," Merrimack coach Tim Goodridge told the statewide newspaper. "They made it come down to one shot."
In the days after Christmas, the Tomahawks rolled to championships in arguably New Hampshire's top tournaments for boys' basketball and hockey.
The school's Division I hoop team, on the strength of a last-second 3-pointer from star guard Dimitri Floras, won the 48th annual Queen City Invitational Basketball Tournament at Manchester Memorial High. The Division II hockey club, thanks to a fourth-round shootout goal from forward Chris Fortin, copped the Bauer Classic crown at Manchester's JFK Coliseum.
Talk about a wild week.
The hockey team's four-day run to the crown was the more surprising story. The reigning state runners-up, the Tomahawks were considered a mystery when the season started shortly before the holiday break. They graduated one of the state's top snipers (Erik Glendye) and said goodbye to their coach (Dan Legro).
They're a mystery no more.
After starting 3-0 in league play, the Tomahawks won four games at JFK. They beat three Division I teams, including defending champion Trinity High of Manchester, 3-1; reigning runner-up and perennial power Hanover High, 4-3 (shootout); and then-No. 1-ranked Memorial, 2-1 (shootout), in the final.
Goaltender Brett Glendye -- who made 45 title-game saves -- was named tournament MVP. Teammate and forward David Downie also earned a spot on the all-tourney team.
"I looked at (the holiday tourney) as a 'prove it' opportunity for the kids," Merrimack coach Kurt Mithoefer said. "Thus far, the kids have proven the naysayers wrong in terms of offensive ability and being a mystery team."
On the hardwood, the Tomahawks ended the feel-good story of the QCIBT.
Floras hit the big bucket that lifted Merrimack a 57-54 win over upstart Manchester West High. The 6-foot 2-inch junior guard -- named the tourney MVP -- drained a lead-changing 3-pointer from the left corner with 7 seconds to play. He finished the contest with 20 points, six assists and four rebounds.
"I missed a lot of easy ones tonight and felt like I let my team down. But I got the one that mattered most, I guess," Floras told the New Hampshire Union Leader after the Dec. 28 title-game win.
Merrimack's path to the title round included wins over Seacoast squads Dover High, 59-51, and Exeter High, 58-39.
But in the high-stakes round, it took a charging violation to clinch the win. Jeff Giannelli, a 6-foot-7 tower, held his ground as West's Jocarl Bureau drove the lane for a potential game-winning layup. The pivotal play came with 2.1 seconds remaining in regulation.
The QCIBT runner-up a year earlier, Merrimack reached the championship game for the ninth time in the last 12 years. This year's title was the program's fourth in that span, and first since a three-peat from 2000-02.
"We played good. But my hats off to West," Merrimack coach Tim Goodridge told the statewide newspaper. "They made it come down to one shot."
New England Roundup: New Hampshire
November, 27, 2011
11/27/11
9:35
PM ET
By Marc Thaler | ESPNBoston.com
Bill Ball and his Exeter High Blue Hawks, in their second season competing against the state's largest schools, took the express elevator from cellar to penthouse.
It's one way to explain Exeter's voyage.
As is this: "It's just the ultimate roller-coaster. That's what it is," massive lineman Brad Tiernan said after his team stunned heavy favorite and statewide No. 1 Pinkerton Academy, 23-13, for the Division I championship at Memorial Field in Derry.
The Division I final on Nov. 19 was supposed to be a formality. The Astros, after all, topped the statewide poll since the preseason, securing every first-place vote in the process. They were one win from completing the first wire-to-wire run at No. 1 in the four-year era of rankings.
They were facing a former Division 2 power, but a program that went 0-8 in its Division I debut (1-9 overall) last season.
The Blue Hawks (11-1 overall, 9-1 Div. I) didn't forget those season-long frustrations. But they didn't dwell on them, either.
This team was confident. This team was composed. This team was clutch.
How else to explain the title-game comeback? Exeter erased a 13-3 second-quarter deficit.
Conor Carrier scored the fourth-quarter touchdown that placed Pinkerton in panic mode. The senior's big run off-tackle went for 37 yards and six points. The score snapped a 13-all tie with 7 minutes, 10 seconds left in the season.
Touchback-machine Logan Laurent added the extra point. He also iced the contest with his 23-yard field goal -- a kick preceded by 35- and 40-yard boots -- in the final minutes.
Tyler Grant touched the rock 31 times. He totaled 120 yards in Exeter's old-school straight-T offense.
Jamie Tymann tossed a second-quarter touchdown to Lucas Gajewski. The 15-yard strike sparked the 20-point run to the title.
The toss was the second of Tymann's five attempts. Exeter's senior signal-caller entered the final with just 29 pass attempts on the season.
But defense was the biggest difference-maker. Grant, Carrier, Ethan Joyce and Brian Henry led Exeter's disciplined perimeter defense. It surrendered 77- and 78-yard touchdown runs to Emmitt Smith in the second frame, but little else.
Exeter celebrated its sixth championship under Ball, who capped his 19th season at the helm. The coach previously won five Division II championships in 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2007.
"To get this done is just amazing," Ball said. "It's amazing."
It's one way to explain Exeter's voyage.
As is this: "It's just the ultimate roller-coaster. That's what it is," massive lineman Brad Tiernan said after his team stunned heavy favorite and statewide No. 1 Pinkerton Academy, 23-13, for the Division I championship at Memorial Field in Derry.
The Division I final on Nov. 19 was supposed to be a formality. The Astros, after all, topped the statewide poll since the preseason, securing every first-place vote in the process. They were one win from completing the first wire-to-wire run at No. 1 in the four-year era of rankings.
They were facing a former Division 2 power, but a program that went 0-8 in its Division I debut (1-9 overall) last season.
The Blue Hawks (11-1 overall, 9-1 Div. I) didn't forget those season-long frustrations. But they didn't dwell on them, either.
This team was confident. This team was composed. This team was clutch.
How else to explain the title-game comeback? Exeter erased a 13-3 second-quarter deficit.
Conor Carrier scored the fourth-quarter touchdown that placed Pinkerton in panic mode. The senior's big run off-tackle went for 37 yards and six points. The score snapped a 13-all tie with 7 minutes, 10 seconds left in the season.
Touchback-machine Logan Laurent added the extra point. He also iced the contest with his 23-yard field goal -- a kick preceded by 35- and 40-yard boots -- in the final minutes.
Tyler Grant touched the rock 31 times. He totaled 120 yards in Exeter's old-school straight-T offense.
Jamie Tymann tossed a second-quarter touchdown to Lucas Gajewski. The 15-yard strike sparked the 20-point run to the title.
The toss was the second of Tymann's five attempts. Exeter's senior signal-caller entered the final with just 29 pass attempts on the season.
But defense was the biggest difference-maker. Grant, Carrier, Ethan Joyce and Brian Henry led Exeter's disciplined perimeter defense. It surrendered 77- and 78-yard touchdown runs to Emmitt Smith in the second frame, but little else.
Exeter celebrated its sixth championship under Ball, who capped his 19th season at the helm. The coach previously won five Division II championships in 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2007.
"To get this done is just amazing," Ball said. "It's amazing."
Three N.E. soccer stars take on England's best
August, 10, 2011
8/10/11
4:18
PM ET
By ESPNBoston.com
ESPN RISE's Chris Ackels checks in today with three New England soccer players about to make their mark overseas.
Peabody's Hayley Dowd, Danvers' Corey Persson and Milford (N.H.) High's Morgan Andrews are part of a ECNL All-Star team representing the United States in a series of matches this week against club teams from Aston Villa, Bristol and Chelsea.
The 17-player roster is comprised of players from Elite Clubs National League organizations from across the country. Andrews, Dowd and Persson all represent the FC Stars of Massachusetts.
Check out Ackels' take here.
Peabody's Hayley Dowd, Danvers' Corey Persson and Milford (N.H.) High's Morgan Andrews are part of a ECNL All-Star team representing the United States in a series of matches this week against club teams from Aston Villa, Bristol and Chelsea.
The 17-player roster is comprised of players from Elite Clubs National League organizations from across the country. Andrews, Dowd and Persson all represent the FC Stars of Massachusetts.
Check out Ackels' take here.
New England Roundup: New Hampshire
March, 25, 2011
3/25/11
5:02
PM ET
By Marc Thaler | ESPNBoston.com
Gatorade's Granite State Player of the Year can sum up his team's season in 10 words.
“Despite our lack of size, we were the bigger opponent,” said 6-foot 5-inch senior Connor Green, a season-long stat sheet stuffer for Nashua's Bishop Guertin High.
Case in point: the Division I boys' basketball final March 19 at UNH's Lundholm Gym. Top-seeded BG overcame a significant height disadvantage to top Manchester's Trinity High, the No. 2 seed, 54-46.
Green, who transferred from Division II Bedford High after his sophomore season, didn't disappoint in the final. He shook off a cold first half from the field to finish with 22 points and 11 rebounds. The double-double was his 21st of the season. BG closed its campaign 20-2.
Senior-laden and pegged as the preseason favorite, the Cardinals erased a two-point halftime deficit. They also erased the memory of last year's semifinal setback, in the process clinching the school's first hoop crown since 1983.
The championship pairing marked the first all-Catholic school final in the tournament's 89-year history.
BG opened the playoffs with a 63-50 win over No. 16 seed Concord High. Guertin punched its ticket to UNH with a tough 62-59 quarterfinals decision against No. 8 seed Spaulding High of Rochester.
The team treated its return trip to the college campus with a businesslike mentality.
“We had to be totally ready to play. We knew we had to play smarter,” fourth-year BG coach Jim Migneault said of the lesson learned from the previous Final Four appearance. “Both games up at Durham this year, we were very smart. I thought we played within ourselves the whole time.”
“Despite our lack of size, we were the bigger opponent,” said 6-foot 5-inch senior Connor Green, a season-long stat sheet stuffer for Nashua's Bishop Guertin High.
Case in point: the Division I boys' basketball final March 19 at UNH's Lundholm Gym. Top-seeded BG overcame a significant height disadvantage to top Manchester's Trinity High, the No. 2 seed, 54-46.
Green, who transferred from Division II Bedford High after his sophomore season, didn't disappoint in the final. He shook off a cold first half from the field to finish with 22 points and 11 rebounds. The double-double was his 21st of the season. BG closed its campaign 20-2.
Senior-laden and pegged as the preseason favorite, the Cardinals erased a two-point halftime deficit. They also erased the memory of last year's semifinal setback, in the process clinching the school's first hoop crown since 1983.
The championship pairing marked the first all-Catholic school final in the tournament's 89-year history.
BG opened the playoffs with a 63-50 win over No. 16 seed Concord High. Guertin punched its ticket to UNH with a tough 62-59 quarterfinals decision against No. 8 seed Spaulding High of Rochester.
The team treated its return trip to the college campus with a businesslike mentality.
“We had to be totally ready to play. We knew we had to play smarter,” fourth-year BG coach Jim Migneault said of the lesson learned from the previous Final Four appearance. “Both games up at Durham this year, we were very smart. I thought we played within ourselves the whole time.”
New England Roundup: New Hampshire
February, 23, 2011
2/23/11
5:53
PM ET
By Marc Thaler | ESPNBoston.com
MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Manchester High School West's Valentine's Day victory made basketball coach Nick Moutsioulis wish his wallet could support a team trip to the Magic Kingdom.
"If I could pay for every one of the girls to go, I'd do it in a heartbeat," said Moutsioulis, his reference to Disney World and the visit made by the Super Bowl MVP after winning the biggest of games.
You see, West entered its Feb. 14 girls' hoop contest lugging a 77-game losing streak that dated to the 2007-08 season opener. But after three consecutive winless campaigns, and another 14 straight losses this winter, the Blue Knights stopped the frustration-filled skid with a 38-33 Division II road win at Pelham High.
"I'm still processing it. I don't even know how to react to a win," said 5-foot 8-inch forward Emily Colon, one of three seniors on West's varsity team that features just eight active players.
West's low participation in athletics isn't limited to girls' hoop. The loss of Bedford student-athletes to the opening of Bedford High in 2007 has affected most sports programs at the school.
The exodus that eventually shrunk West's population from 2,000-plus students to roughly 1,100, took place over several years. But West's ability to compete in most sports quickly declined.
Colon and classmate Brooke Brown were freshman call-ups to the varsity in 2007-08, West's first winless campaign. Routinely losing was a foreign feeling to these stars of the streak-snapping win; as ninth-graders they led their freshman team to a 12-4 record.
"We tried not to think about the negative," said Brown, a 5-foot-11 center, noting the team became the punchline to jokes that spread throughout the school.
Over time, however, staying positive proved tough. One winless season grew into two, which reached three last winter.
But worse than the lopsided losses -- and jokes generated by them -- was the sinking feeling caused by looking into the stands during home games.
The Gatorade Company, in collaboration with ESPN RISE, today announced Sam Mewis of Whitman-Hanson Regional High School as its 2010-11 Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Soccer Player of the Year. This is the second straight honor for Mewis, who is the first Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Whitman-Hanson.
The 5-foot-11 senior midfielder recorded 28 goals and eight assists this past season, leading the Panthers (17-1-1) to the Division I South Sectional Tournament. Also the 2009-10 Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Mewis was a member of the U.S. Soccer Under-20 Women’s National Team that participated in the Under-20 World Cup last summer in Germany. The 2010 National Soccer Coaches Association of America High School Player of the Year, Mewis concluded her high school soccer career with 77 goals and 34 assists.
Mewis has maintained a 3.89 weighted GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally as a youth soccer instructor, served in her school’s student government and assisted in relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina.
“Sam Mewis has really matured as a player over the last year,” said Keith Caldwell, Mewis’ club coach with Scorpions Soccer Club. “The time she has spent with the older national teams has made her a better player. It has exposed her to the highest level of women’s soccer in the world at the youth level, and she’s kept raising her game and raising her game.”
Mewis has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at UCLA this fall.
Two-time winner Mewis joins recent Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Soccer Players of the Year Danielle Dakin (2008-09, Minnechaug Regional High School), and Hayley Brock (2007-08, Acton-Boxborough Regional High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.
Here are the releases for the other five New England states honoring Gatorade Players of the Year this morning:
CONNECTICUT: RILEY HOULE, WINDHAM
The 5-foot-2 senior midfielder recorded 18 goals and seven assists this past season, leading the Whippets (11-7) to the second round of the Class M state tournament. A member of the U.S. Soccer Under-18 Women’s National Team Player Pool, Houle was a 2010 ESPN RISE Second Team All-American selection and a 2010 National Soccer Coaches Association of America Youth All-American selection. Houle concluded her prep soccer career with 79 goals and 38 assists.
Houle has maintained a 3.70 GPA in the classroom. A volunteer youth soccer instructor, she has also created a fundraiser, JB24 Believe, to support a friend and teammate afflicted with leukemia, and she has donated her time locally as part of fundraising campaigns to benefit breast cancer research and an area homeless shelter.
“Riley Houle is the complete package in terms of a soccer player,” said Rick Derella, Houle’s club coach with Oakwood Soccer Club. “She’s a very skillful and instinctive player. She’s not a manufactured player. She can beat people on the run, she can shoot, she can pass. She can do it all.”
Houle has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at the University of Connecticut this fall and recently graduated Windham High early to begin attending spring semester collegiate classes.
Houle joins recent Gatorade Connecticut Girls Soccer Players of the Year Kate McCarthy (2009-10, The Loomis Chaffee School), Jessica Schloth (2008-09, St. Joseph High School), and Alex Uscilla (2007-08, St. Joseph High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.
RHODE ISLAND: MCKENZIE MEEHAN, LA SALLE ACADEMY
The 5-foot-5 junior forward led the Rams to a 19-0-2 record and their third straight Division I state title this past season. Meehan scored 49 goals and passed for 10 assists, including the game-winning strike with two minutes to play in La Salle’s 1-0 win over East Greenwich in the state title game. A 2010 All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, Meehan is a two-time Providence Journal First Team All-State pick and a U.S. Youth Soccer 1994 Region I Olympic Development Program team member. Through her junior year, Meehan has recorded 101 goals and 28 assists in her prep soccer career.
Meehan has maintained an A average in the classroom. A member of La Salle’s Pegasus Gifted Student Program, she has volunteered locally as a peer Spanish tutor, youth soccer coach and at an area homeless shelter.
“I think McKenzie Meehan is at a different level than any other player,” said Drea Harms, head coach of rival Bay View Academy. “She’s way beyond anyone else. She finds ways to score that I’m astounded by. I just see McKenzie as someone who looks like she’s always had a ball at her feet. She’s just very impressive to me.”
Meehan has verbally committed to play soccer on scholarship at Boston College beginning in the fall of 2012.
Meehan joins recent Gatorade Rhode Island Girls Soccer Players of the Year two-time winner Allison Kelley (2009-10 & 2008-09, La Salle Academy), and Katie Reilly (2007-08, St. Mary Academy-Bay View) among the state’s list of former award winners.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: MORGAN ANDREWS, MILFORD
The 5-foot-9 sophomore forward recorded 28 goals and 13 assists this past season, leading the Spartans (10-7) to the Division II state tournament. A former captain of the U.S. Soccer Under-15 Girls National Team, Andrews is a member of the Under-17 Women’s National Team. A 2010 National Soccer Coaches Association of America Youth All-American, Andrews was the leading scorer in Division II this past season. Through her sophomore year, Andrews has scored 52 goals and passed for 29 assists in her prep soccer career.
Andrews has maintained a B average in the classroom. She has volunteered locally on behalf of a community-outreach program, and she launched her own charity program that allowed coaches and players to donate their time and field-use privileges in exchange for canned goods that were brought to area food banks.
“Morgan Andrews, she’s just an unbelievable player,” said Jason Dewhurst, Andrews’ club coach with the Stars of Massachusetts. “She’s a perfectionist, always has been. Andrews is the type of player you build a team around, she’s that good. She is just a talent like I’ve never coached before. She’s just a different breed.”
Andrews has verbally committed to play soccer on scholarship at Boston College beginning in the fall of 2013.
Andrews joins recent Gatorade New Hampshire Girls Soccer Players of the Year two-time winner Kailey Blain (2009-10 & 2008-09, Merrimack), and Kristy Zurmuhlen (2007-08, Fall Mountain Regional High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.
MAINE: ALLISON WALTON, BRUNSWICK
The 5-foot-6 senior forward recorded 31 goals and 14 assists this past season, leading the Dragons (17-1) to the Class A state semifinals. Also the 2009-10 Gatorade Maine Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Walton was a 2010 All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and a three-time Class A First Team honoree. A natural defender, Walton was the 2010 Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Player of the Year. She concluded her prep soccer career with 84 goals and 40 assists.
Walton has maintained an A average in the classroom. A member of the National Honor Society, Walton co-produced a documentary about her experience of being homeless for three days to bring attention to the plight of area homeless. She has volunteered locally as a peer tutor and as a youth soccer coach and referee.
“I think she’s one of the best center backs in the whole region,” said Keith Caldwell, Walton’s club coach with the Scorpions Soccer Club in Massachusetts. “She can play anywhere. She gets better and better with every game and every practice. She’s as good as anyone in the Northeast right now.”
Walton has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at Providence College this fall.
Two-time winner Walton joins recent Gatorade Maine Girls Soccer Players of the Year Elise Amioka (2008-09, Marshwood High School), and Rachele Burns (2007-08, Gorham High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.
VERMONT: LAUREN BERNARD, COLCHESTER
The 5-foot-3 junior recorded 18 goals and 11 assists this past season, leading the Lakers (10-5-3) to the Div. I state final. Bernard was an All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and earned First Team All-State honors from the Burlington Free Press following each of the last two seasons. She is a former member of the U.S. Soccer Federation Under-15 Women’s National Team, and a current member of the Under-17 National Team Player Pool.
Bernard has maintained a 3.99 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally with youth soccer programs and camps.
“She’s one of the most determined and committed soccer players I’ve seen in a number of years,” said Tom Schaefer, head coach of rival South Burlington High. “She has amazing pace, she’s very quick and she’s very smart. She also has a tremendous, tremendous left foot.”
Bernard has verbally committed to play soccer on scholarship at Boston College and will begin her senior year of high school this fall.
Bernard joins recent Gatorade Vermont Girls Soccer Players of the Year Brittany Pfaff (2009-10, Rice Memorial), and two-time winner Natalie LeClair (2009-10 & 2007-08, Essex High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.
The 5-foot-11 senior midfielder recorded 28 goals and eight assists this past season, leading the Panthers (17-1-1) to the Division I South Sectional Tournament. Also the 2009-10 Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Mewis was a member of the U.S. Soccer Under-20 Women’s National Team that participated in the Under-20 World Cup last summer in Germany. The 2010 National Soccer Coaches Association of America High School Player of the Year, Mewis concluded her high school soccer career with 77 goals and 34 assists.
Mewis has maintained a 3.89 weighted GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally as a youth soccer instructor, served in her school’s student government and assisted in relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina.
“Sam Mewis has really matured as a player over the last year,” said Keith Caldwell, Mewis’ club coach with Scorpions Soccer Club. “The time she has spent with the older national teams has made her a better player. It has exposed her to the highest level of women’s soccer in the world at the youth level, and she’s kept raising her game and raising her game.”
Mewis has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at UCLA this fall.
Two-time winner Mewis joins recent Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Soccer Players of the Year Danielle Dakin (2008-09, Minnechaug Regional High School), and Hayley Brock (2007-08, Acton-Boxborough Regional High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.
Here are the releases for the other five New England states honoring Gatorade Players of the Year this morning:
CONNECTICUT: RILEY HOULE, WINDHAM
The 5-foot-2 senior midfielder recorded 18 goals and seven assists this past season, leading the Whippets (11-7) to the second round of the Class M state tournament. A member of the U.S. Soccer Under-18 Women’s National Team Player Pool, Houle was a 2010 ESPN RISE Second Team All-American selection and a 2010 National Soccer Coaches Association of America Youth All-American selection. Houle concluded her prep soccer career with 79 goals and 38 assists.
Houle has maintained a 3.70 GPA in the classroom. A volunteer youth soccer instructor, she has also created a fundraiser, JB24 Believe, to support a friend and teammate afflicted with leukemia, and she has donated her time locally as part of fundraising campaigns to benefit breast cancer research and an area homeless shelter.
“Riley Houle is the complete package in terms of a soccer player,” said Rick Derella, Houle’s club coach with Oakwood Soccer Club. “She’s a very skillful and instinctive player. She’s not a manufactured player. She can beat people on the run, she can shoot, she can pass. She can do it all.”
Houle has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at the University of Connecticut this fall and recently graduated Windham High early to begin attending spring semester collegiate classes.
Houle joins recent Gatorade Connecticut Girls Soccer Players of the Year Kate McCarthy (2009-10, The Loomis Chaffee School), Jessica Schloth (2008-09, St. Joseph High School), and Alex Uscilla (2007-08, St. Joseph High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.
RHODE ISLAND: MCKENZIE MEEHAN, LA SALLE ACADEMY
The 5-foot-5 junior forward led the Rams to a 19-0-2 record and their third straight Division I state title this past season. Meehan scored 49 goals and passed for 10 assists, including the game-winning strike with two minutes to play in La Salle’s 1-0 win over East Greenwich in the state title game. A 2010 All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, Meehan is a two-time Providence Journal First Team All-State pick and a U.S. Youth Soccer 1994 Region I Olympic Development Program team member. Through her junior year, Meehan has recorded 101 goals and 28 assists in her prep soccer career.
Meehan has maintained an A average in the classroom. A member of La Salle’s Pegasus Gifted Student Program, she has volunteered locally as a peer Spanish tutor, youth soccer coach and at an area homeless shelter.
“I think McKenzie Meehan is at a different level than any other player,” said Drea Harms, head coach of rival Bay View Academy. “She’s way beyond anyone else. She finds ways to score that I’m astounded by. I just see McKenzie as someone who looks like she’s always had a ball at her feet. She’s just very impressive to me.”
Meehan has verbally committed to play soccer on scholarship at Boston College beginning in the fall of 2012.
Meehan joins recent Gatorade Rhode Island Girls Soccer Players of the Year two-time winner Allison Kelley (2009-10 & 2008-09, La Salle Academy), and Katie Reilly (2007-08, St. Mary Academy-Bay View) among the state’s list of former award winners.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: MORGAN ANDREWS, MILFORD
The 5-foot-9 sophomore forward recorded 28 goals and 13 assists this past season, leading the Spartans (10-7) to the Division II state tournament. A former captain of the U.S. Soccer Under-15 Girls National Team, Andrews is a member of the Under-17 Women’s National Team. A 2010 National Soccer Coaches Association of America Youth All-American, Andrews was the leading scorer in Division II this past season. Through her sophomore year, Andrews has scored 52 goals and passed for 29 assists in her prep soccer career.
Andrews has maintained a B average in the classroom. She has volunteered locally on behalf of a community-outreach program, and she launched her own charity program that allowed coaches and players to donate their time and field-use privileges in exchange for canned goods that were brought to area food banks.
“Morgan Andrews, she’s just an unbelievable player,” said Jason Dewhurst, Andrews’ club coach with the Stars of Massachusetts. “She’s a perfectionist, always has been. Andrews is the type of player you build a team around, she’s that good. She is just a talent like I’ve never coached before. She’s just a different breed.”
Andrews has verbally committed to play soccer on scholarship at Boston College beginning in the fall of 2013.
Andrews joins recent Gatorade New Hampshire Girls Soccer Players of the Year two-time winner Kailey Blain (2009-10 & 2008-09, Merrimack), and Kristy Zurmuhlen (2007-08, Fall Mountain Regional High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.
MAINE: ALLISON WALTON, BRUNSWICK
The 5-foot-6 senior forward recorded 31 goals and 14 assists this past season, leading the Dragons (17-1) to the Class A state semifinals. Also the 2009-10 Gatorade Maine Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Walton was a 2010 All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and a three-time Class A First Team honoree. A natural defender, Walton was the 2010 Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Player of the Year. She concluded her prep soccer career with 84 goals and 40 assists.
Walton has maintained an A average in the classroom. A member of the National Honor Society, Walton co-produced a documentary about her experience of being homeless for three days to bring attention to the plight of area homeless. She has volunteered locally as a peer tutor and as a youth soccer coach and referee.
“I think she’s one of the best center backs in the whole region,” said Keith Caldwell, Walton’s club coach with the Scorpions Soccer Club in Massachusetts. “She can play anywhere. She gets better and better with every game and every practice. She’s as good as anyone in the Northeast right now.”
Walton has signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer on scholarship at Providence College this fall.
Two-time winner Walton joins recent Gatorade Maine Girls Soccer Players of the Year Elise Amioka (2008-09, Marshwood High School), and Rachele Burns (2007-08, Gorham High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.
VERMONT: LAUREN BERNARD, COLCHESTER
The 5-foot-3 junior recorded 18 goals and 11 assists this past season, leading the Lakers (10-5-3) to the Div. I state final. Bernard was an All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and earned First Team All-State honors from the Burlington Free Press following each of the last two seasons. She is a former member of the U.S. Soccer Federation Under-15 Women’s National Team, and a current member of the Under-17 National Team Player Pool.
Bernard has maintained a 3.99 GPA in the classroom. She has volunteered locally with youth soccer programs and camps.
“She’s one of the most determined and committed soccer players I’ve seen in a number of years,” said Tom Schaefer, head coach of rival South Burlington High. “She has amazing pace, she’s very quick and she’s very smart. She also has a tremendous, tremendous left foot.”
Bernard has verbally committed to play soccer on scholarship at Boston College and will begin her senior year of high school this fall.
Bernard joins recent Gatorade Vermont Girls Soccer Players of the Year Brittany Pfaff (2009-10, Rice Memorial), and two-time winner Natalie LeClair (2009-10 & 2007-08, Essex High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.
New England Roundup: New Hampshire
February, 9, 2011
2/09/11
3:10
PM ET
By Marc Thaler | ESPNBoston.com
Mike Kelly's dream of playing Division I college football turned nightmarish before the high school campaign built any momentum.
“When it happened (last September), I got down. Like anyone else would,” Kelly said of the Week 2 foot injury that ended his senior season for Nashua's Bishop Guertin High, the eventual Division II three-peat champion. “It just didn't seem possible.”
Nor did this: Verbally accepting a partial scholarship offer on Jan. 27 to play football for the University of New Hampshire, which competes in the Football Championship Subdivision's super-competitive Colonial Athletic Association.
“Knowing most colleges go off senior tape, I didn't think it would be enough for colleges to assess me,” said the 5-foot 9-inch, 176-pound talent, a projected slot receiver, kick- and punt-returner, and possible cornerback for the Wildcats. “I was nervous about that. In one game, to seemingly have (my dream) taken away, it was a hard thing to come to grips with.”
Good thing Kelly, a Merrimack resident, enjoyed a career contest in the season-opener. Guertin routed defending Division I champ Salem, the heavy preseason favorite to repeat, 48-21.
Kelly was impossible to contain.
The top weapon in BG's spread-option attack totaled 310 yards of offense and five touchdowns. His 17 carries generated 193 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 117 yards, including a 65-yard catch-and-run TD on the season's first play from scrimmage.
Running a crossing pattern toward the left sideline, Kelly snared in stride Steve Cuipa's 20-yard toss and hit high gear. He burned past Salem's secondary for the final 45 yards.
It was vintage Kelly, who a year earlier scored three touchdowns in Guertin's Division II title-game clincher.
“He's gifted. He's got tremendous speed. And on the football field, speed is everything,” BG athletics director and head football coach Tony Johnson said, noting Kelly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds before injuring his foot. “(UNH coaches) looked at his ability to change directions, excel quickly, sustain speed for a long period of time. They were interested in him in spring of his junior year.”
“When it happened (last September), I got down. Like anyone else would,” Kelly said of the Week 2 foot injury that ended his senior season for Nashua's Bishop Guertin High, the eventual Division II three-peat champion. “It just didn't seem possible.”
Nor did this: Verbally accepting a partial scholarship offer on Jan. 27 to play football for the University of New Hampshire, which competes in the Football Championship Subdivision's super-competitive Colonial Athletic Association.
“Knowing most colleges go off senior tape, I didn't think it would be enough for colleges to assess me,” said the 5-foot 9-inch, 176-pound talent, a projected slot receiver, kick- and punt-returner, and possible cornerback for the Wildcats. “I was nervous about that. In one game, to seemingly have (my dream) taken away, it was a hard thing to come to grips with.”
Good thing Kelly, a Merrimack resident, enjoyed a career contest in the season-opener. Guertin routed defending Division I champ Salem, the heavy preseason favorite to repeat, 48-21.
Kelly was impossible to contain.
The top weapon in BG's spread-option attack totaled 310 yards of offense and five touchdowns. His 17 carries generated 193 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 117 yards, including a 65-yard catch-and-run TD on the season's first play from scrimmage.
Running a crossing pattern toward the left sideline, Kelly snared in stride Steve Cuipa's 20-yard toss and hit high gear. He burned past Salem's secondary for the final 45 yards.
It was vintage Kelly, who a year earlier scored three touchdowns in Guertin's Division II title-game clincher.
“He's gifted. He's got tremendous speed. And on the football field, speed is everything,” BG athletics director and head football coach Tony Johnson said, noting Kelly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds before injuring his foot. “(UNH coaches) looked at his ability to change directions, excel quickly, sustain speed for a long period of time. They were interested in him in spring of his junior year.”
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Scott Barboza
Scott Barboza joined ESPNBoston.com as a high schools editor/reporter in May 2010. He spent the previous three seasons working in the New England Patriots media relations department after a stint at the Taunton Daily Gazette, where he covered everything from Little League baseball to the Boston Red Sox. The Fall River native is a graduate of Emerson College. He can be reached at sbarboza@espnboston.com.
Brendan Hall
Brendan Hall joined ESPNBoston.com as a high schools reporter/editor in May 2010, after four years covering high schools for The Boston Globe. The Westminster, Mass. native also served on the Globe's Bruins beat last season. Hall is a graduate of UMass Amherst. He can be reached at bhall@espnboston.com.
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