By Marc Thaler
Staff Writer

On the field of competition, the opportunity for a shot at greatness is a request submitted by every coach, athlete and team at the start of each season. Naturally, this wish to hoist the hardware is only granted to one team in its respective sport.

CLASS ACTION – Trinity senior Aly Jodoin (right) beats Concord’s Marissa Geigerto the soc-cerball, redirecting it late in the second half of the Crimson Tide’s 1-0 upset of the third-seeded Pioneers during the Class L preliminary round on Oct. 27. (File Photo)

As many coaches will attest, merely competing for the crown is a tremendous feat in itself. Throughout the Neighborhood in 2004, many talented teams and gifted athletes made their respective runs at greatness.

Some plowed their way to the top, as was the case for the Manchester West girls soccer team and the Manchester Central football team. Both danced to the finish this fall.

Other clubs, such as the Goffstown field hockey team and Pembroke Academy boys soccer squad, made valiant attempts to capture the crown, but discovered the hill leading to the heights of their sports were extremely steep to climb.

Regardless of the end result, every athlete did his or her team, family and friends proud along the way.

Winter
None of the Neighborhood teams walked away with a hoops crown in 2004, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t plenty to cheer about.

In Class I competition, the boys of John Stark’s basketball squad took their fans on a magical season-long ride to the brink of a state title.

The Generals earned a No. 2 playoff seed and reached their first-ever championship game when they defeated Coe-Brown Academy in the semifinals, 52-35. Just four quarters from being the last team standing, JS fell to defending state champion Souhegan.

“We pushed ourselves into that first tier (of Class I teams),” said JS head coach Mike Smith, the Class I boys Coach of the Year, after the loss. “It shows how the guys over achieved this season. We were on the cusp (of a championship) and proved we were a top-two team. Not a lot of athletes get to play in a championship game. Just getting here is a tremendous honor. Although they might not see it right now, I think they’ll appreciate it (in time).”

For Stark, the ladies also found themselves battling for the big prize. Following the lead of head coach Wayne Thomson – the Class I girls Coach of the Year – JS reached its fourth consecutive Final Four before falling to eventual state champion Hanover.

In Class L play, the boys of Manchester West and Trinity were left to wonder if “L” stood for lucky when describing Salem, their common opponent, in the boys post season tournament.

Fourth-seeded West took its 17-2 record into the quarter finals and held a one-point lead with one second remaining when the Blue Knights suffered a crushing buzzer-beater loss to Salem, 53-52. Despite the difficult defeat, West senior Jeff Dickson of Bedford received Class L Player of the Year honors.

Of course, no defeat opened more eyes than Trinity’s loss in the state semifinals. The nationally ranked and unbeaten Pioneers put their perfect record on the line, also against Salem. Just two wins shy of being anointed the greatest team in state history, Trinity was outplayed, outscored and ousted, 61-51.

“They played like warriors and brought a lot of excitement to the state,” said Trinity head coach Frank Alosa. “Seventy percent of the people that sat in that gym loved the way these guys played basketball ... These kids fought for the game and for the state of New Hampshire.”

No. 2 Central also found the climb to the top too treacherous. Entering the Final Four against Merrimack with just one loss on its resume, the Little Green machine stalled, 49-47.

The West and Trinity girls basketball teams also competed for the Class L state title, but both exited in the tournament’s quarter finals round.

The Pembroke Academy girls team also fought on the court –for respect. Back in early January, the Spartans earned their very first Class L victory.

At the expense of former Class I rival Goffstown High School, PAfinally broke into the win column in its second season against the state’s top tier of talent.

On the mat, wrestling’s Meet of Champions brought grapplers together from several Neighborhood-area high schools, including Goffstown, John Stark, Central, Memorial, West and Trinity.

SIDELINE SCREAMS – PA senior Jim Lacasse (No. 46) and freshman teammate Brian Juranty gave their vocal support to quarterback Matt Allen during the senior signal-caller’s late-game 35-yard touchdown run, which proved to be the difference in the team’s first win of the year. (File Photo)

Neighborhood notables who found themselves in championship matches in their respective weight classes included Memorial’s Jason Gagnon, who pinned West’s Jon Mitchell in the heavyweight bout; Memorial’s Josh St. Ours of Auburn, who came up short in a decision in the 189-pound title match; West’s Matt Phipps of Bedford, who made it to the finals but fell a few points short; and John Stark’s Anthony Schettino, who nearly won the crown at 135 before dropping a decision.

On the ice, Manchester Memorial’s hockey team first experienced the joy of celebration followed by frustration in the Division I state semifinals and championship round, respectively.

The Crusaders, seeded No. 3, upset second-seeded and defending champion Hanover in the semis, 3-2, on a controversial overtime goal by Nick Poulin – assisted by Auburn’s Kyle Charboneau – that officials said inched past the goal line just four minutes into the sudden death period.

But with the state crown on the line at the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore Center, Memorial fell to Salem – also in overtime and also by the count of 3-2.

Central also made it to the playoffs, but the No. 7 Little Green machine was bounced out early by No. 10 Bishop Guertin.

Back on the hardwood, the girls of Mountain View Middle School continued the tradition of the Goffstown program’s Class I Tri-County dominance. MVMS, one year after winning the title, went 11-3 in league play and made its fifth consecutive trip to the finals before falling to rival Amherst.

Another group of athletes, the ladies of the Moore School in Candia, powered into the Class S playoffs after finishing atop the S1 East standings and going unbeaten at home.

In Class L Tri-County play, McKelvie School was well represented in the second season. Both the boys and girls hoops teams earned invites to the postseason party.

Spring
With spring in full swing, the weather wasn’t the only thing warming up. Lacrosse, a club sport at many schools in recent years, received NHIAA sanctioning and became a varsity sport for the boys and girls teams at Central, Memorial and West.

Competing against established lax programs like Pinkerton Academy of Derry and Concord High School, the Queen City crews took their lumps in Division I, but finished the season as better clubs for it.

“This is a huge opportunity for these kids,” said Jack Ebert, president of the Greater Manchester Lacrosse Boosters and head coach of the boys team at Memorial. “We have about 180 student-athletes and many probably would not be particpating in other sports.”

In the inaugural varsity contest between the Little Green and Crusaders, the schools teamed up for the customary nailbiter.

Central team leader Ali Gibbons scored the very first goal, but Memorial star Corinne Hursh of Auburn led the Crusaders’ charge, and Memorial won by the slim 10-9 margin.

Central and West faced each other in a battle of D-I beginners later in the season. Led by Emily Tanguay, the Blue Knights erased a seven-goal second-half deficit to notch their first-ever victory, 14-12.

When the boys lax teams from Central and West met in a late-May match up, the win went to the Little Green, 13-9. But both squads discovered that, for such intense rivals, they shared a collective passion for competition, team spirit and a burning desire to improve in their inaugural seasons.

Early on, West built a 5-2 advantage behind four goals from Lance Mailloux and one from Pete Conti. Although the Blue Knights duo would each score one more time, Central’s Brandon Leblanc, Kanon and Patrick Lacroix, Quincy Devine and Joe Slattery led the Little Green to the win.

In college baseball, Hooksett’s Mark Tremblay, a Central alumnus and pitcher for Trinity College, was selected as the New England Small College Athletic Conference’s co-player of the week in late March with a microscopic ERA and eye-opening GPA.

On the high school baseball diamond, the Goffstown Grizzlies put together another championship contender, but for the second straight year as the postseason tourney’s top seed, fell in the state semifinals.

West was ousted in the opening round by Bishop Guertin of Nashua.

In Little League baseball action, manager Butch Hobson of the Nashua Pride came to Bedford for a weekend-long camp with the town’s future stars.

TRAVELIN’JAVELIN – GHS junior Krissy Johnson competed in the javelin at the Class LTrack and Field Championships. Johnson broke 100 feet on her second throw. (File Photo)

Meanwhile, the Candia Cardinals won the Lamprey River Little League championship, posting a 15-3 record in the regular season and playoffs combined. The 14 players from age 10 to 12 finished the season with a team batting average of .326, an on-base percentage of .437 and a slugging percentage of .423.

“From the time we picked the roster, I knew we were the team to beat,” said Cardinals head coach Steven Cogswell.

In Hooksett, two Neighborhood softball squads were tops in the first-year Tri-County Interleague. Made up of seven teams from Auburn, Bow, Hooksett and Manchester North, the Tri-County Interleague championship game was a battle of Hooksett’s two teams.

No. 1-seeded Donovan Family ran the table en route to an unbeaten season, finishing 14-0 after defeating No. 2 BGN Contracting, 12-6. v On the tennis court, the ladies of Pembroke Academy learned hard work and persistence pays off in sports. After a winless 2003 season, the Spartans earned their first Class Lvictory with a 5-4 win against Merrimack. PA trailed, 4-2, and needed a sweep in its three doubles matches. The girls delivered.

“Tennis is kind of hard because you’re not supposed to scream and holler,” said PA coach Steve Langevin. “On the court, I had to congratulate them with a handshake. We saved the screaming for on the bus.”

The PA players followed the victory with a 7-2 win against Alvirne, which included first-ever varsity singles wins for foreign exchange student Eliska Burianova and Meaghan Littlefield.

Also in Class L, West continued its success in both boys and girls tennis.

While boys head coach Shawna Walega said she was fortunate to work with talented tennis athletes like the team’s top player, Mike Pickowicz.

“I’ve been getting the most joy from the accolades and compliments they receive in the sportsmanship department,” she said.

For the girls, the competition was strong – and balanced.

Behind Bedford’s Christiana Fitzgerald, the Blue Knights compiled a 10-4 record and No. 8 seed in the playoffs.

The ladies of Goffstown tennis were equal to the task, too. The girls clinched the sixth seed in the playoffs, thanks to an 11-3 record and experience winning close contests.

At Trinity, the girls tennis team was the surprise of the spring, going 13-1 for its best regular-season mark in school history and earning the No. 2 postseason seed. In the squad’s 13 wins, four were clean-sweep, 9-0 wins; three of the four powerful performances came in one week’s time.

At the track, BG finished first in the girls Class L Track and Field championships with Central, West and PA also finishing in the top 10.

West’s Jenn Mooney successfully defended her 2003 title in the 100-meter dash, ahead of five other finalists including Central’s Danna Frink.

In the 200-meter dash, PA’s Kelly Thomas bested Mooney by one-hundredth of a second. Thomas also won the 400-meter dash.

The Little Green long-distance tandem of Megan Lessard and Melissa Guenther won the 1,600-meter run and 3,200-meter run, respectively.

For the boys, Central was the only Neighborhood team to crack the top 10 as Central speedster Dominique Worsley won the 100-meter and 400-meter dashes.

Summer
The competition in summer sports was fierce as several area athletes displayed their talents. Little League baseball and softball teams from throughout the Neighborhood entered their respective postseason tournaments with chances to claim state crowns.

Bedford’s senior league softball all-stars mowed through the state’s top competition, en route to a 7-1 title game victory against Windham, which propelled the girls into the regional tourney in West Haven, Conn.

The state championship was the fourth for head coach Jay Brewster and several of his players who won at various levels over the years.

Bedford went 2-3 against some tough opponents in regional play. The girls did knock off Delaware, the eventual tourney winners, 2-1.

“This was a group of 16-year-old kids and 14-year-old kids,” Brewster said. “They really got along well. That’s not to say the girls didn’t in the past. But I think this group enjoyed it and appreciated it even more.”

Goffstown’s 11- and 12-year-old baseball all-stars saw their summer hopes of heading to Bristol, Conn., dashed in the state championship.

After winning the first game in its best-of-three series against Portsmouth, 4-3, the locals lost the next two contests, including a Game 3 defeat on an extra-inning, two-run, walk-off homer.

To reach the championship series, however, Goffstown had to go through a tough Neighborhood team from Suncook.

After Suncook lost to Goffstown in the District I winners’ bracket final, head coach V.J. Ranfos and his boys downed a gritty team from Manchester East in the losers’ bracket final, 6-4, before falling to Goffstown again for the D-I crown.

In American Legion baseball, two teams with local talent proved to be dangerous opponents on the diamond.

The boys of Henry J. Sweeney Post No. 2 took the state title in impressive fashion, winning every contest in its postseason tournament at Spaulding High School in Rochester.

Led by head coach Paul Lemire of Hooksett, the cast of characters made Sweeney the state champion for the second time in three years, earning the 2004 edition a trip to Middletown, Conn., for a spot in the Northeast regional.

One of the top teams Sweeney had to go through was Jutras Post No. 2, the defending state champion. Also packed with plenty of local players, Jutras made a valiant attempt to defend its title with a pair of late-inning tourney wins, but discovered winning back-to-back crowns was just out of reach.

Athletic accomplishments weren’t limited to the younger athletes this summer. Proving you’re only as old as your attitude, more than 400 athletes from 50 to 85 years old registered for the 17th annual Granite State Senior Games, which took place at various locations in Goffstown, Concord and Manchester in mid-August.

GSSG events included archery, badminton, basketball, bowling, cycling, golf, racquetball, shuffleboard, swimming, table tennis and multiple track and field events, with countless competitors qualifying for the National Senior Games in Pittsburgh, Pa., next June.

“Plenty of seniors are still competitive, and they go out to do the best they can,” said GSSG chairman and state coordinator Charlie Houser.

Before the seniors made headlines on the outdoor track at Manchester’s Gatsas Sports Complex, a Goffstown father-daughter tandem stole the show on the kart racing track at Weare’s Sugar Hill Speedway.

Dave Cazares, 33, and his 8-year-old daughter, Kayla, both won their races on the same day at SHS back in mid-July. At the time, the victories moved Dave and Kayla into the points lead in their respective divisions, which resulted in one thing – “being in victory lane with my dad,” Kayla said.

Runners from all over the Neighborhood and beyond braved the elements to take a crack at winning the crown in the 25th annual Goffstown Gallop.

The 5.2-mile run was difficult for a few, easy for some, but fun for everyone, especially Dave French. The director of Goffstown Parks and Recreation and the Gallop’s director, French said nothing tops the feeling of seeing many of the same faces who participate every year.

Goffstown’s Jim Clark, a former race champ, was the first local runner among the men to finish, placing third overall. Meanwhile, Goffstown’s Meg Norklun took first-place honors among female runners.

Autumn
At Manchester West, another Jack Amero-led girls soccer team won the Class L state championship. The top-ranked Blue Knights completed their 2004 campaign 20-0 when they defeated No. 2 Bishop Guertin of Nashua, 2-1, in the state finals.

The victory earned West its second championship in three years and gave Amero and the program a national record 14th title in school history.

BRUSH BACK – Bedford’s Brian Comiskey was on the receiving end of some serious chin music during a Little League elimination game against Salem Youth on July 7. Bedford won the contest, 5-2. (File Photo)

While West was best in Class L, four other local schools, including Goffstown, Central, Memorial and Trinity, completed successful campaigns by earning trips to the girls postseason party.

“Class L is still new to us and we haven’t seen the playoffs yet,” GHS head coach Eric Romein said as his team entered October. “Our No. 1 goal is making the playoffs. After that, everything else is gravy.”

In Class I, Pembroke Academy and John Stark of Weare weathered the regular-season storm and received invitations to the girls second season as the No. 6 and No. 10 seeds, respectively. PA advanced to the quarter finals before dropping a 2-1 match to eventual champion Hanover.

On the boys side, third-seeded BG took the Class Ltitle with a 1-0 win against No. 1 Exeter. BG went through No. 2 Memorial – a team that won 14 regular-season contests – in the semifinals to complete the quest. Central, Trinity and West were also postseason participants.

One year after taking their lumps in Class L, the PA boys, upon returning to Class I, posted seven wins and earned a well-deserved No. 14 seed in the tournament.

At the middle-school level, the girls of Mountain View Middle School in Goffstown went undefeated in Class L2 Tri-County play and won the championship.

In Class L1 Tri-County competition, the McKelvie boys and girls teams both advanced to the title round, with the boys winning the championship.

Candia’s Moore School girls soccer team continued its long tradition of dominance, earning the top seed in the Class S Tri-County postseason. The girls went 10-0 in the regular season and won their semifinals playoff game before dropping a 1-0 decision to Wilton.

In its first year in Class I after moving up from Class M, the Weare Middle School girls soccer team went 6-2-2 in the regular season and advanced to the playoffs following an 0-9-1 regular campaign one year earlier.

Once again, Goffstown was a dominant force in Class L field hockey. The Grizzlies, under first-year varsity coach Jessica Brown, went 12-2 in the regular season to grab the division’s second seed. The Final Four proved frustrating, however, as GHS lost to eventual state champion Concord, 2-1.

Although exiting one round earlier than Goffstown, West’s girls had a fine season. The Blue Knights upset No. 8 Dover in the opening round, 2-1, before losing to eventual state finalist Salem in the quarter finals by the same score.

On the gridiron, Central left little doubt that the Little Green are the premiere high school football program in New Hampshire. The Jim Schubert-led team won its fourth consecutive Division I state title and fifth in six seasons when it trounced Pinkerton Academy of Derry, 48-17.

Before Central, Pinkerton was the last to reach the feat of four straight from 1991 to 1994.

Central then downed Memorial in the Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving Day to complete a tremendous season, 13-0.

“This was probably the best offensive team I’ve had in my 15 years as head coach,” Schubert said. “I believe in working hard, you pay the price and there are refunds there. That’s something we teach as a coaching staff. If you work hard it pays off in the end.”

With first-year head coach Travis Cote at the helm for West, the Blue Knights made some major improvements. After a 1-8 season in 2003, Cote’s club raised some eyebrows and gained some serious respect, winning four games in 2004.

In D-II, Bishop Guertin of Nashua, which received key contributions from several Bedford players, won its first championship in 29 years with a 21-7 victory against Winnacunnet of Hampton. BG’s 2004 edition was the first to complete an undefeated season while setting records for fewest points allowed and most points scored in school history.

John Stark was also thankful on Thanksgiving. In the second year of the annual Goffstown-Stark turkey tilt, the Generals earned their first D-III varsity win, a 14-6 victory against their arch rivals.

While Stark claimed its first victory at the high school level, the Bedford Jaguars Jr. Pee Wees of New Hampshire Pop Warner’s Division II won their first state crown with a 7-0 decision against Manchester South.

And as the boys were winning on the field, the girls were, too, along the sidelines. Both the Jags’ Jr. Midget and Pee Wee spirit squads earned invitations to the New England Regional Championship, as did the Hooksett Hurricanes’Jr. Midget and Midget cheerleaders.

It’s impossible to mention every remarkable achievement and act of sportsmanship that took place in the Neighborhood during 2004. But just because it didn’t make it onto the sports page doesn’t mean it was any less significant.

Besides, as long as you, your family and friends know something great happened in 2004, that’s the only statistic that really counts.