Tag: Bishop Brady

Plymouth pulls away late versus Bishop Brady

Trailing by two at the half, Plymouth outscored visiting Bishop Brady by 10 in the second half to pull way for a 52-44 victory on Monday night.

The Bobcats were led by 13 points from Tevin Stone and 12 from Dylan Webster. The Giants were paced by a game-high 14 points from Ryan Casey.

With the win, Plymouth improves to 6-5, while Brady falls to 0-10.

Check out photos of the action by John Scott Sherburne…

Plymouth downs Brady in back-and-forth overtime affair

It was a game of ups and downs for both squads as the Plymouth girls erased a nine-point halftime deficit to come-from-behind and defeat visiting Bishop Brady, 51-49, in overtime on Tuesday night.

The Bobcats led by three after the opening stanza, but then trailed by nine at the break. Plymouth came out firing in the second half and used an 11-0 run to take a two-point lead midway through the third, but later trailed by three at the end of three.

Kiara Brown’s three-point play with 12 seconds left in regulation gave Plymouth a two-point lead, but Bishop Brady scored at the buzzer to force overtime. The Bobcats netted the only points of the extra stanza to come away with the victory.

The Bobcats were led by a game-high 18 points from Kiara Brown and 15 points from Kayley Merrifield. The Giants were paced by Payton Bryson (18 points) and Mia Wagner (16).

Check out photos of the action by John Scott Sherburne…

Laconia rolls past Bishop Brady

Keaton Beck (24) and Kayden Roberts (20) combined for 44 points to lead Laconia to a 73-50 victory at Bishop Brady on Wednesday night in Concord.

Cade Weaver (13) and Michael Thresher (10) both netted double-figures for the Giants

The Sachems improve to 13-1 on the season, while Brady falls to 4-10.

Check out highlights by our Tim Lee…

Plymouth State hosts UMass Dartmouth

Plymouth State hosted UMass-Dartmouth on Saturday and John-Scott Sherburne was on-hand to send us some photos of the Panther rosters that are littered with New Hampshire grown talent. Check out the full photo gallery below…

The Rivera sisters: All for one and one for all

By Mike Whaley

The Rivera family takes being together to a whole new level. All four children are enrolled at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. This past spring they all played a sport – the three sisters were on the Gordon softball team and Ismael, the son, suited up for the baseball squad.

The sisters’ dynamic has changed slightly this winter. Ami and Isabella are still teammates on the Scots’ women’s basketball team as they were for the second half of last winter. However, their older sister, Lily,  has been added to the mix as an assistant coach. That dynamic will remain the same in the spring on the softball diamond as Lily transitions from player to assistant coach.

Gordon went into the winter break with a record of 3-6. Ami is second on the team in scoring (12.3 ppg) while Isabella is fourth (8.7 ppg). Both sisters are pulling down four boards a game.

(Courtesy Gordon College)

Sports have always been a family affair. Growing up in Concord, the younger sisters were coached in basketball by Rob Darrell and their dad, Freddy, at the Concord Boys and Girls Club. Freddy was also his daughters’ travel softball coach, and coached all his daughters at Bishop Brady High School.

Sports and a Christ-centered upbringing has strengthened the family’s sense of togetherness, which starts with the parents – Freddy and Lydia. “We have a very good relationship with each other,” Freddy said. “(The sisters) love each other. They actually enjoy being around each other as well as my son. We’ve always been together as a family.”

Taking that a step further, Ami and Isabella are not only Gordon teammates but they are also roommates. “We are in the gym all the time,” Ami said. “We shoot together. We work out together. She’s my roommate. We pretty much spend all our time together.”

Although they all played two sports at Brady, there was never the opportunity for all three to play together. Lily was four years ahead of Ami and six ahead of Isabella. When she was a high school senior her sisters were still in middle school.

Ami and Isabella, however, were constant teammates at Brady in softball and basketball. They were key contributors to the school’s first state girls’ basketball championship team in 2021. The Giants beat Kennett in the Division II final, 52-50, on Isabella’s steal and layup in the waning seconds.

Three factors allowed the trio to play the one year together on the softball diamond at Gordon, and even for Isabella to team up last winter with Ami on the hoop hardwood.

Firstly, Isabella was able to test out of eighth grade and enroll as a high school freshman. Secondly, she was able to finish up her high school senior year at home during the first semester of 2021, thus allowing her to enroll at Gordon in January 2022 for the second half of the basketball season and, obviously, for softball.

Thirdly, because of the pandemic, Lily was granted an extra or fifth year by the NCAA to play softball in 2022. That made it possible to team up with her sisters. All three of those things had to happen for them to play together. 

The trio started, batted at the top of the Gordon lineup and actually were the team’s top three hitters: Ami (.385), Lily (.373) and Isabella (.347). Position-wise, Lily played second and third base, Ami was a catcher and shortstop and Isabella played most of the season in center field. The Scots finished with a 19-18-1 record.

Now they’re together again.

(Courtesy Gordon College)

Gordon hoop coach Carter Shaw has liked what he’s seen so far. “There is some trepidation when you have three siblings on one team,” he said. “There’s all sorts of things that could go wrong. They’re a really close family, so I wasn’t worried about that. Sometimes those dynamics can be challenging.”

Shaw deals with any difficult one-and-one conversations with Ami and Isabella. Which, he notes, is as it should be.

Lily has been a great addition to the staff. “She understands the game really well,” Shaw said. “She’s been around it. She’s coached it. This isn’t something she’s coming into brand new and has to figure out. … She has a really good sense of what we are doing and what we are trying to accomplish on the court.”

Shaw said that Lily comes in as a selfless person willing to work hard and do all the dirty work. “She’s doing the details,” he said. “She’s taking care of the stuff my assistants do. She does an awesome job.”

Lily enjoys the position, even though it requires a certain amount of juggling. She lives at home with her parents in Litchfield, N.H., and works full time in Stratham at KidStrong Academy, which helps parents build stronger, smarter, high-character children. KidStrong, however, is in the opposite direction of Gordon, 40 minutes from Lily’s home. That means there’s a lot of driving. “I’m a busy girl, but I manage my time well,” she said.

Lily wants to coach. That’s her end game. “I love being able to make a difference,” she said. “I’ve spent my whole life playing sports. I’ve spent my whole life on a team. I like being able to share that knowledge. I get to pass down that piece of it.”

She enjoys being around Ami and Isabella. “My sisters are hustlers,” she said. “They work hard. They are super fun to coach. They are everything you want. They are a coach’s dream.”

Her sisters embrace Lily’s presence. “She explains things very well,” Ami said. “She’s so positive. It’s good to have her around.”

Shaw is glad he has Ami and Isabella on his team. Ami is the point guard, while Isabella is a shooting or off guard.

“Ami’s a pretty strong point guard,” the coach said. “She can hit the 3-pointer. She can put the ball on the floor. She can attack off the dribble. She’s a great defender. She’s tough. She has a kind of warrior’s mentality. She goes on the attack. She’s going to get in your face. She can create shots for herself and her team.”

Isabella games kind of sneaks up on you. “When she gets on a roll, it’s almost impossible to stop her,” Shaw said. “The freedom that she plays with and the sense of joy that comes through with how she plays. When that happens, you can see her light up and you can see her game blossom every time. When she’s playing with a smile on her face, she’s deadly.”

Like her sister, Isabella can hit the three and score off the dribble. Her coach says she has a great pull-up jump shot.

When Isabella decided to graduate from high school early and enroll at Gordon in January, she needed to get a headstart learning the basketball plays. Ami provided valuable assistance over the holiday break. “Going to Gordon, it was a completely different level, but I already had a jump start,” Isabella said. “I had my dad helping me through that. I already had Ami teaching me what I should know about Gordon basketball in general going in.”

The first week and a half back, Isabella worked out with the team. She had Covid, but didn’t know it. It explained why she was extra tired during practices. On the way to their first game of 2022, they arrived at their destination only to find out one of them had covid. The team had to jump back on the bus and return to Gordon.

“And it ended up being me,” Isabella said.

On one hand, Isabella was happy to know there was an explanation for her shortness of breath. On the other hand, the whole team had to quarantine and games that first week had to be postponed while they recovered.

It meant that the next couple of weeks the Scots would be playing three games a week. “I didn’t mind that,” Isabella said. “Who doesn’t like games? But it was also harder without practice to get me in the flow of college basketball.”

Eventually, Isabella did get in a flow and was starting by the end of the season. She helped Gordon win seven of their final nine games (12-14 record overall) and advance to the Commonwealth Coast Conference tournament semifinals.

Ami played in all 26 games. She was second in scoring with a 13.3 average to go with 5.3 rebounds per game and 43 steals. Isabella played 17 games, averaging 6.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.

As talented as they are, the sisters are even better teammates. “They’re the first people to cheer for their teammates,” Shaw said. “They’re the first people off the bench. They just get excited about being on the court. They’re fun to coach. They’re easy to coach. They’re listening. They’re hard working. They just bring all that. You don’t have to challenge them to play harder.”

All for one and one for all.

Got a story idea for Jam Session – contact Whaley at whaleym25@gmail.com.

Brady comes from behind at Plymouth

Bishop Brady trailed by three at the half, but outscored host Plymouth in the second half, 30-11, to come away with a 48-32 victory on Tuesday night. The Giants were led by 12 points from Cole Weaver, while the Bobcats were paced by a game-high 17 points from Dylan Webster.

Check out a photo gallery by John-Scott Sherburne…

603 in the NCAA

Let’s celebrate the best of the best from the NHIAA that have continued their careers into the NCAA. Below is a list of NHIAA ballers that are currently playing at the collegiate level.

Help us grow this list. If you have additions, please email kj@ball603.com. Thanks for the assist!

NAMEHIGH SCHOOLCOLLEGEYEAR
Michael PitmanPembroke Academy / TiltonAssumptionFreshman
Jacob GibbonsExeter / TiltonAssumptionSophomore
Sean PetersonHoly FamilyColby-SawyerFreshman
Catherine ChickKennettColby-SawyerFreshman
Bree LawrenceMonadnockColby-SawyerFreshman
Megan MolettieriPelhamColby-SawyerJunior
Lauren McKeeLittletonColby-SawyerSophomore
Eliza MitchellKeeneColby-SawyerFreshman
Kaylee ManzellaLittletonColby-SawyerSophomore
Lia RaynowskaExeterColby-SawyerSenior
Ashlyn SmithKeeneEndicottFreshman
Sarah DempseyWindhamEndicottJunior
Ty VitkoDoverEndicottSenior
Drew BrownPelhamEndicottSenior
Joey DaSilvaWindhamEndicottJunior
Andrew PolitiTrinityFranklin PierceSophomore
Isaac JarvisConcord Christian ’22GordonSophomore
Isabella RiveraBishop Brady ’21GordonJunior
Ami RiveraBishop Brady ’21GordonJunior
Cassidy DillonLondonderry ‘23GordonFreshman
Aryanna MurrayNashua SouthKeene StateJunior
Brynn RautiolaConant ‘23Keene StateFreshman
Abbie KozlowskiDover ‘23Keene StateFreshman
Kaitlyn StowellMonadnock ‘23Keene StateFreshman
Avery StewartFall Mountain ‘23Keene StateFreshman
Liam JohnstonKeeneKeene StateSophomore
Sera HodgsonConantMaineJunior
Gwen MerrifieldPlymouthManhattanvilleJunior
Matt McCoolSouheganMaristSophomore
Johnny McBrideSouhegan ’22MessiahSophomore
Mike StrazerriPembroke ‘23New England CollegeFreshman
Justin DunnePinkertonNew England CollegeJunior
Macy GordonMerrimack ValleyNew England CollegeSophomore
Maizie BarkerNashua South ’23 New England CollegeFreshman
Mackenzie McDonaldMerrimack ValleyNew England CollegeSophomore
Jon WillemanLebanon ’20New HampshireSenior
Alex TavaresPortsmouth / Great Bay CCNew HampshireJunior
Silas BernierConantNorwichSenior
Caden BrownBedford ‘23Plymouth StateFreshman
Riley MarshGilford ’22Plymouth StateSophomore
Elijah SwansonInter-LakesPlymouth StateJunior
Ryan CanabanoConcordPlymouth StateSenior
Matthew SantosuossoBishop Guertin ‘23Plymouth StateFreshman
Jared KhalilSanborn ‘23Plymouth StateFreshman
Jack St. HilaireWindham ’23 Plymouth StateFreshman
Maxwell GalbraithHanoverPlymouth StateSophomore
Kevin Newton-DelgadoHopkintonPlymouth StateJunior
Jayden MontgomeryNashua North ‘23Plymouth StateFreshman
Christian BarrJohn StarkPlymouth StateSenior
Sophie GeorgeLaconiaPlymouth StateSophomore
Natalie HarrisCoe-BrownPlymouth StateSenior
Ashley StephensPembroke Academy / TiltonPlymouth StateFreshman
Alli IngallsPinkertonPlymouth StateJunior
Bri WilcoxBishop GuertinPlymouth StateJunior
Marissa KenisonGroveton ‘23Plymouth StateFreshman
Lea CromptonBowPlymouth StateSenior
Isabella AbruzeseWindhamPlymouth StateFreshman
Angelina NardolilloHinsdaleRhode Island CollegeJunior
Elli CoxConcordRhode Island CollegeSophomore
Rob BaguidyGoffstown ’22RivierSophomore
Adam RazzaboniHollis-BrooklineRivierJunior
Anna StawaszBishop GuertinRivierJunior
Hannah MuchemoreBishop GuertinRivierSenior
Nodia DavenportGrovetonRivierJunior
Anna StengerJohn StarkRivierSenior
Jessica CarrierManchester MemorialRivierJunior
Lyric GrumblattManchester MemorialRivierSenior
Alyssa ScharnAlvirne ‘23RivierFreshman
Tommy FraserBishop BradySaint AnselmSenior
Brogan ShannonKingswoodSaint AnselmSophomore
Trevor LabrecqueNashua North ‘23Saint AnselmFreshman
Ava WinterburnGoffstown ‘23SNHUFreshman
Brandon ChoateNashua NorthSNHUJunior
Royce WilliamsTrinitySNHUSophomore
Liz CoteKennettSouthern MaineSenior
Hope EliasKennett ‘23Southern MaineFreshman
Tamrah GouldManchester MemorialSouthern MaineSenior
Megan RobertsHinsdaleSouthern MaineJunior
Max StapelfeldHollis-BrooklineSt. Joseph’s (ME)Senior
Ben SeilerMascoma ValleySt. Joseph’s (ME)Sophomore
Cadence GilbertKeeneSt. Joseph’s (ME)Freshman
Elisabeth StapelfeldHollis-BrooklineSt. Joseph’s (ME)Junior
Jordyn FranzenSalemU. of New EnglandSenior
Ella KaravanicNashua South ’23 U. of New EnglandFreshman
Makenna GrilloneFall MountainU. of New EnglandSophomore
Chad MartinJohn StarkVTSU LyndonSophomore
Sage SmithColebrookVTSU LyndonJunior
Leia BruntPlymouth ‘22William SmithSophomore
Brett MarelliWinnacunnetWPIJunior

Lebanon downs Brady, wins 15th straight

Lebanon went on the road to win its 15th-straight on Wednesday night as the Raiders defeated Bishop Brady, 75-51, in Concord. The Raiders were led by a game-high 25 points from Jackson Stone and 19 from Braeden Falzarano, while the Giants were paced by 18 points from Ivan Yen and 10 from Gumee Mbata.

With the win, Lebanon improves to 15-1 and sets up a regular-season finale showdown with ConVal (14-3) on Friday night. Brady falls to 9-6 on the season and had its four-gam win streak snapped. 

Capital city showdowns

All eyes will be on the capital region tonight as the city of Concord features pivotal match-ups in Division II and Division IV and we’ll be bringing you video highlight coverage of the two big tilts.

In D-II, the 14-1 Lebanon Raiders put their 14-game win streak on the line as they hit the road to take on a blistering hot Bishop Brady squad (9-5) that connected on 15 threes last night en route to an impressive 95-84 win over ConVal (14-3).

Across town, Concord Christian (8-1) hosts Derryfield (6-3) in a crucial contest that is sure to have a big impact on seedings near the top of the D-IV standings.

Enjoy the show!