Tag: Kennett

Kennett battles for quarterfinal victory at The Bash

By Nathaniel Ford

FARMINGTON – In a matchup of Division II teams, the Kennett girls held on for a 48-35 victory over Sanborn and advanced to the semifinals of The Bash.

Kennett, the defending Division II champions, had to fight for this victory. “We won D-II last year, so everyone looks forward to playing us and we are going to get their best game,” said their head coach Larry Meader. 

The Eagles were given a tough game today by Sanborn, with nothing coming easy for them. Sanborn came out early and picked up a 6-4 lead behind a pair of baskets from Kaylee Fortin. Kennett answered by going on an 11-0 run driven by a trio of three pointers from Kaley Goodhart, and they led 15-8 entering the break. 

Some teams would roll over following such a big run, but the Indians did not. “They brought a lot of energy, and you could tell that they wanted the game,” said Meader. Sanborn was playing with high intensity throughout the contest, and it showed.

Despite this, Kennett extended their lead to 10 points, and the game entered halftime with a score of 26-16. Their offense was flowing through Goodhart, who knocked down two more triples in the second quarter, bringing her to five in the half. She had 17 points and was outscoring the Indians single handedly. 

The Eagles were looking to shut down Sanborn’s top scorer Emma Gillis, as well as controlling the paint on the defensive end. Meader felt that this was not accomplished well enough in the first half, so he made a change. 

“We went to a zone in the second half, and it took a while for Sanborn to get adjusted,” Meader said. Kennett switched from their usually man-to-man defense, and it worked out well for them. 

The Eagles were able to extend their lead in the third quarter to as much as 16 points by containing their opponents for much of the period. Center Samantha Sidoti was valuable in the third, pouring in 7 points and leading them to a 42-27 scoreline entering the fourth. 

While this deficit proved too large for a comeback, Sanborn fought until the final whistle. They held the Eagles scoreless until 4:30 left in the quarter. Their defense was intense, as they forced countless turnovers and tough shots. However, it was not enough, and Kennett finished with a 48-35 victory.

Kennett was led by a game-high 21 points and five three-pointers from Goodhart, as well as 16 from Sidoti. Sanborn had a balanced offensive output, with Gillis and Fortin each scoring 8 points. Maya Thompson and Ashyln Gallant chipped in with 5 points. 

Kennett advances to the semifinals of The Bash, where they will play Division IV Franklin tomorrow afternoon at 3:00.

Check out the full photo gallery of the action by KJ Cardinal…

The Bash: Day 2 recap

That’s a wrap on day two of the 44th Annual Mike Lee Holiday Basketball Bash. Photo galleries from all games played at Farmington High School can be seen right here. You can also download high resolution images for free here.

Below is final scores from all 10 games along with the high scorers in each…

GAME 13
GIRLS: Sanborn 56, Portsmouth Christian 48
Sanborn: Emma Gillis 23
PCA: Ava Buchanan 24, Jaela Stockbower 11

GAME 14: FULL STORY
BOYS: Sanborn 76, Nute 30
Sanborn: Chase Frizzell 14, Brandon Sarette 11
Nute: Collin Hathorn 12, Picard 10

GAME 15
BOYS: Derryfield 43, Kennett 33
Derryfield: Jack Krasnof 14, Alex Comire 11, Alex Drake 10
Kennett: Tavon Porter 11, Daven Bailey 14

GAME 16: FULL STORY
BOYS: Windham 68, Noble 54
Windham: Caden Bouchard 16, Jack Begley 10,
Noble: Jamier Rose 21, Bryce Guitard 18

GAME 17
GIRLS: Franklin 60, Noble 40
Franklin: Lily Cornell 21, Kourtney Kaplan 18
Noble: Aubrey Brennan 20, Taylor Gnirk 16

GAME 18: FULL STORY
BOYS: Portsmouth Christian 61, Franklin 38
PCA: Cai Summers 20, Connor Hickey 18
Franklin: Zeke McCoy 28

GAME 19
GIRLS: Profile 56, Coe-Brown 50
Profile: Morgan Presby 13, Mya Brown 22
CBNA: Emma Lapierre 15, Hannah Meehan 14

GAME 20: FULL STORY
BOYS: Profile 71, Raymond 42
Profile: Josh Robie 35, Alex Leslie 15
Raymond: Dre Duffaut 10

GAME 21
GIRLS: Farmington 57, Raymond 35
FHS: Zoey Johnson 15, Shaylee DiPrizio 13, Jaelyn Prosper 10
Raymond: Sophie Huynh 15

GAME 22
BOYS: Farmington 78, Concord Christian 56
FHS: Demery Hadges 27, Shawn Murphy 16, Dylan Zappala 11, Aiden Place 10
CCA: Jaden Young 20

The Bash: Day 1 recap

Opening day of the 44th Annual Mike Lee Holiday Basketball Bash is in the books. Day one featured a whopping 12 games. Photo galleries from all games played at Farmington High School can be seen right here. You can also download high resolution images for free here.

Below is final scores from all 12 games along with the high scorers in each…

GAME 1
BOYS: Raymond 68, Franklin 26
Raymond: Dre Duffaut 22, Aidan York 15
Franklin: Jack Van Polen 6

GAME 2
BOYS: Concord Christian 61, Nute 37
CCA: TJ Charbono 13, Logan Duffy 12
NUTE: Scott Milliken 11

GAME 3
BOYS: Windham 80, Sanborn 57
Windham: Jack Begley 18, Caden Bouchard 16, Jack Murphy 12, Tyler Jordan 10
Sanborn: Chase Frizzell 20, Dylan Rego 19

GAME 4
GIRLS: Franklin 53, Raymond 26
Franklin: Kourtney Kaplan 33
Raymond: Mollee Messenger 9

GAME 5
GIRLS: Profile 47, Sanborn 40
Profile: Mya Brown 15, Kyah Knight 10
Sanborn: Emma Gillis 7

GAME 6
BOYS: Profile 65, Derryfield 56
Profile: Josh Robie 34, Alex Leslie 13
Derryfield: Jack Krasnof 23, Billy Gardner 14, Alex Drake 12

GAME 7
GIRLS: Coe-Brown 60, Portsmouth Christian 42
CBNA: Jennifer Noni 15, Hannah Meehan 11
PCA: Ava Buchanan 25

GAME 8
BOYS: Coe-Brown 67, Belmont 56
CBNA: Connor Bagnell 21, Quinn Salter 16, Jack Matson 13, Matt Flanagan 13
Belmont: Keegan Martinez 20, Michael Collette 12, Anakin Underhill 10

GAME 9
GIRLS: Kennett 48, Belmont 22
Kennet: Kaley Goodhart 18, Sam Sidoti 16
Belmont: Darci Stone 12

GAME 10
BOYS: Kennett 54, Portsmouth Christian 46
Kennett: Tavon Porter 19, Daven Bailey 13, Allen Noung 11
PCA: Wade Michaud 17, Cai Summers 15

GAME 11
GIRLS: Farmington 65, Noble 30
FHS: Zoey Johnson 22, Madi Ricker 16, Ryleigh Hogan 11
Noble: Taylor Gnirk 16

GAME 12
BOYS: Noble 88, Farmington 70
Noble: Bryce Guitard 28, Jamier Rose 26, Brady Tucci 12
FHS: Aiden Place 17, Shawn Murphy 15, Demery Hadges 13

McLellan’s clutch free throws lifts Kennett to D-II crown

By: KJ Cardinal

DURHAM – Trailing by one with no time on the clock, Kennett’s Kaylee McLellan went to the line and buried two clutch free throws to give the second-seeded Eagles a 38-37 victory over top-seeded and unbeaten Bow, capturing the 2023 NHIAA Division II Girls Basketball State Championship on Sunday at the University of New Hampshire.

As the final seconds ticked away, McLellan received the ball at the top of key from Sydnie Chin and drove to the right to throw up a desperation runner. The final buzzer sounded and the Falcons bench flooded the court to celebrate an apparent championship, but there was a whistle and a foul called.

The court was cleared and McLellan went to the line with no time on the clock and no rebounders in the lane to give head coach Larry Meaders’ Eagles a dramatic one-point win and their third-ever Division II title and their first since 2010.

The Eagles (21-1) came ready to play as they jumped out to an 11-7 lead after one quarter, led 25-15 at half and held a 12-point lead with 6:49 left in the third quarter. The Falcons (20-1) weren’t ready to give up though as their vaunted defense held Kennett scoreless for the next five minutes as they went on a 14-0 run to take a 29-27 lead with 1:52 on the clock.

The game was tied at 31-31 entering the fourth quarter, which would be a grind between the two best defensive teams in the division. The two teams combined combined to shoot just 4-16 from the field in the final stanza before setting up McLellan’s game-winning heroics.

While the game ended with two of the most clutch free throw in tournament history by McLellan, the game could be seen as being ultimately decided at the charity stripe. The Eagles were an impressive 11-13 from the line as a team (84.6%) and the Falcons were just 7-13 (53.8%). McLellan alone was a perfect 8-8.

Bow’s Bella LaPerle led all scorers with a game-high 15 points and teammate Alex Larabee added 13. McLellan (14) and Chin (10) both netted double figures to lead Kennett.

Check out the full photo gallery by our own Jill Stevens…

Kennett downs Pelham, advances to championship

KINGSTON – Behind a game-high 21 points from Kaylee McLellan, No. 2 Kennett defeated No. 3 Pelham, 54-40, on Wednesday night in the semifinals of the NHIAA Division II Girls Basketball State Tournament at Sanborn Regional High School in Kingston. 

The Eagles advance to Sunday’s title game where they will take on No. 1 Bow at the University of New Hampshire at 1:00 pm. 

Sydnie Chin also notched double-digits in the scoring column with 10 for the Eagles, while Jasmine Becotte (14 points) and Sophia Joncas (11)  led the way for the Pythons.

Check out the full photo gallery by our Jill Stevens…

Kennett powers past Plymouth

Kennett went on the road and defeated Plymouth, 51-40, on Tuesday night in Division II action.

Ben Doughterty scored a team-high 16 points for the Eagles, while Evan Koroski and Alex Clark each added 10. The Bobcats were led by a game-high 23 points from Dylan Webster.

Check out the full gallery of the action by John-Scott Sherburne…

Kennett eases past Plymouth

The Kennett Eagles improved to 12-0 with a 78-18 road win at Plymouth on Tuesday.

The Eagles led 23-5 after one and 50-7 at the half en route to the victory. Nine players scored for Kennett, who was led by 19 from Kaylee McLellan and double-digit efforts from Sydnie Chin (17), Kaley Goodhart (14) and Catherine Chick (10).

Plymouth, who was without leading scorer Kaylee Merrifield, falls to 3-8 on the season.

Check out the full gallery by John-Scott Sherburne…

The Bash: Day 5 Recap

By: KJ Cardinal

The 43rd Annual Mike Lee Holiday Basketball came to a close on Friday night with the Coffee County (TN) girls and the Belmont boys coming away with the titles in two exciting match-ups in front of a packed crowd in Farmington.

GIRLS FINAL: COFFEE COUNTY 54, KENNETT 33
• PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
The Coffee County girls from Manchester, Tenn. were all the buzz coming into the finals, but Larry Meader had his quick and feisty Kennett squad ready to play and they did the 603 proud. The Lady Raiders would take home the title with a 54-33 victory, dethroning the two-time defending champions in the process.

The Eagles seemed to be un-intimidated by a Coffee County team that entered the game with a near 78-point average margin of victory in their first four games of the tournament. Kennett’s Catherine Chick really challenged Chloe Gannon on the opening tip and the Eagles became the first team in the tourney to prevent the Lady Raiders from scoring a three on their “Island” set play on the jump ball. It was a minor victory in the grand scheme of things, but seemed to instill confidence for Kennett right from the onset.

Channah Gannon connected on a quick jumper just eight seconds into the game to get the Lady Raiders on the board, but a three-pointer by Kaylee McLellan would give the Eagles a brief lead, 3-2, marking the only time Coffee Country trailed during a game at The Bash.

Kennett’s speed and ball pressure seemed to rattle the Lady Raiders at times as the Eagles held Coffee County to 30 points fewer points than any other team in the tourney. Kennett trailed 12-3 after the first quarter and later 20-3 in the second and the game appeared destined for another blow out like the other Coffee County contests. The Eagles had other thoughts, however, as they outscored the Lady Raiders 16-11 to close the half, sparked by two Hope Elias threes, and trailed by just 12, 31-19, at the break.

The Eagles were energized at the start of the second half and tied the stanza, 9-9, but the 4th quarter belonged to the Lady Raiders as they closed out the game on a 14-5 run to earn the title.

Coffee County was paced by 16 points from Channah Gannon and 11 apiece from Julie Ruehling and Natalie Barnes. Kennett was led by 9 apiece from Elias and Kailey Goodhart, while Sam Sidoti chipped in with 8.

GIRLS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
MVP: Chloe Gannon, Coffee County (TN)
Mya Brown, Profile
Channa Gannon, Coffee County (TN)
Emma Gillis, Sanborn
Kaley Goodhart, Kennett
Kourtney Kaplan, Franklin
Kaley Mclellen, Kennett
Darci Stone, Belmont

Team Sportsmanship Award: Belmont
Individual Sportsmanship Award: Emaleigh Tarpley, Coffee County 

BOYS FINAL: BELMONT 56, PROFILE 46
• PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS | ROMIKE REPORT
The boys title game pitted Division III Belmont’s size and length versus Division IV Profile’s speed and shooting. The size of Belmont’s front court proved to be too much as the Red Raiders defeated the Patriots, 56-46.

The Red Raiders jumped out to an early 15-6 lead after one and took a 29-20 lead into the break, but the Patriots responded with a 7-0 run to start the second half and get back into the ball game. That two-point margin, 29-27, however, was as close as Profile would get.

The Belmont big man duo of Anakin Underhill (19 points) and Keegan Martinez (18) proved to be the difference maker for Tony Martinez’s squad.

Junior sharp-shooter Josh Robie struggled to get it going offensively in the first half for the Patriots as he was held to just four points. He came into the game needing 17 points to reach his 1,000th and he would reach the milestone on a pull-up jumper in the 4th quarter and finish the game with 17. He finished the tournament with 123 points, which broke Tim Lee’s 25-year mark of 105 set back during the 1997 event.

Alex Leslie (13) and Karsen Robie (12) also netted double-figures for Profile.

BOYS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
MVP: Anakin Underhill, Belmont
Jake Avery, Lin-Wood
Jordan Berko, Farmington
Ben Dougherty, Kennett
Hugh Hamilton, Coe-Brown
Jack Krasnof, Derryfield
Alex Leslie, Profile
Sam Reposa, Belmont
Josh Robie, Profile
Quinn Salter, Coe-Brown
Dominic Starr, Somersworth

Team Sportsmanship Award: Coe-Brown
Individual Sportsmanship Award: Gavin Forcier, Nute

Coffee County Lady Raiders: From Tennessee to the Granite State

By: KJ Cardinal

There’s been a lot of talk and interest with Coffee County Central High School making their way to the 603 all the way from Tennessee to compete at this year’s 43rd Annual Mike Lee Holiday Basketball Bash in Farmington. It seems like quite the trek for the Tennessee Division 8-AAA powerhouse to make in order to play in a tournament that features predominantly New Hampshire Division III & IV squads, but to Lady Raiders head coach Joe Pat Cope this trip is about more than basketball.

Following the Lady Raiders semifinal win over Belmont, we had a chance to catch up with Cope and he said “My aunt used to live in the area and I thought it would be a great opportunity for these girls to see part of the country they probably wouldn’t see otherwise.” When asked how he heard about The Bash, he said that he simply Googled basketball tournaments in New England and The Bash, which is the state’s largest holiday basketball tourney, was at the top of the list.

Cope was searching for an event to play in because the tournament they were slated to play in Panama City, Fla. got canceled and they had to scramble to find a replacement event. The Lady Raiders fundraised all year round for this trip and The Bash seemed like a good fit. 

That internet search led Cope to The Bash Tournament Director Joel Chagnon. The two had lengthy conversations prior to the tournament and Chagnon said “After Joe reached out, I took a look at their enrollment and it was comparable to Spaulding and they’ve played in our tournament before.” Coffee County’s enrollment is currently just over 1,200, compared to Spaulding’s 1,331. Coffee County Central High School is located in Manchester, Tenn. with a population of just 12,000, but the high school draws from eight elementary schools as it’s regionalized by counties in Tennessee.

Chagnon told Cope he wasn’t sure how much his team would benefit from the D-III and D-IV tourney, but Cope told him “the goal is for the girls to experience New England. None of them have been to New England. Many have not left Tennessee, except for a basketball tournament.” Well, the Lady Raiders have achieved that goal as they’ve been sight-seeing around the area and a trip to the Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine and lobster rolls on the coast are some of the favorites so far. The experience has been one more of bonding than basketball, but that will all change tonight as Coffee County takes on D-II Kennett in The Bash finals at 5:30 pm.

With a near 78-point average margin of victory through four games in the tournament, it’s clear that the Lady Raiders have been the best team in the 10-team event. “It’s real simple. They’re in a league of their own, period,” said tournament namesake and legendary Farmington High School boys coach, Mike Lee. The NHBCO Hall of Famer added, “Those kids are so well-drilled and skilled. It reminds me of some of the John Fagula teams when he was at Nashua & Londonderry. They were so skilled, they had to leave New Hampshire to play teams.”

The skilled Lady Raiders set the tone right from the opening tip as they run a set play on the jump ball, called “Island”. While it looks like a gimmick at first, there’s no joke about it as it’s resulted in a wide open corner three in all four games. And, in all four games the Lady Raiders have knocked down the open jumper to take a 3-0 lead about three seconds into the game. They’re shooting over 70% from the field as a team in the tournament. It’s impressive to see.

Despite giving a drubbing to the field, the Lady Raiders have carried themselves well on the court. “They are the most polite, respectful young ladies you’ve ever met,” said Chagnon “Joe makes line changes for substitutions and when the girls check in, they have their arms around each other or are joking around. They are just classy.”

Opposing coaches have been very complimentary of the Lady Raiders skill level and demeanor. Following Belmont’s 97-26 semifinal loss to Coffee County, Belmont head coach Mike Andriski went through the handshake line and then entered the Lady Raider huddle to address the team. The level of respect displayed by coaches and players alike has been somewhat inspirational. 

Farmington sophomore Madi Ricker and freshman Anna Cardinal, who were defeated in their opening game of the tourney by the Lady Raiders 84-10, were seen sitting in the stands chatting it up with the Lady Raiders as well. “I think playing these Tennessee girls has taught the New Hampshire teams a huge lessons on what it takes to be an athlete,” said Lee.

Speaking of lessons, school will be in session at 5:30 pm tonight when the Lady Raiders look to bring The Bash crown back to the Volunteer State.

 

The Bash: Day 4 Recap

By: KJ Cardinal

Day four of the 43rd Annual Mike Lee Holiday Basketball Bash is in the books and the finals match-ups are set. Coffee County (TN) and Kennett will meet for the girls crown on Friday at 5:30 pm, while Belmont and Profile will square off at 7:00 pm.

GIRLS SEMI #1: COFFEE COUNTY 97, BELMONT 26
• PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
The Lady Raiders from Tennessee continued to roll as they defeated Belmont, 97-26, in the first semifinal on Thursday. Coffee County’s balanced attack was on display as they placed five players in double-digits, led by 15 points from Emaleigh Tarpley. The Red Raiders were paced by 15 as well by Lena Rodrigues, who connected on five triples versus the Lady Raiders tough 2-3 zone.

GIRLS SEMI #2: KENNETT 75, FARMINGTON 30
• PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
In the second semifinal of the day, Division II Kennett defeated the D-IV host Farmington, 75-30, en route to their fifth-straight title game appearance at The Bash. The Tigers came out of the gates and challenged the Eagles for the first 10-minutes of play before Kennett pulled away and blew the game wide open. The Eagles were led by a trio of double-figure scorers: Kaley Goodhart (16 points), Sydnie Chin (15) and Catherine Chick (13). Farmington freshman Anna Cardinal paced the Tigers with 10.

BOYS SEMI #1: BELMONT 56, DERRYFIELD 45
• PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS | ROMIKE REPORT
On the boys side, D-III Belmont looked a little tired from the onset, which could be attributed to the Red Raiders dramatic one-point win over Coe-Brown the night before, and found themselves tied with D-IV Derryfield at 22-22 at the half. The Red Raiders came out rejuvenated for the second half and pulled away for the 56-45 win. Belmont was led by Keegan Martinez (17 points), Sam Reposa (16) and Anakin Underhill (15), while the Cougars were paced by Jack Krasnof (18) and John McDevitt (11).

BOYS SEMI #2: PROFILE 70, FARMINGTON 41
• PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
It was a packed house for the second semifinal, which pitted host Farmington versus Profile. The two battled closely for the first quarter with the Patriots taking a two-point lead, 13-11. Profile then dominated the Tigers in the second stanza as they outscored Farmington 20-0 to blow the game wide open and cruised to a 70-41 victory. Junior Josh Robie connected on six threes en route to a game-high 26 points, while classmate Alex Leslie added 20 and sophomore Cayden Wakeham had 12. Farmington was led by 16 points from senior Jordan Berko.

If you missed any of day four action, you can re-watch all games here.

DAY 4 SCORES, LINKS & DOUBLE-DIGIT SCORERS

BOYS: RAYMOND 57, NUTE 40 – PHOTOS
Raymond Rams: Drezell Duffaut (19 points), Logen Brian (13)
Nute Rams: Gavin Forcier (14 points)

BOYS: PORTSMOUTH CHRISTIAN 51, FRANKLIN 35 – PHOTOS
Eagles: Connor Hickey (20 points)
Golden Tornadoes: Zeke McCoy (13 points)

BOYS: KENNETT 64, LIN-WOOD 41 – PHOTOS
Eagles: Bo Noury (14 points), Alex Clark (11) Ben Dougherty (11)
Lumberjacks: Jake Avery (21 points), Cam Clermont (14)

BOYS: COE-BROWN 75, SOMERSWORTH 34 – PHOTOS
Bears: Quinn Salter (19 points), Hugh Hamilton (12)
Hilltoppers: Dominic Starr (24 points)

GIRLS SEMI #1: COFFEE COUNTY (TN) 97, BELMONT 26 – PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Lady Raiders: Emaleigh Tarpley (15), Julie Ruehling (14), Olivia Vinson (13), Channah Gannon (11), Chloe Gannon (10)
Red Raiders: Lena Rodrigues (15)

BOYS SEMI #1: BELMONT 56, DERRYFIELD 45 – PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS | ROMIKE REPORT
Red Raiders: Keegan Martinez (17 points), Sam Reposa (16), Anakin Underhill (15)
Cougars: Jack Krasnof (18 points), John McDevitt (11)

GIRLS SEMI #2: KENNETT 75, FARMINGTON 30 – PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Eagles: Kaley Goodhart (16 points), Sydnie Chin (15), Catherine Chick (13)
Tigers: Anna Cardinal (10 points)

BOYS SEMI #2: PROFILE 70, FARMINGTON 41 – PHOTOS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Patriots: Josh Robie (26 points), Alex Leslie (20), Cayden Wakeham (12)
Tigers: Jordan Berko (16 points)