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HS Notebook: Quick turnarounds for teams; HB girls 2-0

By Tom King - Staff Writer | Apr 22, 2021

The Bishop Guertin boys lacrosse team did some celebrating during its 14-8 win the other night over Pinkerton, but they couldn't really enjoy it for too long as they face the Astros in a rematch in Derry today. (Telgraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – You’re a local high school team and you just lost either by a wide margin or by a whisker, and you can’t wait to see that opponent again because you know you can turn things around.

In normal years, you usually had to wait until a few weeks, or depending on the opponent, until next year to draw even.

But this spring, as was the case in the fall and winter, you get a quick turnaround – just a few days. Sometimes as few as two days.

Why? Because of the cohort scheduling many of the sports/divisions and athletic directors are using.

And this spring, as we’ve seen this week, athletic directors are using every available opening for reschedulings in advance of poor weather. For example, Nashua South and Alvirne, who played each other in boys and girls tennis on Monday, went right back at it on Tuesday. It was especially interesting on the boys side, where the Broncos won in Hudson 5-4 on Monday and then the Panthers returned the favor by the same score on Tuesday.

In other sports, the quick turnaround means a lot of things. For example, the Bishop Guertin boys lacrosse team recorded a huge early season win over Pinkerton, 14-8, the other night at Stellos Stadium.

Normally, the teams play each other once a season as BG fills its schedule with a lot of out of state teams. Then the Astros and Cards usually meet in the Division I finals. This year, however, they will see each other again today thanks to the scheduling. Plus, Guertin likely doesn’t mind playing Pinkerton twice since this year, due to the pandemic, the Cards won’t be playing their usual array of out-of-state opponents, and that competition was always seen as a key for improvement.

“The thing is, with these two-game sets, you can’t really focus (on the win),” Cards coach Chris Cameron said. “You beat Pinkerton, you want to celebrate the win, but you can’t because you’ve got to get right back at it.”

And Cameron sees this from a different perspective. He was an assistant to John Fisher for the BG boys basketball team that won the Division I title. He saw some quick turnarounds and different results not only with the Cardinals and their opponents, but with other teams schedules as well.

“As you saw in basketball, North would be Alvirne by 35 and then three days later, Alvirne beats North,” he said. “Windham beat us by 25 at home, and then we turn around and beat them at their place. So it’s a mindset, which is what is so challenging.

“But we’re out playing, and we have an athletic bunch.”

But, as Cameron said, the boys lacrosse level of competition or parity is much different in lacrosse than in Division I boy basketball.

“We have to get better on our own, in practices,” Cameron said. “There’s just not the depth that there is in basketball. Basketball the parity, we don’t have that.”

After today, they’ll see another contender Exeter, in two weeks, May 3 at Exeter and then May 7 at Stellos. The Cards do have listed on their schedule, a game at Cape Elizabeth, Maine on May 1.

But, the other night, Cameron was concerned about his team’s lackluster second half after a 9-1 first half vs. Pinkerton, so he knows the rematch will be an interesting one.

“We’ll turn around in two days,” Cameron said Tuesday night.

And, as an example, two contending softball teams, Merrimack and Londonderry, had different results in back to backs. The Lancers won a tough 2-1 game on Monday and then on Tuesday the Tomahawks’ Avery Hui tossed a complete game four-hitter for a 4-2 win.

HB GIRLS BLANK PELHAM

The Hollis Brookline tennis teams are playing their home matches indoors once again this season at Longfellow Tennis & Swim Club in Nashua, and that enabled the Cavalier girls to be the only game in town on rainy Wednesday.

And they responded in great fashion, a 9-0 win over Pelham. Winners included Delaney Weimer (8-5), Lia Eisenberg (8-1), Keira Swart (8-0), Samantha Morse (8-4), Natasha Ferro (8-0) and Hannah Escandon (8-0) from No. 1 singles on down.

In doubles, the team of Eisenberg/Weimer (8-6), Morse/Swart (8-5) and Escandon/Ferro (8-0) completed the sweep.

The Cavaliers are 2-0 and have yet to lose on the ladder, as they swept Sanborn 9-0 a week ago.

SOME RESCHEDULINGS

Wednesday’s stormy afternoon/evening weather basically wiped out all of the high school schedule, and while some events were pushed to next week or even next month, a few were moved to today.

For example, Pinkerton and Guertin will play each other in baseball and softball at Pinkerton at 4 p.m. The Cardinal girls tennis team will visit the Astros as well at 4, while Pinkerton comes to Guertin for boys tennis at the same time.

Manchester Memorial-Nashua North baseball was moved to Saturday at 10 a.m.at Holman Stadium.

Some events that were originally slated for yesterday were played a day early on Tuesday to avoid the forecast, such as the South-Alvirne boys and girls tennis.

The Co-Ed Unified varsity track meet between North and South was moved to May 5, while North-Memoiral softball was moved all the way to May 14. North-Memorial boys and girls tennis won’t be until May 6.

As always, check with the school web sites for reschedulings, etc.

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