Former Campbell baseball coach Jim Gorham, who guided the Cougars before retiring in 2017, passed away last week at the age of 67. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

Another loss has hit the local baseball world.

He had long since left the community, but Jim Gorham certainly left his mark at Campbell High School, guiding the Cougars to five state championships and seven finals appearances in his 17 years as the first varsity baseball coach the school ever had.

Gorham, who retired after Campbell’s 2017 title, passed away a week ago after suffering numerous complications the last six months from a non-COVID illness. He was 67.

Campbell’s passing was reportedly announced at one of the school’s basketball games last week. He had been living since his retirment on the North Shore in Massachusetts. Last month, another retired well-known local coach, Nashua’s Bill Twomey, also passed away.

Gorham was the school’s first varsity baseball coach, starting in 2001 after the program began with a year of JV baseball. It only took him a couple of years to win his first title, a 3-2 win over Newmarket in what was then the Class M championship game. Five years later, Class M became Division III and the Cougars beat Somersworth in the finals.

Campbell won back-to-back titles in 2014-15, beating Somersworth 3-2 and Monadnock 11-3. Then, in the 2017 Division III finals, the Cougars staged a dramatic comeback to beat Belmont 6-5 in extra innings in Gorham’s final game as coach.

His teams had reached two other finals, losing in 2009 to Franklin 2-1 and Hopkinton 4-0 in 2012.

Gorham was known as an old school coach, but also was popular with his players, many of whom returned to help out the program in one way or another.

Campbell has had problems finding a long-term solution ever since Gorham retired; Chris Metz last year was the program’s fourth head coach in that span.

Gorham’s health woes, according to his good friend Paul Halloran, who coached with him in the program at Swampscott, Mass. under legendary coach Frank DeFelice, began in July and worsened in the past few weeks.

But Gorham will always be remembered for not only teaching his players baseball, but also life lessons.

“I still think (the old school ways) work, if it’s the right thing to do,” Gorham said back in 2012. “If you’re not doing the right thing, you’re going to lose the respect of the kids in the long run. And if you lose their respect, you’re in trouble.”

That’s something he never lost.

ESPN HIGHLIGHT

Nashua South Co-ed Unified basketball athlete Zach Ostrowski has received national attention.

Ostrowski stole the ball, then hit a long 3-point shot during the Panthers’ annual Battle of the Bridge game against Nashua North last Thursday, and celebrated right after with his teammates. It wasn’t a game-winning shot – South lost 30-14 – but certainly brought the house down.

And, it was such a great moment that ESPN made it No. 1 on their nightly SportsCenter highlight segment known as “Top 10 Plays of the Day”, as the game was televised by Nashua ETV, the action and reaction captured by videographer Tim O’Neal. It was submitted to ESPN by the Nashua Huddle, the digital outfit that captures nightly highlights of North and South athletics with pictures, videos and accounts and posts them on social media.

To see the ESPN cut, go to https://youtu.be/eqt1hWDK_Qo.

TWO WEEKS LEFT

Believe it or not, it’s not even February yet and the local high school basketball season for many teams is hitting the home stretch with just two weeks left in the regular season for Division I and II, thanks to the new condensed schedule, which is being tried for the first time.

And tonight we get a treat locally, as Division II unbeaten Souhegan (12-0) hosts 9-1 Lebanon at 6:30 p.m.

It should be a classic. The Sabers have been paced lately by big man John McBride, while the Raiders have won nine straight since losing their season opener at Pembroke. It’s not the only big game the Sabers will have this week, as they are slated to visit current fellow unbeaten Pelham on Friday.

Lebanon and ConVal are right behind those two in the unofficial standings, each with one loss.

It doesn’t involve locals but there’s another big girls hoop game in Division I tonight as Pinkerton (13-0) hosts Bedford (11-2). If you’re wondering who else beat the Bulldogs other than Bishop Guertin in the season opener, it was Division II power Hanover, which is 12-0.

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