Nashua South's Zach Castonguay gets his shot up just out of reach of Nashua North's Jayden Montgomery last season. Practices for the 2022-23 winter season begin all over the area today. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

No rest for the weary.

Saturday’s Division I high school football game ended the NHIAA fall sports season.

And today, just 48 hours later, it’s time for the 2022-23 winter season to officially begin.

In reality, local athletes have had a break, as none of the area’s Division I teams made the final. But today practices for most Division I and II basketball, hockey, and even some wrestling teams get underway; most Division III and IV teams have already started. Some wrestling teams have also started, but official practices for others begin today as well. Gymnastics, indoor track begin as well as skiing, but swimming has gotten a head start as well for some; bowling too.

Remember last year when basketball coaches in Division I and II were up in arms because of a condensed, three-games-a-week on average schedule that resulted in the finals around Feb. 20, the season ending almost a month earlier than normal?

Well, this year, the season isn’t quite as condensed, but will still end earlier by about a week than it had in pre 2022 seasons.

The regular season for most of the Division I and II boys and girls basketball teams opens on Dec. 13, and ends on Feb. 21with the tourney opening up soon after. The finals look to be on Sunday, March 12 with a quadrupleheader at the University of New Hampshire.

The earliest title games are with the Division III boys and girls, set to be on Feb. 25 at Keene State College.

Here are a few notables as things begin around the area:

NEW COACHES

First, there are two new coaches at Nashua North. The North-Souhegan co-op boys hockey team will be coached by Ashton Rome, hired this fall. Rome is a former minor leaguer and has extensive hockey experience. He played with, among many teams, the Manchester Monarchs (when they were in the ECHL) as well as the Worcester Railers (also ECHL), plus the AHL’s Worcester Sharks, Hershey Bears and Portland Pirates.

It took some time, but North also hired a new wrestling coach, as Sebastian Arroyo grabs the reins while being assisted by a familiar name, former Titans wrestler Wayne Nolette.

NASHUA CHRISTMAS TOURNEY BACK

It won’t have a sponsor, but with the scheduled expanded so basketball teams won’t have to play regular season games during the holiday break, Nashua has brought back its Christmas hoop tourney, in a reduced format.

There will be both a boys and girls tourney, each with just four teams: North, South, Souhegan and Milford. It will be a two-day event, on Wednesday-Thursday Dec. 28-29 at South’s Belanger Gym (snow date Dec. 30).

INDOOR TRACK OFFICIALLY RETURNS

After two years, there will be state champions crowned in boys and girls indoor track as on Sunday, Feb. 12 the title meets will be held at Dartmouth College. The last two years due to COVID, the indoor season was reduced to a few mini-meets at venues such as the Hampshire Dome in Milford.

But now the colleges seem to be be opening their doors, and the state meets are set. But, one annoying thing remains: the meets will be once again on the same date as the Super Bowl.

MONSEN HOSPITALIZED

The Nashua sports community as a whole was hit with a jolt over the weekend as popular Nashua South assistant football coach and former Panthers boys lacrosse head coach Bill Monsen suffered a medical episode on Thanksgiving morning and has been hospitalized.

A Go Fund Me has been set up by his family for donations to help with the costs of his recovery.

“One of the greatest men I know,” tweeted former Panther QB Trevor Knight, who worked with Monsen on the South staff this just-concluded football season. “Coach Monsen has been a vital part in the Nashua community.”

Monsen, who teaches at South, had stayed coaching football but gave up his lacrosse job after 10 seasons as the Panthers head coach to spend more time with his family.

To donate, go to gofund.me/09940e5f and search for “Bill Monsen”.

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