UNH-bound former Campbell High School football standout Scott Hershberger is among several locals on the rosters for the CHaD East-West All-Star football game set for late June. (Telegraph file photo by TOM KING)

A host of local senior high school football players from the 2024 season are, as expected, on the rosters of the annual CHaD East-West All-Star Football Game that is set for June 27 at 6 p.m. at Saint Anselm College’s Grappone Stadium.

Nashua North back/receiver Luke Peters, along with Souhegan receiver Brayden Hickman lead the list of locals on the West Team, which will be coached by Merrimack’s Kip Jackson.

And on the East Team, the state’s top football player from this past season, Campbell’s Scott Hershberger, is on the team with a few others from the Division III champions, and Alvirne also has quarterback Charlie Crawford on the squad.

Here’s the rundown of the locals on the West squad by school:

Nashua North – Luke Peters, rb/lb.

Nashua South – Diego Cabrera, wr/cb; Kyle Emmons, rb/s; Kevin Ndubuisi, OL/DL.

Bishop Guertin – Cole Reeves, wr/s.

Merrimack – Nicholas Franqui, ol/dl; Josh Ozog, te/s; Jonathan Sadia, rb/lb; Nathan Sadia, rb/dl. Colby Smith, ol/dl.

Souhegan – Grant Harris, rb/lb; Brayden Hickman, te/dl; Luis Toledo, ol/dl.

Milford – Kadyn Tessier, wr/cb.

On the East Team:

Alvirne – Charlie Crawford, qb/cb; Shayne Mackey, ol/dl/lb.

Campbell – Scott Hershberger, rb/s; Nick Hershberger; Alex St. Pierre, ol/dl.

SOUCY LEAVING NORTH FOR PELHAM AD JOB

Nashua High School North will be looking for another Athletics Coordinator as Michael Soucy is leaving the position at the end of the school year to take the Pelham Athletic Director job that was made vacant when Justin Hufft was named Karen Bonney’s successor as the Alvirne AD for next year.

For Soucy, it’s a homecoming of sorts, as he grew up in Pelham, although he went to high school at Central Catholic in Lawrence, Mass. Soucy was the Merrimack AD for a few years before leaving that job a couple of years ago. He was also rumored to be a candidate for the Alvirne job that eventually went to Hufft.

“That’s the community I grew up in,” Soucy said. “I grew up there, my Mom is still there, so it’s a great opportunity to serve the community I grew up in.”

The first challenge he’ll have is hiring a new football coach for Pelham as Hufft was the interim last year. Soucy has time here and there, usually after athletic events/practices at North, to attend meetings in Pelham.

“Anytime you jump into a new environment you have to learn systems, you have to learn people,” he said, noting Hufft is helping him through some of that. “I have a say in the (football) process which makes sense. What has been transpiring so far is I will go down there when I don’t have anything here.”

After a year away, Soucy got back into the high school athletics game with the North job and said he couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

“Tremendous,” he said. “Not only was it a tremendous opportunity, I got to know the community that I live in. I’ve lived here for 24 years, but was always out of town. … And I’m working for the best in the business (Nashua AD Lisa Gingras). She’s the best in the business, I’ve learned so much from her and I’ll be able to take that with me to Pelham.”

NORTH REDUCED GIRLS LAX SCHEDULE

The Titans are playing the minimum number of games needed to qualify for the NHIAA tournament, and that’s by design, Gingras said.

“It is by design,” Gingras said. “Because we’re really trying to build the program, and get girls to be interested in the program and get excited about the program, we opted to go for a reduced schedule.”

Gingras said it will give the Titan players, many who are new to the sport or have only played it a year or two, more practice time and give coach Jenn Dyer more teaching time.

NORTH BOYS SOCCER VACANCY

Still at North, the process is fully underway to find a replacement for Jeremy Zelenas, who coached the Titans the last three seasons but resigned in December. Interviews were said to be underway.

“The candidate pool is pretty good and we are interviewing,” Gingras said last week, adding that it’s “a mix” between candidates in the system and outside.

Expect a decision likely later this month.

EXTRA JOB FOR BELLEN

Speaking of boys soccer, Nashua South coach Tom Bellen will be busy this spring as he’s been named the new Executive Director of the annual Granite State Games, the event held the last several years in mid-June with Southern NH University as the main location.

The Games are the brainchild of former Bishop Guertin girls soccer coach Pat Mulcahy, but he is no longer involved, partly due to his leaving the area a few years ago to work at IMG Academy in Florida.

“We’re re-energizing the Granite State Games,” event board member Wendy Sage-Matsis said in an email. “There have been quite a few challenges the past few yars and we’re still recovering from COVID cancelling the 2020 games as well as Patrick Mulcahy’s departure.”

The Games have included competition between regional teams in soccer, lacrosse, golf, basketball, etc., open to high school athletes and has been a good showcase for college coaches to see prospective recruits.

SOUHEGAN GIRLS HOOP SUMMER LEAGUE

Souhegan girls hoop coach Greg Cotreau, after one year on the job, is forming the first annual Souhegan Girls Basketball Summer League, which will go from June 23 to July 23 on Monday and Wednesday nights.

Schools he has announced on X that are committed are the Souhegan varsity and JV, Milford, Hollis Brookline, Derryfield, Trinity, Manchester Central-West, Goffstown, and Nashua North and South.

This is nothing new for Cotreau, who established a similar league at his former school, Manchester Memorial, and agreed to run it for the final time last summer after being named the Sabers coach. Now he fittingly does the same at Souhegan.