Nashua North grad Luke Peters, right, watches a drill along with Bishop Guertin's Cole Reeves during a recent Team West practice at Manchester West for the June 27 CHaD East-West All-Star Game at Saint Anselm College. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

MANCHESTER – When you look up the word “athlete” in the dictionary, recent Nashua High School North graduate Luke Peters’ picture should be right next to it.

The now-former Titan has always played a sport, and played it well. He drove opposing quarterbacks as well as defenses crazy with his pick sixes and long runs after catches the last couple of years in football; was a defensive stalwart in basketball, and a top jumper and speedster in track.

But next Friday night, when the final horn sounds in the annual CHaD East-West All-Star Football Game at Saint Anselm’s Grappone Stadium, it will not only signal the end of another worthwhile game but also – and stunningly – the end of Peters’ competitive athletic career.

“Exactly,” Peters said the other day during a CHaD Team West practice at Manchester West High School. “I left it all in high school.”

Peters will be heading south in the fall attend Universal Technical Institute to study and train for an HVAC career (heating and cooling).

It’s almost hard to believe.

“I know,” Peters said with a grin. “It was hard for me to give it up. During basketball, I think, in the middle of winter (he decided). I was always on the edge. After sophomore year I didn’t know.”

Logically, for Peters to pursue a collegiate athletic career didn’t make sense.

“I was thinking, is it worth the money, is it worth the time?” he said. “That’s always been in my head since high school.”

Perhaps we can blame Peters’ Titans football coach, Chad Zibolis. Peters said he was talking to Zibolis about the trade and Zibolis had plenty of information as his brother owns an HVAC company.

“It influenced me a lot,” Peters said.

That will make the CHaD Game even more special for him. He hasn’t been on the field or in the weight room in months, focusing on keeping light for speed in track and agility in basketball. He’ even dropped a few pounds.

“I still have the speed right now,” he said. “I think I’ve lost a little bit of weight (too much) to put me in the backfield. So I think I’ll do what I did at North, go halfback and half slot (receiver).”

On defense, he says he’ll still play outside linebacker. Football, basketball, track, which was his favorite? He says basketball is “out of the equation, I was working my ass off every game.”

It’s likely football, he says, “because of the memories. I definitely left a mark on the field.”

Track was more of a fun sport for Peters, less pressure. “Just trying to get personal records every meet, trying to do better,” he said. “You can’t blame anyone; it’s a personal sport, it’s about times, it’s about how far you can jump. I like the sport. No excuses.”

Still, Peters knows he’ll have a strange feeling come late August and early fall when he’s not prepping for a football season to begin another athletic year.

“It’ll be weird,” he said. “If I went to college, it’d be the same thing happening for four more years because I’m not going pro for anything.

“Why not save the money, save the time.”

His parents were surprised – partly, Peters said. “They knew I was going to go down that road, I think,” he said. “They know I’m a smart individual and focus on my future a lot.”

Still, Peters knows he may miss the competition, and might look for some type of club league, etc.to play a sport.

“We’ll see what happens,” he said.

BG’S REEVES ALSO DONE

Bishop Guertin’s Cole Reeves also went up against Peters in high school – the teams played a fantastic game last October at North, shortly after the closing of Stellos Stadium.

Reeves is going to UNC-Charlotte but not to play sports.He’s the only BG player on the squad.

“I know there’s no other BG kids but it’s nice to play with other kids around the state,” he said.

He played in a prolific offense last year for Guertin, “Freshman and sophomore year we were run-heavy, lot of options,” he said. “Then Coach (Anthony) Nalen came in and it was more pass heavy. For us receivers, we liked it a lot. I’ve never played in anything like (that offense).”

When the gun sounds next Friday, it will be the same as it will be for Peters.

“It’s going to be sad,” Reeves said. “I moved on at the end of the season because I didn’t know (he’d be chosen for CHaD). Just enjoy the moments I have.”