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UNH’s Santos makes great call

By Hector Longo - Staff Writer | Sep 3, 2019

I know very little about Ricky Santos, the football coach, but let me just endorse the kid’s first major decision.

Weeks ago, Santos was named interim head coach at the University of New Hampshire as incumbent head man Sean McDonnell needed to take a leave.

Santos inherited a Wildcat ship without a starting quarterback.

As Saturday’s UNH opener at Holy Cross approaches, it was announced that Santos had chosen redshirt freshman Bret Edwards to replace former Nashua South great Trevor Knight of Amherst behind center.

Home run, Santos.

Edwards, from Lowell, Mass., enjoyed a dynamite multi-sport career at Central Catholic in Lawrence, Mass., leading teams to titles in hoop as a point guard and in football.

I choose to go by my first impression of the kid, though, after his eighth grade year when I had him on my team at a basketball camp.

As I said, Bret was a heck of a point guard.

That week, he was also the tallest kid on my team. We got croaked off the backboards in our first game and lost.

I called Edwards over and explained, “I know you’re a guard, but this team needs you to rebound this week. If you don’t rebound, we get killed.”

This was camp. I’ve never me a kid so willing to take coaching and sacrifice. He was a beast on the board for five days. He gave it all he had, plus.

Edwards is just a winner, always has been. Santos made a heck of a choice.

Annoying Sox

OK, so the Red Sox are infuriating. And David Price? He’s the king.

The latest proof that “El Price-edente” remains worthy of the term pompous, selfish ignoramus came over the Labor Day weekend.

Price returned from a month-long hiatus on Sunday against the Angels after nursing his ailing wrist back to health. He gave you two innings before declaring himself again ready for the showers.

My issue here is not just with Price but with Alex Cora, Dave Dombrowski and anyone else making the decisions in that dugout?

The guy should have been bumped up to Saturday. It was the team thing to do.

Boston went 15 innings to win on Friday night. The relievers got taxed. And Saturday, because Price didn’t volunteer or wasn’t even asked to make a move up, the team suffered and lost.

Where was the urgency? This flipping team is on life support. Every win matters. And they handed one away on Saturday night without a fight.

Now, I hear you pink hats moaning, “Saturday, Sunday, there’s no difference.”

Yes, there was. Sunday was Sept. 1. Rosters expanded to 40. The Sox could have had five or six more fresh arms for Sunday.

Saturday, Josh Taylor, Bobby Walden Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier all were forced to pitch on back-to-back nights. All because nobody told Price to run his $217 million carcass out there. Or he just said no.

Either way, it stinks. Just like the Red Sox.

XXXX

In case you still have hope, the schedule the rest of the way among the AL Wild Card combatants does not favor the Red Sox.

Boston, including Tuesday night, had three left with the Twins, three with the Yankees and four with the Rays, with the rest against non-contenders and tankers.

Tampa has the second toughest go with three vs. the Dodgers and Yankees, plus four with the Red Sox.

The Indians have three with the Twins and three with the Washington Nationals, while the Athletics have four with the Astros and the rest of the slate against the dregs.

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