Farewell Summer of 2020.

You felt that chill in the night air earlier this past week, right?

It certainly was a sign that the summer is coming to a close. The unofficial end is Monday, with the arrival of Labor Day.

But oh, for local sports, what a summer it was – especially after such a dismal, awful spring.

Yes, the COVID Summer, as it will be forever known, brought us some memorable moments locally. Here are my five personal favorites:

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THE NASHUA SILVER KNIGHTS’ FCBL

CHAMPIONSHIP

What an incredible night at Holman Stadium Saturday, Aug. 22 was. The Silver Knights, in a season that many thought would never happen, captured their fifth Futures Collegiate Baseball League championship. There were three straight great nights of baseball at Holman that none of us expected, ending up with a 5-3 Knights win over the Worcester Bravehearts. It was a good night to be named Kyle – Kyle Bouchard won the series MVP and Kyle Jackson a title (plus Manager of the Year award) in his first season at the helm. The real winners were all the players and fans, who got to enjoy sports.

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JAMES PLEAT WINS THE NH STATE AM TITLE

What a scene at Nashua Country Club. A great crowd, a great event, and a Club favorite took the title. Believe it or not, this was yours truly’s first time covering the event wire to wire. It was fun. It was tense. It was great golf. Again, another example that sports was back and could provide entertainment and something special. And such a classy guy in Pleat, winning what became a tight match in the finals on July 11 on the 35th hole vs. a great competitor in Guertin alum Cam Sheedy. NCC and the NHGA combined to put on a super, super event, right in our backyard.

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NASHUA TOPS

CONCORD TO REACH NHCBL SEMIS

A roller coaster game under the hot afternoon sun on Saturday, Aug. 8 with the Nashua Defenders of the New Hampshire COVID Baseball League (think Senior Legion and AAU) topping the Concord Cannons, No. 8 seed upsetting No. 1 seed 4-3 to complete a stunning 2-0 series sweep on Will Brooks’ game winning misplayed grounder. A fabulous pitching matchup with Nashua’s Zach Finkelstein vs. Concord’s Adrian Siravo ( MLB scouts must have this kid on their radar) turned into a 3-3 game going into extra frames. Nashua had led 3-0, but Concord rallied in the top of the sixth with two and one in the seventh to tie it.

Reliever Varun Lingadal wiggled out of a couple of jams and ironically in the bottom of the 10th, Brooks’ grounder bounced off Siravo’s glove at short – he had moved there later in the game – and the winning run crossed the plate. Super game. Unfortunately, Nashua would lose in another memorable game up in Lebanon five days later to end its summer.

Still, though, a summer of baseball no one back in May expected.

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THE FIRST ANNUAL NEW HAMPSHIRE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS HOCKEY ALL-STAR GAME

Kudos to Jon Goode, the former Silver Knights VP. Rather than cancel an event he developed and had originally planned for late June, he moved it to the second Saturday in August at Hooksett’s Tri-Town Arena. It completed a sports doubleheader for yours truly, with the Defenders’ baseball game earlier that day.

It was quite a display of girls hockey talent, one we hadn’t seen before. The best of the best from prep, high school and juniors all competing, including several locals. Who says you can’t have hockey in August? Well, these days, that’s the norm, right?

LIONS CLUB INDUCTS THREE INTO HOLMAN LEGENDS HALL OF FAME

The next day, after that twinbill, Sunday, Aug. 9, broadcaster Woody Woodland, former Nashua Mayor Mo Arel, and vaunted youth sports advocate Al Savage were inducted into the Legends, their names inscribed on the plaque just inside the entrance to the stadium.

It was another sun splashed day, and it was fitting the ceremony this year – again, rescheduled from July 4 due to the pandemic – was done prior to a sporting event at Holman, in this case a Nashua Silver Knights game.

A great event to cap off a great weekend.

And all five events made it a great summer.

What will fall bring? Stay tuned, as the Patriots open their season for real in a week.

Meanwhile, enjoy Labor Day Weekend, summer’s last gasp.

Tom King may be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or@Telegraph _TomK.

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