Alan Greenwood

There are few high school sports figures whose name is poised to pop up even in casual conversation. Mention football, particularly football teams that represent Nashua, and note how deep that chat can proceed before Buzz Harvey is mentioned.

With all sincere respect to the men and women who coach teams from Nashua, it is near impossible for any other coach to cast an eight-decade shadow. In Harvey’s heyday, his status in the community was unchallenged. Discuss old-school coaching and anyone who played for him will tell you that no coach could do it today as he did.

The steel edge that Harvey wielded has, for better or worse, been torn from the pages of Coaching 101. Nashua High has morphed into Nashua High School North and Nashua High School South. The sports menu has grown a dozen times over.

But Harvey just may be the most transformative coach, and athletic director, the city has had.

JAN. 23, 1956: “More than 600 Holy Cross graduates and their guests attended the second annual Varsity Club Awards dinner in Worcester on Saturday night, which was featured by the instituting of the Crusader Hall of Fame. Also highlighting the event was the honoring of Holy Cross grads who went on to notch outstanding high school coaching achievements.

“For the second year in a row, Nashua’s Charles W. Harvey, whose teams have won the New Hampshire Class A championship four years in succession, was among a group of four high school mentors honored.”

JAN. 24, 1961: “The Nashua High girls basketball team made a successful invasion of Merrimack and tripped the home club 32-14, behind the 11-point effort of Candy Bates.

“After a slow start and holding a slim 12-10 lead at halftime, the Purple Lassies finished strong to win going away.”

JAN. 25, 1966: “There is no joy in Hollis – the mighty Cavaliers have lost.

“And it was the Falcons of Appleton Academy who swooped down to pin the first loss in 30 starts on the defending Class S basketball champions, 71-67. The Falcons ran their season record to 7-1 while Hollis absorbed its first defeat and now owns an identical 7-1 slate on the season.”

Note: New Ipswich Appleton Academy served as the town’s high school before Mascenic opened in 1969. It remained a private prep school until 1974.

JAN. 26, 1971 – “A capacity crowd attended the St. Casimir Sports Night program, which featured films of famous heavyweight fights and a talk by special guest Jack Sharkey.

“In a question-and-answer period which followed the night’s program, Sharkey explained how his Lithuanian name Zukauskas (Americanized to Gukoshay by his first-grade teacher) was changed to Jack Sharkey, the Jack coming from Jack Dempsey.”

The question: What’s in a name?

JAN. 27, 1976 – “The Bishop Guertin wrestling team split two decisions in a tri-meet. The Cardinals had an easy win over Westford, 50-18, but lost to Hamilton-Wenham, 34-22.

“Outstanding performers for Guertin included Frank Hogan in the 100-pound class; Mark Colley, a determined senior who is undefeated in the 147-pound class; and Pete George, a junior who is in his first year of wrestling.”

JAN. 28, 2006 – “Souhegan and St. Thomas Aquinas high schools battled back and forth and in the end the Sabers were able to hold on to a 61-59 triple-overtime Class I win Friday in Amherst.

“In the first overtime, Souhegan trailed by six with 15 seconds remaining before a 3-pointer by Lauren McNamara (game-high 18 points) brought them within three. The Sabers forced a turnover and Anna Bolton (11 points) knocked down a 23-foot bomb to send the game into another overtime session.

“In the second and third overtime sessions, the Sabers turned to Christa Cavanaugh, who scored 10 of the team’s 15 points in those sessions.”

JAN. 29, 2011 – “Campbell High School got points from 11 different scorers in routing Newport, 69-29. … Andy Lepine and Josh Morgan led Campbell with 16 and 14 points respectively, but Kyle Mun submitted a remarkable all-around game with eight points, four rebounds, five assists and five steals.”

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