Tom King

It’s summertime, and the living is easy.

Maybe.

The question always is asked, what local sports scribes do in the summer, expecting the vacation answer, etc. Fact is, there always seems to be plenty of things going on, locally and in the New England region.

Here’s a few highlights for the summer, and we’re sure there’s plenty we left out:

—

Nashua's James Pleat will defend his 2020 NHGA State Am title next month at North Conway Country Club. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30

Hudson Post 48 at Nashua Coffey Post 3, 5:30 p.m. at Bishop Guertin’s Elliott Field. It’s the second matchup between the two longtime area programs; great to see Hudson back with Senior Legion and Coffey Post back helping out the Nashua Legion program. Last Monday was a good view of both teams, and we look for more.

—

FRIDAY, JULY 9 AND 16

Two Nashua Silver Knights games vs. the Worcester Bravehearts, chapters of the Creedon Bowl, as John Creedon Jr. owns both teams. Plus, postgame fireworks. Heck, what’s to lose?

—

MONDAY, JULY 12 THROUGH SATURDAY, JULY 17

It’s the New Hampshire Golf Association’s State Amateur Championship, which was such a memorable event in the pandemic year of 2020, spicing things up locally big time as it was at Nashua Country Club and won by local James Pleat.

To defend his championship, Pleat will have to rent a hotel room at North Conway, as that’s where this year’s event will be, North Conway Country Club. Pleat’s victory last year against Bishop Guertin alum Cam Sheedy was just fantastic, an all-local matchup at the top local course, Nashua Country Club. So close, but this year’s event is so far.

—

SATURDAY, JULY 17

It’s back after a year’s absence due to the pandemic: The annual New Hampshire CHaD East-West All-Star Football Game. It’s set for 1 p.m. at Saint Anselm College’s Grappone Stadium in Goffstown, and will feature a ton of local players. Expect a hot, sunny afternoon of football. Souhegan’s Robin Bowkett is coaching the West Squad – he was originally supposed to last year.

—

FRIDAY, JULY 23 AND TUESDAY, JULY 27

The last time the American Legion Senior State Tournament was at Holman Stadium, in 2019, Nashua came out on top and earned a ticket to Worcester, Mass., for the Northeast Regionals.

Well, the double elimination, grueling arm-weary ultimate test of pitching is back at Holman after the season was canceled in 2020. It should be quite an event, and we’ll have to see if Nashua Coffey Post 3, Hudson Post 48 or Merrimack Post 98 not only qualify but can make a deep tourney run.

Somebody local usually does.

—

TUESDAY, JULY 27

NFL training camps open, and that means your New England Patriots. Let the QB battle between Cam Newton and Mac Jones begin, and we’ll see what the protocols are, etc., for fans.

—

SATURDAY, AUGUST 7

Welcome back, New Hampshire-Vermont Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl. The game is set for 5:30 p.m. at Castleton University’s David Wolk Stadium after being a COVID casualty last year. Unfortunately, Alvirne coach Tarek Rothe won’t coach New Hampshire as he was scheduled to do last year, as he had to turn it down for family reasons. New Hampshire leads the series 48-16-12, and won two years ago, snapping Vermont’s three-game winning streak.

—

SUNDAY, AUGUST 8

Here’s an event that was held last summer and is coming back, the New Hampshire Girls Hockey Invitational.

It’s the brainchild of local businessman and former Silver Knights VP Jon Goode, and was very well received. It will be held at Tri-Town Arena in Hooksett, and will be more the way Goode envisioned it after things were limited (attendance, etc.) last year.

There will be two games, a freshman/sophomore game at 5:30 p.m. and a junior/senior game at 7:30 p.m. It was a great event a year ago, and no doubt will be again this year.

—

THURSDAY AUG. 12

The final Silver Knights home game of the regular season, vs. Brockton, with the playoffs starting Saturday, Aug. 14. But the Knights, after their tough start, may not care about that second date. There will be a best-two-out-of-three semis and best-two-out-of-three finals, likely ending by Aug. 19-20.

Also, it will be the Patriots only home preseason contest, as they host the Wasthington Football Team (c’mon, will you get a nickname, Washington?). Remember, only three preseason games this year.

—

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13

MONDAY, AUGUST 16

The hint that the summer is winding down – the first day of high school football practice is on Friday, and the following Monday the other sports begin their practices, if all stays according to plan and there are no pandemic-related issues. Remember, last year things didn’t start until well after Labor Day, but that won’t be the case this year.

And summer will come to a fairly abrupt end. But will be busy as usual.

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