Alan Greenwood

For purely selfish reasons, one scribe’s preference is for all high school football games to be played at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoons.

Of course, that preference for afternoon games also applies to any assignment that crosses this desk. It’s not our problem if NESN’s ratings tank with all those weekday afternoon games at Fenway Park.

But when considering the wants of most participants, night games rule.

So, why in the world would any school district unplug the lights?

MARCH 4, 1952 – “Concord High’s ban on night football, to take effect this year after two night commitments are fulfilled, will have no effect on Concord’s football relationship with the Purple of Nashua, which have since the two schools resumed grid relations a couple seasons ago, consisted exclusively of arc-light meetings.

“… Prospects of a similar ban on night football in Nashua are improbable, the Telegraph learned today. ‘The matter hasn’t been discussed at all,’ said John D. Wilcox, chairman of the school board’s athletic committee.”

MARCH 5, 1962 – “… After posting an 80 the first day, John Wirbal, Nashua Country Club pro, settled down to finish with a 74 in the second round but the 154 failed to qualify him for the final 36 holes of the Baton Rouge Open.

“Wirbal’s next stop on his four-tournament swing of the south is the Pensacola (Fla.) Open, which starts Thursday.”

MARCH 6, 1972 – “The third annual Douzanis Memorial Trophy was awarded to Tad McDonald of the St. Patrick’s CYO basketball team. The trophy is awarded to the outstanding player on the ST. Patrick’s team in memory of Don Douzanis, who was a key member of the St. Pat’s quintet that annexed the state championship in 1968.

“Don Douzanis met an untimely death in a 1969 auto accident.”

MARCH 7, 1992 – “Senior Matt Ripaldi of Merrimack High School has been named the state boys basketball Player of the Year by the Gatorade Circle of Champions committee.

“Ripaldi scored 42 points Thursday night in leading the Tomahawks to the Class L quarterfinals with a 76-72 win over Portsmouth. He’s averaging nearly 31 points a game this season.”

MARCH 8, 1967 – “Sally Guerette and Carol Gilmore … stand up and take a bow. It was through the efforts of these two fine basketball coaches that the Nashua High girls varsity and junior varsity teams completed undefeated seasons this year.

“… Individual scoring honors went to Marilyn Schaller, a co-captain who tallied 183 points for the varsity. … Sophomore co-captain Nancy Floras paced her JV team with a 76-point total.”

MARCH 9, 1977- “Matsricola Middle School of Merrimack advanced to the semifinals of the fourth annual Concord Elementary Invitational Tournament with a quarterfinal romp Monday. Merrimack beat Hillsborough, 53-24, behind the scoring and rebounding of 6-foot, 5-inch eighth grader Jeff Dudman. He scored 14 points to lead the assault at Bishop Brady High.”

MARCH 10, 2017 – “Stephen Giaconia spent the week nursing an injured foot, hoping to suit up for the fourth-seeded Cavaliers’ tournament opener.

‘I woke up and my foot felt good,; the Hollis Brookline senior said. ‘I stayed off it most of the day, keeping the pressure off it and saving it for game time. When game time rolled around, I was ready.’

“He sure was. Giaconia tallied a game-high 21 points and five assists as the Cavaliers pulled away in the second half for a 64-37 victory over No. 13 Merrimack Valley in a Division II preliminary-round matchup at Hollis Brookline High School.”

Contact Alan Greenwood at agreenwood@nashuatelegraph.com.