20 - March 2, 2012


Pelham~Windham Sports Pelham~Windham Sports


Pelham Wrestlers End Season at Meet of Champions Showing a little “more” respect - Python Josh Medeiros disposes of John Starks Codi Gaudreau at the Meet of Champions in Londonderry


Python Jared Boyden wrestles against Central’s Dylan Wyman at the Meet of


Champions in Londonderry on Saturday, February 25


loss match involving John Stark’s Codi Gaudreau and Medeiros. The two wrestlers have a season-long history between them, most recently evidenced by an incident at the end of last week’s state championship finals match, in which Medeiros easily handled his General opponent to capture the state crown. Once again, Medeiros owned his JS foe, pinning Gaudreau 1:44 into the contest. With the win, Medeiros advanced to the consi semi-finals where he picked up a 4-1 decision over Goffstown’s Mike Sarette for his third win of the tournament and his 139th career victory. It was in the consolation finals that the Python ran into what would become his MOC nemesis. In a rematch of each wrestler’s second bout of the day, Medeiros and Rheaume went at it again, the fourth such battle overall on the season. A one point penalty assessed against Medeiros during the match ended up being the difference, as the Blue Devil escaped with a 3-2 decision win, putting Medeiros’s hopes of qualifying for the New Englands to rest. “Josh just couldn’t get in underneath him at all” observed Coach Bob Riddinger. By constantly attacking his opponent, Riddinger said Rheaume “did what we tell our kids to do” and that’s what ultimately led to the decision. Despite a stellar season and career


by Marc Ayotte


Although the Python wrestling regular season ended two weeks ago, the entire Pelham wrestling team competed in the D-3 state tournament last week. And as a result of their performances at the state meet held in Pelham, Josh Medeiros, Kevin DeAngelo and Jared Boyden extended their season one more week with an appearance at the NH Meet of Champions (MOC) at Londonderry High School on Saturday, February 25. Up against the best competition in the state, the Python trio faced wrestlers from larger Division I and II schools as well as common opponents from their regular season schedule. With the top three finishers in the


MOC’s qualifying for the upcoming New England Championships, it is unfortunate that none of the Pythons


will be making the trip. Despite gutsy performances by DeAngelo and Boyden, it was four-time state champ Josh Medeiros who came the closest, by picking up a fourth place medal.


In the 120 weight class, Medeiros


picked up an early morning, preliminary match win over Lucas Beltz of Kearsarge. After taking a first period 4-0 lead, Medeiros built his lead to 6-0 before ultimately pinning his Cougar opponent at the 3:29 mark. The senior Python would then be knocked down into the consolation bracket after suffering a 10-5 decision loss to Salem’s John Rheaume. Rebounding nicely, Medeiros pitched a shutout in his next match, defeating Hollis-Brookline’s Zach McPherson by a 7-0 decision. Moving on to the consi-quarters, we saw a no-love-


that was characterized by seemingly always being in attack mode, Medeiros experienced a strange twist of fate – a humbling display of wrestling irony. The devastating one point penalty for stalling incurred by Medeiros in his final high school match, prevented the senior stalwart from recording what would have been a Pelham High School record 140th career win. As such, Medeiros finished tied with former PHS great and current WPI wrestler Mike Perruccio for most wins in school history.


In the 138 weight class, Kevin DeAngelo started off his day nicely with a 9-3 decision win over Bishop Guertin’s Derek Lawton. DeAngelo dominated from the beginning whistle, leading 2-0 after one period. Successive take downs opened up his lead to 6-1 before he went on to record the defeat against his Cardinals opponent. Advancing to


In an


unconventional headlock,


Pelham’s Josh Medeiros has Cavalier Zach


McPherson right where he wants him; Medeiros


went on to win this match 7-0 as well as finish fourth in the MOCs.


Kevin DeAngelo goes up against Pinkerton’s Zach Daigle in a championship quarter- finals match at this year’s MOC’s


the championship quarter-finals, DeAngelo’s day would take a turn for the worse. Pinkerton’s Zach Daigle, who was the number two seed in the weight class, controlled the match from start to finish, but was unable to pin the feisty DeAngelo on his way to the tech/ fall win. The loss dropped DeAngelo into the consolation bracket where he received a preliminary round bye. Up next was a quarter-finals match against Shawn Ahern of Timberlane. The Python junior’s day came to a disappointing close when he was pinned by his Owl opponent, 1:44 into the match.


PHS Hires Diamond and Gridiron Coaches


will feature former Python student and baseball player Billy Beauchesne in the new skipper role, replacing Matt Stone while down on the Harris Family Field, last year’s JV head coach Ryan Clark will be heading up the varsity football program, replacing long time head coach Tom Babaian, who stepped down at the end of last season. The most important attribute that each coach brings to the table is a belief that in order for the high school program to be successful, there must be a successful feeder program – specifically a close-working relationship with the middle school as well as with the various town leagues. Beauchesne and Clark are determined to build successful programs in their respective sports by incorporating this same philosophy into their overall blueprints.


Donning his old Python garb, newly hired Pelham baseball coach Billy Beauchesne hopes to


reconnect his players with the pride that once existed at Pelham during its championship years


by Marc Ayotte Pelham High School baseball and football


programs will have new coaches at the helm for their upcoming seasons. The baseball team


On the baseball diamond, Beauchesne brings an unparalleled passion for the game and a nostalgic appreciation of the great Python teams of the late 1990’s – when they won three consecutive state championships. His resume includes being a four-year varsity baseball player for Pelham (2002-2005) in addition to playing one year for Keene State College before an injury ended his playing days. Additionally, Beauchesne worked at a baseball camp with Red Sox stars Jason Varitek and Dustin Pedroia this past summer. There he was impressed with the attention that even seasoned professionals pay to fundamentals. Beauchesne not only intends to have his players


excel on the field as a result of getting back to fundamentals but also by “understanding the little things-the intricacies of baseball.” Today, his goal is to put Pelham baseball


back on the map, which he believes involves a community-based effort. Accordingly, Beauchesne has reached out to Pelham Little League president, Chris Mader with respect to establishing clinics and future interaction with little leaguers; “I’m trying to reconnect the players with the pride of the Pelham High School baseball program,” admitted the new coach. Additionally, he expects his players to display sportsmanship on the field and to be individuals of high character, making good choices in the classroom as well as being conscientious in every aspect of their life. Beauchesne recalls when it was common to see 40 to 50 players trying out for the high school baseball team. With numbers plummeting of late, he hopes to regain the interest in high school baseball by reaching out and being involved in the feeder programs. “I want to get involved with the community and make ourselves as visible as possible in a positive manner” revealed Beauchesne. ”It is extremely important to me as a former student-athlete at Pelham High School and current resident of Pelham, to try to reconnect Pelham High School baseball with the community,” added the 2005 PHS grad. Regarding the football program, Ryan Clark, like his new baseball counterpart, recalls, “I dreamed one day that I would play for Pelham.” Not only was that dream realized by the one-time PHS student-athlete by playing on the varsity team for four years, but his mailroom to boardroom story has proven to be very interesting. As a sixth grader Clark recalls that his brother played for the Pythons under then Coach Travieso. While his brother was playing and working up a thirst, it was Ryan who was engaged in his Adam Sandler impersonation as the Pelham team’s water boy. Several years later and as an employee of the school, Clark admits, “when I came to Pelham High School, my dream of coaching at my alma mater came true.” That was last season as the JV head coach; today, Clark finds himself in a position to emulate one of his favorite coaches, Londonderry High School’s legendary Tom Sawyer, by “trying to establish that consistent winning tradition.”


As part of the same PHS graduating class of 2002 that turned out current Python varsity basketball Coach Matt Regan, Clark shares a philosophy that Regan and AD Todd Kress have made an integral part in the success of Pelham hoops. According to Clark, he has been very impressed with Kress’s hands-on role as the Athletic Director. And with respect to the close


Appearing in


his first MOC tournament, Pelham sophomore Jared Boyden was feeding off his second place finish in the state tournament seven days before. Unfortunately, the feeding frenzy stopped for the quiet Python as he was unable to pick up a win in his first two matches. After a very successful season that saw him enter the 20 win club, Boyden fell to Sean Hall of Conval at 3:47 of his first match. After sitting through a bye in the consi- prelims, Boyden faced Dylan Wyman of Manchester Central, where he suffered a similar result, being pinned


Ryan Clark, newly hired football coach at PHS,


believes behind every great high school football program is a great youth feeder program


working relationship he anticipates having with the Python AD, Clark added, “that was one of the things I am excited about.” In following, Clark acknowledges; “behind every great high school football program is a great youth feeder program.” Though football camp does not begin until mid- summer, Clark has already begun showing his commitment to Pelham football by reaching out to Andy Vanti, who is president of the Razorback organization, Pelham’s iconic football program for third through eighth graders. With many graduating seniors being lost from last year’s Python squad, in addition to recent declining numbers of athletes going out for football, Clark faces the misfortune of again having many ‘two-way’ players comprise his team. “My biggest goal is to build the program and get those numbers up,” revealed Clark. As far as x’s and o’s are concerned, Clark says “I believe in running a balanced system”, in short, an equal mix of running and passing plays. He hopes to incorporate a lot of deception, fakes and counters into his offensive scheme. But until he sees what individual talents emerge from training camp, Clark concedes, “I’m just not sure what system I’m going to go with yet.” With Pelham dropping back down to D-V for this upcoming season, the new head coach feels that his returning players will benefit from the speed of last year’s D-3 competition. Specifically, Clark expects Kevin Cheam and Chad Loring to be “huge on both sides of the ball,” adding “I’m looking for them to step up and be leaders.”


Staff photos by Marc Ayotte


Staff photos by Marc Ayotte


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