16 - March 16, 2012


Pelham~Windham Sports Pelham~Windham Sports


Python’s Playoff Push Putters Out


resulted in a technical foul and four Lebanon late first quarter points, leading to the eight point lead after the first eight minutes. As Regan pointed out, the Pythons were troubled by the Raiders height and athleticism; “we got hurt on the offensive glass” noted the head Python. In referring to two of Lebanon’s star players, Regan added “they were athletic and strong – 6-feet 4-inches and could play the perimeter.” Although the scoring leveled out in the second stanza, the Pythons found themselves trailing by nine at the half, at 29-20.


Python’s Erik Nystrom goes horizontal while fighting for possession for the ball in quarter-finals action against Lebanon in the Snake Pit


Derek DeFranzo looks to the Pit Rafters for the answer during a post season home game vs. Lebanon


by Marc Ayotte


After getting as far as the state semi-finals in last year’s D-II state tournament, the Pythons returned a


strong nucleus of players that had head coach Matt Regan hopeful of repeating that feat. However, the team’s performance throughout the season was inconsistent at best, finishing in eighth place with a 9-7 record. Although the top-eight finish gave them home court advantage in the first round of post season play, the Pythons squandered that away as they


fell to Lebanon in the Snake Pit by a final score of 47-42. The battle between the tournament’s eight and nine seeds saw visiting Lebanon rain on the Python parade early, doubling up Pelham, 16-8 after one quarter of play. In what Coach Regan admitted was a “huge mental error” Pelham’s attempted “power play” of having six men on the court


What plagued the Pythons all season long continued to hamper their come- back effort in the first round of the playoffs; “the lack of an inside game really did us in against the zone” observed Regan. Not being able to knockdown the open jumpers proved to be the Python’s Achilles-heel during the regular season as well as the reason for their early exit in the post season. “Our defense in the second half was fantastic” acknowledged Regan. But even with a great defense, the rock still has to go in the hole on offense. A woeful four for 26 from tri-fecta land just didn’t get it done; despite sophomore Jake Vaiknoras’s individual ‘lights-out’ performance


Salem Gymnasts Compete at New Englands


by Chris White The Salem High girls’ gymnastics team competed at the New England High School Gymnastics Championships in New Milford, CT, on Saturday, March 10. Entering the meet with the seventh seed, the Blue Devils totaled 124 points to finish seventh overall in the field. The Blue Devils took the runner-up placing at the New Hampshire State Meet on Saturday, February 18, qualifying them to compete at the New England Championships as a team. The Devils pulled together to have their best day of the season at the state meet, overcoming injuries and some strong competition to place second overall with a team score of 128.925.


Salem still battled injuries and faced some tough competition at the New England Meet, but a number of Blue Devils submitted strong performances and achieved personal bests. Sarah Hale competed in the all-around. Lilly


After earning runner-up at the New Hampshire Gymnastics State Meet on Saturday, February 18, the Salem Blue Devils took seventh place at the New England Gymnastics Championships on Saturday, March 10


Oliveri competed on bars, beam, and scored a personal best 8.4 on vault. Kelsey Collins also competed on bars and beam, while scoring a


Jaguars Battle but Fall Short in First Round


by Chris White The Windham High boys’ basketball team ended its season with a loss at Hanover in the first round of the Division II tournament on Wednesday, March 7. The sixteenth-seeded Jaguars fell to top-ranked Hanover by the score of 59-45. Windham came out with a strong effort at the defensive end, forcing three turnovers in Hanover’s first three possessions of the game. The Jags were not able to convert any turnovers into points, however, and Hanover’s offense eventually settled down. Over the remainder of the first quarter, the


Marauders proved why they earned the top seed, scoring 20 points in the frame with 12 of those points coming from beyond the three-point arc. Windham trailed 20-6 at the end of one. The first-quarter deficit proved to be the difference in the game, as the Jaguars played Hanover even for the remaining three quarters. The Jags cut Hanover’s lead to 11 points by halftime, 27-16, and pulled to within eight points with a minute-and-a-half left in the third quarter,35-27, but were unable to get any closer. “I don’t know of many 16-seeds, especially those as young as we are, that would fight back


and battle for the remaining three quarters like we did,” Windham coach Todd Steffanides said. “This was a great step for our program. That being said, this game will not carry over into next year. Our efforts in the off-season will do that. For now, I’m proud of our players and their efforts tonight, and credit Hanover for not allowing us to get too close.” Windham’s offense was led by Joe Lorenz (13 points, seven rebounds) and Andrew Lowman (13 points, 6 rebounds). Sophomore forward Jeff Peterson also chipped in eight points. Conor Redmond, meanwhile, led the Jags on the defensive front by drawing two charges. Seniors playing in their final game for the Jaguars included Mike DiOrio and Scott Priestley, Jr. With the loss, the Jaguars ended the season with a record of 6-13 in Division II. The Jags finished up with an overall record of 8-14. The first-round contest against Hanover marked the first Division II tournament game ever for the Windham boys’ basketball team.


Te Windham High boys’ basketball team


played in the Division II tournament for the first time on Wednesday, March 7 in Hanover


Gray Competes at New England Indoor Track Championships


by Chris White Windham High sprinter Derek Gray became the first indoor track athlete to represent the Jaguars at the New England Indoor Track and Field Championships last Friday, March 2. As Windham’s lone representative, Gray sprinted a 55-meter dash time of 6.75 seconds to finish 15th out of 29 New England competitors at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston. Gray’s New England performance followed a third-place finish in the 55 dash at the New Hampshire


Division 2 Championships on Sunday, February 5. The senior also set a school record time of 6.66 seconds at the Division 2 Meet, good for the state’s fourth best 55-meter time across all divisions that day. Gray practiced for close to a month on his own in preparation for the New England Meet. His work ethic and ability to balance a non-traditional training schedule were keys to a strong performance at New Englands. “We are all very happy with Derek’s performance at New Englands,” Windham coach Ryan O’Connor


said. “New Hampshire athletes typically don’t participate in this meet because of the scheduling conflicts with our state meets. Trying to get back to peak performance level after a month off is a very difficult thing to do – especially for a sprinter.” Gray finished his indoor track career as the school record holder in the 55-meter dash, 300-meter dash, and 4x200-meter relay with fellow seniors Kennie Padin, CJay DiPrima, and sophomore Brandon Dreyfuss. All of his achievements are a culmination of his hard work, O’Connor noted. “He’s proof that if you want something badly enough, you’ll get it,” O’Connor said. “He did the things no one ever sees to get him to where he’s at now.”


personal best 7.9 on floor. Meanwhile, Kadianne Tommasi tied her personal best of 8.65 on bars and competed on vault as well. Samantha Cloutier and Ashley Myers each competed on vault and floor, while Amber Chopelas performed on vault and beam. Brittany Burke also registered a personal best of 6.2 on bars and competed on floor. Additionally, Danielle Hutchinson competed on floor, Megan Santo on beam, and Kerin Gustafson on bars. “Considering we had to revise routines due to different scoring, the girls did a nice job,” Salem coach Ginnie LaVallo said. “It was a great experience for the underclassmen to have for next year and a nice last meet for the seniors.” Saturday’s New England Championships marked LaVallo’s last time coaching the Blue Devils. After 29 seasons at the helm of the Salem High gymnastics program, LaVallo is retiring. “It’s hard to believe it’s over,”LaVallo said. “It probably won’t set in until after awards night next Monday.”


Pelham’s Brett Bailey #23 applies pressure defense against a Lebanon ball handler


of draining four ‘tres’. Sixteen points from Vaiknoras along with 13 from senior Brett Bailey, despite the team’s tremendous defensive effort, just weren’t enough to allow the Pythons to advance.


photos by Marc Ayotte


photo by Chris White photo by Chris White


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