EXETER, N.H. — Jay Tilton is still learning about his team. The longtime head coach at Phillips Exeter, he’s guided five NEPSAC Class A championships since 2012, and he knows January is a critical month in the schedule.
“I’ve always felt that it’s usually not until the middle to the end of January until we really know the identity of our own team,” Tilton said. “You come into January and you’re still trying to find your stride a little bit.”
Consider it found – emphatically – on Saturday.
In its return from the holiday break, Exeter picked up one of the most impressive wins of the NEPSAC season to date, a 66-45 victory over Class AAA powerhouse New Hampton at Love Gymnasium. While the Big Red have been the preeminent program in Class A over the last decade, this result was unexpectedly decisive; they out-classed and out-toughed the Huskies, who were No. 2 in our most recent power rankings and entered with just one loss, from start to finish with a dominant defensive effort.
