The message sent during the final week of the NHIAA regular season: The Division 1 boys’ postseason crown is up for grabs.
Consensus favorite Portsmouth suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday, a close defeat at home to a star-powered Pinkerton squad. Though the Clippers still are the top seed and team to beat in the postseason, the result was a reminder that any of Division 1’s top five teams — and possibly more — are capable of winning the state title if the pieces fall into place.
On the Division 2 side, Hollis-Brookline completed its regular season with an unblemished record, while the next group of contenders have continued to beat down on one another. The regular season concluded on Tuesday for most teams in Division 1 and Division 2, with a few wrapping up their slate by the end of this week.
With the postseason around the corner, here’s how the final regular season edition of the rankings shook out.
1. Portsmouth (17-1)
Previous rank: 1
Next game: TBD (Postseason)
Prior to Saturday’s 83-75 defeat to Pinkerton, the Clippers had not even played a game against NHIAA competition that finished within single digits. Sophomores Derek Swartz (21 points) and Damien Sanu (17 points) led Portsmouth’s scoring in the loss, while senior guard Isaiah Reis was held to just nine points. The Clippers closed the gap to 70-68 in the mid-fourth quarter, but Pinkerton’s lights-out shooting was too much to overcome — the Astros netted nine 3-pointers to fuel the victory. Portsmouth responded with a 78-66 win over a solid Goffstown squad in Tuesday’s regular season finale and remains the favorite, though Saturday's result was proof the team can be challenged in the NHIAA.
2. Bedford (15-2)
Previous rank: 2
Next game: TBD (Postseason)
In the three weeks since dropping consecutive games to Goffstown and Nashua South, the Bulldogs closed the regular season on a five-game winning streak — taking each of those contests by at least 20 points. Senior Logan O’Connell has been on a tear, racking up 37 points in a 88-62 win over Salem on Feb. 17 and leading the way with 25 points in Tuesday’s 84-60 victory against Spaulding. Bedford beat ranked foes Pinkerton, Trinity, and Bishop Guertin in the opening month of the season, and did not play Portsmouth, which could make for a potential state championship matchup.
3. Pinkerton (15-3)
Previous rank: 5
Next game: TBD (Postseason)
Prior to Saturday, the Astros’ resume reflected a team that had beaten every opponent it was “supposed” to beat, but hadn’t gotten over the hump against the likes of Bedford, Trinity and Bishop Guertin. That sentiment flipped with Saturday’s aforementioned win over No. 1 Portsmouth. Senior Wilson Yousesf led the charge in the win with 24 points, including four 3-pointers, and senior Brady Sullivan and sophomore Josh Phanor added 20 points apiece. Pinkerton is riding a six-game winning streak entering the postseason, and with its lethal scoring trio, appears as dangerous as any team.
4. Trinity (14-3)
Previous rank: 3
Next game: vs. Concord, Feb. 25, 6 p.m.
Trinity is riding high with victories in 13 of its past 14 games, the only blemish being a 61-56 road loss to Keene on Feb. 3. Its most impressive performance over the past two weeks was a 65-50 win over a good Windham squad on Feb. 17, led by a 20-point performance from junior Jordan Torres. Though Torres (16.1 points per game) is the team’s established No. 1 option, senior Xander McBournie (8.3), junior Collin Charbonneau (8.3) and senior Connor Bishop (7.2) are all highly capable of taking on bigger scoring loads as needed, which should bode well for the playoffs.
5. Bishop Guertin (14-4)
Previous rank: 4
Next game: TBD (Postseason)
The Cardinals won 12 of their final 13 regular season contests, but they played a number of close games against weaker opponents in February. Following a 64-61 loss to Nashua South on Feb. 10, Bishop Guertin went down to the wire against two sub-.500 opponents — pulling out a 72-70 win over Keene on Feb. 17 and a 68-66 victory against Winnacunnet on Tuesday. In addition to the reliable scoring efforts from senior Connor McGowan, junior Luca Fabrizio stepped up with 17 points against Keene and 18 points against Winnacunnet. It’s a credit to the Cardinals to find a way to win those tight games, but the competition will only improve in the postseason.
6. Hollis-Brookline (18-0)
Previous rank: 6
Next game: TBD (Postseason)
With Tuesday’s 68-37 home win over Milford, the Cavaliers completed a perfect regular season in Division 2. The team has won all of seven of its games in February by double-digit margins, and senior Alton Williams (16.3 points per game) has been an overpowering interior presence — he posted 30 points in Friday’s win over Merrimack Valley, and 24 points in a victory against Lebanon on Feb. 17. Junior James Arthur (17.0 points per game) has also had his share of scoring outbursts, posting 30 points in a win over Laconia on Feb. 10. Hollis-Brookline will have its share of challengers, but enters the postseason as the clear favorite in Division 2.
7. Nashua South (11-7)
Previous rank: 7
Next game: TBD (Postseason)
The Panthers revived their season with a monster month of February, winning seven of eight games and logging signature wins over No. 2 Bedford and No. 5 Bishop Guertin. Its only loss this month came on Feb. 13 in a 81-77 road loss to Dover, which was fueled by a 35-point shooting explosion from junior Michael Gorman. Nashua South responded with three consecutive wins to close out the season — against Winnacunnet, Exeter, and Concord — and four players reaching double figures in the Exeter victory. Junior Daniel Karavanic (16.4 points per game) remains the offensive anchor, but the Panthers’ strong depth makes them a strong team headed into the postseason.
8. Alvirne (12-6)
Previous rank: 8
Next game: TBD (Postseason)
In a similar tale to Nashua South, Alvirne ran into a hot Dover squad on Feb. 17 and suffered a 46-42 defeat to halt its strong February momentum. The Broncos answered by winning their final two regular season games, a 49-35 victory over Winnacunnet on Friday and a 60-51 win against Windham on Tuesday. Senior Garrett Hall led the way in both wins, posting a team-high 16 points against Winnacunnet and 23 points against Windham. Alvirne is hampered by the loss of Sean Chipfunde, who was injured against Trinity on Feb. 1 and has not played since. He was averaging 11.1 points per game at the time of his injury, the second most on the team.
9. Exeter (10-8)
Previous rank: NR
Next game: TBD (Postseason)
Exeter has cycled in and out of the top 10 throughout the season, and has played a ton of close contests against top teams and also some weaker Division 1 opponents. The Blue Hawks won three of their final four games to finish the regular season, highlighted by a 50-48 road win at Goffstown on Feb. 17. The balanced scoring effort against Goffstown was led by 11 points from junior Tyler Ream and 10 points apiece from seniors Jack Thibodeau and Huxley Brown. Though Exeter’s offense doesn’t jump off the page — the team hasn’t eclipsed 60 points since Jan. 13 — its depth and size will still make for a tough out in the postseason.
10. Hanover (14-4)
Previous rank: NR
Next game: TBD (Postseason)
Division 2 has tons of parity beyond unbeaten Hollis Brookline, and thus, a number of teams could make a case to be ranked here. Hanover won seven of its last eight contests, with its only loss being a 38-29 defeat on Feb. 12 to Lebanon — which it already beat earlier in the year. Senior Wyatt Daigle has been producing at a solid clip for the Bears, posting a team-high 16 points in Tuesday’s win over Oyster River and 17 points against Milford. Senior Roy Lucas, the team’s leading scorer at 15.2 points per game, has also logged some major scoring outbursts, including a 25-point showing against Merrimack Valley on Feb. 17.
Dropped out: Goffstown, Manchester West
The next five: Goffstown, Windham, Manchester West, Pelham, Dover
