The Merrimack High School senior was on the verge of a breakout football season in 2009 after the Tomahawks’ coaching staff moved him from wide receiver to running back on offense.

But just as he was getting used to the new position, Williams broke his hand early in the year. Even though he was able to return after missing a few games, the injury limited Williams to playing only on defense.

“We knew he was an outstanding athlete, but we didn’t realize what we had offensively,” Merrimack coach Joe Batista said. “Unfortunately, he broke his hand in the second game. That was really disappointing because he was going to get a lot of carries out of the backfield.”

Going into this season, Batista felt the ’Hawks’ offense was ready to take the next step and become an explosive unit on par with any in Division II. Williams is one of the key cogs to that plan, and he showed why in Merrimack’s opener against Hollis/Brookline.

The senior carried the ball just 13 times, but finished the game with 102 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. The third score, a 59-yard run, came with 5:30 left in the fourth quarter and restored a two-touchdown lead after the Cavaliers cut it to one just 19 seconds before.

“That’s what we’ve been saying, we have explosive athletes who can score quick,” Batista said. “We have guys who, if they get a little bit of an opening and they can be gone.”

Williams fits that mold. A member of the Merrimack track team, Williams qualified for 55-meter hurdles and 110 hurdles in both the Class L indoor and outdoor meets last year.

The combination of speed and toughness needed for the hurdles translates well to the football field, according to Batista.

“He’s a fast kid, but he’s got a lot of toughness between the tackles,” Batista said. “He’s also a year older, got another year in the weight room. He’s gotten a lot bigger, stronger and a lot faster.”

The contact is something that Williams doesn’t shy away from. In fact, he enjoys it.

“I love hitting kids,” Williams said. “I’m taking pride in my pain and loving my team, no matter what. I want to have a really big offensive year. I want to show colleges that I can play at that level. Make up for missed time. I’ve come to just love the game.”

And Williams isn’t the only one.

“What I’ve noticed is, we don’t mess around on the field,” he said. “We don’t come here to joke around and have a good time with our friends. We come here to play football. We come here to practice and to get better every day. Everybody wants to win.”

That’s what made the broken hand tough for Williams. Not being able to help the team out in all the ways he wanted got to be frustrating.

“I was there for the practices, but not being in the game was kind of rough, especially not playing offense,” he said. “It felt great (against H/B), letting them know that it’s our game. We were letting them know we came to play and we’re not going to give up. Everybody kept their head high the whole game.”

Williams will look to repeat that performance again when Merrimack heads to Dover on Friday to take on the Green Wave in the division opener.

Technorati Tags: Brody Williams, Division II, football, Merrimack, Senior Year

Jenn Duggan had 11 kills and five digs for the Tomahawks (1-0), while Bree McCarthy added 16 assists and Maggie Kenney chipped in with nine kills and five aces.

Merrimack will travel to Winnacunnet Friday.

Technorati Tags: Division I, girls volleyball, Merrimack

Nashua North's Joel Pacheco busts his way into the Winnacunnet backfield during Friday's game.

While the Nashua High School North football defense struggled at times with tackling Friday, there was one player who was consistently on the Winnacunnet side of the line  of scrimmage.

Anyone watching film of the game will see North’s Joel Pacheco getting through the line, either forcing plays in different directions or making a big stop himself. On one series, Pacheco had two tackles for a loss, including a sack of Winnacunnet quarterback Steve Cronan.

“We played pretty good up front,” North coach Jason Robie said of his defensive line’s play.

But there were too many breakdowns in other areas for the Titans in their 27-21 overtime loss to the Warriors, things that Robie was disappointed to see a veteran team do.

So what did we learn? With the 2009 title game contestants from Division II beating both their counterparts from Division I – Bishop Guertin also defeated Salem – the gap between the state’s top two classifications may not be as big as some would like to believe.

Nashua South 49, Portsmouth 14

With top running back Derek Paradis bottled up early, South coach Scott Knight knew he and his coaches needed to find another way to move the football against the Clippers on Saturday.

“They were pinching their tackles down and the linebackers were two yards off the ball,” Knight said. “I don’t care who you play, you can’t run inside. You can run a lot of other things and that’s what we did.”

Instead, the Panthers found ways to get Armand McRae the ball on the outside; answered the call with nearly 200 yards on offense. South also found early success in the passing game on a number of short throws from Keith Farkas, which his receivers were able to turn into big gains.

So what did we learn? South may not miss Nick Haskell and Nick Frederickson as much as it thought. Also, the Panthers and Clippers are a long way removed from the 1984 Division I championship game, which Nashua won 17-14 in overtime.

Manchester Memorial 38, Milford 17

The Spartans got a big game from John Forte, but struggle overall against the Crusaders. Forte had 124 of Milford’s 174 rushing yards and added two sacks on defense, but the rest of the Spartans gained a total of just 60 yards. Milford hosts Pembroke on Friday to open the Division III season.

So what did we learn? Not a lot, other than Memorial should be concerned about converting extra points. As for Milford, the Spartans should be fine as long as they have a consistent ground game and it looks they’ve found someone to carry the load for now.

Souhegan 34, Londonderry 19

Perhaps the most surprising game of opening week, especially since the Sabers trialed 13-0 at halftime and 19-0 early in the third quarter. Souhegan got help from everyone on offense, as five different players scored and the defense held up despite being put in some tough spots early. The Sabers face another challenge on Friday, when they head to Portsmouth for the Division III opener.

So what did we learn? The faces may be new, but the cupboard certainly isn’t bare at Souhegan. And as only one of two Division III teams to win this weekend – Bedford was the other – maybe its still the Sabers’ title to lose after all.

Manchester Central 21, Alvirne 10

The Broncos had an early 7-0 lead in this one, but Alvirne couldn’t find a way to stop Central’s KK Haliburton, who had 228 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Despite being outgained 380-70, Alvirne was down just 13-10 in the fourth quarter before the Little Green went on a long drive to put the game away. The Broncos open Division II play on Friday when they host Keene.

So what did we learn? Alrine may not be on the same level as teams from Division I, but the Broncos – who made the playoffs last year – should be able to compete for a postseason spot in Division II.

Merrimack 28, Hollis/Brookline 14

Merrimack avoided what was a big trap game to open the season thanks to three touchdowns from Brody Williams, who finished with 102 yards on the ground. His 59-yard touchdown run just seconds after the Cavaliers pulled within a score helped solidify the win for the Tomahawks. While his numbers weren’t eye-opening, H/B’s Kyle Gervais completed 10-of-19 passes for 65 yards in his first varsity start. Merrimack heads to Dover on Friday for its Division II opener, while H/B has a bye week.

So what does it mean? It means both teams got what they needed out of a non-division game. Merrimack gained the confidence that comes with a win, while H/B should gain confidence knowing it hung with a school that has nearly double its enrollment.

Bishop Guertin 48, Salem 21

The Cardinals manhandled the defending Division I champs thanks to Mike Kelly’s 312 yards of total offense. At the same time, BG’s young defense was holding Salem’s running back duo of Max Jacques and Jerikson Fedrick to just 97 rushing yards combined. The Cardinals head to Timberlane on Friday to start their Division II schedule.

So what does it mean? Maybe the Cardinals aren’t as far removed from the team that won back-to-back Division II titles as everyone thought. Or maybe Salem – which also lost to Goffstown in the Queen City Jamboree – is suffering a bit of a championship hangover to start the 2010 season.

Bedford 51, Manchester West 6

This game was all about Bedford’s Jordan Garron. The junior running back carried the ball just 17 times, but rushed for 219 yards – 166 in the first half – and five touchdowns. Garron also returned the opening kickoff of the second half 85 yards for a touchdown. The Bulldogs host Goffstown on Friday in the Division III opener for both teams.

So what does it mean? The Bulldogs might already have a good understand of the new spread offense the coaching staff installed in the preseason. And maybe Manchester West hasn’t dropped down far enough.

Technorati Tags: Alvirne, Bedford, Bishop Guertin, Brookline, football, Hollis, Merrimack, Milford, Nashua North, Nashua South, Souhegan

As he enters his third season with the Division II Tomahawks, Batista has almost found what he was looking for.

Merrimack opens its 2010 season Saturday afternoon against Hollis/Brookline, and on the field and the sidelines will be nine players the coaching staff believes it can put at the line of scrimmage and see success against an opponent’s defensive line.

“I believe I’m up around nine linemen now that can play on (game) night,” Batista said. “My goal when I got to Merrimack was to find 11. I know that sounds crazy, because for most high school teams its six or seven. The first couple of years, we probably ran six.

“This year, I have nine quality linemen and the rest we can develop at the junior varsity level. I think a lot of that has to do with how hard they worked in the offseason.”

If finding linemen was the most important on-the-field aspect, getting players into the weight room was key off the field.

What was once unorganized has now become a workable weight room, complete with lifting and performance statistics hanging on the wall, and a shelf lined with photographs of players who have earned all-state honors while at Merrimack.

“The weight room has to be the foundation of this program,” Batista said. “The techniques that we teach, these guys have to have a certain level of strength. The offenses we run, we like ground and pound. You have to have the horses up to front to be able to do that. If they don’t have a certain level of strength, then you have to get away from that. I like to tell them the heart of the program is the weight room.”

This year, the Tomahawks have three key cogs returning to that offensive line – seniors Jimmy Bigwood and Tyler Baulier and junior Sam Prive. Those players will be doing the blocking for senior Zach Harris, who starts at quarterback, along with senior running backs Chris Smith, Mike Giampietro and Brody Williams and junior Jackson King, who saw time at receiver last year.

“I have some concerns with the depth at the skill positions and about the kicking game,” Batista said. “We have to avoid injuries at the skill positions.”

Despite the strides Merrimack has made, it still only won three games in 2009. Batista is hopeful the Tomahawks can get off to a fast start and find ways to build confidence.

“We have to do well early to gain confidence,” he said. “My senior class was very good as a junior varsity team, but we haven’t seen that success at the varsity level yet to where we have the confidence that when we talk onto the field, we’re going to win. A quick start is crucial.”

The Tomahawks get going at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Hollis/Brookline.

Technorati Tags: Division II, football, Merrimack

Merrimack's Cody Gladstone (No. 40) and Chris Smith make a tackle during Wednesday's scrimmage against Londonderry.

LONDONDERRY – Merrimack High School football coach Joe Battista has put Londonderry on his team’s preseason schedule for the last three years for a reason.

The Lancers are one of the few teams in the state who run the single-wing offense, and because of that, they’re known as one of the more physical teams in Division I.

“Londonderry is known as a physical football team, that’s why I love scrimmaging them,” Battista said after Wednesday’s scrimmage at Londonderry. “They have that funky offense, so all I’m looking for is if our kids are going to by physical. In two years, we’ve come a long way. Two years ago, it was ugly.

“I was really proud of our first group and our whole team overall with their physicality.”

The Tomahawks likely saw the toughest offense to prepare for in their first scrimmage of the season, and fortunately for Merrimack, it won’t face anything similar in Division II this year.

“It’s tough to prepare,” Battista said. “I can only imagine if you even have a whole week, it’s tough to prepare for. Who is getting the ball? They’re unbalanced and foot-to-foot. I just look at the scrimmages as another practice, so I wanted to see how tough we can be.”

Battista liked what he saw early, as the ’Hawks first-string group had success on offense against the Lancers. But after a few series, Merrimack began substituting players because of its early lack of depth.

“We don’t have a lot of depth at the skill positions,” Battista said. “We went to our No. 2s real quick. That was another thing. Our No. 2s were banging with their No. 1s, and we did OK. We did OK with our younger kids going against their older ones.”

Merrimack had few players take a bump or two, but came out of the scrimmage healthy, which had Battista breathing a sigh of relief.

Going into the start of practice, the coaching staff believed the team’s depth issues would be along the offensive line. But those players have developed quickly and now those skill spots have to catch up.

Fortunately, there’s still plenty of time for that to happen, along with a few other things.

“We’ve got to get our assignments down,” Battista said. “We’re still missing some blocks, going to the wrong guy, backs hitting the wrong holes. Just some things we need to sharpen.

“They’re very hard workers. There have been no bad attitudes whatsoever. Very workman like, they come out with their lunch pails every day. They’re ready to play football, flying around the field and having a lot of fun.”

Technorati Tags: Division II, football, Merrimack

But instead of participating in drills, James Goodwin will be running them.

The former Tomahawks player enters his first season as head coach, having spent last year as the freshmen coach under Sean Wisbey.

“Last year was exciting,” Goodwin said. “It feels great. I’m looking forward to a great season and giving back to my school.”

After staring at Syracuse University for four years, Goodwin was hoping to continue playing after graduation. For the last two summers, he’s played as a member of the New Hampshire Phantoms, and last winter, spent a month in Norway trying to catch on at the Division I level.

“It was a good experience,” Goodwin said of going overseas. “It didn’t work out, but I was trying to live out my dream of playing professionally.”

This fall, Goodwin will get to fulfill another dream – coaching the Tomahawks.

While he didn’t give it much thought as a student, the idea of coaching at Merrimack always stuck at the back of Goodwin’s mind and he believed that if he ever ended up living in town again, he’d like the opportunity to give it a try.

Having worked at the Mastricola Upper Elementary School for the last two years, Goodwin now has that shot.

“For me, it adds an emotional feeling because that’s my school,” he said. “For the kids to see that I went here and was able to pursue my dream, it gives them the idea that they can do this, too, if they do the hard work. It’s up to them.”

Goodwin inherits a program that won its only Class L title in 2007, and made a semifinal appearance in 2008.

But perhaps more important was the stability which Wisbey brought with him, having coached the team for four years.

“I have first-hand experience of that, with three different coaches (during high school career),” Goodwin said. “It’s definitely something I’d like to have long term.

“It was a luxury to watch last year. I learned quite a bit. I’d like to bring in my own style and philosophy. I feel like we have some differences and some similarities.”

With about a dozen players gone from last year’s team, Goodwin expects that every player will be competing for a spot on the varsity roster.

“We should have a pretty good group,” he said. “It should be competitive and that’s what I want. I want them to have to fight for their spot.”

Merrimack’s season begins on Aug. 27 at Manchester Memorial.

Technorati Tags: boys soccer, Division I, Merrimack

Merrimack coach Joe Battista watches drills during morning practice on Thursday.

MERRIMACK – The expectations are in place for the Merrimack High School football team.

No not for the regular season, which begins on Sept. 4 at Hollis/Brookline.

Joe Battista enters his third year as the program’s head coach, and with a senior class of almost two dozen, the first two days of practice have been smooth sailing.

“It’s nice that it’s the third year now,” Battista said. “Everyone knows my expectations. Drills that we’re doing, anything that we’re doing, the upperclassmen are snapping right to it. The work habits are (what) I’m really happy with.”

So are the seniors, who not only put in the work during the offseason, but were pleased to see the underclassmen doing the same thing. They attribute that to not just the example that previous seniors have tried to set – an example that they’re trying to emulate – but also Battista’s mentality as a coach.

“Coach has done a great job of getting us in (the weight room),” senior Chris Smith said.

“You pick up on coach’s mentality and how he wants things done,” senior Cody Gladstone added. “When you’re an underclassman, you kind of just look to other people. Kind of expect them to take the lead. It’s awesome (being in that position now).”

After having over 100 kids show up for his first preseason, some of whom weren’t cut out to be football players, Battista has about 80 players out this season, including a class of over 30 freshmen. Those ninth-graders practice once a day, while the rest have been going to double sessions.

“We lose an average of six to 10 freshmen, which is one of the reasons why I’ve gone to single practices with them,” Battista said. “The hope is that we can get them to love football first.

“There were a lot of issues that I had to clean up (the first year). We have real football players out here now who want to be out here and want to play the game for the love of it.”

Among them is the senior class, which stands at 22, up from eight a year ago.

“This group has been playing football together for a long time,” Battista said. “They have outstanding leadership. All of them are leaders in their own way. They caught on to what we were trying to do, not just on the field, but off the field, very quickly.”

Whether that group can help lead the Tomahawks back to the plays for just the second time in the last 15 years is something they’ll worry about when the time comes.

“The only thing I’d say is we’re cautiously optimistic,” Battista said. “Couldn’t wait to get back out here and been looking forward to it since the day after Thanksgiving. Just as happy as could be.”

Technorati Tags: Division II, football, Merrimack

BG's Matt Bayne Ward was named the Division I Offensive Player of the Year.

Bishop Guertin high school lacrosse players Matt Bayne Ward and Adam Hall helped lead the Cardinals to their third Division I championship this spring.

Both players were recognized for their individual seasons, as Bayne Ward was named the DI Offensive Player of the Year and Hall earned the division’s Defensive Player of the Year award. The Cards also placed eight players on the division’s first-team, as a total of 14 BG players received recognition.

Joining Bayne Ward and Hall on the first team are Jack Kryston, Matt Thistle, Tom Labadini, Erik Kelly, Al Eaton and Nick Carluccio. BG’s Nick Astarita, Beau Brooks, Luke Solms, Bob Fahey and Chris Keating were named to the second-team.

Also making the second team were Souhegan’s Steve Jellison and Brendan Laine, and Nashua North’s Mark Lavine. Honorable mention went to Colin Delea (BG), Jon Ritter (North), Will Naber (Nashua South) and Adam Stokes (Souhegan).

In Division II, Bedford coach Matt Guerard was named Coach of the Year while the Bulldogs’ Trevor Morrissette was named to the first-team. Nate Larave and Mike Marinelli of Bedford, along

Merrimack's Mike Currie received Division II second-team honors.

with Mike Currie of Merrimack, were named to the second-team.

Hollis/Brookline’s Kyle Moynihan and Justin Shutt were both named to the Division III first-team, while the Cavaliers’ Pat Clark and Zach Dunn received second-team honors. H/B’s Brandon Rocha was named honorable mention.

Technorati Tags: all state, Bedford, Bishop Guertin, boys lacrosse, Brookline, Hollis, Merrimack, Nashua North, Nashua South, Souhegan

Souhegan, Nashua South, Bishop Guertin, Merrimack and Hollis/Brookline each had six girls receive all-state honors.

In Division I, Souhegan’s Rachel Dobbs and South’s Stephanie Haftel were both named to the first-team, while Alexa Katsiginais and Chelsea Larivee of Souhegan reveived second-team honors.

Nashua North’s Erin Duffy, Ellie Shuman and Maddie Cody and South’s Mikayla Feehan were named to the third team. Morgan King (Souhegan), Meggie Whitney (Souhegan), Ashley Philips (Souhegan), Caitlin Ackerman (South), Vanessa Viola (South), Kelly McIntyre (South), Kristie Cox (South) and Kaylee Murray (North) recevied honorable mention.

Bishop Guertin’s Kristianna Purington and Julia Wright were both named to the Division II first-team, as was Merrimack’s Sarah Rothhaus.

Nicole Pettiglio of BG, Emily Pollard of Merrimack and Demi Bennett of Bedford all made the second-team, while BG’s Callie Santos and Merrimack’s Joslyn Schwalbe received third-team honors.

Receiving honorable mention were Meghan Maguire (BG), Tiffany Stanton (BG), Caitlin Heaps (Bedford), Taylor Hogan (Merrimack) and Erin Maclean (Merrimack).

H/B had three players named to the Division III first-team: Kati Sousa, Lorin Field and Alicia Papineau.

The Cavaliers also had three players receive second-team honors: Emily Dutile, Leigh Kowalski and Julie Worthern.

Technorati Tags: all state, Bedford, Bishop Guertin, Brookline, Division I, Division II, Division III, girls lacrosse, Hollis, Merrimack, Nashua North, Nashua South, Souhegan

BG’s Francis Hernandez, Mike Kelly and Jeff LaCoste all earned Class L honors, as did North’s Eric Muite, Kevin Rosenberg and Andrew Williams and Merrimack’s Tom Duda, Steve Harshman and Devin Martin. Colin Quinn of Nashua South was also named to the first-team.

In Class I, Souhegan’s Michael Peret, Milford’s Max Goudreau and Hollis/Brookline’s Sean Quinn were named to the first-team.

In Class M-S, Campbell’s John Cialek, Evan Leith and Anthony Rinaldi received first-team honors.

Technorati Tags: all state, Bishop Guertin, boys track, Brookline, Campbell, Hollis, Merrimack, Milford, Nashua North, Nashua South, Souhegan