Hoop Notes: Langer gives Nashua South boys basketball boost off the bench

NASHUA - Collin Langer knows what his role is for the Nashua High School South boys basketball team.

The senior knows that, whenever his number is called, he's got to be ready to go in and give the Panthers the best minutes he can.

In the Panthers 68-65 win Tuesday over Bedford, Langer not only gave South his best, but he did it for a lot longer than he ever expected.

When junior Daniel Karavanic picked up his third foul just 48 seconds into the third quarter, South coach Nate Mazerolle sent Langer in in his place and he made an immediate impact, scoring for the Panthers on his first possession on the floor.

Langer would add a pair of free throws later in the quarter, to go with a couple of rebounds and a blocked shot, before he came out with under a minute to go in the third.

“I had no idea I was out there for almost the whole quarter,” Langer said. “I just went out and played and had fun with it. As I came out, the whole bench, the whole crowd was cheering for me. I was like ‘hey, that’s the best basketball I’ve played in a long time.’”

And South needed every second of it, along with the time Langer played in the fourth quarter, after Karavanic got his fourth foul.

“He knows his role really well,” Mazerolle said. “He’s a kid who wouldn’t quit for any reason. If we could actually give away game balls, he would have gotten it.”

The move was a bit of a mulligan for Mazerolle, too. In the 55-53 loss to Nashua North last Friday, the Panthers found themselves in the same situation early in the third quarter, and opted to go with a smaller lineup against the Titans.

“We coaches make a lot of mistakes, too, so I wasn’t going to make that mistake again,” Mazerolle said. “Every kid is frustrated when they don’t get playing time. He didn’t pout, he didn’t pack it in. He came to practice (Sunday and Monday) and he was on the floor, diving, for most of the practices. And then that’s how he plays out there.”

But even before he did any dirty work, making that first basket after getting on the court helped Langer focus on the task in front of him.

“My whole body relaxed after that and I just played like I was supposed to,” Langer said. “I’m the role player. I’m going to be thankful for the minutes I get and I’m going to use them well. I’ve got to do my best at all times.”

Friends and Rivals

It was more than just a win for Manchester Central when the Little Green went on the road Tuesday to beat Goffstown 75-64.

It was the first time that Central coach Tim Lambrou, in his first year leading the Little Green varsity, would be coaching against Ryan Cowette, Goffstown's coach and athletic director, who Lambrou was an assistant with before going to Manchester.

“(Ryan) is one of my best friends, so it’s a little extra sweet, coming here,” Lambrou said. “The kids know that because they played against me while I was here, while they were on JV a couple of years back.”

Even with the loss, Cowette has been excited to see what his former assistant has been able to do so far this season with the Little Green.

“Hats off to Tim,” Cowette said. “He’s done an amazing job with the Central kids and they’ve gotten better since the first game. To me, their best skill is that they play hard. They’ve given everyone a tough game. They are so much better than the record.”

Girls Basketball

Blue Hawks prepare for 2nd key game

Exeter entered the week mixed in with a handful of team in Division I fighting to get a top eight spot and a home playoff game in the postseason.

What made it an even bigger week was that the Blue Hawks would be facing two of the teams they were fighting for seeding with in the standings in Nashua North and Trinity. Exeter took care of the first game on Monday, going on the road to get a 50-44 win over the Titans.

The Blue Hawks (8-4) host the Pioneers (7-5) on Friday night and will be holding a Beyond the Rainbow fundraiser during the game. The team will be raising money for Exeter Hospital's Beyond the Rainbow Fund, which provides financial assistance for cancer patients and their families.

“That’s something exciting and just a really good cause we’re excited to support,” Exeter coach Kaylene Rogers said. “It’s going to be another really close game. I think they’ve been playing really, really well.”

Tip-off for the varsity game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Exeter.