Merrimack boys basketball working to put all the pieces together

NASHUA - After reviewing film of last season, Tim Goodridge had an important message for the Merrimack High School boys basketball team.

While watching some of the Tomahawks' early games, the coach noticed that there were two players in the starting lineup who, by the end of the year, were hardly seeing the floor.

Minutes are going to go to whoever is playing the best for the Tomahawks, and games like Thursday's 47-26 win over Souhegan at the Chick-Fil-A Holiday Tournament are a perfect opportunity for someone to step up and show they deserve to be on the floor. Merrimack led by as many as 35 points in the second half and the starters spent the fourth quarter on the bench.

"That’s what I told these kids, just because you start the first game, doesn’t mean at the end of the year, you’re going to be playing," Goodridge said. "It’s good for the kids who don’t get a lot of time. It gives them the opportunity to participate in an event like this. They come to practice every day and work hard."

One of those kids working hard Thursday was J.J. Martinez, a junior who didn't play in Merrimack's regular-season opener against Pinkerton, but who had nine points for the Tomahawks in the win over Souhegan, and also chipped in four in the opening-round win over Thornton Academy.

"There’s one kid who is working hard and getting better in practice," Goodridge said. "A kid like Martinez and Josh Korsak, those kids are working hard and I think they’re getting better."

Merrimack needs those players to improve to continue its run of success in Division I. While the Tomahawks have returning players with a lot of experience and ability, like seniors Ian Cummings and Owen Ploss and sophomore Jared Dyer, much of the roster is players who are getting varsity minutes for the first time.

"We’re getting better defensively, but we’ve got a long way to go," Goodridge said. "We’ve had some more time together, not that the snow storms have helped. We’re a young and inexperienced basketball team. You’ve got Ploss and Cummings with some experience, and Dyer, but all these other guys are new. They’re really just learning what we’re trying to do."

Ploss has been the team's leading scorer in the first two tournament games, dropping 21 points against Thornton and following it up with 15 points against Souhegan.

But as important as the scoring has been for the Tomahawks, Goodridge has been more impressed by what he's done off the court.

"Ploss has really matured and has become not only a fine basketball player, but off the court, a really good leader for this basketball," the coach said. "We need him to be better defensively, but as a leader, he’s done a great job with the younger kids, encouraging them and that sort of stuff."

Merrimack will try for its third straight Chick-Fil-A Holiday Tournament title at 6:30 p.m. Friday, when it will play Alvirne in the championship game.