A look at some of the top performers in New Hampshire football in 2024

Here are my choices for Player of the Year and Coach of the Year from all four football divisions for 2024.

Division I

Player of the Year: Matt Morrison, Pinkerton

Morrison put up numbers that most players would love to have during their senior season: 1,108 rushing yards on 130 carries (8.5 per attempt) to go with 22 touchdowns. Factor in that he missed almost four full games with a broken finger, and those numbers go beyond impressive. In four playoff games, Morrison had 10 total touchdowns, five of which came in the Astros’ 42-7 win over Londonderry in the D1 championship game. Those touchdowns came on the ground (five) and through the air (two) to go with one each on a punt return, a kickoff return and an interception return.

Coach of the Year: Scott Knight, Nashua South

Going into the year, the Panthers had won just eight games over the previous three seasons and hadn’t made the playoffs since 2019. This year, Knight and South not only returned to the postseason, it picked up its first playoff win since 2008 and finished with an 8-3 record. Knights resigned after the end of the season, his 22nd as the head coach of the Panthers and 36th with the program overall.

Division II

Player of the Year: Michael Fiengo, Souhegan

Fiengo stepped in at quarterback for the Sabers this year and gave them a dual threat that they haven’t had in some time. The junior threw for almost 1,500 years in the regular season and ran for over five hundred yards, accounting for 26 touchdowns to help Souhegan earn the fourth seed in the playoffs. Then, he accounted for 10 more touchdowns in the playoffs, including a 98-yard touchdown in the semifinals and two scores in the championship game, as the Sabers knocked off Pelham 14-11 for the D2 title.

Coach of the Year: Andrew Provencher, Manchester West

In his second year as the head coach of the Blue Knights, Provencher oversaw a turnaround in the team’s record, as West went from 1-7 in 2023 to 6-3 and a playoff berth in 2024. The six wins were the most for the program since 2007, which was also the last time the Blue Knights made the playoffs.

Division III

Player of the Year: Scott Hershberger, Campbell

For the third year in a row, Hershberger is the pick for the top player in D3. The senior rushed for 2,076 yards and 26 touchdowns on the season in helping lead the Cougars to their second division title in three seasons. Hershberger, who was named the Yukica Player of the Year as the top NHIAA football player in the state, ended his high school career as the state’s all-time leading rusher with 6,212.

Coach of the Year: Brandt O’Hara, Gilford

In his first year as head coach, O’Hara was taking over a program that was losing its co-op with Belmont and dropping down to a new division. After missing the playoffs in D2 last season, the Golden Eagles won their final three games of the regular season, all against playoff teams, to earn the No. 4 seed in D3. Gilford grabbed a postseason win and advanced to the semifinals before falling to Campbell.

Division IV

Player of the Year: Brody Goulette, Mascoma Valley

The senior quarterback helped lead the Royals to an 8-1 record and the program’s first championship. Goulette led an offense that averaged 38.4 points per game this season and avenged its only loss with a 45-0 win over Raymond in the D4 title game. Goulette accounted for three touchdowns in the win.

Coach of the Year: John Daly, Mascoma Valley

The Royals went into this season having won just eight total games in the previous three seasons. After a season-opening loss to Raymond, Daly and Mascoma Valley rattled off eight-straight wins, matching that total, and reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The Royals went on to win the program’s first championship with a 45-0 win over Raymond.

Previous Seasons

D1 Player of the Year

• 2015: Connor Bourque, Goffstown
• 2016: Justin Grassini, Merrimack
• 2017: Sean Holland, Nashua South
• 2018: Ryan Toscano, Bedford
• 2019: Jack McEachern, Londonderry
• 2020: None due to COVID-19
• 2021: Joe Mikol, Bedford
• 2022: Matt Santosuosso, Bishop Guertin
• 2023: Mike MacDonough, Bishop Guertin

D1 Coach of the Year

• 2015: Dante Laurendi, Nashua North
• 2016: Ken Osbon, Dover
• 2017: Ron Auffant, Winnacunnet
• 2018: Rob Pike, Salem
• 2019: Justin Hufft, Goffstown
• 2020: None due to COVID-19
• 2021: Jimmy Lauzon, Londonderry
• 2022: Jack Byrne, Windham
• 2023: Matt Lee, Alvirne

D2 Player of the Year

• 2015: Stephen Hedberg, St. Thomas
• 2016: Garrett Macomber, Plymouth
• 2017: Tim Bouchard, St. Thomas
• 2018: Owen Brickley, Plymouth
• 2019: Sander Wimmer, Hollis Brookline
• 2020: None due to COVID-19
• 2021: Dominic Pallaria, Timberlane
• 2022: Isaiah Reese, Gilford-Belmont
• 2023: JJ Bright, Souhegan

D2 Coach of the Year

• 2015: Bill Raycraft, Windham
• 2016: Paul Cohen, Bow
• 2017: Paul Cohen, Bow
• 2018: Keith Jones, Milford
• 2019: Chris Lones, Hollis Brookline
• 2020: None due to COVID-19
• 2021: Keith Jones, Milford
• 2022: Tom Babaian, Pelham
• 2023: Chris Sanborn, Plymouth

D3 Player of the Year

• 2015: Noah Wade, Newport
• 2016: Levi Bassingthwaite, Monadnock
• 2017: Keegan Mills, Campbell
• 2018: Colby Quiet, Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton
• 2019: Colby Quiet, Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton
• 2020: None due to COVID-19
• 2021: Jake Travis and Kevin Bodenrader, Pelham
• 2022: Scott Hershberger, Campbell
• 2023: Scott Hershberger, Campbell

D3 Coach of the Year

• 2015: Larry McElreavy, Newport
• 2016: Paul Silva, Stevens
• 2017: Ryan Avery, Monandock and Greg Gush, Campbell
• 2018: Jay Wood, Hillsboro-Deering/Hopkinton
• 2019: Rob Cathcart, Trinity
• 2020: None due to COVID-19
• 2021: Cody Anderson, Kearsarge
• 2022: Paul Lavigne, Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough
• 2023: Rob Cathcart, Trinity

D4 Player of the Year

• 2019: Phil Nichols, Winnisquam
• 2020: None due to COVID-19
• 2021: Calvin Lambert, Somersworth
• 2022: Calvin Lambert, Somersworth
• 2023: Kyle Ashley, Newport

D4 Coach of the Year

• 2019: Orion Binney, Fall Mountain
• 2020: None due to COVID-19
• 2021: Orion Binney, Fall Mountain
• 2022: Jeremy Lambert, Somersworth
• 2023: Tim Snow, Franklin