Nashua North Notebook: Boys basketball looking to end skid vs. South

The new year has not been kind to the Nashua High School North boys basketball team.

It’s not just that the Titans have dropped four games in a row to start 2024; they’ve lost them by a combined 18 points.

North was within five points of defending-champion Bedford, which has beaten its opponents by an average of 24.7 points per game. The Titans went to double overtime before falling to Goffstown.

And on Wednesday, North had a five-point lead going into the fourth quarter against Keene, but saw it evaporate quickly before losing in the final moments.

“We just can’t get over the hump at this point as far as getting timely stops or getting that possession in the offensive end that gets us to the free throw line or gets us a great possession,” North coach Steve Lane said. “Some of the guys that are taking these shots are younger, and they’ve got to learn. I praised the kids for their efforts and how hard they played. That’s all I can ask for at this point.”

Now injuries are starting to hamper the Titans as well, as senior Adrian Lazo missed the game against Keene and junior Robinson Rodriguez was hurt early against the Blackbirds and tried to battle through it.

But with those injuries has come opportunities for others to step up and Lane has been liking what he’s getting from guys who have seen increased minutes.

“We’ve got guys who I didn’t think would get a lot of serious minutes who have contributed unbelievably,” the coach said.

Gavin Theriault played a big role, including a key stretch late where he stole the ball and eventually made a nice pass to Parth Miglani for a basket that put North up with under 30 seconds to play Wednesday. Zion Melendez and Luke Peters have also stepped up to give the Titans important contributions.

But the next stretch doesn’t get any easier for the Titans, as they host Nashua South at 7 p.m. on Friday.

After that, it’s a home game against Bishop Guertin on Jan. 23 and then a road game on Jan. 26 at Londonderry, which has won four of five heading into Friday.

“I’m just sad for the kids at this point because we really need one, and it doesn’t get any easier, obviously,” Lane said. “I’m pretty sure the kids will be fired up either way, I’m just hoping their confidence is still in the positive direction. I’m sure the kids will give a great effort on Friday. Hopefully, we can put up a good fight.”

Track

Titans compete at RI meet

North competed well at the 12th East Coast Championship Meet at the Providence (R.I.) Career & Technical High School. No team scores were recorded and following are top 20 finishes.

For the girls, Jhanelle Thomas was the top finisher, placing third in the 55-meter hurdles in 8.62 seconds. Tiana Brown placed 12th in the 55 hurdles (9.66) and Sarah Frye was 19th in the hurdles (9.95) and 15th in the long jump (15-feet, 6.25 inches).

Laura White came in fourth in the 1-mile run, finishing in 5:21.52. Brown, Thomas, Allison Frye and Christina Juris came in fourth in the 800-meter relay (1:50.66)

For the boys, Darius Smith took fifth in the shot put with a throw of 53-feet, 0.25-inches. Bunhour Chea, Yaxial Vazquez, Aaron Farrington and Gavin Suchecki came in 16th in the 800-meter relay (1:42.15)

Up next: Both boys and girls teams will compete at a Qualifying Standards meet at 10 a.m. Saturday at the University of New Hampshire.

Wrestling

Titans get a win

North competed in a quad meet last Saturday at Souhegan, getting a win over Merrimack while falling to Milford and the host Sabers.

The Titans won 42-34 against the Tomahawks, with Caleb Smith (120 pounds), Yuri Soares (144), Luke Ducharme (157) and Connor Smith (215) all recording pins. Hayden Durocher (132) and Trevor Rivard (138) also had wins for North, as did Owen Gagnon (106) and Ruben DeJesus (175).

North lost to Milford, 51-24, with Gagnon (106), Rivard (138) and Luke Ducharme (150) getting a pin. Chris Vasquez (190) also got a win.

The Titans fell to the Sabers, 52-15. Smith (120) got a win for North, as did Gagnon (106) and DeJesus  (175).

North drops dual to Pinkerton

The Titans came up short against the Astros on Wednesday, falling 64-9. Owen Gagnon (106) won his match with a pin against Peter Sakash while while Gavin Page (126) registered a 9-2  win over Mason Beaudin.

Up next: The Titans got to John Stark on Saturday for another quad meet, then travel to Salem for a dual on Wednesday.

Girls Basketball

Titans look for momentum

It’s been a tough three-game stretch for North, as its dropped three straight by an average of 27 points heading into Friday’s game with South.

But that game starts a stretch where the Titans could turn things around with a few wins. After playing the Panthers, North has back-to-back games against Keene, on the road on Jan. 22 and at home Jan. 26. After that, the Titans go to Spaulding on Jan. 30, with a chance to have some momentum going into February.

Up next: The Titans take on the Panthers at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, then go to Keene on Monday for a 7 p.m. start.

Boys Hockey

SaberTitans split a pair

North-Souhegan fell to Londonderry on Jan. 13, 7-3, despite getting a goal and two assists from Chase McBride. Callen Cullity added a goal and an assist and Jacob Landry also scored for the SaberTitans.

Landry helped North-Souhegan bounce back on Wednesday, as his hat trick helped lead the SaberTitans to a 4-1 road win over Manchester.

Up next: The SaberTitans are back on the ice Monday, as they host Merrimack at 6:30 p.m. North-Souhegan then welcomes Goffstown to Conway for a 6:10 p.m. start on Wednesday.

Upcoming Schedule

• Alpine Skiing: The Titans return to action on Jan. 25  in a meet at Pat’s Peak.
• Gymnastics: The Titans are back at it in a nine-team meet at 11 a.m. Sunday at A2 Gym & Cheer in Pelham.
• Swimming: The Titans return to the pool Jan. 20-21 for a meet against South and Bishop Guertin. The dive portion of the meet will be held the 20th at the Boys & Girls Club while the swim portion will be the 21st at the Nashua YMCA.
• Unified Basketball: The Titans are off until Jan. 29, when they will host Berlin at 4 p.m.

Editor’s Note: This is a new weekly feature that will be posted every Friday through the end of the school year. North coaches can submit info to nhhighschoolsports@gmail.com. If you would like to sponsor the notebook, send an email to nhhighschoolsports@gmail.com.