Nashua South basketball looking for fifth-straight Chick-Fil-A Holiday Tournament title
Plenty of quality teams stand in the way of Nashua South’s quest for a fifth straight title at the Chick-Fil-A Holiday Tournament.
The Nashua High School South boys basketball team will be looking to win its fifth-straight Chick-Fil-A Holiday Tournament starting Monday.
For two of those championship runs, the Panthers faced their cross-town rival, Nashua North, and it’s not out of the question the two teams could meet for the title again.
But standing in the way could be an unfamiliar opponent – at least unfamiliar to those who have attended the tournament in the past.
Merrimack joins the field for the first time after spending the better part of the last two decades participating in the Queen City Invitational Tournament in Manchester. With the Tomahawks, who replaced Hollis Brookline, expected to be one of the top teams in Division I, the addition makes for an intriguing tournament.
Also participating will be Alvirne, Souhegan, Milford, Goffstown and Thornton Academy, from Sacco, Maine.
“It makes it a lot tougher,” South coach Nate Mazerolle said. “We like the quality to be as good as it can be because maybe that will get more people to come watch. When teams are good, we’re going to have more fans, so we’re fine with that.”
After playing in Manchester for so long, Merrimack coach Tim Goodridge is looking forward to changing things up.
“We’re going to have an opportunity to play a team from Maine,” he said of Merrimack’s opening-day game with Thornton. “We could play Milford or Souhegan. It’s a nice venue and there are a nice people down there.”
And some time off between the holiday and the start of the tournament certainly helps. The Queen City got underway on Saturday, and usually starts Dec. 26, while the Chick-Fil-A Tournament doesn’t begin until at least a day later.
This year, the action begins on Monday, Dec. 28.
“Honestly, what’s nice is a day off after Christmas, I like that, too,” Goodridge said. “I don’t have to worry about coaching basketball right away. We might even get a practice in.”
Another intriguing matchup this year could be between Merrimack and Goffstown, although that wouldn’t take place until the final day. The Grizzlies are now coached by Mike Gasper, who was an assistant at Merrimack.
Goffstown was a semifinalist a year ago in Division II, and brings most of its team back, while Milford and Souhegan are also expected to be improved.
“We love the best quality of basketball possible so we can get the most people here,” Mazerolle said. “I like the fact that Nashua, at least in my mind, seems to have become, during the holidays, kind of the epicenter for basketball. We do get a good crowd and we stager it so we’re the last one to finish, which means coaches will be here to scout.”
The tournament begins at 3 p.m. on Monday, with Alvirne taking on Goffstown. Merrimack and Thornton follow at 4:30, with North taking on Milford at 6 p.m. and South playing Souhegan at 7:30 p.m.
