2023/24 NHIAA Postseason Recap
The NHIAA season came to an end last month with four new state champions being crowned. The highest prize in the state went to #1-seed Pinkerton, as they knocked off #3-seed Nashua North 90-76 in the Division I Finals despite being down at halftime, finishing an incredible 23-2 season, avenging their loss in the same game last year to Bedford, and securing their first state title since 2010.
Senior SNHU baseball commit Jackson Marshall led the Astros with a stellar 31-point/14-rebound performance. Senior guard Drew Brander also had an outstanding game, dropping 26 with 11 boards. Other big offensive nights came from senior guard Charles Ludden, who scored 18, as well as junior guard Parker Bienvenue-Cernuda, who fell just short of a double-double with 10 points and 9 rebounds.
The big names on the Nashua North side include senior guard Jaden Pena, who also dropped a 30-ball and grabbed 7 boards, as well as junior forward Robinson Rodriguez, who added 22, but the combined effort wouldn’t be enough to overcome Head Coach Mike Dunham’s Pinkerton Astros.
In Division II of the NHIAA, #1-seed Pelham finished the year 21-3 despite starting the season 5-3, claiming the program’s second consecutive NHIAA Division II State Championship, coming by a score of 51-41 over #2-seed Hanover.
Senior guard Dom Herrling led the low-scoring attack with 15 as he did all season long, averaging 14.6 points per game throughout the season (13th in Division II). The balanced effort saw five other Pelham players scoring at least 6.
Sophomore star guard Ryan McLaughlin, who jumped onto our radar last fall as a standout at the Elite 75 Frosh/Soph Showcase, led Hanover as he did throughout the season, scoring 17 points in a strong outing. However, this wasn’t enough, as Head Coach Joe Morin and the Pelham Pythons emerged victorious.
#2-seed St. Thomas Aquinas defeated #1-seed Conant 38-34 in the NHIAA Division III Championship, avenging their only loss all year back in December to Conant.
The Saints were led by freshman sensation guard Cole McClure, scoring more than half of the team’s points with a game-high 20. Senior guard Will Mollica also played a big role on the glass, putting on a near-double-double performance with 8 points and 10 rebounds.
Conant was led by the Nagle brothers, Jordan (senior) and Jared (junior), as they were all season long, scoring 10 and 8, respectively, but it wouldn’t be enough to survive Head Coach Dave Morissette and St. Thomas Aquinas.
In Division IV of the NHIAA, #1-seed Profile knocked off #2-seed Littleton 53-48, overcoming a halftime deficit, completing a perfect 22-0 season, and claiming the program’s second state (first in 20 years).
Senior guard Josh Robie, New Hampshire’s first player to reach 2,000 points in the past 25 years, captained the Patriots’ offense with a game-high 22 points, followed by senior forward Alex Leslie with 15 and junior guard Cayden Wakeham with 9.
Senior wing Kayden Hoskins led Littleton with 19 points, splashing 5 threes, and freshman guard Mike Rodriguez contributed 11, but it wasn’t enough, as Head Coach Mitchell Roy and the Profile Patriots ultimately took the trophy.
Stay tuned as we continue our state-by-state championship recaps over the next few days
Ryan McLaughlin
Jackson Marshall
Drew Brander