Pittsfield History In The Making - Boys’ Varsity Basketball Team
Brings Home The Championship!
Submitted By Diana Levesque
At
a town meeting a couple of years ago, Ted Mitchell asserted,
“The school is the heart of our town.” That sentiment was
dramatically illustrated this week as our very own Pittsfield
Panthers Boys’ Varsity Basketball Team made a run for the state
championship and took home the banner for the first time in
Pittsfield’s history!
Pittsfield had been to the championship game only three times,
in 1990, 1981, and 1969, and had taken second place all three
times. The 1981 team lost to Newmarket by two points.
The
current team is led by six seniors who have been playing
together since elementary school and dreaming about playing at
Plymouth State University (PSU), site of the Division IV final
four. That dream came true on Monday, March 5th, when they
routed Littleton 62-42 in their semifinal game. Their
dream was shared and rekindled for former Panthers and community
members who attended the games and followed their progress.
“The community has really been behind us. I can’t say
enough about the community and the backing, the alumni,” Coach
Jay Darrah said. “The ‘90s guys, the ’81 guys, they’ve all
reached out to us...It’s great for the boys to have a following
like this, and it’s even better for our community.”
On
Saturday, March 10th, the Panthers returned to PSU to play the
championship game against the Newmarket Mules, a team also known
for heart and sportsmanship. Pittsfield faced the Mules
twice this year, losing the first meeting, the only loss they
had this season.
Immediately after tip-off, Newmarket took the lead, but the
first period saw two important Pittsfield 3-pointers by both
Matt St. George and Cam Darrah, as well as great baskets by Josh
Whittier, for whom Newmarket seemed to have few answers, and
Garrett Guerrero-Hadley, who several times ran right through
their defense. Casey Clark played a fantastic defensive
game opposite Newmarket’s star player, Anthony Senesombath, and
Dylan Bocash took in some important rebounds.
The
Panthers kept the lead into halftime, with a last second bucket
by Cam Darrah to make the score 23-19. The battle
intensified during the second half, and by the end of the third
period, the Panthers were down by two. Despite the
closeness of the game, incredible sportsmanship was shown by
both teams throughout. Our own Panthers embody true team
spirit, sharing the ball at every opportunity and getting
contributions from everyone on the floor, including senior
Brandon Bojarsky who came out with energy and drew an offensive
foul on Newmarket player Craig Hounam, helping to put him in
foul trouble.
The
battle waged on into the fourth, and with seven seconds left,
Pittsfield was up by one point and got possession of the ball.
The strategy was to run the clock out, but Cam Darrah was fouled
by Newmarket. He walked up to the free throw line and sunk
the first shot, and then the second. Pittsfield was now up
by three, but the Mules had possession of the ball with three
seconds left on the clock. The Mules called a timeout,
came out and made a final bid for the basket, but the Panthers
stopped them and the buzzer sounded. The Pittsfield crowd
went wild as the bench emptied and the entire team was on the
floor. Pittsfield history was made: STATE CHAMPIONS!
Under the leadership of Jay Darrah, the team participates in
several fundraisers each year for the benefit of the community.
Their annual Nathan’s Fight, a night raising awareness for ALS,
also directly benefits Nathan Vincent, a former Panther who is
battling ALS. On February 17th, the Panthers held their annual
Coaches Against Cancer fundraiser, and the entire team played on
behalf of Carson Chagnon, a 4-year-old Pittsfield Youth
Basketball Player who was diagnosed in June with kidney cancer.
After a lengthy surgery and 20 weeks of chemotherapy, Carson is
in remission. The varsity players and coaches welcomed
Carson as honorary captain as he ran onto the court with Cam
Darrah and joined the huddle with the team, another sweet
community moment.
Head coach, Jay Darrah, was asked recently what makes the
Pittsfield Panthers different from other teams. Jay’s
response, “Chemistry. Chemistry is easy to talk about but
really difficult to maintain. How did we get it?
Combination of them being good friends, understanding what it
means to be a good teammate, and most importantly, understanding
their roles.”
Watch this team for one minute on or off the court, and you will
immediately see what their coach means. Jay went on to
say, “Basketball more than anything is about handling moments,
handling pressure, adjusting as the game goes on. Add what
we’re good at and maximize it to the best of our ability.
As talented as a few of our guys are, it’s really about the sum
of our parts and how we connect as a group. That makes us
different and special.”
The
Panthers have the benefit of the attention and experience of a
coaching staff including four assistant coaches: Tony Martinez,
Gary Colby, JT Colby and Dominic Brooks. It is clear that
the chemistry Jay spoke of is also shared by these fine coaches
as they pour their hearts and souls into this team and every boy
on it.
During the champioinship ceremony at the end of the game, Coach
Jay Darrah handed out the medals as the other coaches and each
player was named to come forward. The last player called
was Jay’s own son, Cam. After a quick hug, Jay placed the
medal around Cam’s neck, a moment Jay must have dreamed of ever
since Cam was born. In a heart-warming move, Cam took the
medal from his neck and placed it on his father, embracing him
again.
The
Panthers were welcomed back into Pittsfield with a parade and
members of the community standing in the cold, cheering for
these amazing players and coaches who united a community.
Pittsfield’s Facebook pages “Positively Pittsfield, NH” and “I’m
From Pittsfield and Remember…” have been deluged with well
wishes and warm comments from townsfolk who have stated that
these boys represent the good in our town and that they have
given the town another reason to feel proud. Sarah Marston
Duval said, “This has stirred a pride in me for my hometown and
school that I haven’t really felt in many years. I loved
seeing so many alumni at PSU the other night. It goes to
show how much heart our old town has.”
Tony Martinez, one of the dedicated assistant coaches, wrote
this on social media the day of the Big Game: “This season has
been filled with so many memorable moments, moments that will be
remembered forever. It’s all those moments that have led
us here today, together… This team has brought a community
together and has united the past and the present, old teammates,
and re-sparked friendships that span decades. This team
has allowed many, especially those who have worn a Panther
uniform, the ability to turn back the clock and remember just
how amazing it is to dream and believe again... 32 minutes... 32
minutes to believe and yet again create a moment that will live
forever. We are Pittsfield!”
The
boys will never forget the moment the last buzzer sounded and
that, win or lose, they had already brought great pride to their
community. And neither will we.