Concord Christian Academy is new blood in New Hampshire high school basketball.
The Kingsmen burst onto the scene this past year, making it to their first championship game in program history. Senior Isaac Jarvis led Concord Christian to a Division IV runner-up finish; he was instrumental all season and played his best when the playoff lights were on him. He dropped 11 fourth-quarter points in the quarterfinals and put up a 27-point, 16-rebound performance in the championship loss.
Jarvis was the standout on the team that finished the season at 20-2. The 6-foot-8 center was dominant in the paint on both ends of the floor and earned himself the D-IV Player of the Year and Jack Ford Award. Now he can add to his trophy cabinet with the Concord Monitor’s Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year award.
Jarvis has followed a similar progression as his team. Concord Christian was a perennial bottom-dweller in the D-IV standings. For Jarvis’ first two seasons that remained the case, but when coach Eric Heizer arrived two years ago, all that changed.
“Coach Heizer, the knowledge he’s got, he really came in and helped transform the basketball program,” Jarvis said.
In the two years Heizer has been coaching Jarvis, he said the progress the star player made was astounding.
“He got better at everything,” said Heizer.
At Jarvis’ size, Heizer said it would have been easy to stick him in the post and have his teammates worry about everything else. But Jarvis proved himself to be one of the most versatile players on the court.
“We tried to give him some freedom to do what he wants to do,” said Heizer. “It’s not often that you have a 6-8 kid that can dribble and is quick and can play inside and outside. So we decided to let him expand his game and kind of learn by doing and kind of help and guide him along the way.”
Jarvis was thankful for the opportunity to expand his skill set.
“My best attribute is rim protection and rebounding just because my height and instincts to get rebounds and block shots,” said Jarvis. “But I think something that not a lot of people notice about me — besides my coaches — is my ability to pass. I think it’s above average for a big man. And I think that when the moment comes and you need a bucket in the clutch, I’m willing to step up and not have any fear.”
It took hours of work for Jarvis to get where he is. The star player is always working to get better. Even now, in the offseason, he works out right after school, then drives an hour to AAU practice.
“But it’s not a chore,” said Jarvis. “I love it. I love the game of basketball.”
Loving the game of basketball is something Jarvis and his teammates have in common. He repeatedly mentioned the bond the group shared. Jarvis said the camaraderie he gained made the season feel like a win even though it ended on a loss.
The perfect example of Jarvis and his teammates came on Super Bowl Sunday. The team gathered at the school for a viewing party. The game captivated the world but it couldn’t hold the Kinsgmen’s attention.
“We were so excited to watch the Super Bowl and everything,” said Jarvis. “But we ended up not really actually watching the Super Bowl. We went to the gym and got shots up, basically did our own practice. It just showed that we really love the game of basketball and we really were dedicated to getting better, because we turned down watching the Super Bowl to play basketball together and run pickup games.”
The impromptu scrimmage was a special moment for Jarvis, who will now leave Concord for college. He’s headed to Gordon College to play D-III ball under coach Todd Murphy, who played in the NBA from 1987-98.
Jarvis said he can’t wait to learn from someone with so much knowledge on the game. At the same time, he isn’t ready to leave Concord Christian behind completely.
“We (the team) still all love each other,” he said. “We still keep in contact with each other. Seniors are encouraging the underclassmen for next year and planning on coming back to come watch some of the games. I think they have a chance to repeat and do exactly what they did this year next year.”