Last year the Concord Christian Academy boys’ basketball team tasted the most success the program had seen this century. The Kingsmen went 20-2, earning the No. 2 seed in Division IV and advancing to the championship game – the program’s first appearance there since 1999. Concord Christian fell to top-seeded Woodsville, 58-49, but it showed that the Kingsmen are a force to be reckoned with.
CCA has the ability to get to the D-IV championship again, but without last year’s D-IV Player of the Year, Isaac Jarvis (now playing for Gordon College), it will require a different path to get there. After a string of losing seasons and a 6-5 mark in the 2020-21 campaign, the Kingsmen were largely overlooked heading into last season. Nobody is overlooking Concord Christian now.
“It definitely changes the way we play,” third-year head coach Eric Heizer said. “It’s going to be interesting, trying to figure it out as we go, a lot of lineups and a lot of new stuff. Having the success we had last year makes it harder. The word is out now. People are going to be after us.”
Jarvis, a 6 foot, 8 inch First Team center, was a unicorn for a D-IV team and a matchup nightmare for opponents on both sides of the ball. He and forward Brode Frink were a 1-2 punch as dominant as any in the division.
Frink had a phenomenal freshman season, but with Jarvis gone, Heizer expects Frink, now a 6-4 sophomore, to be more closely marked.
“It will probably force us to be a little more balanced on offense,” Heizer said. “Last year was primarily two guys, but Brode will probably be focused on more now that Isaac is gone, so that gives other people the opportunity to step up and contribute a bit.”
Last year’s starting guards Ethan Young and Aidan Duffy are back in action, two of the seven seniors on CCA’s roster.
Senior Mason Kerr – a 6-4 forward – and junior forward Isaac Bowers – a transfer from Mount Royal Academy – will help make up for the loss of last year’s three big men, Jarvis, Jake Turner and Colby Carlile, to graduation, while sophomore guard Jaden Young will also see a larger role this year.
Jarvis also was named to last year’s D-IV All-Defensive Team, but like the offense, Concord Christian’s defense will need to be a group effort.
“The thing we have to focus on is rebounding now,” Heizer said. “We don’t have (Isaac) anymore, it has to be more of a team game and we need to concentrate on it.”
D-IV basketball opens on Friday and is the first NHIAA competitive action to open the winter season.
Concord Christian hosts Portsmouth Christian – last year’s No. 5 seed – at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Heizer expects defending champs Woodsville, Lin-Wood, Epping and Newmarket to be among the top teams.
“The word is out now,” Heizer said. “People are going to be after us. We’ll see how we’ll handle it. We have a lot of seniors, hopefully we respond well.”
Elsewhere in local D-IV hoops, the Pittsfield girls also open on Friday night (on the road at Portsmouth Christian), while the Franklin boys’ and girls’ teams both host Hinsdale in their openers on Tuesday.
The Pittsfield boys open on Dec. 9 when they host Franklin, the same night that D-III basketball games begin, which now includes the Concord Christian girls’ team.
Previews for the other area D-IV programs are below.
Division: IV
Coach: David Bedard (4th year)
Last year: 6-12, did not make tournament
Returning starters: Zeke McCoy, jr., G; Alen Veletanlic, so., F
Top newcomers: Yagiz Sarmisak, sr., F/C; Jack Van Polen, jr., C/F; Grayson McLaughlin, jr., G/F; Harrison Kaplan, so., G
Outlook: The Tornadoes were one win shy of qualifying for the tournament last year and look to take the next step this year.
“As we have built the culture of our program these past few seasons, we find ourselves in position to take the next step forward on the court and be a playoff team this season,” Bedard said. “How quickly we come together as a team, especially on defense, will dictate what type of success we are capable of achieving.”
Teams to beat: “I expect a lot of parity in D-IV this season,” Bedard said. “Littleton, Lin-Wood, Concord Christian, Derryfield and Profile (among others) will all be tough outs within the division.”
Division: IV
Coach: Jay Darrah (22nd year)
Last year: 1-17, did not make tournament
Returning starters: Jared Beliveau, sr.; Abe Marcotte, sr.
Top newcomers: Justin Rivera, sr.; Ashton Borkman, sr.; Mike Casey, jr.; Brayden Pelletier, so.
Outlook: With only two returning starters in Beliveau and Marcotte, and just two other rostered players with varsity experience, the Panthers will look for Borkman and Pelletier to make a splash early.
“I will rely on Beliveau and Marcotte to be our leaders and our tone-setters,” Darrah said. “In order for us to be successful we will need to have contributions from Parker Clark and Justin Rivera. Both are going to see substantial minutes in the backcourt and have shown significant improvements since the start of the season. With every player having a more meaningful role on the team this year, I expect us to make considerable improvements as the season progresses.”
Teams to beat: Littleton, Concord Christian, Woodsville, Profile, Lin-Wood
Division: IV
Coach: Mark Dionne (2nd year)
Last year: 2-16, did not make tournament
Returning starters: Brooke Bedard, sr., G; Scarlett Martin, so., G; Savaughna Slocum, so., F
Outlook: The Tornadoes “are looking to continue to grow and build off of last year’s season,” Dionne said.
Division: IV
Coach: Logan LaRoche (2nd year)
Last year: JV only. Varsity went 2-7 in 2020-21.
Returning starters: Briar Bell, PG; Ryan Wood, F; Sydney Provencal, G; Addison Clark, G; Samantha Carney, C
Top newcomers: Riley Nagle, C; Chelsee Chagnon, G; Savannah Chagnon, F
Outlook: The Panthers only fielded a JV team last year due to the program’s youth and low numbers, so Pittsfield lacks varsity experience, but show promise shooting from the outside and are displaying an eagerness to improve.
“While the Panther girls are young, they are hungry,” LaRoche said. “This is a team that has built a core foundation from last year’s JV experience. The main goal for the Lady Panthers this year is increase our pace of play, and be competitive with the top teams of the division.”
Teams to beat: Newmarket, Concord Christian