High schools: Sunday’s Mike Lee Holiday Bash hoops semifinals, weekend wrestling results

Belmont’s Keegan Martinez goes up for two points during a basketball game at Winnisquam Regional High School on Dec. 20. Martinez scored 32 points in Sunday’s Mike Lee Holiday Bash semifinal against Portsmouth Christian, sending the Raiders into the tournament final against Coe-Brown.

Belmont’s Keegan Martinez goes up for two points during a basketball game at Winnisquam Regional High School on Dec. 20. Martinez scored 32 points in Sunday’s Mike Lee Holiday Bash semifinal against Portsmouth Christian, sending the Raiders into the tournament final against Coe-Brown. JOSHUA SPAULDING / Salmon Press

Published: 12-30-2024 10:10 AM

Boys’ Basketball

Belmont 85, Portsmouth Christian 60

Key players: Belmont – Keegan Martinez (32 points), Treshawn Ray (19 points), Brady Thurber (11 points)

Highlights: The Raiders had a single digit lead for most of the game, but expanded it to 60-48 by the end of the third quarter and outscored the Eagles 25-12 in the final eight minutes to secure their spot in Monday’s Mike Lee Holiday Bash Tournament championship game at Farmington High School. D-III Belmont will take on D-II Coe-Brown in the final.

Records: Belmont 3-0 D-III;  Portsmouth Christian 2-2 D-IV

Coe-Brown 57, Profile 32

Key players: Coe-Brown – Jack Matson (22 points), Matt Flanagan (10 points)

Highlights: The Bears led 34-24 at halftime, but locked down defensively in the second half, holding the Patriots to just two points in the third quarter to build a 40-26 lead and Coe-Brown controlled the fourth quarter to punch its ticket to Monday’s Mike Lee Holiday Bash tournament final. 

Records: Coe-Brown 2-1 D-II; Profile 0-4 D-IV

Girls’ Basketball

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Farmington 51, Coe-Brown 43

Key players: Coe-Brown – Emma LaPierre (17 points)

Highlights: The host Tigers – a Division IV team – upset the D-II Bears in the semifinals of the Mike Lee Holiday Bash on Sunday. Farmington took a 17-7 lead in the first quarter and maintained a 10-point lead at halftime, 28-18. Coe-Brown cut the deficit down in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to keep its tourney alive.

Records: Farmington 2-1 D-IV; Coe-Brown 2-1 D-II

Portsmouth Christian 60, Franklin 41

Key players: PCA – Ava Buchanan (30 points); Franklin – Kourtney Kaplan (29 points)

Highlights: The Eagles jumped out to an early 22-11 lead at the end of the first quarter, led 33-19 at halftime and opened the second half on an 8-0 run to end Franklin’s Mike Lee Holiday Bash journey in Sunday’s semifinal.

Records: PCA 3-1 D-IV; Franklin 4-1 D-IV

Wrestling

Concord 6th, John Stark 28th

Key players: Concord – Madison Beauregard (champion girls 185), Wayne Gutierrez-Sakakeeny (3rd 285), Max Chung (4th 157), Isaiah Puckett (5th 215), Biswas Darji (6th 106); John Stark – Alex Descoteau (2nd 215), Sean Crean (4th 113)

Highlights: Beauregard won the 185 girls’ title with a pair of victories by pin and was the only local champion at the two-day Noble (Maine) Tournament. The Tide finished sixth out of 47 teams, while John Stark finished in the middle of the pack. Central Catholic, Mass. (191.5), Noble (182), Bishop Hendricken, R.I. (173), Salem (170.5), Camden Hills, Maine (153) and Concord (152.5) were the top six team scores.

Winnisquam 3rd, Bow 5th 

Key players: Winnisquam – Aemon Gauthier (126 champion), Dylan Griffin (2nd 132), Colin Parenteau (2nd 150), Louis Soyk (2nd 285), Ryan Cormier (2nd 120), Lucas Dunphey (4th 106), Gaige Buskey-Reed (4th 113), Aiden Sheehan-Seufert (4th 120); Bow – Jaron Coulon (113 champion), Jake Coulon (3rd 138), Chase Flagg (3rd 190), John Roos (4th 126), Kevin Mullen (4th 215)

Highlights: The Bears scored points in 13 of the 14 weight classes to finish third out of 14 teams in a tournament in Middlebury, Vt. Hosts Middlebury had 255 points to claim the team title, with Granville, N.Y. (211.5) and Winnisquam (173) rounding out the top three. Vergennes, Vt. (158) and Bow (144) were fourth and fifth, respectively. Gauthier went 7-0 over two days to claim the 126 crown, winning three bouts by pin and four by technical fall. Jaron Coulon won by pin, technical fall and decision in pool play, going 3-0 to win the 113 title.

Coach’s quote:  “Clearly our strength is our light weights who led the way, and our 150 (sophomore Parenteau) and 285 (Soyk, a first-year wrestler) contributed big to the team score making the finals with big upset wins in the semifinals.” – Winnisquam’s Tom Osmer

Kearsarge 6th, John Stark 13th, Hopkinton 18th, Franklin 19th, Hillsboro-Deering 21st

Key players: Kearsarge – Gage Richard (144 champion), Jacob Mullen (2nd 132), Ethan Brand (3rd 190), Cameron Brand (4th 165), Justin St. Onge (4th 138); John Stark – Noah Patenaude (2nd 190); Hopkinton – Nolan Linstad (3rd 144); Franklin – Cameron Labrecque (2-2 at 215), Jacob Adler (2-2 at 150); H-D – Ben Perrin (3-2 at 215), Nick Bowen (2-2 at 190)

Highlights: Several area wrestlers competed in a holiday tournament hosted by Lebanon High School. Vermont schools swept the top three – Springfield (194), Otter Valley (180) and Essex (146) – while Kearsarge (98), John Stark (56.5), Hopkinton (22), Franklin (21) and Hillsboro-Deering (16) also competed in the 22-team field.