The fireworks have faded into the night and Fourth of July weekend is about to be in the rear-view mirror. For those who stuffed their face at a barbecue but are still craving sports, the rest of the month’s schedule should satisfy any appetite.
There’s several major New Hampshire events to look forward to and they’re all worth a peek for those who enjoy excellence on a nearby stage. Whether it’s international celebrities, local legends or budding stars, there’s a variety of athletes who will put on a show before the calendar flips to August.
Immediately on deck is the 116th New Hampshire Amateur Championship, which tees off Monday and runs all week at Portsmouth Country Club. The best amateurs in the state will try to survive that gauntlet of golf, but my colleague, Jay McAree, will provide an in-depth look at the annual tournament in Monday’s Monitor.
Fortunately for Granite State sports junkies, the State Am serves as an appetizer for what’s to come.
Less than a week after a champion is crowned in Portsmouth, the best drivers in the world will be settling in at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon for a NASCAR weekend that begins Friday, July 19, and culminates with the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 on Sunday, July 21 at 3 p.m.
While the Cup Series race will be the crown jewel of the weekend, there will be plenty of other festivities for motorheads out there.
The action begins with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour All-Star Shoot Out on July 19 at 2:10 p.m., before the Cup Series drivers start qualifying at 4:35 p.m. The Flat Track will be featured that night with the Fright Night Dirt Duels.
July 20 brings three more events with the Whelen Modified Tour’s Eastern Propane & Oil 100 at 2 p.m., the Xfinity Series in the Lakes Region 200 at 4 p.m. and the K&N Pro Series East in the United Site Services 70 at about 6:45 p.m.
The stars will duke it out in Sunday’s Cup race in the biggest New Hampshire sports event of the year.
The summer slate features more baseball and softball than one person can possibly consume. The All-Star teams, the AAU teams, the Legion teams, the Babe Ruth teams – take your pick, there’s plenty of quality ballgames to soak in.
Aside from the young area athletes, there’s also the New Hampshire Wild, a semi-professional ballclub that competes in the Empire Professional Baseball League and plays its home games at Concord’s Memorial Field. For those interested, the Wild have a homestand next week with games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at 4 p.m., and two more on Saturday and Sunday at noon.
The Senior American Legion Baseball tournament is a personal favorite and the teams from Concord, Weare and Laconia all have the talent to qualify in a muddled District A playoff picture. The top-four teams from District A and District B will tangle in a double-elimination tournament at Holman Stadium in Nashua starting July 26 and ending July 30.
The aforementioned State Am isn’t the only significant golf tournament that will unfold this month. The 18-and-under crowd will have their chance to shine, too – and it will be right in our backyard.
The monthlong binge of local sports concludes at Concord’s Beaver Meadow Golf Course with the New Hampshire Golf Association’s Boys Junior Championship. A change from previous years, the tournament will be 54 holes of stroke play and the golfers will be placed in different flights after 36 holes. The previous format determined the winner with stroke-play qualifying followed by a match-play tournament among the top 16.
The change will not only truncate the tournament into three days, but it adds pressure to every shot. While the one-on-one nature of match play is compelling, it can be forgiving for one bad hole. On the other hand, stroke play rewards consistency and composure while punishing even momentary meltdowns.
It sets the stage for what should be a fun few days starting Monday, July 29 and ending Wednesday, July 31 – and make no mistake, these kids can play. Last year’s eventual champion Sam Barton shot a 68 at Green Meadow Golf Club in Hudson during the stroke-play portion of the event.
The smoke might have cleared from the fireworks, but don’t be fooled: July’s show has just begun.
(Jason Orfao can be reached at jorfao@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @JasonOrfao)