Epping boys soccer team upset in Class M tournament
October 31, 2008
Just one of those days.
“It just wasn’t our day today,” said Epping coach Kerry McDermott after his team’s 2-1 loss to Berlin in Wednesday’s opening round of the Class M playoffs. The game was held at the Seacoast United Soccer Club’s outdoor facility.
Berlin, which came into the tournament as the No. 12 seed, improved to 8-8-1 and will meet the winner of the No. 4 White Mountains/No. 13 Winnisquam game in Saturday’s quarterfinal, beginning at 2 p.m.
Epping, which got its lone goal by Dallas Burke off a corner kick by Mike MacLeay midway through the first half, wrapped up its season at 12-5.
Full story from Ken Stejbach
Epping boys soccer team tops Newmarket
October 18, 2008
Cam Baer, a junior member of the Epping High School boys soccer team, said he remembers playing soccer on a beach in Florida with his parents when he was a 2-year-old.
It was fun, he said.
A lot of fun, too, said Baer, was Wednesday afternoon’s 4-3 victory over Newmarket, in which Mike MacLeay scored a pair of goals, and Baer and Jamie Loy each added another.
It’s been that kind of season for the Blue Devils, who improved to 10-3 in Class M.
“We’ve had a really good start,” said Baer, the best start in Epping boys soccer history. “It’s good. Very good. Excellent.”
Baer said the reason for it being so good is “team chemistry.
Full story from Ken Stejbach
Football brings out the kid in Denny Wood
October 10, 2008
When “Big Cop” puts on his New England Hawks uniform and steps on the football field he’s a kid again.
Off the field on his job at the Fremont Police Department, though, it’s Sergeant Denny Wood.
And yes, you can’t miss the former athletic standout at Epping High School. Not when he’s 6-foot-8 and 450 pounds, and looking like a mountain.
“I’m on the downward slide,” laughs the 35-year-old from Fremont, noting he recently lost 22 pounds and feels like a kid again.
Wood will be at offensive tackle for the New England Hawks (5-5) tomorrow night when they host the Southern Maine Raging Bulls (5-5) in the opening round of the New England Football League’s AAA playoffs. The game, which will be played at Exeter High School, is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. The winner will advance to next week’s semifinals and visit either the Lowell Nor’easter or Middleboro Cobras.
During the regular season the Hawks and the Raging Bulls split a pair of games, the Bulls winning the first game, 15-14, the Hawks winning the rematch, 31-7.
It’s semi-professional football at its finest, but there are no four-year, $40 million contracts here.
The players play for the fun of playing.
Read the full story from Ken Stejbach
Epping boys soccer team among top Class M teams
October 3, 2008
After Monday’s 3-0 victory over Newmarket, the Epping High School boys soccer team’s three senior tri-captains — Joe Jodoin, Mike MacLeay and Jamie Loy, and their fellow teammates — were focused on redeeming themselves against Conant and meeting perennial powerhouse Sanborn.
Epping coach Kerry McDermott referred to it with the phrase “ramp up.”
The Blue Devils went on to ramp up with a 5-0 victory over Conant on Tuesday. Cam Baer scored a pair of goals, while Chris Dunleavy, Derek Corronte and Jodoin each added another.
Wednesday, however, the Blue Devils ran out of gas and lost to Sanborn, 4-2.
Jodoin, MacLeay and Loy felt Wednesday’s game would be a good test to see where they are at this point of the season. All three, including their coach, felt they were final four material going in.
McDermott definitely feels they still are after Wednesday’s loss, which dropped them to 6-2 in Class M.
“Three games in a row are kind of tough,” said McDermott.
Read the full story from Ken Stejbach
Epping-Newmarket football team wins opener
September 9, 2008
The Epping-Newmarket High School football team didn’t have many problems in Saturday’s opener against Mascoma. At least not on offense.
The Blue Devils had two backs rush for at least 100 yards and received a 41-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Roy in their 32-20 triumph over Mascoma.
Todd Blanchard led the Epping-Newmarket offense by scoring two touchdowns and kicking two point-after conversions. Blanchard scored on a 4-yard run in the second quarter, and a 9-yard run in the fourth. He finished the game with 102 yards on 21 carries.
Full story from Seacoast Online
Epping cheerleaders passionate about their sport
September 5, 2008
he Epping High School cheerleading squad … where do you begin?
They’re led by seniors Allie Bradley, Kristin Boomhower, Shaun O’Regan, Chelsea Campbell and Brandi Paige. They’re coached by head coach Kathy Sicard, JV coach Kim Fraser and assistant coach Teresa Bradley.
They’re numerous, a squad of 28, which makes it the largest girls program at the school. Almost half the team is related in some form or manner. They’re passionate about the sport. They cheer because they want to and its fun. They work hard. They’re loud and not shy about being heard.
Their “Cheer Bible” is the movie “Bring it On.”
And they’re good.
Last year they finished runner-up at the state’s Class M Fall Spirit competition.
“The biggest thing is team camaraderie,” said Sicard, who is in her 24th season of coaching cheerleading, and fourth at Epping High.
Allie Bradley, Boomhower and O’Regan have been cheering together since they began cheering for the Blue Demons, the high school’s feeder program.
Read the full story from Ken Stejbach
Epping-Newmarket Football Gets Started
September 2, 2008
Two schools, one football team.
The Epping-Newmarket Blue Devils were gearing up for their first season as a co-operative football team Friday evening.
There was a lot of teaching going on by Rich McFadden and his coaching staff.
This marks the first time the two rivals — Epping High School and Newmarket High School — have teamed together on the athletic field.
McFadden is thrilled about the co-operative effort.
McFadden knew the addition from Newmarket meant he wouldn’t get five new All-State or five varsity-level players to bolster his varsity program immediately.
Nick Frotton, a senior, is the only player from Newmarket on the varsity this season.
He also knew that without the addition of the new players from Newmarket he wouldn’t have the depth to field a JV program.
“The depth in the JV program will lead to success in the varsity program in the years to come,” says McFadden.
With the addition of 16 players to the 22 players from Epping, the Epping-Newmarket Blue Devils have a roster of 38.
Full story from Ken Stejbach
Young players will lead Epping volleyball team
August 26, 2008
Becky Weaver and Shannon Nollet were two excited 15-year-old sophomores Friday afternoon.
That’s because the two were named to co-captain the Epping High School girls volleyball team by their coach, Dan Brodeur.
Yes, those Blue Devils are young … yes, there are only eight players on the team … yes, they’re not a tall team.
“We’re very young,” says Brodeur, “but not really inexperienced. We have several who play club volleyball.”
Six of the team’s eight players are sophomores. A junior and freshmen make up the rest of the team.
There’s another big reason why Brodeur is excited about the upcoming season.
He says he likes to use the term “gym rats” in describing his team.
“I can’t get these girls out of the gym,” says Brodeur. “I love that. They truly love the game. They love learning it and they have a lot of fun with it.”
Read the full story from Ken Stejbach.
Larry Averill To Be New Epping A.D.
August 19, 2008
Larry Averill’s decision took a couple months, but a question posed by his good friend answered it for him while on a car ride back to his home in Newfields.
“I’m stepping back into the fray,” said Averill, referring to becoming the new athletic director at Epping High School
Averill, the longtime girls basketball coach from Exeter High School and St. Thomas Aquinas — and coach of the Exeter Hawks, an AAU team, for the past eight years — takes over the position vacated by Casey Todd. Todd made a career change when she took the AD position at Fall Mountain Regional High School.
Averill returns to the athletic director position he held temporarily seven years ago at Epping High.
Read the full story from Ken Stejbach
Inaugural YoParts.com Import Summer Shootout presented by Wang’s Automotive at NED
August 1, 2008
New England Dragway’s newest event launches this Saturday,
August 2. The inaugural YoParts.com Import Summer Shootout presented by Wang’s Automotive will feature a wide range of activities including heads-up racing, bracket racing, motorcycle action, a car show, burnout contest and ugliest car contest.
In addition to YoParts.com and Wang’s Automotive, a number of companies are stepping up to post cash and contingency awards including Turbo Options, Team XXX Racing, Cisco’s Performance Center, Pro Street Unlimited, SMG Motoring, One Stop Toy Shop and Chief Wok restaurant.
Seven race classes are on tap, plus bracket racing, Street Fighter shootout, a burnout competition, car show and the ugliest car contest. The entire event is for all imports and sport compacts only. No American V-8’s.
Gates open at 8 AM. Qualifying and time trials start at 9 AM. Car show registration ends at Noon. The burnout competition and the ugliest car competition will run during the late afternoon. For a complete schedule and details, please visit www.newenglanddragway.com or call 603-679-8001.
