Football

John Stark 14, Merrimack Valley 6

Key players: John Stark – Joey Dykstra (2 rush TD); MV – Travis Garcia (2-for-2 FG; offensive line), Reece Clermont (RB), Colby Scheffer (RB)

Highlights: Dykstra ran for a pair of touchdowns in his first game under center for the Generals and the defense kept MV out of the end zone to lift Stark to a season-opening victory at the New Hampshire National Guard athletic complex in Pembroke. Garcia connected on field goals from 25 and 32 yards out for the Pride’s points.

Coach’s quote: “Hard fought game against a tough opponent, moving on to week to against Bow.” – MV’s Matt Shaw

Records: John Stark 1-0; MV 0-1

Manchester West 43, Pembroke 0

Highlights: The Spartans were shutout by the visiting Blue Knights in their home opener.

Records: West 1-0; Pembroke 0-1

Inter-Lakes/Moultonborough 34, Kearsarge 7

Highlights: The Cougars dropped their home opener to the Lakers.

Records: ILM 1-0; Kearsarge 0-1

Girls’ Cross Country

Hopkinton 3rd

Key players: Hopkinton – Maddy Lane (3rd, 19:25), Shaylee Murdough (11th, 21:01), Maisie Emerson (27th, 22:19), Reese Bove (28th, 22:23), Amelia Walsh (33rd, 22:44); Bow – Hannah Pawlowski (10th, 20:50), Lena Thompson (43rd, 23:48); Pembroke – Caitrin Bergeron (63rd, 25:56)

Highlights: Lane finished third out of 99 runners at the 12-team Bobcat Invitational  at DeMeritt Hill Farm in Lee. Host Oyster River (28 points), Exeter (72), Hopkinton (94), Bedford (121) and Londonderry (133) were the top five team scores. Bow and Pembroke competed, but didn’t have enough runners to score. Bedford’s Mikita Barry won the individual 5K title in 18:49.

Coach’s quote: “The girls showed they definitely put in some work over the summer with such a strong start. Maddy ran smart from the beginning in the top group to finish third overall among some of the fastest runners in the state. The rest of the team all had some really solid improvements over past years here which put them third overall among some top ranked teams in the state.  With so many seniors on the team, each of these ‘last’ races means so much to them.” – Hopkinton’s Rob Rothe

Concord 2nd, Merrimack Valley 6th

Key players: Concord – Mahalie Burdette (6th, 22:15), Quinn Doherty (7th, 22:27), Bella Komorek (12th, 23:25), Gianna Gualtieri (13th, 23:37), Clover Doperalski (18th, 24:06); MV – Madison Geddes (15th, 23:43), Reagan Jefferson (33rd, 25:27), Kendra Davidson (40th, 26:39)

Highlights: The Tide finished runner-up out of 14 teams (seven scoring) at the Paul Letarte Great Glen Invitational at Mount Washington. Plymouth’s Elli Englund won the 5K in 20:28. Plymouth (43 points), Concord (56), Keene (70), Newfound (78), Kennett (131), MV (151) and Profile (200) were the team scores.

Boys’ Cross Country

Bow 7th, Hopkinton 11th, Pembroke 15th

Key players: Bow – Wyatt Worcester (30th, 18:53), Thomas Sargent (41st, 19:20), Ian Sandahl (42nd, 19:22); Hopkinton – Max Goupil (35th, 19:03), James Lavers (50th, 19:44); Pembroke – Caleb Saturley (76th, 20:42)

Highlights: Three area competed at the 17-team Bobcat Invitational hosted by Oyster River at DeMeritt Hill Farm. Londonderry’s Carson Fitzgerald won the 5K individual title in 16:57, topping a field of 133 runners. Londonderry (50), Belmont Hill School (57), Oyster River (80), Alvirne (92) and Bedford (113) were the top five teams, while Bow (246), Hopkinton (296) and Pembroke (452) were the Capital Area teams that competed.

Coach’s quote: “ This young squad showed they are willing to go deep and push the boundaries. Getting to see many of them on an cross country course for the first time was really exciting. Max pulled away toward the end to have a great finish. They all work together well and have much potential. It is really refreshing to see.” – Hopkinton’s Rob Rothe

Merrimack Valley 3rd, Concord 5th

Key players: MV – Mychal Reynolds (13th, 18:12), Tony Wang (21st, 18:51), Nathan Bain (26th, 19:01), Ben Geoffroy (28th, 19:06), Ben Newton (40th, 19:54); Concord – Josiah Conley (2nd, 16:30), Spencer Clemens (8th, 17:15), Maximiliano Jimenez-Calderon (36th, 19:36) 

Highlights: The Pride finished third out of 15 teams at the Paul Letarte Great Glen Invitational at Mount Washington. Pinkerton (37 points), Keene (57), MV (111), Mascoma (117) and Concord (122) were the top five teams. Keene’s Sully Sturtz won the 5K in 16:15.

Field Hockey

Concord 1, Salem 0

Key players: Concord  – Lilly Merrill (goal)

Coach’s quote: “Although it was our third game of the week, the players continued to work the ball up the field and get shots off. And our defense was solid and did a nice job distributing the ball up the field.” – Concord’s Nicole Armaganian

Records: Concord 3-0; Salem 1-2

Bow 4, Hanover 1

Key players: Bow – Shire Kelley (2 goals, assist), Ella Gray (goal), Sophie Brooks (goal), Josie Johnson (2 assists), Kaylee Jacques (assist)

Highlights: The Falcons took a 2-0 lead in the first quarter and led 3-0 at halftime before Hanover got on the board in the fourth.

Coach’s quote: “This was a big win against a competitive team to make us 3-0. We need to stay on track with a three-game competitive week next week, starting on Monday against last year’s champions John Stark.” – Bow’s Sarah Vaughn

Records: Bow 3-0; Hanover 1-2

John Stark 1, Hanover 0

Key players: John Stark – Addie DeCew (goal), Claudia Dustin (assist), Caylin Worthen, Adie Bolduc

Highlights: DeCew scored off an offensive corner in the fourth quarter to lift the Generals to a season-opening victory on Thursday.

Coach’s quote: “John Stark had a lot to display for the first game of the season. Scoring in the fourth quarter off an offensive corner brought a lot of momentum that helped control the remainder of the game.” – John Stark’s Cassidy Huckins

Records: John Stark 1-0; Hanover 0-2

John Stark 4, Derryfield 0

Key players: John Stark – Caylin Worthen (3 goals), Ava Friberg (goal), Jillian Fredette (3 assists)

Highlights: The Generals transitioned the ball up the field very well in the second half, scoring three goals in the third quarter.

Coach’s quote: “Very impressed with their performance so far.” – John Stark’s Cassidy Huckins

Records: John Stark 2-0; Derryfield 1-2

Oyster River 7, Merrimack Valley 1

Key players: MV – Alyssa Brodeur (goal)

Highlights: The Bobcats scored once in the first quarter, four times in the second quarter and twice in the fourth quarter. Brodeur scored in the second quarter for MV. Oyster River held the advantage in penalty corners, 12-6.

Coach’s quote: “Today was tough for us. We faced some adversity and we will be a better team for it. We look forward to moving on to Monday.” – MV’s Jennifer Colgan

Records: Oyster River 3-0; MV 1-1

Pembroke 4, Laconia 0

Key players: Pembroke – Jenna Godin (2 goals), Ashlyn Barker (goal), Ava Strazzeri (goal), Anne Phillips (assist), Phoebe Morris (assist), Avery Kelly (assist)

Highlights: The Spartans earned their second straight win by shutout, scoring twice on penalty corners in the first half. Phillips set up Godin and Strazzeri’s goals, and Barker and Godin scored in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. The Spartans held Laconia without a shot on goal.

Coach’s quote: “We did a great job of keeping them in their own end and creating numerous scoring opportunities. I was also pleased we scored twice off corners. We took care of business, showed a balanced attack and continue to improve.” – Pembroke’s Steve Langevin

Records: Pembroke 2-0; Laconia 0-3

Gilford 1, Bishop Brady 0

Key players: Gilford – Calia Blackley (goal), Grace Southworth (assist); Bishop Brady –

Highlights: Blackley scored the only goal of the game in the second quarter. Brady had six corner opportunities to Gilford’s three.

Coach's quote: “For the first game of the 2024 season after losing seven starters to graduation, I was very proud of the team today. We competed from start to finish and we all agreed that this was a great first step together.” – Bishop Brady’s Kelly Owen

Records: Gilford 1-0; Bishop Brady 0-1

Golf

Bow 200, St. Thomas 208, Kingswood 214, Hollis-Brookline 256

Key players: Bow – Jacob Gancarz, Owen Webber, Aidan O’Keeffe

Highlights:  The Falcons maintained their undefeated record with a victory at Kingswood Golf Club on Thursday.

Coach’s quote: “That was a tough course that gave us some real challenges. We had a winning mentality and played quality golf all day.” – Bow’s Matt Davis

Records: Bow 5-0; St. Thomas 4-2; Kingswood 3-3; Hollis-Brookline 0-5

Boys’ Soccer

Merrimack 4, Concord 1

Key players: Concord – Sammy Iranzi (goal), Deidu Lukuse (assist), Festo Bahininwa (11 saves), Sankara Oumarou-Hamidou (midfield)

Highlights: The Crimson Tide fell behind early, going down 2-0 within the first minute of the match. Merrimack made it 3-0 before halftime, but Concord responded with a spectacular goal off a bicycle kick by Iranzi, taking a service from Lukuse. 

Coach’s quote: “Difficult way to start the game.” – Concord’s Scott Dunlop

Records: Merrimack 3-0; Concord 0-3

Campbell 3, Bow 2

Key players: Bow – Milo Cocola (goal), Ethan Anderson (goal)

Highlights: The Falcons took a 2-0 lead with a pair of goals midway through the first half, but Campbell got on the board in the 51st minute and added two more in the final eight minutes.

Coach’s quote: “Despite a solid first half, we did not play with the same intensity in the second half and as a result Campbell was able to find the game.” – Bow’s Josh Smith

Records: Campbell 3-0-0; Bow 0-2-1

Milford 2, Coe-Brown 1

Key players: Milford — Avery Wilson (goal)

Coach’s quote: “We’re disappointed with not getting a result tonight, but I couldn’t be prouder of my guys at the end. They focused on themselves as much as they could, kept their integrity and will be better for it in the long run. We seeing some very positive signs.” – Coe-Brown’s Christian Gompert

Records: Milford 2-1; Coe-Brown 1-2

Bishop Brady 5, Inter-Lakes 1

Key players: Bishop Brady – Andrew King (3 goals, 2 assists), Mason Noel (goal, assist), Ryan Casey (goal), David Cameron

Highlights: The Giants won their second game in a row.

Records: Bishop Brady 2-1; Inter-Lakes 0-3

Hillsboro-Deering 4, Berlin 1

Key players: H-D – Alex Crowe (3 goals) Ryan Shortt (goal), Joey LaValley (assist), David Prentiss (assist), Braden Savoy (7 saves)

Highlights: Led by the hat trick of junior captain Crowe, the game was never in doubt. The hard work of the midfield and defensive line, as well as quick saves by Savoy, ]guaranteed the victory.

Coach’s quote: “The boys were electric today. They did a great job of setting the tone at home and taking care of business. Everyone on the team did their jobs and and used their teammates effectively. It was a fun game to watch for sure.” – H-D’s Joey Gillett

Records: H-D 3-0-0; Berlin 0-2-1

Hopkinton 3, Trinity 0

Key players: Hopkinton – Cody Charron (goal, assist), Kristof Cauley (goal), Deegan Tomaz (goal), Finn Murphy (assist), Hunter Eckner-Naylor (save)

Highlights: Charron pressured the ball early and often, scoring in the 17th minute and setting up Tomaz’s goal in the 24th. Tomaz calmly finished off Charron’s cross. Cauley beat Trinity’s keeper on a high shot from distance

Coach’s quote: “Some strong play today resulted in three good goals against an up-and-coming Trinity team that could be tough to play later in the season. … Earning their second straight shutout to start the season were center back Mike Pantano and outside backs Noah Aframe and Ollie Zahn. They played very well.” – Hopkinton’s Scott Zipke

Records: Hopkinton 2-0-0; Trinity 0-2-1

Girls’ Soccer

Concord 2, Merrimack 0

Key players: Concord – Kate Dickson (goal, assist), Maddie Brown (goal), Nevaeh Kalapinski (assist)

Highlights: Dickson and Laura Vitoria created several chances in the first half, with help from the midfield, but the Crimson Tide didn’t break onto the scoreboard until the middle of the season half. Dickson headed home a free kick from Kalapinski and Brown headed home a Dickson corner kick 15 minutes later.

Coach’s quote: “It was good to see our girls play on the front foot today and control the game from the start. We have been talking about scoring first and today we were able to do that. The girls earned this victory and have many more to get this season.” – Concord’s Andrew Mattarazzo

Records: Concord 1-2-0; Merrimack 0-1-1

Bow 3, Keene 3

Key players: Bow – Ashley Wallen (goal), Lexana Farr (2 goals, assist), Cara Van Dyke (assist), Brylie Gelinas (forward), Ella Murphy (forward), Gabby Tarsa (midfield), Lexi Insana (midfield), Leah Gallier (midfield), Abby Foote (defense), Madison Pfister (defense)

Highlights: Wallen scored off a nice through ball from Farr, knocking in a rebound from her own shot just 3:34 into the first half. Farr scored a nice goal, beating the last defender and hitting a great shot to the far corner. Farr finished the scoring, knocking in a rebound 3:10 into the second half.

Coach’s quote: “The girls scored early in both halves like we asked, they possessed the ball very well and kept constant pressure on Keene for the majority of the game. But Keene did what they had to to stay in the game and made us pay with a couple of counterattacks.” – Bow’s Jay Vogt

Records: Bow 2-0-1; Keene 0-2-1

Hopkinton 1, Trinity 1

Key players: Hopkinton – Avery Loew (5 saves), Sadie Serzans (goal), Sofia Upton (assist)

Highlights: Hopkinton a scored penalty kick that was then called back and Trinity advanced up the field to score on the ensuing play.

Coach’s quote: “Trinity is coached very well on defense by Mike Martinez and we just could not find a clear path through to goal. Hard to adjust in the game when we only have two subs on the bench this season.” – Hopkinton’s Mike Zahn

Records: Hopkinton 1-0-1; Trinity 0-2-1

Berlin 4, Hillsboro-Deering 0

Key players: H-D – Alexis LaPorte (11 saves), Kathryn Thyng, Emery Greene

Highlights: Thyng and Greene returned to H-D’s lineup after recovering from injuries and led the Hillcats’ offensive chances.

Coach’s quote: “Each game we have been getting better and better, which makes me really proud as a coach. We had a larger offensive presence against Berlin. We still have some work to do, but we are headed in the right direction as a team.” – H-D’s Jenna Rheault

Records: Berlin 1-2; H-D 0-3

Volleyball

Franklin 3, Sunapee 2

Key players: Franklin – Maddie Doherty (11 kills on 22 attempts, 6 assists, 4 aces on 20 serves), Lily Cornell (5 kills on 19 attempts, 8 aces on 28 serves)

Highlights: The Tornadoes excelled offensively with only 17 overall serve/attack errors across all five sets. Cornell helped secure the fifth set win with consistent serves, winning 11 points in a row with three aces. Franklin won by a final score of 19-25, 25-16, 17-25, 25-17, 15-1.

Coach’s quote: “I am extremely proud of the girls for keeping their heads up and not letting the first set loss dictate the tone for the evening. Sunapee played a great match and we look forward to hosting them for our homecoming game on Sept. 28.” – Franklin’s Raegan Yarbrough

Records: Franklin 2-0; Sunapee 0-1