By Chris Paul
The high school Winter sports season will be beginning this week with players and coaches eager to get back on the courts, ice, mats and in the water again.
Boys’ Basketball
Jaryd Piecuch enters his second year as head coach of the boys’ basketball team. He said, “The boys team will be returning 12 players from last years’ team and have six seniors, eight juniors, and one sophomore.”
The team’s tri-captains are senior Ty Miles, junior Jameson Seaman, and junior Mason Paquette.
The Lancers’ season opener will be next Tuesday night, at home, against the Exeter Blue Hawks starting at 7 p.m.
Piecuch added, “We have a hard working group and are excited to see everyone contribute.”
Other players to make the roster are seniors: Matt Doyle, Thomas Martin, Crosby Nolan, Conor Williams, and Ryan Williams. Juniors are: Matthew Luongo, Cameron Madden, Nathaniel Marshall, Blake Thompson, James Totten, and Alexander Villa.
Casey Marsh is the lone sophomore currently on the roster.
Following the home opener, the team will be on the road for the remainder of the year.
On Friday, Dec. 15, the team will travel to Nashua South High School. On Tuesday, Dec. 19, they will be at Portsmouth High School and on Friday night, Dec. 22, they travel to Bishop Guertin,
Girls’ Basketball
Londonderry Girls’ Varsity head coach, Jon Doherty, will be in his third year as head coach of the Lady Lancers and says he’s very excited for the upcoming season.
Doherty said, “I am bringing back a large core of players and adding some new ones. Brooke Eacrett and Samantha Sullivan will be a very dynamic 1-2 punch, Kate Sloper and Reagan Anderson are a force defensively, and freshmen Gemma Murray is going to put people on notice.
He added, “I have some great kids coming off the bench Mia Giampa and Talia Iorio have stepped up and will be a great addition to the rotation this year. Brooke Wilson, Molly Knight, Megan Jones, Ava Naar, and Kayla Sharkey round out the roster and bring a ton of energy and positivity to this team. With Megan being the lone senior we also will bring just about everyone back next year. This is a very exciting group and we have our eyes set on U.N.H. and are putting in the work to get there.”
The girls start their season on the road in Exeter on Tuesday, Dec. 12, against the Blue Hawks starting at 6:30 p.m.
They will finish out the month of December with three home games. Starting on Friday night, Dec. 15, with a home opener against Nashua South Purple Panthers, starting at 7 p.m.
The following week, the team will play the Portsmouth Clippers on Tuesday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m. followed by an always-tough contest against the defending division champion, Bishop Guertin Cardinals, on Friday night, Dec. 22, at 7 p.m.
Hockey
This year’s Lancer Hockey squad features a number of players with varsity experience.
The seven seniors returning to the ice are: Matthew Boyon, Owen Carey, Jayden Hamilton, James Kircaldie, Michael Maloney, Brandon Morin, and Jack Nadeau.
Juniors are: Nathan Beaulieu, Owen Casimiro, Liam Knight, Brett McKinnon, Phineas Norton, Ryan Palmer, and Tyler Rushton.
Sophomores include: Nicholas Bishop, Taran Bower, Brendan Fitzgerald, Mason Nadeau, and Tucker Reynolds.
Gavin Karoul is the one freshman on the roster this season.
The team begins their season in Salem on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at the Icenter starting at 3:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Dec. 16, the team will have their home-opener at Tri-Town Ice Arena, in Hooksett, against the Exeter Blue Hawks starting at 4:50 p.m.
They close out the month in Keene, against the Blackbirds on Wednesday, Dec. 20.
Wrestling
Head coach, Jason Cucolo, is excited heading in, “We have 29 kids on the team so far and that is our highest since I have been involved in the program. Our middle school and youth numbers are the highest they have ever been and we have lots of 8th graders on the middle school team now that we are excited to see in a year.
David Pento Jr., Manny Perez, Jonah Tillman, and Pat O’conner are some of our returners that we are looking to help lead the team this year as we get ready to face off with Salem.
The team starts the year facing some of the toughest competition and then head into the Londonderry Holiday Tournament where they have a great representation of teams from all over New England.
The 2023 season had three Lancers winning their respective weight classes in the Meet of Champions and had the opportunity to compete at New England Wresting Championships.
Then sophomore, David Pento Jr., senior, Nic D’Alessandro, and junior Patrick O’Connor were all state champions.
The Lancers began their new campaign on Wednesday, Dec. 6, at home, against the Salem Blue Devils.
On Saturday, Dec. 9, they will travel to Massachusetts for the annual Westford Duals at Westford Academy.
On Wednesday, Dec. 13, they will be hosting a home dual meet against Pinkerton Academy at Londonderry Middle School.
On Saturday, Dec. 16, the team has invited dozens of team for the annual Holiday Tournament.
Gymnastics
Tha Lancers gymnastics team’s first meet is scheduled to take place at Noah’s Gymnastics Academy in Manchester starting at 5 p.m.
There will be multiple schools attending the team’s first event. They are: Goffstown Alvirne, Campbell, Bishop Guertin, Windham, and Merrimack high schools.
On Sunday, Dec. 17, starting at 1 p.m, they will travel to A2 Gym and Cheer in Salem. Alvirne, Salem, Campbell, Dover, and Exeter will be at the meet.
The team’s first home meet will be on Sunday, Jan. 7, at Spectrum Gymnastics in Londonderry. The meet is schedule to begin at 10 a.m. and will feature Pinkerton Academy, Alvirne and Campbell.
Swimming
The Boys’ and Girls’ varsity swim teams will have three home meets to open the new season.
They will face multiple opponents starting on Friday night, Dec. 15, Friday, Dec. 22, and Friday, Jan. 5.
Each meet takes place at the Londonderry Workout Club Pool and start at approximately 5 p.m