The 1976-’77 Conval boys basketball team finished the season at 12-8 and were eked out of state tournament consideration by percentage points. But they began the year in early December in an unbelievable way—opening at the (old) Boston Garden against eventual state champ Exeter as a preliminary to a Boston Celtics game. The diminutive but scrappy Cougars were no match for the taller and talented Blue Hawks, bowing 63-50, but the memories of playing hoop on the same court as Dave Cowens, Jo Jo White and John Havlicek were unforgettable. Several hundred Conval fans journeyed to Boston, but the late Coach Ray Richard said, “we could hardly tell they were there—the Garden is so big.” Team members included (left to right): Bill Watson, Ken McTague, Tom Bartlett, Phil Abbott, Jay LaRoche, Scott Slade, Jon Barnes, Kent Richard, Mike McTague, John Tempone, Craig Whitney and John Guidotti . But there was more to this story! Check out: Games We Will Remember: The Garden and the Editorial ...
Undefeated Class B state champs... (front, from left): Harold Clukay, Milt Fontaine, Eddie Blanchette, Robert Barry and Ken McLeod. Back row: Coach John Clark, Carl Erhler, Donald Dupree, Charles Lindsay, Donald Mulstay, Robert Clukay and George Eastman . T he winter of 1935-36 was much like our current winter—bone-chilling cold, snowy and long. But unlike today, when there are so many options, and so many different sports, and so many distractions of every kind, there was just basketball for entertainment and hometown pride. Basketball, boys and girls, helped citizens get through the long winter—if you followed the teams from December until late February or early March, and many did, you made it through the worst of it. And around these parts, you made it in style... For a tiny New Hampshire town, Peterborough was among the kings of basketball. Its boys teams just knew how to win. From 1930 to 1941, they won five state championships—including a three-peat in 1930, 1931 and 1932—and pl...
Members of the powerful 1970-’71 Conval High freshmen team (front, from left): Joe Reilly, John Davies, Mike Fontaine, John Cuddihee and Ed Lennon. Back row: Manager Hunter Carbee, Steve Sawyer, Bruce Paro, Jim Carlson, Ray Abbott, Don Blair and Coach Art Giovannangeli. T he very first freshmen basketball team at Conval High in the 1970-’71 season was known as the Big Green Machine, for two reasons: They mowed down nearly every opponent on their schedule, and until new uniforms could be ordered they wore the old green and white uniforms of Peterborough High. The frosh, dubbed “Baby Cougars,” finished the season 15-2 and overwhelmed many an opposing team. At season's end, they challenged the Junior Varsity team to a duel to determine underclassmen basketball supremacy at Conval. “Insiders contend this would be a contest pitting the powerful frosh offense vs. the equally tough junior varsity defense,” noted JV Coach Ray Brown. Pegged as 30-point underdogs by some, Coach Art Giovanna...