The Start of a Decade of Excellence

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The 1982-'83 Cougars of Coach Art Giovannangeli.

The 1982-83 Cougars began what was to be a highly successful year by defeating Goffstown in the season opener. Coach Arthur “Mr. Gio” Giovannangeli’s squad, led by the sharp shooting of Jack Ellerkamp and the inside strength of Todd Burgess, soon became one of the elite teams in Class I (now D2).

Late in the season, Conval momentarily moved into first place with a heart-stopping win over Pembroke that saw home fans storming the court in joy. After finishing the year 15-3, the boys earned a first-round bye in the state tournament, but saw their season abruptly end in the quarter-finals against Monadnock, 84-78. Monadnock, with a considerable height advantage that got the Cougars in foul trouble, was one of the three teams to defeat Conval during the regular season.

Nevertheless, that ‘82-‘83 team was part of a decade of excellence for Conval that included a state championship in 1986 and a runner-up in 1989.

Pictured from left are: Coach Giovannangeli, Jeff Fernald, Peter Faust, Mark Manha, Mark Wamser, Pete Crocker, Todd Burgess, Jack Ellerkamp, Mike Demers, Gerald Kelley, Chris Boothby, Steve Phelps, and manager Meg Cloutier. Not pictured: George Danforth.

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