1994: Boys Overcome History and Adversity to Win it All

The 1993-'94 state champs, after knocking off Lebanon in the finals.

One week and a day after cheering on the girls’ basketball team in their amazing 1993-’94 championship run, it was the boys’ turn to pursue an elusive title. Many in Conval Nation wondered out loud about the possibility of both Cougar teams reigning as state champs. Tied with Lebanon for the best record in Class I (D2) at 17-1, the prospects of an impossible dream basketball monopoly couldn’t be ignored. But there would be no overconfidence with this bunch of warriors as they faced an incredibly painful tournament history and a cruel fate to one of its key players…

To fully appreciate the Conval boys’ second state championship in school history in March of 1994, you have to go back to a year earlier...

...And the year before that.

And even five seasons earlier in 1989.

Each year, the Cougars made it to the championship game as favorites. Each year, they bolted to early leads and looked every bit the part of champs. And each time, somehow, Merrimack Valley in 1993, Oyster River in 1992, and Merrimack Valley again in 1989, rallied from way back to shock the Blue and Gold when the final buzzer sounded.

A new season of high hopes always helps to put nightmares like those in the rear-view mirror, but for Conval and its loyal fans heading into the ’93-’94 tournament, that rear-view mirror feeling was hard to ignore.

And then there was this: Injuries creeping in at the worst possible time.

Just before the semi-finals with Milford, Jared Butson was on crutches with a badly sprained ankle. Brett LeFlem had tape wrapped around a sore foot. Brother Jaime LeFlem kept flexing a stiff hand. Most noticeable among the wounded, however, was captain Jon Hartzband—on crutches and his leg in a mobile cast after colliding with a Somersworth player during the third quarter of the quarterfinals.

“The last two years, we breezed to the finals, but this team has had to work so hard for everything this year,” said Hartzband while watching his teammates prepare for Milford. “Nothing’s come easy.” It was especially true for Hartzband, who along with his teammates had dedicated the 1993-’94 season to the memory of his dad, Roger, a victim of a freak accident at their home in the fall.

As always, however, Jon Hartzband had a smile on his face as he thought of his teammates’ resolve, commenting freely about how they rallied together to get the job done against Somersworth in the quarter-finals, 62-54. Teammate and friend Joey Hart, who helped carry the fallen captain off the floor that night, proceeded to take matters into his own hands. The 6’2” junior played inspired ball off the bench with two huge drives to the hoop late in the third period to give Conval a 48-40 advantage.

In the final frame, it was Jaime LeFlem (17 points, pictured after championship game), Hart (10 points) and teammates Kevin Chevalier (17 points), Carter Proctor and Dave Teixeira who picked up the slack. 

It was a winning attitude that was a mirror-image of a small piece of paper taped to the gym wall during the regular season. In big handwritten letters, TEAM, in little letters, me.

Win and move on. “Just two more games…” said Hartzband, not realizing how prophetic he would be.

The lead-up to the semi-finals with Milford had trouble written all over it: A big rival, and a very good team that Conval had beaten twice during the regular season. But after an anyone’s-ballgame contest at halftime, the Cougars blew the roof off in the second half to win going away, 59-33. For the third year in a row, the Conval boys’ basketball program was going to be back in the Class I championship.

Yay! And…gulp.

Just about everyone who was at UNH on that Saturday night of March 12, 1994, can remember where they were sitting, the deafening noise, and the pounding heart mixture of anticipation and that rear-view mirror lurking fear of history repeating itself. The showdown couldn’t have been better scripted—Number one Lebanon vs. number two Conval. The Raiders were the only team to defeat the Cougars during the regular season—the same team at which the boys had thrown down the gauntlet following the girls’ semi-final triumph over the Raiders two weeks earlier: “Boys are next!”

When Lebanon’s Chris Childs scored the game’s first two baskets, it looked like Conval might be playing on its heels to keep pace. But not so! The Cougars reeled off eight straight points, led by Jaime LeFlem and Carter Proctor, giving them a lead they would hold onto…until the game’s final 33 seconds.

Leading 16-7 after one, Conval went on a 7-0 run (pictured at right), sparked by tremendous rebounding by LeFlem and key baskets by Proctor and Teixeira to take a commanding 32-19 lead at halftime. The third quarter opened with a Jaime L. bucket to give Conval its largest lead of the game at 34-19.

Living large and in control and seemingly well on their way—where had we seen this three times before? Sure enough, the Raiders went on a huge 15-3 run that left the Cougars with a perilous 40-36 advantage heading into the final period.

For the first six and a half minutes, the back-and-forth action was crazy, with Conval’s lead never more than four and never fewer than two. Up by four with 1:33, Lebanon sharpshooter Nate Camp, who had been cold most of the night, nailed his third 3-pointer of the half to cut the lead to one, and when Andy Ditchfield tallied with just 33 ticks on the clock, Lebanon stunningly regained the lead, 49-48.

Instant replays of 1993, 1992, and 1989 nightmare endings were on everyone’s mind—except for the coaches and players.

Holding the ball for the last shot, the Cougars worked the ball around until Lebanon committed a non-shooting foul with just nine ticks on the clock. On the inbounds pass, Lebanon suddenly switched from man-to-man to zone defense, but Carter Proctor sniffed it out. He shouted out an adjustment code named “Reebok,” his teammates responded, and Proctor found LeFlem approaching the top of the key—five seconds left…the shot…nothing but net! Conval 50, Lebanon 49.

Looking for a miracle, Lebanon’s last second inbounds pass was intercepted by LeFlem, who dribbled around until he was fouled with less than a second remaining. And with two calm free throws through the net, the nightmare endings were broken and Conval High had secured its second state championship in history, 52-48.

The place was bedlam. Even long after the presentations were made, much of the army of Conval fans that had made the trip to Durham was in no hurry to leave. It was time to take it all in and celebrate. For once.

For both teams, though fierce rivals on the court, there was nothing but respect. After receiving the state championship plaque, Jaime led his teammates over to the Raider bench to congratulate and console the heartbroken Raiders. Conval, perhaps like no other team, knew exactly how they felt. “Conval’s a class team,” said Lebanon Coach Lang Metcalf afterwards, “but I thought we had them there at the end…until LeFlem stepped up big for them.”

“The last two years—I wanted the ball at the end,” said Jaime. “A three-year wait—but it’s all worth it!,” added Dave Teixeira. “We played our hearts out—it was a great win, simply intense,” said Joey Hart.

And there, too, amidst the mob of  hugs, tears, handshakes and shouting was Jon Hartzband (pictured), all smiles: “Awesome, man!” Up and down the bench, his teammates shared how the history of the past and the heartbreak of Jon losing his dad and his chance to play in the finals, were driving forces that could not be measured for their impact.

Believing that Jon’s dad was watching somewhere in the gym that night, Jaime LeFlem said, “Spiritually, I know he was here. I think he grabbed my last shot and made sure it got into the basket. I’m sure he was here tonight.”

The 1993-’94 Cougar boys were a talented, well-coached team on a mission—a team that believed it was getting help from Above. And when all was said and done, that was an unbeatable combination.

For one incredible, unforgettable season, Conval High’s amazing monopoly on boys’ and girls’ Class I basketball had become an impossible dream come true.