CONVAL HOOP HERITAGE

Another load of "Pete's Treats" is delivered to Avenue A in Antrim. C onval High’s basketball roots have not only had an impact on thousands of fans over the years, they’re reaching deep into our communities far beyond the basketball court. Through the efforts of the Steven W. Crowe Foundation (SCF) and former Cougar hoop star Pete Fontaine (’72), “Pete’s Treats” have benefitted the Avenue A teen and community center in Antrim with truckloads of snacks for hungry students. Tuesday night, a new shipment was delivered by the Foundation and members of the Fontaine family, all Conval alumni—wife Linda and son Chad of Newmarket, and son Kyle   (pictured below) of Peterborough. Son Casey was not able to attend. Pete Fontaine was a valued member of Conval basketball in the early ‘70s when his determination and rebounding skills helped the Cougars when they needed it most. Pete passed away last fall, but his memory lives on with his renowned giving to those in need. Avenue

I n the winter of 1954, “Attn. Coach Snow” was the local newspaper’s prompting of Peterborough High coach Dick Snow to pay attention to this hot-shot junior from Hancock High, Bud Adams. It marked the last year that Hancock High would field a team as the town opted to join Peterborough in the fall of 1954. “The Friday triumph scored at the expense of arch-rival Antrim stands a chance of becoming one of the most glorious in the school’s history,” wrote the Peterborough Transcript. “Bud Adams, clever HHS guard and a good hoop prospect for any schoolboy squad (he’s only a junior) scored no less than 31 points as his team set back Antrim on the latter’s court, 59-41. This was Hancock’s tenth game of the season, and their lone victory.” The last Hancock High squad was a young one, with only one senior, guard Forrest Weston . The others were sophomore forward Gale Hennessey and seventh grader (!) Butch Kimball , and center sophomore Bob Kierstead (who scored 18 points against Antrim). Co

A "Cave" welcome for Sam Davis ... Meanwhile, there was this kid (team is anonymous) who never got into the game last night but was the ultimate teammate and listened to the coach during time outs. He sat at the front of the bench instead of at the end. He was totally engaged, even though he never got in. Wow. Every team needs this guy. Someday, there will be a sweet "W" for varsity and a couple more for the JVs. But it's kids like this who are building for the future.

  W ith Rick Davis (40) and Fall Mountain defenders in his face, Dan Valley (44) grabs a rebound for the Conval High JVs  in the 1970-'71 season. In their first year of existence, the varsity, JV and freshmen boys finished a combined 40-18!

Steve Phelps and Conval fans celebrate 1984 state tournament quarter-final victory against Laconia. I n a game for the ages , the 1983-’84 Cougars (15-5) found themselves matched up with unbeaten Somersworth (20-0) in the state tournament final four. It was a tense game from the start before a packed house in Durham, and though their lead was a mere point in the final seconds, the Hilltoppers hung on for a 61-55 victory. But it was what happened afterwards that was the story within the story... On the near side of Lundhom gym, hundreds of proud CV followers rose to their feet and gave their team a standing ovation—appreciation not only for the season, but for the heart-stirring effort against the Class I (D2) eventual champions. But at the same time, the applause was directed at Somersworth. It was, you see, a fan’s ultimate game—great, intense sportsmanlike play by both teams. The kind of game where a fan doesn’t get irritated when the other team wins. Meanwhile, on the other side of

T he 1967-68 Peterborough High girls not only finished with an outstanding 13-1 record, they handed Nashua High its first loss in five years, 35-26. Wow! The Hilanders’ only loss was a squeaker to Nashua, 25-24.  Standing (back row, l-r): Coach Sharon Derby, Sherry Carbee, Becky Morgan, Mary Ann Cuddihee, Joyce Tilton and Joyce Jarest . Front row: Jane Stevens, Janie Hayes, Janet Newton, Kathy Descher, Wendy Peters and Wendy Carney.

Y ou’d never know the home team was still searching for its first win Friday night... There was a big crowd. The student section was there in force as usual. The cheerleaders were yelling and imploring the team from the get-go. Ryan Close (pictured at an earlier game) was his usual on fire self. But while two starters were injured and in street clothes, the kids on the bench—mostly freshmen and sophomores, and junior Ryan Wilson —were called upon to fill the gap. And did they ever. The bench chanted “de-fense!” and players scrapped and clawed for loose balls. And even when the game became out of reach, there were never any signs of dejection or “we give up.” Good to know that the long-standing pride of Conval Nation was in full force. And while we can’t help but think of all those winning teams of the past, Someday, we know we’ll see that first W (boys and girls) go into the books like a championship. Until then, keep doing what you did tonight…never give up!

1927-28 Peterborough High School squad began a string that may never be duplicated…Front from left: Joseph Emery, Assistant Coach Philander Mann, Harold “Jim” Clinton, Lawrence Carll, Coach Gordon L. Fox, Warren Smith. Back row from left: Lester Smith, Merrill Dole, Paul Myhaver, Robert Paquet, Wallace Flood, Arthur Smith, Harry Brenner. W e’ve run this photo before, but its message is more timely than ever. Because the destiny of this Conval hoop heritage team had Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots written all over it—a legend that began 95 seasons ago, and not on an NFL football field but on small town basketball courts… On February 19, 1928, the Peterborough High boys scored what the local paper described as: “Probably the greatest victory in the history of basketball at the local school”   when it went on the road and won 18-15 over Keene High. “It was undoubtedly the best game of basketball that has been seen on the Keene floor this year, and was attended by the larges

I n the 1963-’64 season, the Peterborough High girls basketball team quietly compiled its second straight 7-2 season. A remarkable achievement that was so quiet, unlike today, hardly anyone noticed. Coach Barbara Rowe felt her team was “entitled to at least an athletic energy” for the performance. Yet, as the Peterborough Transcript reported, “the girls play to minuscule audiences, and have none of the fanfare, publicity or public attention that go to other sports and activities. There are no dramatic reverberations when the team takes off quietly for the away games, or when it is playing at home.” What happened? Unlike today, girls’ basketball up until 1970 hardly resembled the fast-paced five-on-five style exhibited by the boys. The girls’ game was six-on-six, with three forwards who could score on one half of the court while three defensive guards stayed on their own half of the court until the opposition crossed it. One player for each team was considered a rover and could travel

Hunter Burgess, in 1989 Class I (D2) championship vs. Merrimack Valley. L ike a lot of high schools , athletic success at Conval has often been associated with family roots that run deep. The mom or dad starred at multiple sports many years ago, and their kids followed in their footsteps. Many of the great family names at Conval High have come, excelled and graduated (at least on the courts or playing field), but one name from the 1980s and his kids are still going strong: Hunter Burgess ’89. Son Casey (’17) ran x-country, baseball and basketball, son Zach ( ’21) was a member of the basketball as well as the state champion boys’ soccer teams of 2018 and 2019, and daughter Allie (’25) is currently a standout for the girls’ soccer squad. Hunter had his own siblings who stood out at Conval, beginning with basketball 1,000 point scorer, the late Todd Burgess in the early ‘80s. Later as a freshman, Hunter and senior brother Clint helped lead the Cougars to the school’s first-ever stat

The game after the first loss of the season, Jaime LeFlem scored 24 points as the Cougars rallied past Pembroke, February 1994. C an you imagine? S o many fans in Lebanon wanted to see the late season 1993-94 game between once-beaten Lebanon and unbeaten Conval that 300 fans were turned away! Down nine in the first quarter of a pulsating, tournament-like game, Conval rallied to lead 41-38 heading into the final frame. However, foul trouble combined with foul shot accuracy—Lebanon tallied 25 points from the charity stripe!—drove the host Raiders to a 75-66 win. But it was the next game that was the stuff of which winners are made. Conval fought off highly-regarded Pembroke and legendary coach Ed Close’s valiant attempt to put them to sleep and make them think about their only loss. Pembroke worked a successful slow-down, with CV up only 20-18 at the half. What eventually did in the Spartans’ strategy, though, were two familiar weapons: the continual wave of quality Cougar players insert