CONVAL HOOP HERITAGE

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 ...

A young Dave Gavitt (with ball) in Peterborough with teammates Bernie Cutter (left) and Ron Bailey, and as legendary coach at Providence College. I n the 1954-55 season, Peterborough High School enjoyed its finest year since the 1941 state champions. The Hilanders, paced by Wayne Crowell, Ron Bailey, Gary Brown , former Hancock High standout Bob Kierstead (Hancock had just begun sending its high school students to PHS), and a kid named Dave Gavitt , finished the regular season 14-2 and won the Monadnock League Championship. Highly ranked in the Class B state tournament, the Hilanders were heavy favorites against St. John of Concord (now Bishop Brady) in the first round. The Green and White seemed well on their way to the quarter-finals, holding a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Then, as the Peterborough Transcript reported, “everything went wrong. Not a tally was scored by the luckless Hilanders until co-captain Gavitt netted a desperation two points after six minutes o...

Photo: The old Boston Garden; fromtheseat.co m D id you know that Conval once played a regular season game at Boston Garden? On December 3, 1976, the Cougars opened their season by taking on Exeter High in the old Garden (pre-TD Bank Garden) on Causeway Street. The game was arranged months in advance through the efforts of the Exeter athletic department. Three busloads of spectators plus numerous cars traveled to the game, which was a prelim to the Celtics game that night against the Chicago Bulls. Coach Ray Richard noted afterwards, “ We could hardly tell they were there because the Garden is so big.” It was an exciting experience for all, but Coach Richard said afterwards he was glad the Cougars didn’t play there every game—it was difficult to communicate with players in such a cavernous facility, the perception of the basket in a large building affected outside shooting, and then there was the infamous irregular bounces produced by the ancient parquet floor. The much taller Exeter ...

Coach Red Auerbach and the Celtics at what is now the PES gym, 1956 . T he very first basketball game played in the Conval High gym was on October 12, 1970 when the Boston Celtics came for a pre-season intrasquad exhibition. It proved to be a highly successful pep club fundraiser for spectator buses to away games. What is often forgotten, however, is that the 1970 visit repeated an historic event that occurred on October 5, 1956 when the Celtics also played the very first basketball game in the "new" Peterborough High (now PES) gymnasium. It was a beautiful facility for its day, but it had no bleachers. So, as in 1970, the 1956 visit by the Celtics was a fundraiser to purchase bleachers. The Celtics, led by Coach Red Auerbach, came to town thanks to the efforts of PHS Coach Dick Dart. Tickets were $1.50 and $1 for students.  Most of the team arrived that Friday afternoon. The Peterborough Transcript reported,  “ Some local boys were eating at the Diner before the game when se...