Friday Night Lights - Best Game of the Regular Season

 Here's a bit more information about Friday night's Varsity home game at 7:00 against Manchester Central:  It is by any dispassionate estimation, potentially the most high level and entertaining regular-season match of the high school season. It matches two teams that over the last decade have been the very best in New Hampshire by any metric.  It's not "must win".  Both teams, currently ranked second and third in Division One standings, are good bets to hold onto a top four spot regardless of the outcome for Friday's game. Both may very well be meeting again in a few weeks at Stellos Stadium. Without the urgency of "win or go home", the match has the potential to be a bit more open and free-flowing.  Both teams lost 1-0 to Nashua South.  Both are pretty certain that on another day, the results might be different. 

Hanover and Central have been going at each other since Hanover first made the jump to Division One ten years ago.  In 2012, their first year, Central was the clear top Dog in Division One.  They had been to the finals in three straight years, and won in 2009 and 2011.  Three games into the 2012 season, innocent little Hanover strolled into Gill Stadium and upset the Little Green 1-0.  As the season went on, Hanover continued to excel, and after beating Londonderry in the semifinals on a far post header by freshman Jonas Taenzer, the then-Marauders met Central in the finals and lost 2-1.  The following year, 2013, Hanover beat Central in the regular season and ran the table, finishing 19-0-1 and winning the Championship.  Central lost in the semifinals to Alvirne. Central made it to the finals and lost in 2014, 2017 and 2018.  Hanover played Central in the semifinals in 2018 and lost 4-0.  The following year, Hanover and Central played an epic match in the semifinals, held at Memorial High School.  Hanover led 2-0, lost two starters to injuries, saw Central tied the match at 2-2, and then prevailed on penalties.  Hanover went on to beat Bedford in the 2019 finals, also on penalties.  Due to COVID, Hanover and Central didn't meet.  Both teams lost to eventual champion Windham in the playoffs.  Now, they meet again!

We would love to invite every other player in the program to come. We're all part of the same program. We would also love to have everyone going bring an item or two of non-perishable food.  We're collecting for the Haven Food Pantry, and with a good turnout, we can make a great donation.  

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