Once upon a time, when teams like Campbell and Conant met in a boys high school basketball final, like they will at 3 p.m. Saturday at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, it was almost a clash of cultures.
Kids from Jaffrey – a geographically isolated town in a rural part of the state with a rich basketball tradition – going against kids from Litchfield, a small town surrounded by much larger ones and trying to build a reputation of its own.
But in reality, the two teams, 70 miles apart, know each other better than you’d think. They played twice during the regular season, and some of the players see each other in the offseason.
In fact, Campbell senior guard Max Gouveia played on an AAU team composed of most of Conant’s starting five.
“They are my buddies, my good friends,’’ Gouveia said. “I played with them all summer and know what they can do and can’t do.’’
Knowing is one thing, stopping is something else.![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
↧