RallyNorth.net

Sun, Mar 09, 2008 04:00 AM @ Pinkerton

Team	1	2	3	4	Final
Playoff Game
Salem	6	14	20	16	56
Pinkerton	8	10	15	14	47

Salem in good hands with ‘Steady Freddie’

Monday, March, 10 By Hector Longo
Staff writer

DURHAM, N.H. | Salem High point guard Josh Frederico won't say he has the "green light" to shoot from coach E.J. Perry. The top-seeded Blue Devils can be thankful that the gritty senior blew through a flashing yellow yesterday in the Class L quarterfinals against Pinkerton.

Unbeaten in-state, Salem was treading water, barely holding off the frisky Astros, 44-42, inside the final three minutes.

The Pinkerton student section was on its feet and the Astros were rolling, with upset on their minds. Enter the 5-foot-9 Frederico, who was 0 for 3 from the field until that point.

The senior blew by his man into the paint, drew the defense, then looped a six-foot fallaway over 6-foot-6 Zach Mathieu and company. The hoop stopped the hemorrhaging and propelled Salem to the hard-fought 56-47 win.

Typical "Freddie," as he is known to his mates, doing just like he'd been schooled to do.

"It's instinct," said Frederico. "I saw the opportunity, and God willing I hit it. I think I've probably got the green light, but I prefer to pass, to get the other guys to score. It's how our offense runs."

There was one question mark when practice opened in December.

The scorers, Josh Jones and Mike Kimball, were back and ready to roar.

The unselfish big men, Shawn Stoodley and Dan Kinney? Twenty points and twenty rebounds a night, all present and accounted for.

And the state's premier sixth man, Kevin Sledge, again returned, just begging to get under the skin of the opposition.

Graduation stripped Perry's club of a top-notch point guard in Chris Voukides.

All that was left in the cupboard were sophomore Alex LaRosa and Frederico.

LaRosa, a dead-eye long-range shooter, is a good one with tremendous upside. His day will come.

And then there was Frederico, untested but undeterred. Perry loved his spunk and desire.

Here's a kid who was axed from the freshman team and came clawing back to Perry and his coaches, begging to find out what it would take to play in the program.

Frederico took the opportunity and ran with it.

There he was on the floor yesterday, harassing a good one in Pinkerton's Colby Verge from baseline to baseline.

"Freddie's been that way all year," said Perry. "I keep telling people, he's in the top 3-4 point guards in the state. He doesn't turn the ball over and he plays tremendous defense, as we saw today."

Finishing with five points, seven rebounds, six assists, four steals and just two turnovers, Frederico played the entire game.

Never did he let his mates get rattled.

"It's basketball, I've been playing it since I was a little kid," said Frederico. "I love playing in front of my family, all the fans. It's great out here."

With Frederico in charge, the Blue Devils stand a good chance of being out there two more times. Next step is the state semis on Wednesday night against fourth-seeded Manchester Central.

The early favorite for 2009? Is Pinkerton Academy the early favorite in the race for the 2009 Class L championship?

Coach Pete Rosinski's club, which turned in a commendable effort in taking top-seeded Salem to the brink yesterday, returns its four key pieces from this year's 12-11 team (11-9 Class L).

Top scorer Beau Cassidy (17.4 ppg.) and the nifty point guard Colby Verge (9.7) are only juniors, while big men Zach Mathieu (11.5) and Ben Proulx (8.4) just finished off superb sophomore campaigns.

Even Salem, which brings back all-state types Mike Kimball and Josh Jones, can't match that on paper. Neither can Trinity High and spectacular soph Jordan LaGuerre. Tourney tidbits

Last night's other two results in Class L boys quarterfinal play: No. 2 Trinity 61, No. 10 Alvirne 51; No. 11 Spaulding 56, No. 3 Exeter 51. …

Salem coach E.J. Perry on the Sledge effect: "It's was a tremendous effort by Kevin Sledge (9 points). You get Sledgy in there and the ball starts moving." …

Manchester Central coach Dave "Doc" Wheeler on Wednesday night's semifinal showdown with Salem: "We're not going to hold them to seven in a half. You hear all the coaches want a crack at them. Everybody thinks they can beat them, but no one has."

Additional stories:

• Halfway Home: No. 1 Salem finds some energy, staves off Astros