When it comes to athletics, very few teams at Alvirne have the level of success in recent memory as Alvirne’s boys’ basketball team. Coming into the season, Alvirne had made the playoffs six times in their past seven seasons, with 2021-22 being the team’s lone season missing the playoffs since 2016-17, with the team making a few runs to the Elite Eight in that span. Big things were expected from the Broncos again this season, as they had already been beating up on teams in summer leagues, winning a pair of them before tipping off the NHIAA portion of their season.
To start the season, the Broncos ran into some growing pains, and similarly to the girls, began the year at 1-3 after losses to Portsmouth and Pinkerton, a win against Exeter, and a loss to Nashua South. Heading into their Holiday Tournament, the Broncos knew that if they wanted to get back to the promised land, they’d need to rattle off some wins in the new year.
The Broncos, after a close loss to Windham coming out of the break, sought to get their footing solidified against Merrimack, and the Broncos did just that, clawing back to 2-4 on the season after a ten-point 54-44 victory at home.
They then turned their attention to a fellow 2-4 squad in the Winnacunnet Warriors. Alvirne proved in this game that they were not just any 2-4 team, and their record was greatly a product of playing a gauntlet of teams at the beginning of the season. Getting themselves back to .500 would be the first step in that process.
Unfortunately, that step would have to take a little longer than the Broncos would have liked, as the Trinity Pioneers bested Alvirne by 20, 57-37. With Alvirne sitting at 3-5, questions about their playoff probability were beginning to be raised. Things weren’t going to be easy for Alvirne, and even with 15 teams making the playoffs, it was hard to say if Alvirne could make it if they didn’t find some consistency down the stretch.
After beating Timberlane handily and losing to Keene, the only thing the Broncos were consistent at, to this point, was being inconsistent. They took care of Timberlane, who entered the game winless to that point, 69-50 in a game that was effortless for the Broncos, then they turned around and lost a tough battle at home against the Keene Blackbirds. 4-6 was certainly far from an ideal record, and Alvirne needed to string together some wins and quick.
Things began to turn around for Alvirne on the road at Bishop Guertin. Looking to avenge last season’s preliminary-round loss to the Cardinals, the Broncos took to the Guertin hardwood and took care of business against Bishop Guertin, winning 59-44 and getting themselves back to one game below .500.
Alvirne would then rattle off wins against Spaulding and Londonderry to get themselves back over .500 for the first time this season at 7-6. The playoffs were now in sight for the Broncos, as they had put themselves in a position where they controlled their own destiny with five games to play in the regular season.
After nearly upsetting Nashua North on the road, Alvirne quickly got themselves back over .500 with a 46-36 win on the road against Dover, and then they immediately followed that victory up with a 65-50 win over Salem at home to get themselves to 9-7.
Alvirne finished their regular season off by battling Bedford and losing by single digits just hours after Head Coach Leo Gershgorin tendered his resignation and Christian Patnaude was named interim Head Coach for the remainder of the season, and then they dropped a close battle with the Goffstown Grizzlies that allowed Goffstown to sneak into the playoffs as the 14th seed in the tournament by a final score of 50-49.
In the playoffs, Coach Patnaude picked up his first Varsity win as the Broncos emerged victorious 51-42, avenging their regular season loss to the Blackbirds of Keene, and sending the Broncos to the Elite Eight against the Bedford Bulldogs and a genuine chance to upset Bedford and move on to the Final Four.
Alas, despite their best efforts, the Broncos were unable to outlast the Bulldogs, dropping their quarterfinal matchup 69-51, ending their season as the number eight team in Division I. This season, starting with over 60 summer and fall league games, saw the Broncos face and overcome adversity, growing stronger with each challenge. Despite occasional defeats, the team’s maturity and resilience shone through, particularly in crucial playoff moments such as the thrilling victory over Keene in the first round. Coach Gershgorin’s focus on preparation had a clear impact, evident in standout performances against Bishop Guertin and Dover with that focus continuing under Coach Patnaude. Notably, the team’s adaptability and depth were highlighted by players stepping up in the face of injuries. This season marked a significant step for Alvirne basketball in Division I in New Hampshire.
