Cougars clawing their way through D-II wilderness

MANCHESTER, NH – The Derryfield School girls basketball team, last year’s Division IV runner-up, is forging a new frontier up two divisions this season.

And forge they have.

The Cougars won four of their first seven games this campaign, and despite being edged by previously winless Souhegan, 37-35, Tuesday night, Derryfield head coach Courtney Cheetham said the setback painted a prime example of exactly why her team is embracing the increased competitiveness of Division II.

“I think it’s bigger than winning championships,” said Cheetham. “I think a game like tonight, we may have shown up like this last year and on most nights it was enough to win by 10 or 15, and this night it’s not enough, so I think there’s something to be said for having to work hard, and accountability, and I think you can teach through having to show up and compete every night against kids who are tough, strong and competitive.”

And losses like the one Derryfield suffered Tuesday often present an opportunity to learn and grow, added Cheetham.

After a 4-point first quarter, the Cougars bounces back with a 15-point second – including 7 of sophomore Tia Ferdinando’s game-high 13 points – to tie the game at 19 at halftime. They then produced matching eight-point quarters in the second half, but couldn’t land a shot the last 1:40 of the contest as Souhegan held on for its first victory of the season.

“I think sometimes kids, they make decisions before the game about what can or cannot happen, and I think Souhegan came in here ready to fight and it was a dogfight to the end, and they took advantage of that,” said Cheetham.

Derryfield is a strong team, and I think we got a little lucky as some of their kids were missing some shots, because we know they can shoot,” said Souhegan head coach Mike Vetack. “We know they can play, for sure, so we definitely weren’t thinking ‘oh, hey, this is a D-IV team, we’re going to beat them,” so I’d expect them to get a ton of wins the rest of the way.”

Junior Abby Fournier contributed 8 points in the losing effort, junior Sam Chappell produced 6 points, sophomore Chloe Bremberg had five, and senior captain Sarah Naje and sophomore Katie McCormick completed the scoring with 2 and 1 point, respectively.

As the Cougars look to get back on track, they’ll have three-straight matchups against sub .500 teams beginning this Friday night with a home contest against 2-5 ConVan at 6:30, followed by a Tuesday night road tip to 1-6 Sanborn for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff, and then a short trek to Manchester West High School to face the 1-6 Blue Knights at 5 p.m. next Friday, Jan. 27.

That three-game stretch is followed by two presumedly tough contests against 6-1 Laconia on Jan. 31 and the a road clash at 7-2 Milford on Feb. 2.

“We just have to keep getting better every day and see if we can be competitive at the end, and I definitely think we have the squad to do it,” said Cheetham. “They just have to get after it defensively, and I think they can. We have great athletes and great kids who just want to get better.”

“I think them, playing their best, can beat any of the teams we’ve seen,” said Vetack.