2026 HOTH Championship Game

6:30pm

#2 Rockingham Roofing  vs.  #4 Ryder Electric 

2026 HOTH Playoffs - Round 2

Game 1 - 6:30pm

#1 Anderson & Son Carpentry  vs.  #4 Ryder Electric 

Game #2 - 7:45pm

#2 Rockingham Roofing  vs.  #3 Bearded Baking Company

2026 HOTH Playoffs - Round 1

Game 1 - 6:30pm

#3 Bearded Baking Company  vs.  #6 J&B Butcher 

Game #2 - 7:45pm

#4 Ryder Electric  vs.  #5 INGU

Week 9 Recap

Hard to believe that there is only one week left in the regular season…and as you’d expect some of the playoff seeding is already starting to take shape. The #1 and #2 seeds (Anderson & Son Carpentry and Rockingham Roofing) are locked-in which means they will each enjoy an opening round bye in the playoffs. INGU has done a fine job wrapping up the #6 seed, so all that’s left is to figure out 3-5. Teams seem to be getting healthier…Morrissey back from his pussy knee, Russell back from his pussy nose, Bernier back from whatever body part was ailing him, and Jim Hall not even missing a game due to his pussy arm being fractured in week 8…stud! Hoping that Casi’s Achilles isn’t as bad as it appeared last week. Also hoping that Terry Crump enjoyed his pilgrimage to the homeland (Ireland) and that he’s not too pickled to remember how to coach.      

Game 1:  Ryder Electric 59  vs.  INGU 45 

Ryder Electric came into this game needing a win to stay in the hunt for a top two seed after coming off a tough loss the week before at the hands of J&B Butcher. They came out hot and enjoyed a 9-point lead at the half – but then the third period happened. For some reason, the third period has been the Twilight Zone for a lot of teams this season. Inexplicably low scoring totals and surrendering leads. Ryder Electric could only manage 8 points and let INGU right back into the game entering the final period. But a whole lotta Rob Ashe and Brian Ducharme free throws and buckets from just about everyone else on the team helped to put the smack down and Ryder Electric was able to pull away winning by 14.  Big game from Patrick O’Day who led all scorers with (17), Brian Ducharme added (10), Big Shot Rob Ashe (8), Barry Mac (7), Big Boys Dave Hersey and Kevin Young (6) each, and Bobby Dudal (4). For cellar dwellers INGU, Pat DiNino remains the lone bright spot continuing to lead the league in scoring with (14) in this game. Dave Russell is starting to come on strong and added (11), Freddy (10), Gumby (6), and T-MAC (4). Civil War veteran Tommy Ferrari contributed 2 fouls. Hack.

Game 2:   Anderson & Son Carpentry 60  vs.  J&B Butcher 38

This game went about the way you’d expect it to. High-flying first place Anderson & Son Carpentry against a J&B Butcher team that’s been playing better lately but can still struggle to score against a good defense. And the Carpenters have a VERY good defense – leading the league in points against. That said, this game was surprisingly close at the half with J&B only trailing by 6 points. But huge second half 34-17 blitz from the Carpenters resulted in an easy 22-point victory. Nice to see these guys playing so well despite losing Larry Sankey for the season and battling through key injuries to Bernier and Hall. No excuses. For the winning Anderson & Son Carpentry team, everyone who played contributed. Action Jackson continued his extremely strong season and led all scorers with (14), Red Shoes Garone (12), a resurgent Captain Anderson (11), Jim Hall and his fractured arm (10), Shiver me Timbers Roger Hardy (5), and then Bernier and the pride of South Lawrence Massachusetts Billy “Keep Shooting” Chasse (4) each. For J&B Butcher, it was the Adam Young show for most of the game dropping (13) thanks to four 3-pointers. Paulie B added (11), Ernie Tiede had a slow night with (6), Ganem (4) and my Paisano buddy Anthony Serino (2). Mullins missed a chance to be in the box score by missing both of his free throws. Turd.

Game 3:   Rockingham Roofing 81  vs.  Bearded Baking Company 76 (OT)

Rockingham Roofing is not afraid to score points – averaging 65.5 ppg – by far best in the league. They’re also not shying about giving up points…their 465 points-against is second worst in the league behind only J&B Butcher. Poor defense is not a good recipe for winning in the playoffs and although they won this game, giving up 76 points a blowing a late lead is not how Coach Pumpkin drew things up. Looking to avenge their loss to the Bearded Bakers earlier in the season when they gave up a season high 69 points, the Roofers came out sluggish and trailed 18-11 after the first period. But 49 combined points over the next 2 periods gave them a 6-point advantage heading into the final frame. Things were looking swell with under a minute to go and the combination of KANE! And Malinowski rallied the troops to tie things at 70 and the game went into overtime – just what Danny and Will wanted for the final game of the night. Big buckets from Gary #1 and clutch free throw shooting from everyone’s favorite DB Dennis Breton capped an 11-point OT period and the Roofers escaped with a well-earned, but nearly disastrous victory. For team Tripodi, Snyder had his best game of the season with (27) and had considerable support from the likes of Gary #1 (20), Keith Therrien (14) and a bunch of boards, DB (11), Pitre (10) and Wheels the dreaded (1). That’s five guys in double figures if you’re keeping track. For team Green, Malinowski had a monster game with (28), Steenson (13), KANE! (12), Bearded Buatti (11), Greggy Tats (9), and Murph (2).

Week 7 Recap

It sucks that we lost the week 6 games due to a slippery floor at the gym – and even more so because my team won, ending a two-game skid. Dammit!   But week 7 went off without a hitch and the standings are now officially all sorts of bunched up. Anderson & Son Carpentry have all but assured themselves of a first-round bye and everyone else is either 3-3 or 2-4. One of these weeks, we’ll have everyone show up for their game. Also, I’m not going to lie – I’m nervous about the floors for this week’s game as well. On to the results!   

Game 1:   J&B Butcher 74  vs.  Rockingham Roofing 67 

I’m not going to say this game was ugly, but Rockingham Roofing gave up 74 points to a last place team on a four-game losing streak averaging 51 points per game. OK it was ugly. Rockingham exploded out of the gates with 26 points in the first period – but also gave up 19. Still, a 38-30 lead at the half should have been easy enough to hold on to – but then the second half happened and Keith’s clowns started off on a 16-3 run that the Roofers would never be able to come back from. I’d like to blame this loss squarely on the fact that Gary #1 was missing, but the reality is that 67 points scored should get you a win every day of the week in this league – especially this year with scoring at a premium…but that didn’t happen. Why? Because our defense SUCKED. Credit to the guys on J&B – they set plenty of picks to get guys open and made their shots when they had to, fought for rebounds and hustled for loose balls. J&B got (28) from a red-hot Ernie Tiede who simply couldn’t miss…and then had great complimentary scoring from practically everyone else – Paulie B (13), John Ganem (12), Casi (10), Adam Young (7), and Francis (4). For the Roofers, it was Snyder and Pitre with (20) each, followed closely by Kieth Therrien who had (15), Wheels added (7) and everyone’s favorite DB had (5).

Game 2:   Anderson & Son Carpentry 41  vs.  Ryder Electric 39

Best game of the night by a long shot…even though it was incredibly low scoring, which seems to be par for the course in the league this year. And this game would suffer because the Electricians were missing very tall Patrick O’Day and Barry Mac – while Anderson’s team would be missing the relocated Larry Sankey and most of Mike Bernier who is still recovering from his nasty injury earlier in the season. Tres game was a back-and-forth affair for most of the evening with the Carpenters holding a 3-point lead going into the 4^th period. And they tried like hell to give the game away by missing 5 of their 7 free throws in crunch time. But Ryder Electric could only muster a couple Hersey 3’s and 4 points from Brian and it just wasn’t enough. For Anderson’s winning squad, it was Jim Freaking Hall who led the way with (14) points, Action Jackson (8), Aye Roger Hady (6), Red Shoes Garone and Classy Billy Chasse (4) each, Captain Anderson (3), and Dan Murray (2). For the losers, it was no surprise Brian Ducharme leading his team with (17), Big Boy Dave Hersey (8), Big Shot Rob Ashe and over 40 league Commish Kevin Young (6) each…and Captain Bobby Clarke added (2). Nice to see Mike Bernier back in action giving his sore calf a try – even if he did have to come out early. Something tells me he’ll be ready come playoff time.

Game 3:   Bearded Baking Company 51  vs.  INGU 37

Once I heard that Pat DiNino was going to be out for INGU, I said – game over. I was right…but it wasn’t as lopsided as one might think. The return of Gumby from his pussy knee, Dave Russell from his pussy nose, and Captain Kent Anson from the pussy Midwest were all welcome signs for his squad. Plus, Donnie Bell’s spankin’ new Jayson Tatum kicks, Tom Ferrari’s body armor and Freddy’s hairy shoulders - maybe INGU would have a shot. And they came out firing and built a 15-13 after the first period with Russell, Bell and Ferrari taking charge. But only 22 points for the rest of the game (versus 38 from the Bearded Bakers) doomed them. Terry’s team of leprechauns (they are green after all) has seemingly found their own pot of gold winning 3 of their last 4 games and getting scoring from practically everyone on the roster. And this game was no different. Malinowski was the top scorer with (10), team sponsor “Beardless” Mark Buatti (8), four – that’s right, count ‘em, four guys had (7) each – KANE!, Murph, Steenson and Greggy Tats. And Johnny Rock added (5). For INGU – this is kinda weak – no double-digit scorers. Best buddies Gumby and Dave Russell had (9) each, T-Mac and T-Ferrari (6) each, Donnie Bell (4) and Freddy (3).  It’s alright Fred, I have hairy shoulders too.

Week 5 Recap

My team lost two weeks ago and that’s why there was no write up last week. I know that’s what you’d all like to think. So, we decided to go out and lose again this week just to prove you all wrong – because here’s your week 5 recap pusscakes. A lot has changed in the league since I last put pen to paper. Ryder Electric coming on strong with 3 wins in a row. Anderson & Son Carpentry staying on top of the league despite losing their #1 pick Mike Bernier to injury. The Bearded Bakers are officially this season’s Jeckel & Hyde team because they can’t figure out who they are or when things are going to happen. J&B Butcher losing 4 straight after winning week 1 with only 5 dudes (maybe you should play yourself more Mullins). Team INGU plagued by the injury/attendance bug but staying afloat thanks to leading MVP candidate Pat DiNino. And lastly Rockingham Roofing – on top of the league after 3 weeks and now clearly searching for their own identity after two brutal losses in a row. On to the results!   

Game 1:  Ryder Electric 47  vs.  Bearded Baking Company 30 

Welcome to the Brian Ducharme experience. I’m not saying he single-handedly won the game for Ryder Electric – but he held impressive looking rookie Tim Malinowski and his 17.5 ppg average to zero points for the game. And wouldn’t you know, Ryder Electric won by 17. Don’t worry Tim – you’re not the first person it’s happened to, and you won’t be the last. To give you an idea of how putrid this game was at the beginning, the score was 9-5 after the first period and 19-14 at the half with the Bearded Bakers actually on top! That would be the last time team green enjoyed a lead, because their offense went right in the crapper and they scored only 11 points the REST OF THE GAME! Momentum really changed in the second half on three big threes from big Dave Hersey (say that fast three times). A 21-point outburst in the third period was more than enough to put the game out of reach and the Electricians cruised to an easy victory. Dave Hersey was the leading scorer for Ryder Electric with (13), Ducharme added (11) to go along with his smothering defense, B-Mac had (7), Bobby D and Patrick O’Day (5) each, Big Shot Rob Ashe and KY (3) apiece and Jimmy White got in the scorebook with the dreaded (1) point.  The very ugly stat line for the Bearded Bakers reads as follows…Buatti on top with (8), Steenson (7), Greggy T (5), Johnny Rock (4), Murph and KANE! With (2) each. Nice to see over 40 Commish Kevin Young back in action after having his pussy appendix removed just before the start of the season. Don’t get too comfortable – we play you in two weeks. Hey Murph – we’ll be holding layup drills next Wednesday night during school vacation for anyone interested…just sayin. Love you man!

Game 2:  Anderson & Son Carpentry 60  vs.  Rockingham Roofing 48

With Mike Bernier out (and here’s hoping he’s able to return this season) after suffering a non-contact leg injury in week 4, surely Rockingham Roofing would have the upper hand in this game, right? Wrong. A 5-point first quarter put the Roofers squarely behind the 8-ball and they were really never able to recover. Sketchy defense, lack of ball movement and a bunch of missed shots were just the beginning for Captain Pumpkins team. There were turnovers, missed defensive assignments, zero rebounding, and sense of malaise that wasn’t apparent during the first 3 weeks of the season. And Orange Crush took advantage by putting together a really solid game from start to finish. They clearly wanted it more and it showed in their consistent play, scoring 14, 16, 15, 15 across all 4 periods. Now that's balance. Anderson’s winning squad was led by Red Shoes Garone and Action Jackson who had a lucky (13) each, Larry (8), Roger Hardy (which BTW sounds like a pirate name) and Captain Anderson had (6) apiece, (5) each for Classy Billy Chasse and Jim Hall, and (4) for Dan Murray. That’s a solid team effort right there. For the Roofers, Snyder had (13), Gary #1 (10), everyone’s favorite DB and my new pickleball partner (8), Keith Therrien back on the bus with (7), Pitre (6) which is divisible by 3, and Gary #2 added (4). A word of advice to Action Jackson – complaining to the refs about a non-foul call on the commissioner (me) late in the game will surely get you T’d up every day of the week. Enjoy starting next game on the bench! And yes, I’m being extremely petty because we got our asses kicked, but I’m not going to lie - do feel a bit better. Little victories.

Game 3:   INGU 58  vs.  J&B Butcher 36

Welcome back Captain Kent Anson…to your team of wounded warriors. The bench looks more like an infirmary with Morrissey, Brown and Russell all nursing a variety of legitimate ailments – Gumby’s knee, AB’s hand, and Russell’s nostrils. Despite the lack of reserves, INGU can still field a starting 5 of dudes who are 6 foot-plus and led by Pat DiNino. And you know what else doesn’t hurt...jumping out to an 18-3 lead after the first period. An Adma you basket and a Rob Winmill free throw are all J&B could show for their first 10 minutes of work Wednesday night. There were some pretty crappy performances by other teams, but yours was the crappiest – so congratulations for that. Up 31-14 at the half, Kent’s Kids had no problem salting this game away for an easy victory. Missing Ernie Tiede definitely hurt J&B’s chances in this game, but I don’t think even he could have saved them from themselves. For INGU, no surprise it was Pat DinNino leading all scorers on the night with (19), a resurgent Fred Malcolm who clearly has been taking shooting tips from his grandson added (15), T-Mac and Don Bell had (9) each, Ferrari fouled his way to (4) and Captain Anson (2) in his triumphant return. J&B Butcher saw an outstanding performance from Adam Young who had possibly a career high (17), Paulie B (8), Francis and Casi (4) each, John Ganem (2), and rookie Rob Winmill with the unfortunate (1). During a week when other teams had period point totals of 4, 5, 5, 5, and 7,  the 3-points J&B scored in the first period marked a season low for futility. Good grief.

Week 3 Recap

Well, well, well…what a difference a week makes. The two winless teams are no longer winless…and the two undefeated teams, yeah there’s only one left now. All three games were fairly close this week, suggesting the league might in fact be more evenly matched than we first thought. Let’s break it down…on to the results!   

Game 1:  Rockingham Roofing 56  vs.  INGU 47 

Captain Tripodi’s Rockingham Roofing squad was looking to keep their undefeated season alive but would have to do so without Gary #1 who was out this week. Enter Gary #2 who seized the opportunity to start and turned in one of his best games…ever? Sadly, INGU was missing a bunch of key players due to various ailments (pussy knee, pussy nose, pussy hand)…but they still took the court and really played their asses off considering they only had 5 guys. In fact, they took it right to Rockingham off the opening tip with Big Pat DiNino and Tim McDonald feasting down low while the Roofers had their heads directly up their asses and couldn’t hit a shot to save their lives. Down 7 after the first period, things didn’t get much better for Rockingham in the second and they found themselves down by 8 at the midway point. But the second half was a completely different game, and Rockingham did what they do best…run. A 23-point outburst of steals, fast-breaks, layups and hustle points erased the 8-point deficit 3 minutes into the third period and they never looked back. Up by as many as 14 in the final period, things got a little tight with some questionable ball management by Rockingham and no-quit grit from INGU…but cooler heads prevailed and the victory was secured. Yours truly had (21) to set the pace for Rockingham, Dennis Breton added (10) and played tremendous defense, Pitre and his disgusting eye added (8), Gary #2 (7) and some serious hustle points, Wheels (5), Keith Therrien only (3) but that doesn’t tell the full story of his impact on the game rebounding, defense down low, and fighting for loose balls. And Captain Pumpkin had (2).  For INGU, no surprise Pat DiNino led all scorers with (22), Freddy having a nice season so far with (12), T-MAC (11), and welcome back Don Bell (2). Every Starter for INGU had 4 fouls except for nice-guy T-Mac who curiously had zero. What a Gentleman…Ferrari would have gladly taken your unused fouls.

Game 2:  Ryder Electric 57  vs. J&B Butcher 48

Ryder Electric came into this game looking for their first win – while not having a full team for the first two games. And week 3 would be no different – missing big man and difference maker Patrick O’Day. But they’d be facing a J&B Butcher team that had a miraculous win in week 1 and were kinda exposed in week 2 by Rockingham Roofing – so which version would show up for Captain Mullins? That would be the latter. Ryder Electric jumped out to a 22-10 lead in the first quarter on the heels of Big Boy Brian Ducharme, Big Shot Rob Ashe, and Bigger Big Shot Dave Hersey. They were never seriously challenged after that as the Butchers struggled to score the ball all night. Methinks that J&B will be challenged to defend teams with speed – just sayin’. Ducharme led all scorers with (17) and had a lot of help from the aforementioned Big Shot Brothers Ashe and Hersey with (13) apiece. B-Mac (who thankfully found a shirt that fit him) chipped in (6), and the two Bobby’s had (4) each. You’ve got Big Shots, Big Boys, Barry, Bobby #1, Bobby #2, Brian. That’s a lot of B’s and you guys are yellow. Nice win for the Killer B’s. The J&B boys in Carolina Blue could only muster one double digit scorer – Paulie B had (10), Casi and Adam Young (9) each, Ernie (8), Rookie Rob Winmill with the nice new shoes (6), John Ganem (4), and Francis (2).

Game 3:  Bearded Baking Company 62  vs.  Anderson & Son Carpentry 57

Let’s see….undefeated, high-flying Anderson & Son Carpentry coming off a game where they scored 87 freakin points versus a winless Bearded Baking team that scored a record low 28 last week. Easy choice, right? As the great Lee Corso says…Not So Fast! This was a good game from start to finish…and dare I say, unexpected. The Bearded Bakers had a decent first half but not mind blowing by any stretch. Instead it was Anderson’s Orange Crush that looked more like Orange Crash in the first half only scoring 18 total points after scoring more than 20 in each period last week! They turned up the offense in the second half scoring 38, but Terry’s Team was right there to match them scoring 38 of their own and salting away the win. For the Bearded Bakers, rookie Tim Malinowski showed why he was a first-round pick scoring (17) but impacting the game on so many other fronts with his court awareness and hustle. Steenson was a big help with (14), Team Sponsor Buatti had (10), KANE! (9), Murph-dog (6), Greggy T (4), and Johnny Rock (2). For Orange, Red Shoes Garone and unsung hero Jim Hall each had (14), Action Jackson (11), Mike Bernier (9), Roger the Hardy Boy (5), and Classy Billy Chasse and Captain Anderson (2) each. I think Anderson & Son Carpentry really missed Larry Sankey in this game. I’ve had the privilege of being his teammate a few times and while he’ll never lead your team in scoring, he does so many other things that don’t show up on the scoresheet that affect the game. The ultimate glue-guy who easily could have been the difference in a 5-point loss. Captain Terry Crunmp was seen visibly exuding a sigh of relief after this game realizing that he may, in fact, have something to look forward to this season if his boys keep playing the way they did in this game. If I could only say the same about the fucking Red Sox.

Week 2 Recap

It’s only week 2 but the drama has already begun. We’ve got injuries, operations, broken bones, high-scoring highs, and low-scoring lows. Depending on where you sit, this season is off to a great start (Orange, Black), you’re still optimistic (Blue, White), or you’re considering alternative plans for Wednesday evenings (Green, Yellow). On to the results!   

Game 1:  Anderson & Son Carpentry 87  vs.  Ryder Electric 59 

Wow…87 points in an over 50 league game might just be a record. Anderson & Son Carpentry have put the rest of the league on notice that they mean business. They’ve won handily two weeks in row – first without Mike Bernier, and now without Mike Garone. Anderson’s crew scored 20+ points in every period this week. To be fair, Ryde Electric was missing #1 overall pick Brian Ducharme and fellow starter Kevin Young who is recovering from a missing appendix. Missing two starters that are also your two youngest guys is a lot to shoulder what is quite possibly the oldest team in the league. But with age comes experience and just because every starter is over 60 doesn’t mean you can’t win. but Coach Anderson’s team like to push the pace and they jumped out to a 24-12 lead after the first period – and really never looked back after that going -wire-wire for any easy win. But what really stood out was the Old Ball Coach himself leading his team in scoring. Yes, you heard that correctly…it was turn back the clock night for one Mr. Craig Anderson who hit 5 3-pointers on his way to (19) points and a spot on the league leaderboard for PPG. Well done sir! And he had plenty of help despite missing Fireman Mike….Whoa Nelly I’m talking about Craig Jackson who had (14), Over 40 champion Jim Hall, who’s not sneaking up on anyone anymore (13), Mike Bernier (12),  Roger Hardy with a career best (10), Over 40 champion Larry Sankey (9), The Pride of South Lawrence Massachusetts Classy Billy Chasse (6), and Dan Murray (4). I don’t know if a more equitable point distribution could be possible. On the other side, rookie Patrick O’Day turned in a solid performance with a game high (21), Big Shot Rob Ashe rebounded after a tough opening start to score (14), secret weapon Dave Hersey had (13) in his return to action, Barry Mac added (9), and the other Old Ball Coach Bobby Clark had (2). It will be interesting to see how Ryder Electric play when they are whole for the first time…and if the ‘Orange Crush’ of Anderson & Son Carpentry can keep things rolling.

Game 2:  INGU 43  vs. Bearded Baking Company 28

Wow…28 points in an over 50 league game might just be a record. Um, so yeah…this game…woof. Rumor has it that the Bearded Baking Company is questioning their investment in the league by offering to sponsor after the team’s first two games. And it’s not like INGU came out and set the world on fire. Captain Anson would miss this weeks game again and they were also without the services of Don Bell (IRS deadlines and Dave Snyder’s taxes), Over 40 champion Sean Morrissey (pussy knee), and Dave Russell (pussy nose). So that left only 5 healthy players…and they still had no problem putting the screws to the Bearded Bakers. Pat DiNino was dominant again with a game high (21), Freddie added (8), Tom Ferrari’s biggest output (8) since the Civil War, and Aaron Brown (5) who also landed on the injured list with a broken hand. There wasn’t much to write home about for team Green who cold only muster angle digits in each quarter. Rookie Tim Malinowski led the way with (9), Mark Buatti (6), Steenson (5), Johnny Rock (4), KANE! (3), and Jeff Polchlopek the dreaded (1). My mother once told me that if you can’t say anything nice about someone don’t say anything at all. So I’m not going to say anything else about this game…except that the combined total of points scored was less than what Anderson & Son Carpentry and Rockingham Roofing scored by themselves. Ouch.

Game 3:  Rockingham Roofing 77  vs.  J&B Butcher 60

Run Rockingham, run. That was the plan going in and the Roofers executed it almost to perfection…except for a little sleepy-time in the second period when they let the Butchers back into the game. But a lopsided 3^rd period saw Rockingham outscore J&B 18-6 and open up a 14-point lead heading into the final frame where a relentless Jeff Pitre unleashed a no-shame, 3-point barrage that sealed their fate. There was no Mullins magic on this night as the pace of the game clearly got to his squad in the second half – and Rockingham has the horses to run for a full 40 minutes. Over 40 champion Snyder led all scorers with (24) on literally 12 layups, Pitre was close behind with (22) which means there had to be a couple 2-pointers in there, Keith Therrien had a solid (12) and worked hard on the glass all night, Gary Mulkigian (9) and probably 15 assists, the world’s greatest DB added (8), and Gary Walker Jr. (2). Despite the 17-point loss, Captain Mullins had to feel good about his team putting up 60 points. Ernie Tiede looked rock-solid after missing game 1 and led J&B with (16), Paulie B and John Ganem had (9) apiece, the law firm of Casimiro, Young & Roux had (8) each, and the Italian Stallion and Over 40 champion Anthony Serino, finished off the scoring with (2).

Week 1 Recap

The 2026 Hampstead Over The Hill Basketball season is officially underway! As is always the case with the first game of the season – some teams were short players as the Dover contingent was finishing up their season. Regardless, we still played all three games  - two close contests and one blowout that wasn’t really a blowout as much as it was a comfortable win. We’re thrilled to welcome newcomers Tim Malinowski and Patrick O’Day to the league who both look like solid players and seem like even better guys – which is the perfect combination for our league. And a hearty welcome back to Keith Therrien who finally realized after 3 years away that he never should have left Hampstead in the first place – and also Francis Roux, Mike Casimiro, Jeff Polchlopek and Dennis Breton who all missed last season because they weren’t tough enough to battle through injuries.

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who came down to attend the memorial for Ross Huntington. His family was beyond thrilled at the show of support and thoughtfulness of the league – so I really appreciate everyone making the effort.

And lastly – get well soon to our Hampstead Masters Commissioner and HOTH Board member Kevin Young who had his appendix removed (professionally) unexpectedly on Tuesday. Kevin’s biggest concern was his liquid diet which did not consist of beer, so apparently this appendectomy is a major inconvenience and lifestyle change. See you soon Commish!

On to the results!   

Game 1:  J&B Butcher 48  vs.  Bearded Baking Company 47 

The first game of the season would feature defending 2025 HOTH Champion Captain Ketith Mullins and his J&B Butcher squad against a new league sponsor this year – The Bearded Baking Company captained by Terry Crump, who is neither bearded or a baker (as far as I know). But he is a hell of a captain…and when it was announced that J&B Butcher would be without Ernie Tiede, Mike Casimiro, Adam Young, and Anthony Serino – let’s just say that the Bearded Bakers became heavy favorites. Then the actual game started and I honestly don’t know what in God’s name I was watching. Francis Roux – who to the best of my knowledge hasn’t touched a basketball in nearly two years came out and looked like Michale Jordan - OK maybe more like Michael Adams, but still. He started filling it up from all over the court Running jump shots, 3-pointers, taking tot to the hole. Borderline unstoppable. Francis scored every single one of his teams points in the second period, and his rag-tag team of starters and subs would find themselves only down by 1 at the half. Captain Crump had to be wondering if he was in the Twilight Zone. And things only got worse from there. A 15-8 run in the third period thanks to more Francis, but also Paulie B gave the Butchers a 6-point lead. A Herculean effort from rookie Tim Malinowski and some strong shooting from Jeff Steenson (the player) just wouldn’t be enough. A reverse two-handed layup from rookie Rob Winmill (somebody get this guy a pair of basketball sneakers!) sealed the deal and the undermanned J&B Butcher team snuck away with a 1-point win. For J&B, Francis Jordan/Adams has (22) which I’m going to go out on limb and say is a career high. Paulie Bag O’Donuts was right behind him with (22), Winmill (5) and Captain Mullins (4). For the Bearded dudes, Malinowski matched Francis with (22) of his own, Steenson (13), Greggy T and Mark Buatti (5) apiece and Johnny Rock (2).

Game 2:  Anderson & Son Carpentry 58  vs. INGU 55

After all the ugliness of the first game – game two was a breath of fresh air right from the opening tip. Anderson & Son Carpentry in their flaming orange jerseys came out flaming and opened up a 26-14 lead after the first period – without first round pick Mike Bernier. That’s a scary thought. And, you know I love me some Craig Jackson, but if anyone saw him having a 15-point first period and a 25-points for the game – please let me know, because you’re full of shit. And it wasn’t just Action Jackson – Red Shoes Garone looked like someone shot him out of cannon scoring buckets and blocking shots. And then there’s the Jim Hall experience which I got to witness first-hand as his teammate in the Masters league this past year. Just five 3-pointers…ho-hum…that’s it. And the crazy part is, Captain Kent Anson’s INGU team (minus Kent Anson and taxman Don Bell) was right there with them at the half only down by 3. Pat DiNino was doing Pat DiNino things…like dominating in the paint and scoring every way imaginable. And a resurgent Fred Malcolm had 8 early points – only to see his opportunities dwindle in the second half. Still, this was anyone’s game as the game was tied at 47 after three periods. And let’s take minute to celebrate the show that is Dave “Safety First” Russell who 100% broke his nose courtesy of Craig Jackson in the first half – but then had the stones to come back in the game with both nostrils plugged up and tally 5 points in the fourth period to help give his team a chance. The pucker factor in the final frame was obvious as both teams were cold, and the Craig & Jim show turned out to be just a little too much as they escaped with a 3-point victory. For the Carpenters, Jackson’s ridiculous (25) lead all scorers and Jim Hall’s (18) and Red Shoes (10) were just about enough on their own, Captain Anderson added (3) and Larry Freakin Sankey with (2). For INGU – DiNino had a solid game with (23), Freddie (11), Gumby (7), Aaron Brown (6), Safety First (5), and T-MAC (3).

Game 3:  Rockingham Roofing 62  vs.  Ryder Electric 41

Captain Steve Tripodi, coming off his very recent run to the Championship in the Hampstead Masters Basketball League, was looking to get off to another hot start. Ryder Electric was missing the aforementioned Kevin Young and his pussy appendix, but would also be with out starter Dave Hersey and key subs Barry MacDonald and the ageless Jimmy White. The Roofers would counter with a full staff – but they were in for a fight. You never count out a Brian Ducharme led team and they gave Rockingham Roofing everything they had in the first half and found themselves only down by 6 at the break. The Roofers couldn’t get into any sort of rhythm, largely due to solid defense and rebounding – and 6’6” rookie Patrick O’Day had a lot to do with that. But I need to give credit to Rob Ashe who gave me the business all night long and frustrated the crap out me…and also the two Bobby’s who had to play a full 40 minutes each which is not something either one is used to. No quit in those guys or anyone on that team. Rockingham finally opened things up a bit in the third period scoring 21 points, where everyone seemed to touch  the ball and shots were dropping. A 15-8 fourth period as a result of tired legs was all Rockingham needed and they cruised to a 21-point victory despite being outshot at the foul line 18-2. How does that happen? Anyway – Snyder led the Roofies with (13), Gary M was right behind him with (12), Therrien and Pitre (9) each – which is divisible by 3, everyone’s favorite DB Dennis Breton (8), Wheels-up (5), and the menage-a-trois of Bobby Giordano, Gary Walker Jr. and Coach Pumpkin (2) each. Now that’s a threesome to be proud of!

Registration for the 2026 season is officially closed. Tryouts will be held at Hampstead Memorial Gym on Tuesday, March 17th at 6:00pm. The 2026 season begins on Wednesday March 25th.