By Roger Brown
MaxPreps.com
Although the Merrimack High School and Souhegan High School football teams compete in different divisions, Souhegan assistant coach Joe Battista got a good look at Merrimack each year when the teams met on Thanksgiving.
He'll get an even better look at Merrimack this season, since he was recently named the program's head coach.
"If excited means I'm turning cartwheels, then you can say I'm excited," Battista told the Nashua Telegraph. "This is what I've always wanted to do."
Battista, a 38-year-old Manchester resident, has spent the last six years as an assistant on Mike Beliveau's Souhegan staff. He helped Souhegan win its only Division III state championship, which came in 2004. He'll be guiding a Merrimack team that competes in Division II.
"He's going to do a great job there because his knowledge of the sport is so vast, and because his style and personality are so kid-oriented," Beliveau said. "He's a great teacher of the fundamentals of the game – blocking and tackling – but he also gets kids to love football. It's a huge, huge loss for Souhegan football."
Battista, who is a middle school teacher in Merrimack, earned a scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh, but transferred to West Virginia Wesleyan, where he was a four-year starter at offensive tackle. He was Souhegan's defensive coordinator and also coached special teams.
He replaces Rick Urda, who resigned as Merrimack's head coach earlier this year. Merrimack was one of the strongest programs in the state during the 1980s and early 1990s, but has made one playoff appearance since 1995.
"We've won championships in other sports, like basketball and baseball," Battista said. "I know there are a lot of good athletes in the school system because I teach in the middle school.
"I want to meet with the other varsity coaches (at Merrimack) and build a relationship with them. To have a solid program you need a strong core of 20-25 kids and attracting two or three additional good athletes can make all the difference.
"I know Merrimack loves football and it was huge in this town in the past. I just can't wait to see what it's going to be like when we turn it around."
Softball: Timberlane Earns Memorable Win
Timberlane's 7-3 triumph over Salem on Friday marked the first time the Owls have beaten the Blue Devils since the teams first met in 1999.
Timberlane trailed 1-0 after the top of the first inning, but fought back and raised its Class L record to 5-0.
It was the second consecutive loss for Salem, which dropped to 3-2 in Class L. The Blue Devils, who have won 13 of the last 22 Class L titles, are seeking their third consecutive Class L championship.
"This was probably as bad as we've played in the last 15 years," Salem coach Harold Sachs said. "We're going through a little adversity, but it's April."
Baseball: Titans Remain Perfect
Although the season is only two weeks old, Nashua North is the only unbeaten team in Class L. The Titans entered the week with a 5-0 record.
Nashua North, which lost to Merrimack in the Class L tournament's preliminary round last year, has scored 40 runs in its five victories.