By DAN BARILE
Eagle Times Correspondent
LANGDON, NH — Last season, Nate Haskell migrated south for the winter to lead the Fall Mountain boys junior varsity basketball team and this season the Bellows Falls high school alum is stepping into a new role as the Head Coach of the Fall Mountain boys varsity basketball team.
With nine years of experience coaching at the junior varsity level, and one season as the interim varsity head coach, Haskell is excited for the opportunity to lead the Wildcats program.
“I’m looking forward to getting an opportunity to coach at this level,” said Haskell. “To have the opportunity to do something good with a school which had been a rival for 30 years, I think that’s pretty cool.”
With Fall Mountain posting records of 3-13 and 4-12 the past two seasons, Haskell is hoping to build the Fall Mountain program into a consistent winner.
“Being in the program last year and seeing the upside and what we have to work with here at Fall Mountain, the long-term goal is to build a successful program and to maintain a .500 plus record,” Haskell said.
Haskell also mentioned the desire to host a home playoff game for the first time in several years, and ultimately for the Wildcats to compete for their first state championship since 1994.
On the court, Haskell is a strong proponent of using defensive effort to create offensive output.
“The better your defense is, the easier your offense gets. If we’re willing to work hard on the defensive end, it gives us a better chance to get good shots,” he said. “Opportunities to push the ball are good, but we’re going to grind teams hard defensively.”
When asked about what he hopes his players will gain from being part of the program, Haskell emphasized the importance of his players being student-athletes and the value of teamwork. “Regardless of what you do in life, you’re going to need teamwork,” he said. “If your teammates don’t show up, your job gets harder”
Haskell is encouraged by the offseason work the players put in since last season.
“For the first time in over 10 years, we fielded an AAU team. We participated in four AAU tournaments and the Castleton overnight tournament,” he said. “We have a good group of 12-15 guys who put in a lot of work since the spring.”
In addition to the effort of the players, Haskell also highlighted the contributions of returning coaches Pat Connors, Allen Parker and Jeremy St. Pierre. He also acknowledged the importance of Perrin Riendeau and the booster club, and the support from the administration and Athletic Director Gordon Dansereau.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge of having my own program to run,” Haskell said. “If we can continue to push the program in the right direction, I think we have an opportunity to be successful here and I think it’s going to be fun.”
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