WEST CANAAN — Silas Ayres’ words for his Mascoma High boys basketball team during Monday night’s 53-31 win over Kearsarge convey a lot about what he thinks of this year’s Royals squad.
Kearsarge may be in the midst of a rebuilding year, but Mascoma raced out to a 16-3 lead after a quarter and emphatically defeated a Cougar team that knocked the Royals out of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.
And yet, even during and after a statement victory that lifted his team to 3-0, Ayres seemed not entirely satisfied.
“I wasn’t unhappy; I wasn’t happy, either,” said Ayres, a 2001 Mascoma graduate and a 1,000-point scorer for the Royals. “I just know this team has a lot of upside. When we do put it together and trust our teammates and make the extra pass, run through the offense, we’re pretty hard to guard.
“A win is a win, it was nice to beat Kearsarge, but I see the potential, and when they’re not living up to it, I’m hard to play for. I expect a lot.”
Mascoma broke through to its first NHIAA Division III final four since 2011 last winter with a 15-5 season, pulling an upset over Hopkinton to reach that stage but falling three points short against Kearsarge in pursuit of the Royals’ first championship appearance — and state title — since 1989. Four starters from that team have departed, including Ben Seiler, who seemingly set new scoring records on a weekly basis.
Senior guard Zach Thompson, the lone returning starter, is now the Royals’ go-to scorer. He was a dependable second option a year ago, averaging 15.1 points per game, and actually began last season as the offensive focal point as Seiler missed the first two games with an injury.
Thompson has handled the starring role well, exploding for 33 points in a win over Newport on Dec. 13. He is also adept at moving without the ball and sees the floor well, whipping an overhead pass to junior guard Aidan Smith for an open 3-pointer early in Monday’s victory.
Colleges are starting to show interest — Castleton University head coach Paul Culpo was in attendance Monday and chatted with Thompson and Ayres postgame.
“It’s a lot different in practice, running plays for me, but I’ve learned to trust my teammates more,” Thompson said. “I still need to do better on that.”
Complementing Thompson is a deep crop of juniors who came off the bench last season but are playing starters’ minutes three games into this year. Smith and forwards James Thomas, Tyler-Jay Mardin and Tyler Stark started against Kearsarge, and sophomore guard Tanner Moulton has also seen more playing time after playing on varsity as a freshman.
Smith, who averaged just 1.7 points per game last season, is emerging as Mascoma’s second scoring threat, with 18 in an opening-night win over Monadnock on Dec. 9 and 21 four nights later against Newport.
“I wouldn’t say much is different,” Smith said. “Last year, I didn’t really get the shot to do what I’m doing this year. This year, I got put in that role, and I’m succeeding with it right now.”
It’s not an especially physically imposing team, and rebounding could be an issue against opponents with bigger post players. Ayres told his team after the third quarter Monday that the Royals’ effort on the boards would not cut it Wednesday against Belmont, which has also started 3-0. He also said Mascoma needs to take care of the ball better — the Royals, for the most part, were in cruise control after establishing a big early lead.
Five of Mascoma’s players, including Thompson, Thomas, Smith and Moulton, were also on the Royals’ boys soccer team that reached the program’s first-ever state final this fall. Those Royals faced the tall task of replacing Seiler, too, but with Thompson leading the offense and Moulton and Thomas taking big steps forward, Mascoma turned out better without its graduated star.
Ayres believes the Royals can make a similar jump on the hardwood with the same core.
“Our expectation is final four, at least,” Ayres said. “I’m not going to be upset about a 20-point win, but I was talking to them about how we need to trust each other a little bit more. I know their potential, and that’s why it’s frustrating when I see them not playing to that potential. We can’t be complacent.”
Benjamin Rosenberg can be reached at brosenberg@vnews.com or 603-727-3302.