02/02: Brade Holler Leads Come Back
By Ken Stejbach, Seacost Online
Rivals Sophomore Brad Holler Attempts a Free Throw
EXETER - It was just one of those basketball games they'll talk about for 20 or 30 years. Maybe even more.
Down 20 points late in the third quarter, and as cold from the field as the frigid outside, the Exeter High School boys basketball team fired up a 63-59 victory over Pinkerton Academy.
"This was one of the most unbelievable comebacks I've been a part of in 22 years of coaching," said Exeter coach Jeff Holmes. "It was a great team win."
Mike Fecteau (13 points), Tucker Munro (11), James and Brad Holler (10 apiece), Louie Vigars (seven), Tim LaRoche (five), Quinn Connor and Dan Driscoll (three each), and Brad Tiernan (two) provided the scoring for the Blue Hawks, who improved to 3-5 in Class L.
Pinkerton Academy, which was led offensively by Ben Proulx (16 points), Zach Mather (13) and Alex Patrikis (10), dropped to 5-3.
It was just one of those games you wonder how.
Start with sophomore Brad Holler. While his 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer gave the Blue Hawks hope, down 29-21, it was his back-to-back 3-pointers late in the third quarter that got things going for Exeter.
Holler said he had been in a slump up until then.
Exeter entered the fourth, down 48-34.
Holmes credited the play of non-starters Dan Driscoll, Quinn Connor, Tim LaRoche, Brad Tiernan and Holler during a four-minute span in the third.
"It got us back in the game," said Holmes. "It's a sign of our depth."
Somehow, the Blue Hawks made it a 53-49 game with 3:25 left after a jumper by Fecteau and 3-pointer by James Holler. It still didn't look good for the Blue Hawks, but that all changed when James Holler and Fecteau hit 3-pointers to get within one at 59-58.
A couple of free throws by Munro put the Blue Hawks on top for the first time at 60-59 with 33 seconds left, and after James Holler converted a steal, and his brother Brad was fouled during the play, Brad sunk the front end of a one-and-one with five seconds left, sealing the victory.
It was a game the Blue Hawks only scored one point in the first quarter (a Tiernan free throw), and found themselves down, 14-1.
"There was a lid on the basket," said Brad Holler,
It was just one of those games.
It was definitely a big win and confidence booster, noted senior tri-captain James Holler. Especially with the Winnacunnet game coming up this Friday.