Unified program gives ConVal, Wilton-Lyndeborough athletes a chance to compete

Wilton-Lyndeborough’s Zoe Goodwin looks to pass during the Unified Basketball game against ConVal  on Thursday.

Wilton-Lyndeborough’s Zoe Goodwin looks to pass during the Unified Basketball game against ConVal on Thursday. BEN CONANT/BEN CONANT PHOTOGRAPHY

WLC’s Nicholas Grueter goes up for two. 

WLC’s Nicholas Grueter goes up for two.  BEN CONANT/BEN CONANT PHOTOGRAPHY

 ConVal's Eve Antonellis, left, and Amelia Blanchette run back on defense, hand in hand. 

 ConVal's Eve Antonellis, left, and Amelia Blanchette run back on defense, hand in hand.  BEN CONANT—BEN CONANT PHOTOGRAPHY

ConVal's Eve Antonellis celebrates after a made basket.

ConVal's Eve Antonellis celebrates after a made basket. BEN CONANT—BEN CONANT PHOTOGRAPHY

WLC’s Matty Hannigan, the game’s leading scorer, celebrates after hitting a shot. 

WLC’s Matty Hannigan, the game’s leading scorer, celebrates after hitting a shot.  BEN CONANT/BEN CONANT PHOTOGRAPHY

ConVal’s Darcy Taylor goes up for two.

ConVal’s Darcy Taylor goes up for two. BEN CONANT/BEN CONANT PHOTOGRAPHY

ConVal partner Ivy Armstrong-McEvoy hands the ball off to teammate Darlene Raymond.

ConVal partner Ivy Armstrong-McEvoy hands the ball off to teammate Darlene Raymond. BEN CONANT/BEN CONANT PHOTOGRAPHY

ConVal's Darlene Raymond celebrates after a made basket.

ConVal's Darlene Raymond celebrates after a made basket. BEN CONANT—BEN CONANT PHOTOGRAPHY

 WLC head coach Amanda Finigan instructs her team.

 WLC head coach Amanda Finigan instructs her team. BEN CONANT—BEN CONANT PHOTOGRAPHY

 ConVal's Amelia Blanchette shoots from deep.

 ConVal's Amelia Blanchette shoots from deep. BEN CONANT—BEN CONANT PHOTOGRAPHY

ConVal's CJ Anderson dribbles upcourt.

ConVal's CJ Anderson dribbles upcourt. BEN CONANT—BEN CONANT PHOTOGRAPHY

WLC's Hannah Hamilton with the ball. 

WLC's Hannah Hamilton with the ball.  BEN CONANT—BEN CONANT PHOTOGRAPHY

WLC's Hannah Degan gets a shot up. 

WLC's Hannah Degan gets a shot up.  BEN CONANT—BEN CONANT PHOTOGRAPHY

By BEN CONANT

For the Ledger-Transcript

Published: 01-13-2025 12:03 PM

Modified: 01-14-2025 12:03 PM


The final tally on the scoreboard may have been ConVal 73, Wilton-Lyndeborough 54 at ConVal’s Robert Maguire Gymnasium Thursday afternoon for the Unified Basketball season-opener, but anyone who passed through those gym doors left with a smile on their face.

Unified Basketball, which came to New Hampshire as a collaboration between the NHIAA and the Special Olympics, teams up student-athletes with and without intellectual disabilities.

“For them, it’s the opportunity to play a varsity sport on a varsity court,” said ConVal head coach Kevin Carne.

ConVal’s Unified Basketball team is now in its 10th year, and Carne said the state of the program is “fantastic.”

“It’s such a great team,” Carne said. “For so many years now, we’ve had wonderful partners and players, and it’s just such a good program.”

Wilton-Lyndeborough, on the other hand, is just starting its Unified sports program. The Warriors launched Unified volleyball in the fall, added basketball in the winter and hope to field a soccer team next fall, head coach and special education teacher Amanda Finigan said. Given the amount of player interest, she said adding the program was a necessity.

“It definitely did need to happen and I’m excited that we are starting to grow it and make it for everybody,” Finigan said.

Thursday’s game was the first Unified hoops contest in Warrior history, and they made it a memorable one. Matty Hannigan led all scorers, much to his surprise and delight.

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“I didn’t know how many points I got,” Hannigan said, “but I got 22 points. Nobody else got higher than mine. It feels good. I sure enjoyed it.”

While Hannigan was able to fill it up down low with a pile of points in the paint, other players were excited simply to compete and put the ball in the hoop even once. Last year, ConVal’s Darlene Raymond attended the Cougars’ all-school assembly game against Milford, and the experience was so exciting that she elected to come out for the team herself this winter.

On Thursday, Raymond took the court in her electric wheelchair, sped down to the ConVal offensive end and lined up in front of a modified five-foot hoop. Unified partners Ivy Armstrong-McEvoy and Grace O’Brien set Raymond up with some crisp passing, and after getting up a few shots, she hit a swish. She finished with six points.

“That was cool,” said WLC’s Nicholas Grueter, exemplifying Unified Sports’ emphasis on camaraderie and sportsmanship.

Every player who got into the game Thursday scored at least once. ConVal’s scoring breakdown included Mary Quintanilha (team-high 12 points), Amelia Blanchette (11 points and the game’s only 3-pointer), Eve Antonellis (eight points), CJ Anderson (eight points), Victoria Guajardo (six points), Avery Hebert (six points), Jaxon Lewis (six points), Noah Cooper (four points), Kalena Cooper (four points) and Darcy Taylor (two points). For WLC, Alea Parsons had 14 points, Nicholas Grueter added 10, Hannah Degan had six and Zoe Goodwin added two.

The Warriors (0-1) will host their first-ever home game on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. against Alvirne. The Cougars (1-0) will return to action Wednesday at Keene. ConVal and WLC will meet once more in Wilton on Feb. 3.