Pemberton lighting it up
Methuen’s Antonio Pemberton continues to tear it up with the Mass. Rivals elite group.
On Thursday at the Adidas 3SSB Palmetto Road Championships in Rock Hill, S.C., the point guard scored 30 with four assists and a pair of steals in a Rivals win over Team Loaded.
Pemberton, heading into his junior year, already owns offers from Maryland, Penn State and Oklahoma State.
Gover giving up hockey
Atkinson’s Mat Gover is deep into the New Hampshire Amateur golf tourney but he made the announcement recently about a major change in his athletic agenda.
After two monster years on the golf course and on the ice in goal for the Mass. College of Liberal Arts, Gover is transferring to Huntingdon College in Alabama to focus strictly on the links.
“Yep, we’re hanging up the skates,” said Gover. “Instead of splitting my time and being very good in two sports, we’re going to see what happens when I’m dedicated and focused on just one.”
Healey Memorial Golf Tourney a week away
Registrations are open for the upcoming 14th annual Joseph F. Healey Memorial Golf Championship, the region’s premier amateur golf event, which is slated for July 18-20.
The Healey is a 54-hole, medal play event to honor Healey, a beloved golf pro in the area, celebrating the spirit of the game and the values Joe represented.
Round 1 is July 18 at Crystal Lake Golf Club, and Round 2 is slated for Saturday, July 19, at Atkinson CC. After the cut, the championship round will be Sunday, July 20, at Bradford Country Club.
Players with handicap indexes of under 12.0 are eligible to play. Cost of the event is $175 and helps benefit the Healey’s college scholarship program, which has provided nearly $100,000 in awards over the term of the event to area students.
For more information or to register, check out the event’s new Website: jfhmemorial.org.
HS Baseball getting double base
Beginning with the 2027 season, a double first base will be required in high school baseball games to minimize the risk of collisions by runners and fielders.
This rule revision was one of 10 proposed by the NFHS Baseball Rules Committee during its annual meeting held June 8-10 at The Alexander hotel in Indianapolis. The rules changes were accepted by the NFHS Board of Directors.
New language was added to Rule 1-2-9 noting that the double first base must be white and a contrasting solid color. The white portion of the base is located in fair territory while the colored half is located in foul territory, split by the first base foul line. There is to be no space between the two portions of the double base.
“Adding the double first base is symbolic to the evolution of the sport. It will immediately address running lane violations, and it will further protect the players from the violent collisions that have occurred at first base,” said Elliot Hopkins, NFHS director of sports and liaison to the Baseball Rules Committee. “By reducing collisions and enhancing safety, it preserves both the integrity of competition and the well-being of those who play.”