DURHAM, N.H. - "A little girl" with "atrocious" footwork, who "shot free throws like Shaquille O'Neal."
That once-gawky hoop hobbyist just strapped Pinkerton Academy on his back and carried the Astros to the Class L boys basketball title game.
"Seriously, that was me as a freshman," said 6-foot-7 Astros beast Zach Mathieu a few minutes after manhandling Dover with 32 points and nine rebounds in the 61-57 state semifinal win over Dover.
Dover threw everybody they could Mathieu. And this moonlighting, Franklin Pierce-bound baseball slugger did to the Greenwave what he does to just about any belt-high fastball.
He crushed it.
"There are big men out there, but nobody is as strong as Zach is," said teammate Ben Proulx, who has been through some serious battles with Mathieu on the court in practice over the last three seasons together.
"He just moves people and nobody can really stop him."
Mathieu's heroics were absolutely necessary, with Pinkerton dangling in the first half and both Proulx and Chad Park on the bench with fouls.
The Astros simplified things, putting Mathieu on the block and feeding him the ball.
Spin to the middle. Swish.
Power dribble to the baseline. Got it.
Baseline jumper. Blammo.
And on it went.
About all Mathieu missed in the half was a mid-court bomb at the buzzer. And that was on line, coming up an inch or two short of the rim. He finished with 22 points before the break, 18 in the second quarter alone.
"My teammates just kept giving me the ball," said Mathieu. "They had confidence in me and I just kept hitting shots."
Matheu is a throwback on so many fronts.
In this three-point-happy era where coaches choose to eschew the inside game, Mathieu sticks his backside on the box and demands the basketball.
No AAU coach has tried to change him to a jump-shooter because he is and always will be first and foremost a baseball player. Heck, throughout this incredible breakout season both for himself and his team, Mathieu has managed to hit indoors twice a week.
When Ron Manseau and the Astro baseballers open practice next week, this Eagle-Tribune All-Star catcher will be ready and champing at the bit.
First things first, though.
Saturday, Mathieu and the Astros have the opportunity to capture a state title, facing Winnacunnet here at UNH Saturday.
Baseball will have to wait a couple more days.
Strange twist for Astros
It is widely regarded in New Hampshire hoop circles that Pinkerton, on paper, was probably a more talented team one year ago.
And obviously, history dictates that Pinkerton is primarily regarded as a Division 1 football power.
Yet, it is the 2009-10 Astro hoopsters, not last year's team and not the football team this past fall, that finds itself playing for a title Saturday.
"If you told me this was going to turn out like this, I wouldn't have ever believed you," said Proulx, who will continue his football career at Sacred Heart in the fall.
Huge contribution
Junior Ryan Williams attacked the hoop and scored, pumping his fist in the early going.
Clearly, the 5-foot-11 Pinkerton guard, who averages 2.5 points a game, was playing last night with a purpose.
Williams, who spent much of his time harassing N.H.'s Mr. Basketball Alex Burt (6 for 16 from the field) went on to hit all three shots he took in a seven-point night.
Stat of the night
A perfect 10?
Well, not exactly. But if you're Pinkerton Academy coach Pete Rosinski you have to love the fact that his team only turned the ball over 10 times.
Dover was left with one option after Zach Mathieu torched the Wave in the first half for 22 points in a halfcourt game. The Wave pressed and attacked fullcourt, trying to make it a track meet and force Pinkerton to cough the ball up before Mathieu made it up the court.
The Astros protected the ball to get the win.
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