Everyone asks the same question and shakes their head. How is it that all the good high school basketball rivalry games in the Nashua Area take place during the first two weeks of the season, with South opening against Bishop Guertin and North this week and North playing Bishop Guertin on Jan. 4. In between, the three schools play in the same Christmas Tournament.

According to Pinkerton Academy athletic director Bob Royce, who schedules Class L boys and girls basketball, the scheduling is totally random unless an athletic director puts in a request to play a game in a certain time frame.

Nashua AD Angelo Fantasia could ask that North-South, or either school's games with Bishop Guertin be moved to later in the season. But Royce said he gets very few such requests during the winter season.

"Most request to play a certain school on a certain weekend happen during the fall,'' Royce said, "because of homecoming football games.''

Nashua has already put in its request to move the North-South football game to early October, with the hopes of creating a weekend of rivalry games in all sports between North and South, similar to the Mack Plaque weekend games between Pinkerton and Londonderry.

And how is it that Nashua North and Londonderry haven't met once in the last four years in either boys or girls basketball, even though Class L schools play all but one opponent in the division.

Once again by chance, according to Royce. South and Exeter have also not met in the last four years.