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An outstanding 2024 New Hampshire high school football season has come to a close, with scores of outstanding performances to remember. But, who was the New Hampshire Defensive Player of the Year?
We ask you to help us decided by voting for one of the candidates we have highlighted below.
Here are the nominees. Voting ends Dec. 31 at 11:59 pm.
An athletic linebacker with good speed and exceptional instincts, Lambert was part of a defense that helped 12th-seeded Windham upset fifth-seeded Salem 8-7 in the Division I first round, and held eventual Division I champion Pinkerton Academy to 14 points in the quarterfinals.
Nossaman was selected as the Division II East Player of the Year. He can play both defensive tackle and defensive end, and finished the 2024 season with 57 tackles, five sacks and 12 QB pressures.
An exceptional athlete who can play several positions, Pares had 43 tackles, two interceptions and three forced fumbles as a senior. He was also an outstanding quarterback who accounted for 17 touchdowns (10 rushing).
A four-year starter for the Titans, Smith excelled as both a pass rusher and a run-stopper. He recorded 15 sacks and 40 solo tackles during his senior season.
Toledo, a 5-foot-11, 230-pound two-way lineman, was among the key pieces on the Souhegan defense that played its best football in the postseason and helped the fourth-seeded Sabers win the Division II championship. Souhegan limited top-seeded Plymouth to seven points in the semifinals, and then held second-seeded Pelham to 11 points in the Division II championship game.
A 6-foot-5 senior, Villa was one of the most disruptive defensive players in the state. Known for his aggressiveness and ability to make big plays in pressure situations, Villa started in 26 games during his career with the Lancers.
Also a standout at running back, Batsone was one of three finalists for the Joe Yukica Player of the Year Award. He was selected to play in the New Hampshire East-West All-Star Game.
Couture is a 6-foot-5, 280-pound dominant interior defensive lineman who earned a scholarship to play at the University of New Hampshire. He started in 25 games for a Londonderry program that reached the Division I championship game in each of the last four seasons.
Also a starter at tight end, Dulac was one of the key pieces on a defense that didn’t give up more than 12 points against an in-state opponent during un unbeaten regular season.
Dyktra recorded a team-high 136 tackles as a senior, including 77 solo tackles and 10 tackles for loss. He also had four sacks and forced four fumbles.
Crime
A court hearing for Cher’s son Wednesday over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home this month has been canceled.
Elijah Allman’s arrest on March 1 was his second in New Hampshire in a matter of days. Allman, the 49-year-old son of the iconic singer and actress, was also detained Feb. 27, accused of acting belligerently at a prestigious prep school in Concord.

It is unclear if Allman, of Malibu, California, has any connection to the home in Windham, New Hampshire. He is being held in the Rockingham County Department of Corrections, Superintendent Jonathan Banville said.
The hearing Wednesday was continued until an undetermined date after Allman got an attorney Wednesday morning. The attorney, Sarah Landres, did not respond to a request for comment.
Allman, whose father was the late singer Gregg Allman, is charged with two counts of criminal mischief, one count of burglary and a count of breach of bail for breaking into the home on March 1. Police said in a report that Allman did not have permission to be at the home and forcibly entered it.
Officials at St. Paul’s School said Allman last month identified himself as the parent of a prospective student and slipped into the dining hall as some students were leaving the building. Police responded to reports that he was disturbing people in the building.
He was charged with four misdemeanors in the school incident: two counts of simple assault, criminal trespass and criminal threatening. Allman was also charged with a violation of disorderly conduct, which is illegal in the state but not considered a crime. He was released on bail.
Allman did not respond to an email requesting comment, and a phone number for him was not working.
In December 2023, Cher filed a petition to become a temporary conservator overseeing her son’s money, saying Allman’s struggles with his mental health and addiction have left him unable to manage his assets and potentially put his life in danger.
The petition says the superstar performer’s son is entitled to regular payments from a trust fund. But “given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues,” she is “concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah’s life at risk,” the petition says.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica Uzcategui denied the request, saying she was not convinced that a conservatorship was urgently needed. Allman was in the courtroom with his attorneys, who acknowledged his previous struggles but argued that he was in a good place, was attending meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his estranged wife.
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The son of Cher is scheduled to be in court Wednesday for a hearing over allegations he broke into a New Hampshire home earlier this month.
It was the second arrest in a matter of days for Elijah Allman, 49, of Malibu, California, who was detained Feb. 27 after allegedly acting belligerently at a prestigious prep school in New Hampshire. It was unclear if Allman had any connection to either St. Paul’s School or the home in Windham, New Hampshire.
Allman remains in the Rockingham County Department of Corrections in what is called preventive detention, Superintendent Jonathan Banville said.
Allman, whose father was the late singer Gregg Allman, faces two counts of criminal mischief, one count of burglary and a count of breach of bail for breaking into the home on March 1. Police said in a report that Allman did not have permission to be at the home and forcibly entered it .
In the incident at the prep school, Allman was charged with four misdemeanors: two counts of simple assault, criminal trespass and criminal threatening. Allman was also charged with a violation of disorderly conduct, which is illegal in the state but not considered a crime.
At about 7 p.m. that day, Concord police responded to reports that Allman was disturbing people in the dining hall of St. Paul’s School. After charging Allman, police said he was released on bail as his case works through the court system.
Allman did not respond to an email requesting comment, and a phone number for him was not working. It was unclear from the court records if Allman has an attorney.
In December 2023, Cher filed a petition to become a temporary conservator overseeing her son’s money, saying Allman struggles with mental health issues and addiction have left him unable to manage his assets and potentially put his life in danger.
The petition from the singer and actress said Elijah Allman is entitled to regular payments from a trust fund. But “given his ongoing mental health and substance abuse issues,” she is “concerned that any funds distributed to Elijah will be immediately spent on drugs, leaving Elijah with no assets to provide for himself and putting Elijah’s life at risk,” the petition says.
A few weeks later, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jessica Uzcategui denied the request, saying she was not convinced that a conservatorship was urgently needed. Allman was in the courtroom with his his attorneys, who acknowledged his previous struggles but argued that he is in a good place now, attending meetings, getting treatment and reconciling with his previously estranged wife.
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