Floras back to play for Merrimack

Friday, December 2, 2011

Photo by Jodie Andruskevich - Merrimack's Dimitri Floras drives past Manchester Memorial's Heruins Desire in Friday night's battle in Manchester.

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MERRIMACK – Sometimes it takes a few months in a new location to realize there is no place like home.

For Merrimack High School junior Dmitri Floras, that new location was Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, where he attended school for three months this fall and was scheduled to become a member of its basketball team.

But it wasn’t just homesickness that brought Floras back to Merrimack High School just before the Thanksgiving holiday. It was chance to take care of some unfinished business.

Although Floras earned his share of acclaim as a varsity starter during both his freshman and sophomore years as one of the top Division I scorers, the Tomahawks didn’t reach the level of success they strived for, especially in the postseason.

Now that he’s back, he’d like to change that, and knows his own approach this season could do a lot to make it happen.

“I felt like I rushed the decision last spring,” Floras said. “A lot of people were telling me I should go to prep school and I guess I just went with it.

“Being 16 I had a lot of time to think, and being away from my family I just wanted to get back to my old life. Basketball was part of it, too. We came up short the last couple of years.”

Floras said he had no problem with Kimball Union, the people he met there and the rigors of prep school academics.

“If anything, I came back a way better student,” said Floras, who finished the first trimester before returning to classes at Merrimack. “I pretty much have all the same classes I had there.”

Another thing Floras felt he’d miss is the atmosphere of games at Merrimack, where students pack the gym for big games and provide the kind of support you don’t see at many high schools.

“I’ve always loved playing here,” Floras said. “I’d like to be part of a state championship. I thought we had a chance the last two years but something happened in the playoffs.”

Floras said his teammates welcomed him back and his parents went along with his decision.

“About two weeks before the final exams at Kimball they knew it was what I wanted to do,” Floras said, “and they told me they’d do what they could to make it happen.”

Over the summer, Floras received his first scholarship offer from the University of New Hampshire. A number of other Division I schools continue to express interest.

“I hope to have other offers,” Floras said, “I just need to keep working.”

Floras said his goal this year is to be a true point guard, worrying less about scoring and more about setting up teammates on what promises to be a very competition Merrimack team.

The lineup includes three other returning starters in senior forward Tyler Gendron, sophomore guard Eric Gendron and senior forward Jared Peobody.

The Tomahawks open the regular season at home Dec. 16 against Alvirne with a chance to avenge last year’s two-point preliminary round loss to the Broncos.

“It’s nice to have him back,” Merrimack coach Tim Goodridge said, “but it doesn’t guarantee us anything.

“It’s a tough league, beginning with that first game with Alvirne.”