Love of the game: Bob Burns reflects on 42 years as Kennett High baseball coach

 

cover--coach-bob-burns-2CONWAY — It's the end of an era in the Kennett High sports annals. Coach Bob Burns, who retired at the end of this season after 42 years at Kennett High School, leaves the diamond as the current all-time leader in New Hampshire high school baseball victories. His teams went 511-312 since 1971. Aside from being perennially in the post-season, the Eagles won two state championships in the Burns era and reached the Final Four eight times.

Burns guided the Eagles into five decades. When he started as coach at Kennett, wooden bats were the norm — you could buy a dozen for $60; his first captain was Peter Ames, who has gone on to be the winningest coach in Kennett history when you combine his victories in boys' and girls' basketball and junior varsity baseball; and over 390 wins and four state championships in softball.

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