Ponies nearly knock off Old Town on Senior Night

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — Late in the second quarter of a Jan. 31 evening contest between Foxcroft Academy and Old Town High School, the Ponies trailed the visitors by a score of 24-11. Old Town, who entered the game with a record of 15-1 and the third spot in the Class B East Heal Point standings, defeated Foxcroft on its home court 71-36 back on Dec. 29 and was in position to run away with the second matchup.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    LOOSE BALL — Foxcroft Academy junior Hunter Smith and Old Town junior Kaleb Gifford both try to get a hand on a ball rolling out of play during a Jan. 31 contest in Dover-Foxcroft as Old Town senior Mitchell Cole and Pony freshman Drew Dankert (24) and junior Dylan Harmon-Weeks look on. Old Town won the game 49-44.

    A 15-8 advantage for Foxcroft, which was playing on its home court for the last time in the regular season and possibly for all of 2014-15, in the third quarter swung the game from a 10-point lead for Old Town to just three points to start the final eight minutes.
    At the 5:29-mark a 3-point shot from the right by senior Sean Cody, who was among five players honored during a pregame ceremony, found its mark to tie the game at 37. On the next Pony possession junior Hunter Smith connected from beyond the 3-point line to give Foxcroft its first lead of the game at 40-37. The Ponies ended up sinking nine total 3-point shots for 27 of the team’s 44 points.
    Just over a minute later Cody was fouled in the act of shooting to put his team in the bonus, vs. only five fouls committed. Cody, who was one of three Ponies to tally 11 points, made both of his free throws to up the home team’s lead to 42-37 with 3:42 to play.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    DON’T (S)LEAVE HIM OPEN — During the first half of the Jan. 31 game Foxcroft freshman Drew Dankert connected on a trio of 3-pointers. Dankert would tie the mark of two teammates, senior Sean Cody and sophomore Riley Richards, with a Pony-best 11 points.

    After Cody made his second shot, Old Town head coach Brian McDormand opted for a 60-second timeout. The pause in the action worked as Coyote junior Andre Miller’s field goal made the game 42-39.
    Neither team could score on ensuing possessions, and a short time later Old Town senior Mitchell Cole was fouled to put his team in the bonus at the 2:19-mark. Cole made his only two points of the entire game count as he sank both free throws to put his team within one at 42-41.
    Pony head coach Dave Carey opted for one of his 60-second stoppages to set up an in-bounds with Old Town going into a full-court press. Cole made a steal in the backcourt and he flipped the ball to Miller, who was fouled in the act of shooting. Miller’s first attempt clanged off the rim, but he made the second to tie play at 42-42.
    At the other end of the court a Foxcroft 3-point try missed the mark and Coyote Eric Hoogterp grabbed the rebound. Old Town then spread its five around the perimeter to run clock and look for a quality shot, which was aided when Miller leapt to haul in an offensive rebound.
     With the clock at 1:21, Hoogterp drew a charge and he was awarded a trip to the free throw line. Hoogterp’s first shot on the 1-and-1 was no good, as Smith boxed out for the defensive rebound. Smith soon drove toward the Pony basket from the left baseline and he was fouled going up for the layup.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    FOOT BALL — Trying to grab a loose ball in the first quarter is Foxcroft junior Dylan-Harmon Weeks and Old Town junior Andre Miller, with Pony senior Sean Cody and Coyote senior Adam Richardson both off to the side.

    Smith sank a free throw to put Foxcroft ahead 43-42 with 65 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. His second shot attempt bounced off the rim to Cole for a change in possession.
    Old Town made the rebound count as Hoogterp, who scored a game-high 13 points, got the ball by the left block. He then turned and bounced the ball off the glass and in as Old Town retook the lead, 44-43, with 47.2 seconds to go.
    A Coyote timeout stopped the action and when the players returned to the court,  Old Town again went into a full-court press. Hoogterp picked off the in-bounds pass by the basket, and he turned this steal into two points and a 46-43 lead.
    Soon after a Foxcroft 3-pointer was partially blocked and the ball veered off course into the grasp of Coyote senior Adam Richardson. This possession led to Old Town junior Kaleb Gifford being fouled, the 10th such violation for Foxcroft, but he missed both free throw tries. Cody got the rebound on the second miss, and soon after the ball was brought over halfcourt a Pony timeout stopped the clock with 10.1 seconds remaining.
    Junior Dylan Harmon-Weeks threw the ball in from the middle of the court to Cody, who was quickly fouled to set up a 1-and-1 with his team down by three. Cody then made the deficit two points by sinking his first foul shot. The second attempt missed grazing the rim, and Old Town was awarded the ball underneath the Pony basket.
    Now Foxcroft was running a full-court press in the hope of forcing a turnover. Hoogterp used a screen to break free up the court as a long pass was throw in his direction. Hoogterp corralled the ball and dribbled the rest of the way for a layup. He was fouled on the play and sank the resulting free throw to conclude the 49-44 contest.
    The Coyotes improved to 16-1 with the victory and remained near the top of the standings two weeks before the start of the quarterfinals. The Ponies fell to 7-9, and remained in 10th place which would have the team on the road for a preliminary round contest scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 11.
    Before tipoff the five seniors on the Foxcroft squad were recognized, along with their parents and/or dorm parents. These members of the Class of 2015 are Sean Cody, Alex Hung, Isaiah Kennell, Drew Smith and Kevin Xu.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    LAST TIME AT HOME — Senior Sean Cody, being guarded by Old Town seniors Scott Smart (44) and Tyler Gifford, was one of five members of the Foxcroft Academy Class of 2015 on the boys’ basketball team playing on Senior Night Jan. 31. The now 7-9 Ponies are currently ranked 10th in the Class B East Heal Point standings, which put the team on the road for a preliminary round contest.

BASKETBALL
BOYS
Old Town 49,
Foxcroft 44
OT    10    17    8      14  — 49
FA    6    11    15     12  — 44
    FOXCROFT: Cody 11, Dankert 11, Richards 11,  H. Smith 9 and Harmon-Weeks 2.
    OLD TOWN: E. Hoogterp 13, Richardson 10, Miller 8, Gifford 7, Smart 5, Bartlett 2, Cole 2 and Columbe 2.
    Records: Foxcroft 7-9, Old Town 16-1