New classes may help Piscataquis team
GUILFORD — While the shift to a five-class format for Maine’s high school basketball world was approved last spring with the primary goal of improving competitive balance among the state’s largest and smallest schools, many schools in the middle also are anticipating some benefits.
The Piscataquis Community Secondary School girls basketball team may be a prime example.
The Pirates had a breakthrough season last winter, finishing the regular season ranked third in Eastern Maine Class C with a 14-4 record despite being one of the smallest schools in the division.
Under the new format, coach Brian Gaw’s club now resides in the middle of the new Class C North enrollment-wise, and the difference between the largest and smallest schools in the division is much less than a year ago.
“It helps us,” said Gaw. “We’re in the middle of the pack now for enrollment instead of in the bottom third. We’re no longer playing against schools in the tournament that are twice as big as us.”
“It’s going to be more of a fair fight now.”
Piscataquis likely would have been a prime contender again this year under the old four-class format, but the Pirates certainly look poised to make a deep tournament run in Class C North.
“We have five or six people back who have started varsity games,” said Gaw. “For a school our size to have that many kids returning is certainly a benefit to start the year and we also have have some new additions that are going to help right away, too.”
The Pirates are led by 6-foot-3 senior Delani Bennett, a four-year starter in the middle who has averaged double figures in scoring in each of her previous three seasons while being a double-digit rebounder as a sophomore and a junior.
“She can be dominant in the middle,” said Gaw.
Classmate Jordynne Littlefield, a three-year starter, adds athleticism and perimeter shooting to the lineup, while another senior, Haylee Patterson, will complement Bennett at power forward.
Sophomore Erin Speed is back to see time at both guard slots as well as often being matched up defensively against the opposing team’s best player.
She will be aided in the backcourt by two newcomers. Sophomore Brooke Trafton, a transfer from Highview Christian of Charleston who played at Central of Corinth last winter, will add perimeter shooting and ballhandling skills.
Freshman Avilia Hunt, who is returning to competition after suffering a broken leg during the first game of soccer season, will contribute a blend of toughness and quickness to the Pirates’ rotation.
Gaw anticipates a deep field of contenders in Class C North, including Narraguagus of Harrington, George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill, Calais, Dexter, Fort Fairfield, Schenck of East Millinocket — and his own team.
“The expectations have gone up every year, and just getting there is not enough anymore,” said Gaw. “One of the best feelings in the world is running out onto that floor in Bangor, and one of the worst feelings in the world is leaving that floor knowing that you’re not coming back that year. They’ve now tasted both.
“We want to get down to Bangor and make some noise, we don’t want to go home after one game. How far we make it, I don’t know, but we want to contend for a championship.”
Foxcroft Academy Ponies
Coach: Blake Smith
Foxcroft graduated just two seniors from last year’s squad, which captured the final playoff berth in Eastern Maine Class B before dropping a competitive 38-31 decision to fourth-ranked Camden Hills of Rockport in the tournament prelims.
The Ponies are even younger this winter from one perspective, as second-team All-Big East Conference forward Madison Chadbourne is the lone senior on coach Blake Smith’s roster.
But don’t mistake youth for inexperience, as Chadbourne is one of four returning starters and will be counted on to pace Foxcroft’s inside scoring attack along with versatile Grace Bickford, a junior who can play both near the post and on the perimeter.
Other returning starters are junior point guard Kendra Ewer and junior forward Abby Simpson, who was among the Big East’s leading rebounders a year ago.
Also expected to play significant roles for the Ponies are twin junior guards Alli and Abbi Bourget and sophomore forward Avery Nelson, while freshman forward Mackenzie Beaudry and freshman guard Cailin Seavey both have the potential to make immediate contributions.
Foxcroft boasts good overall height, with Chadbourne, Nelson, Simpson, Beaudry and Seavey all at 5-10 while Richard stands 5-9.
Smith and his team aspire to earn a top-eight finish in Class B North, which would enable the Ponies to host a preliminary-round tournament contest, but he acknowledges the depth of the Big East Conference as led by the likes of Mount Desert Island, Presque Isle and defending Class C state champion Houlton, which has moved up to B North under the state’s new five-class format.
“The Big East will very competitive from top to bottom,” he said.
Dexter Tigers
Coach: Jody Grant
Dexter joined Piscataquis in making a deep tournament run in Eastern C last winter, advancing to the regional championship game before falling to Houlton, the eventual state champion.
Seven players from that fourth-ranked team, including four starters, have graduated but five veterans return to lead the way under veteran coach Jody Grant.
Megan Peach, a 6-1 junior center, is the lone starter back and provides Dexter an experienced post presence, while 5-10 Katherine Batron and guard Skyler Theodore are the only seniors on the roster.
Other veterans expected to play major roles are junior guard Abby Webber and junior forward Kayli Cunningham, while impact newcomers likely will include Cidney Pratt, Kaitlyn Webber, Ashley Reynolds and freshman Kaylee Deering.
Grant stressed that gaining experience will be a primary goal for this year’s team, with the level of improvement on a daily basis determining the Tigers’ ultimate fate.
Grant anticipates a deep Class C North field this winter even with Houlton now in Class B. He sees the likes of Piscataquis, Narraguagus, Calais and George Stevens Academy battling for top seeds, joined by former Class D programs Schenck, Stearns of Millinocket, Fort Fairfield and Penobscot Valley of Howland as potential contenders.
Penquis Valley Patriots
Coach: Dawn McLaughlin
Penquis Valley will attempt to mirror on the hardwood what it accomplished on the soccer field this fall.
The Patriots’ soccer team ended a two-year winless streak in the opening game of the season and went on to finish fourth in Class C North with an 8-5-1 record.
Many of those soccer players make up much of the 12-player Penquis girls basketball team that hopes to break through after two seasons without a victory.
While Patriots’ coach Dawn McLaughlin may not anticipate a top-four finish in the division for her basketball squad, she does expect the Patriots to be more competitive this winter, thanks in part to an increased level of basketball understanding within the roster..
The team’s lone senior, Lauren Worster, and junior Jordan Durant are returning starters for the Patriots, while junior Jazmyn Gray and sophomores Kourtnie Stone and Kelsey Robinson also will contribute.
Seven freshmen round out the squad in Camryn Rolfe, Megan Valvo, Katelyn Bolstridge, Lexi Goddard, Cymeria Robshaw, Kylee Trafton and Chloe Wyman, with some of those newcomers expected to make immediate contributions.
Greenville Lakers
Coach: John Jardine
Greenville qualified for the Western D prelims a year ago and will remain in that same division, now known as Class D South, for tournament purposes.
But the Lakers’ schedule will be considerably different with the school’s return to the Penobscot Valley Conference after spending recent years in the East-West Conference.
Greenville’s schedule will continue to include East-West rivals Forest Hills of Jackman and Valley of Bingham, but new to the slate will be the likes of Piscataquis, Penquis Valley, Penobscot Valley, Bangor Christian and Katahdin of Stacyville.
“I think the schedule will be more difficult because we’ve got some Class C teams in there,” said veteran head coach John Jardine.
Greenville has just 11 players in its schoolgirl basketball program this winter, and will rely on two pair of sisters to provide on-court leadership.
Shelby Ward is the team’s lone senior, while sophomore Makenzie Ward also will be a key contributor. Two freshmen sisters, Abbi and Amy Carrier, have transferred to Greenville from Forest Hills, and Abbi is expected to be one of the team’s top rebounders.