Dexter boys basketball team gaining experience, victories

By Ernie Clark
Staff Writer

DEXTER — The Dexter boys basketball season began the winter with perhaps more questions than definitive answers.

But the responses the Tigers have offered up during the first two-thirds of their regular-season schedule suggest a roster capable of playing with the best of Class C North.

Coach Peter Murray’s club gained its most important win to date with a recent 58-48 victory over Schenck at Ed Guiski Gymnasium — a decision that not only ended the Wolverines’ eight-game winning streak but avenged a 24-point loss at East Millinocket on Dec. 11.

“Coach Murray was telling us in the locker room afterward that we’re a good team and that we can play with these types of teams,” said junior forward Zach White. “I think this win is going to prove it.”

The victory was the fourth straight for Dexter, which was 9-3 entering a home game Tuesday night against Piscataquis of Guilford.

The victory also moved the Tigers into fourth place in the Class C North standings, a position that would earn Dexter the final preliminary-round bye in the division if the season ended today.

That’s a fairly lofty status for the Tigers, particularly given the relative paucity of Heal points available on their schedule.

“There’s only two teams that are in our division that are ahead of us that we play, and this was one of them,” said Murray of Schenck. “Bucksport’s the other one, so those are the only shots you have for those points. All you can do other than that is just keep teams behind you.

“Realistically we’re looking at least five, six, seven or eighth place and we were teetering on eighth, so this helps to make that a little more solid. If we could beat a couple of those other teams and get to that fourth spot that would be a bonus, but at the very least we want a home prelim.”

What makes Dexter’s strong start all the more impressive is the team’s youth — there are no seniors, with eight of the 12 players juniors and the other four sophomores.

Only two players had participated in a varsity game before the start of this season, yet there is a composed approach to the game that defies any lack of experience.

It was on display against Schenck, which raced out to a 12-2 lead before the Tigers regrouped after three early timeouts called by Murray to control the tempo of the game’s final three quarters.

“There’s like a spark in us,” said Dexter junior forward Brayden Miller, who worked inside for team-high totals of 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. “I don’t know what it is but we’ve been playing together for a long time and once we get going we don’t stop.”

It also was on display immediately after the Tigers’ biggest win so far this winter.

“I was happy with our reaction, we basically just went to the handshake line — act like you’ve been there,” said Murray. “This group has played a lot of basketball together, not with a lot of varsity experience because they’re just not old enough, but they have played a lot of basketball.

“I think they know they’re capable, that when they play the way they’re capable of playing they’re a good team. We also know if we don’t put it together we can look pretty bad at times, too. That’s high school kids.”

Dexter follows its game against Piscataquis with two pointworthy road tests at Orono on Friday and at Bucksport on Jan. 26.

Much like the Schenck scenario, Dexter will seek to avenge its only other losses against 11-2 Orono and 11-3 Bucksport — which began this week as the No. 2 teams in Classes B North and C North, respectively.

“These types of wins,” said White, “are what is going to get us going.”