Class B/D High School Hoop Playoff Preview
Beaver boys gain top seed,
Easton turns in perfect season
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
For the first time in school history, the Washburn boys have finished atop the standings.
Contributed photos/jMavor Photography
NOAH FARLEY of the Beavers tries to protect the ball against Easton’s Jake Flewelling during their December matchup.
JUNIOR GUARD Cameron Bragg grabs a rebound in traffic against Wisdom during an early-season game played in Washburn.
Staff photos/Gloria Austin
SENIOR GUARD Cody Lyford goes up for a layup against Houlton in a December road contest.
WILDCAT BIG MAN Bradley Shields gets a good look at the basket during a regular season contest at Houlton. Shields helped Presque Isle to the No. 9 seed and the team will travel to Hermon tonight to take on the Hawks in a prelim.
Contributed photo/Dave Allen Graphics
PANTHER SENIOR Spencer Garrison (35) tries to get to a loose ball along with Easton’s Hunter Turner, as CA’s Zach McClung looks on from behind during a regular season meeting.
Contributed photo
CALEB DAIGLE of the Fort Fairfield Tigers gets ready to take a free throw during a game against Easton this season.
The Beavers certainly earned the distinction. After 2,000-point scorer Mitchell Worcester graduated, his void has been filled by a number of steady contributors.
Washburn got through a difficult regular season by handing powerhouse Hodgdon, the No. 3 seed in Eastern Maine Class D, one of its three losses, sweeping an up and coming Southern Aroostook squad, which finished fifth, and also taking two games from both of its geographical rivals, Central Aroostook and Fort Fairfield.
The one team the Beavers were unable to get past was Easton, who made history themselves by becoming the first Bear squad to go undefeated.
Easton bested Washburn Thursday, 50-34, to cap its 18-0 season. Coach Dillon Kingsbury’s team made its mark in the playoffs last year by upsetting No. 1 Jonesport-Beals in the quarters and brought back a battle-tested unit with aspirations to go even farther.
A total of five teams from the area will be competing in the playoffs. All of them have to get through the prelim round, which is being held today. Victories would allow those squads to reach the quarterfinals at Bangor’s new Cross Insurance Center. The Class B tourney gets underway Friday, with the Class D competition kicking off Saturday.
The Washburn Beavers may have lost Worcester, but have numerous players back with tournament experience. When Worcester fouled out of last February’s semifinal loss to Central Aroostook, many of Washburn’s younger players had to take on expanded roles late in the fourth quarter and throughout overtime of their loss.
The Beavers are young, with sophomores Jarrett Olson and Noah Caron joining juniors Cameron Bragg, Kenny Irving and Cameron Preston on the starting five.
Olson, Caron, Bragg and Irving are all capable scorers and Preston is the team’s post threat. Washburn is capable of scoring points in a hurry with their dangerous perimeter game.
Washburn hosts No. 16 Jonesport-Beals in a 5:30 p.m. prelim contest this afternoon.
The Easton Bears are the second seed and have been able to go unbeaten thanks to one of the most talented big men in The County in Hunter Turner and a group around him that are aware of their roles.
Sophomores Drew Sotomayor and Logan Halvorson are capable of complementing Turner with scoring and Sotomayor is also a good rebounder.
Junior Connor Burtt runs the team as the point guard and is a very composed player. Cody Halvorson and sixth-man Nick Clark are brilliant defenders also capable of contributing on the offensive end when needed.
The Bears host Schenck of East Millinocket at 6:30 p.m. tonight.
In Class B, things didn’t look promising early for the Presque Isle Wildcats, who struggled to an 0-3 start and were just 3-6 midway through the season.
However, coach Terry Cummings’ team put together a solid drive down the stretch that included six wins in its final nine games.
Senior center Brad Shields played a pair of huge games recently. The 6-8 Shields registered 22 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks against Houlton Jan. 29 and followed that up with 26 points, 15 boards and seven more blocks Feb. 1 at John Bapst.
Senior forward Drew Bates has been a consistent scorer and seniors Cody Lyford, Karson Eaton (with two game-winning baskets), Saul Nunez and Michael Boone have also contributed with some big games.
PI will play Hermon at 5:30 p.m. today in the prelim round. The Wildcats led in the fourth quarter in both regular season meetings before the Hawks came back for victories.
Back to Class D, the Fort Fairfield Tigers qualified as the No. 11 seed and will make the trip to play at Machias in a 6 p.m. matchup tonight.
The 7-11 Tigers are an athletic team with good balance. Junior guard Johnny Theriault makes things happen with his quickness, while Hunter Beaulieu, Logan Craig, Noah Bernard and Robbie Watson are veterans who do most of the scoring. Freshmen Chris Giberson and Ryan Player have helped the team’s depth.
The Central Aroostook Panthers are also 7-11 and the defending EM champs but have struggled at times as standout junior guard Chandler Brewer has missed a few games and large portions of several others due to injury.
Veterans Spencer Garrison and Zach McClung have tried to fill the gaps and have had strong campaigns, but the inexperience elsewhere has been evident.
CA travels to play Southern Aroostook tonight at 7 p.m. Coach Tim Brewer’s Panthers fell both times in the regular season — 57-39 and 58-29.
