The first half of 2015 was a glorious one for sports fans featuring everything from the New England Patriots capturing their fourth Super Bowl trophy to the Houlton girls basketball team winning the state Class C championship.
January
Former Houlton resident and girls basketball coach John Donato reached the 500-win plateau as a high school girls basketball coach. Donato was the girls coach of Lawrence High School of Fairfield when he reached the historic mark.
With 33 cheerleaders split between two squads, Houlton Middle School was well represented at the 2015 Aroostook League Middle School cheering competition. Houlton’s eighth-grade squad finished third, while the Shire sixth- and seventh-grade team brought home the spirit award in their first year of competition. The eighth-grade team also collected an award for “Best Team Dance.”
The Houlton High School cheerleaders qualified for the state competition, with a fifth-place finish at the regional event. Houlton was fifth with 101.3 points behind No. 1, Dexter, 114; second, Bucksport, 113.6; third, Central of East Corinth, 106.3; and fourth, Orono, 102.9. The squad went on to finish seventh in the state competition.
Participants in the Knights of Columbus Free-throw Competition in Houlton were Emma Ardell, winner for 12-year-old girls; Elena Ardell, winner 10-year-old girls; Isabella Ardell; Joel Carmichael, winner 12-year-old boys; and Eli Bulley; back, Tyler MacDonald; Nolan Porter, winner for 14-year-old boys; Isaac Potter; Nick Brewer; Zachary Weeks, winner for 14-year-old boys; Duncan McCormick; and Austin Winslow. The winners advanced to Stearns High School in Millinocket in February.
February
The New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in Arizona to win Super Bowl 49.
High school basketball playoffs were underway with several local teams vying for the coveted gold ball. The Houlton boys and girls teams have both earned a bye directly to the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor for the Class C tourney. The Southern Aroostook Boys, Katahdin boys and girls, Hodgdon boys, and East Grand girls also qualified in Class D, but had to earn their way to Bangor by winning preliminary playoffs.
March
The Houlton girls advanced to the state championship, where they defeated Maranacook 59-51, winning the school’s first gold ball for girls basketball since 1991.
A winter sport that was rolling through The County was snowmobile drag racing. In conjunction with the Frozen Motor Mayhem II held in Presque Isle, Houlton hosted its own snowmobile drag races the following day at Houlton International Airport. Despite a heavy snowstorm that hit the area, several hundred people turned out for the competition.
Houlton High School’s Kyle Bouchard was one of three finalists for the state’s 2015 Mr. Basketball award. Bouchard, a 6-foot 5-inch forward, was joined by Nick Mayo, a 6-8 forward from Messalonskee of Oakland and Jack Simonds, a 6-5 forward from Falmouth. Bouchard was ultimately crowned Mr. Basketball, marking the first time a player from Houlton achieved this honor. The award is the state’s highest individual high school basketball honor and recognizes senior players’ efforts on the court as well as their contributions to their team and overall basketball in Maine. Both Bouchard and Lux were set to play at Division II Bentley University in Waltham, Mass. upon graduation.
April
The Harlem Superstars came to town, bringing their comedic basketball skills to a packed house at Houlton High School. Attendance for the game was once again impressive as three sides of Houlton’s gymnasium were filled to near capacity. Tickets sales reached 742, with a profit of approximately $3,200 for the senior class.
Houlton’s Kolleen Bouchard became just the third freshman since 1991 to earn a spot on one of the top three teams of the 39th annual Bangor Daily News All-Maine Schoolgirl Basketball Team. She was a second-team pick. She followed Lawrence’s Cindy Blodgett (1991) and Emily Esposito (2014)
Rob Moran, who guided the Houlton boys basketball team to the 2014 Class C state championship, resigned as the Shiretowners’ head coach after four seasons. He cited work responsibilities for his decision.
Houlton’s Kyle Bouchard finished his high school basketball career being named to the 60th annual Bangor Daily News All-Maine Boys First Team.
May
Brandon Dunn was selected by Prospects Hockey to play for their Junior A team at the Michigan Pre-draft Showcase powered by Harrow Sports in Canton, Mich. The Pre-draft Showcase offered eligible premier Junior A teams and players exposure to scouts from all over North America.
The annual Meduxnekeag River Canoe/Kayak Race drew a large gathering to Houlton as the first warm weekend of the season arrived.
More than 70 participants competed in the 10th annual East Grand Adventure Race and Baskahegan Stream Canoe Race in Danforth.
Looking at VaJoWa Golf Course, many would never know that it was once primarily grazing
land, as Vaughan Walker’s cattle herd would roam the hillsides. The golf course, which had been etched out of rocks and grassy farmland to become one of the most challenging courses in southern Aroostook, was celebrating its 50th anniversary.
June
Dick Barstow completed an impressive basketball coaching career that came full circle from Sherman to Mars Hill, Waterville to Presque Isle and then back to Stacyville. Barstow was among the top coaches in wins with 660-plus victories, along with four state championships and seven Eastern Maine titles. He also garnered five Katahdin Valley League championships from 1961-67, along with racking up an 84-game winning streak. Barstow was announced as an inductee into the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame. He was already enshrined in the Maine Sports Hall of Fame and New England Basketball Hall of Fame.
Houlton senior Jacob Drew was chosen to participate in the Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic all-star football game, marking the first time a Houlton football player was chosen to participate.
Southern Aroostook dominated Aroostook County Class D baseball in the spring behind a high-powered offense that averaged nearly 13 runs per game. That offense carried the Warriors to the Eastern Maine championship game. Unfortunately, the Warriors were unable to produce runs consistently against Stearns High School as the Minutemen piled up 14 hits en route to an 11-3 victory at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor.
A picture perfect day greeted the 38 racers who competed in the 20th annual Northern Maine Soap Box Derby competition. Anna Hogan collected the stock division championship, while Jennah Rand was victorious in the Super Stock division. Both girls earned the right to compete in the 78th annual All-American Soap Box Derby Race in Akron, Ohio.
