Without a single starter back from last year’s team that reached the Class B North semifinals, the Caribou Vikings have been an early-season surprise by winning two of their first three games.
Caribou bested both Fort Kent and Foxcroft Academy last week and take a 2-1 record into tonight’s home game against 0-2 Houlton.
In the latest game against the Ponies, held Saturday at Caribou High School, free throw shooting down the stretch was the key as the Vikes hit on all 12 of their attempts in the fourth quarter to collect the hard-fought 49-46 win.
The Vikings nailed 20 foul shots in the game, with freshmen Alex Bouchard and Parker Deprey tallying seven each. Bouchard led Caribou in scoring with 16 points and Deprey added 11.
Bouchard and Deprey also led the way at Fort Kent last Wednesday with 22 and 15 points, respectively. Caribou trailed by three after three quarters but came from behind for a 58-55 triumph.
The Caribou girls were beaten twice and are now 0-3. Last Tuesday at Fort Kent, the Vikes lost by a point, 42-41. Junior Gabrielle Marquis and freshman Paige Espling scored 16 points each in the loss.
On Saturday, senior Maddie Doucette had 14 points and Marquis added eight in the 44-35 home loss to Foxcroft Academy.
The LCS/MSSM boys won a close game over GHCA last Tuesday but then dropped a pair to Van Buren and Fort Kent.
Travis Hatfield had just two field goals the entire game, but his buzzer-beating putback allowed LCS/MSSM to sneak past GHCA. Alex Sprague and Victor Negron scored nine points to pace the winners.
The LCS/MSSM girls got their first win of the season as Karoline Dillenbeck came through with the heroics with a 15-footer in the final minute of play in a 27-26 win over Van Buren last Wednesday. Taylor Labreck’s 14 points and 10 rebounds also keyed the victory. The Eagles fell to Fort Kent in a home contest Monday evening.
