DYER BROOK, Maine — After a lengthy playoff push last season, is the Southern Aroostook girls basketball team ready to take the next step toward securing a state championship?
That is the hope of coach Cliff Urquhart and Warrior fans as Southern Aroostook returns a stacked lineup of players for another season of high school hoops.
“I think we have potential to be one of the better teams in our division again this year,” coach Urquhart said.
The Warriors did not lose a single player from last year’s young squad that finished 17-1 in the regular season and was the top-ranked team in the Class D North division. The winning ways should only continue next year as well, as the Warriors do not have a senior on the roster.
Last year, SACS beat No. 9 Katahdin 47-31 in the quarterfinals and defeated No. 4 Easton 48-42 in the semifinals before losing a heartbreakingly close contest to No. 2 Shead 32-29 in the regional championship.
“I think sometimes it flies under the radar when people talk about what makes up a good team, but chemistry is something we have really prided ourselves on the last couple years,” coach Urquhart said. “Beyond what you see on the court in terms of passing and rotating, there are no egos here. No one cares who scores the points or makes an all-star team. Our scoring is pretty balanced and I think we have seven or eight kids that have proven to be able to score at the varsity level.”
Entering his seventh season with SACS (and ninth year overall of varsity experience), coach Urquhart said the team that plays strong defense is usually the last team standing.
“We play really good team defense and mix it up well between the half court and full court,” the coach said. “We mainly play a man to man but have the ability to go and play different zones as well, with a mixture of half, full and 3/4 court zone traps.”
The Warrior roster includes juniors Kylie Vining, Katelyn Slauenwhite, Kassidy Mathers and Maddie Cummings; sophomores Makaelyn Porter, Hannah Landry and Sydney Brewer; and freshmen Kacy Daggett, Paige Vose, Emma Nadeau, and Selena Botting.
“I believe we have a versatile team with a combination of speed and length,” the coach said. “Lots of kids that can play multiple positions.”
While coach Urquhart has yet to decide on a starting rotation, he has plenty of talented players to choose from.
Mathers, a 5-foot, 8-inch guard/forward, is a year removed from an ACL injury that forced her to miss the majority of last season. She returned to play in the team’s final four games and playoff run. “Kassidy keeps her head up and sees the floor well,” the coach said. “She looks, early on, to be completely healed from her surgery and is much more explosive than she was at the end of last season. I am excited to have her back. She is a leader and I know she loves this sport.”
Vining, a 5-6 guard, plays much bigger than her size. “Kylie is a blue collar type player who grinds on defense, sets good screens and can be relentless on the glass,” Urquhart said. “Her jump shot is getting better with each season. I think she is due for a breakout season.”
Slauenwhite, a 5-7 guard, has the ability to come in and light up the scoreboard with her shooting ability, according to the coach. “She won’t have to handle the ball as much now with Kassidy back and it could free her up a little bit more this season,” he said.
Porter, a 5-9 guard, brings a high basketball IQ to the team. “While she can hit the 3, I’m happy with the way she has really gotten better on the defensive end,” the coach said. “She has turned that from something she kind of struggled with at times early her in her career into something that she’s very good at now.”
Brewer, a 5-9 forward, led the team in scoring last year at 19 points per game. “She runs the floor very well for a ‘big’,” Urquhart said. “She is a good free throw shooter and creates a lot of opportunities for herself by getting ahead of the defense in transition.”
Daggett, a 5-10 forward, is the tallest Warrior on the squad who saw extensive playing time a year ago as an eighth-grader. “Kacy is a solid defender and rebounder,” Urquhart said. “When Kacy catches the ball on the block she’s really hard to stop.”
The Warriors will play a much tougher schedule this season, with Class C powerhouses Houlton and Madawaska added to the mix, along with Class D North champ Shead.
Two other former Class C teams that are now in D also remain on the schedule.
Assisting coach Urquhart are Jessica Walker and Brandon McCarthy.
