DYER BROOK, Maine — How does one replace an entire starting lineup and yet remain competitive? That is the question veteran basketball coach Bill McAvoy will have to answer this season.
Southern Aroostook is entering a rebuilding season this year following the graduation of six exceptional players from last year’s squad. The Warriors finished 17-1 in the regular season and was the top-ranked team in Class D North. SA rolled to a 73-50 victory over No. 8 Greater Houlton Christian Academy in the quarterfinals and bested fourth ranked Central Aroostook 57-33 in the semifinals before falling to No. 2 Machias 43-31 in the regional final. Machias went on to win the state championship last year 51-39 over Greenville.
But that was last season and coach McAvoy is focused more on the future. To that end, the Warriors have one of the younger squads in the coach’s tenure with four juniors, one sophomore and five freshmen on the roster.
“This is a group of kids that really need to work extremely hard on the skills of the game of basketball,” McAvoy said. “We have some good attitudes and we have some kids that really want to do well.”
Members of the 2017-18 Warrior squad include juniors Jayden Burpee, Jakob Malone, Garrett Siltz and Steven Rackliff; sophomore Brett Williams; and freshmen Robert Chalmers, Jacob Brooks, Parker Skinner, Xavier Morales and Dawson Noyes.
Burpee and Siltz have the most experience of those returning players and will be called upon to provide veteran leadership as starters for the Warriors. Burpee, who has been injured for much of the preseason, and Siltz both played well coming off the bench for SA last season and the coach is optimistic that both are in line for big seasons.
“If those two kids play up to their potential, we will be OK,” McAvoy said.
He also expects big things from Morales, who was called up last year as an eighth-grader to get some valuable playing experience. Morales will be called upon to be a starter for the Warriors this year. “Xavier is probably the quickest kid on the team, but what he needs is confidence,” the coach said. “I feel that will come given time.”
Williams is back with the club after taking a year off from basketball and will likely have a starting role with the club. “Brett has worked very hard and in spots has looked very good,” McAvoy said.
His fifth starter could by Rackliff, who the coach described as a “workaholic,” due to the scrappy style of play he brings on both ends of the floor. “If the rest of the team can fall into his work ethic, it will certainly help us,” McAvoy said.
Having confidence in their abilities and their teammates is something many of the young players are struggling with thus far in the preseason, the coach added.
“I think once we can get that element straightened out, we can be competitive,” he said. “That is our goal for the year … to be competitive. I don’t think anyone expects us to be that good and the kids accept that. But the good thing is that means there is no pressure.”
McAvoy said he felt Woodland was the clear-cut favorite in his mind to advance to the regional championship, if not states. Last year, Woodland competed in Class C, but this year dropped down to Class D.
Assisting coach McAvoy again this season is Kevin Craig.
