MARS HILL, Maine — The Central Aroostook boys’ basketball team has been knocking on the door the past couple of years. Despite being the smallest school enrollment-wise in Class C, the Panthers have been one of those teams that nobody wanted to face when tournament time rolled around.
This year could be the one that they take the next step, according to fourth-year head coach Jason Woodworth.
The Panthers bring back a veteran squad with the tools necessary to make a deep run in the tournament. Last year, the squad finished with a very solid 13-5 record, but ended up facing County rival Fort Kent in the tournament and fell in the quarterfinal round. That left a sour taste in their mouths, according to Woodworth, and the Panthers are coming back with something to prove.
Central Aroostook will be led by senior Ben Thomas, who is one of the top offensive players in Aroostook County and has the ability to score from well beyond the 3-point line. His quickness also makes him difficult to defend as players must be aware of his ability to take it to the basket. Thomas is a very efficient defender and that aspect of his game often goes unnoticed given his ability to score, according to the coach.
Junior Brayden Bradbury also is a very strong offensive player and will benefit from the attention that Thomas will garner, Woodworth indicated. Bradbury will likely put up big numbers thanks in part to his strength and work ethic.
Juniors Jacob Carvell and Ethan Pryor and sophomore Josh Thomas will round out the starting five. Collectively, this team has great quickness on both sides of the ball, and will look to set the tempo from the outset of the game, according to Woodworth. Carvell, Pryor and Thomas all work hard and have the speed to make teams defend the entire length of the floor.
Senior Lane Grass and junior Drew Belmain will see substantial minutes coming off the bench and also love to get up and down the floor. Other players in the mix will include seniors Connor Dionne and Hunter Wardwell, sophomores Malachi Fitzherbert, Josh Dahl and Stetson Nicholas, and freshman Lucas Haines. Several of these players will swing to the junior varsity, but how they progress as the season goes on will determine the minutes they see at the varsity level, Woodworth said.
The Panthers strengths this season will be their quickness as well as their outside scoring ability. Woodworth feels opposing teams will be forced to extend their defenses to account for their range, and that may open things up in the paint for the many slashers.
The coach also said that defensive pressure may dictate their success.
“Our ability to guard people off the dribble and how much we can disrupt the other team will dictate what style of offense we play,” he said.
Woodworth also recognizes that the Panthers’ success may hinge on how well they take care of the ball. He said a strong tournament run will depend on how well they progress on defense, and how well they mature throughout the season.
“Our goal coming into this year is to be a contender for a gold ball,” he said.
