Teams battle for top positioning in standings
The basketball regular season has surpassed its midway point and local teams are now jockeying for position in the North B, C and D Heal Point standings.
With just over three weeks remaining before the date of the last countable game, and four weeks from the preliminary round of the playoffs, several teams are contending for spots in the post-season.
In Class B, the Caribou boys are currently fifth with their 4-5 record, having benefitted from pointworthy home victories over No. 2 Orono and No. 4 Mount Desert Island. Presque Isle is in the midst of a five-game losing streak and is in 15th place out of 17 teams with its 2-7 mark. The top 12 teams in this division make the playoffs. The Vikings are scheduled to play the Wildcats in PI tonight (Thursday would be the make-up date in the event of a snowstorm).
The Fort Fairfield Tigers have shrugged off a slow start and are now 7-3 and in third place in the ‘C’ rankings. LCS/MSSM of Limestone (4-6) has won two straight and is up to 13th place, with the top 12 qualifying to move on.
Easton leads the way in the D North division with its 9-2 mark, which includes Thursday’s 21-point win over No. 2 Southern Aroostook. Washburn’s only loss was to Easton and coach Randy Norsworthy’s Beavers sit at 7-1 and in third place. Central Aroostook (5-3) is fifth, while Ashland is still winless at 0-10 and in 14th place. Only the top 10 advance to the playoffs in Class D.
For the girls, Presque Isle has won seven in a row and sat in third place in Class B at 8-1 heading into last night’s home game against Caribou, which entered with a 2-7 record and 14th-place ranking.
In Class C, the Fort Fairfield Tigers are winners of five in a row and are 10-1 and atop the division. LCS/MSSM broke a lengthy losing skid on Saturday, getting past East Grand/GHCA, and is 2-8 and in 14th position.
The five-time defending champion Washburn Beavers own a 6-3 mark and are in third place in the D rankings. Central Aroostook (6-2) is just percentage points behind Washburn in fourth, while Ashland (3-8) and Easton (3-7) are eighth and ninth, respectively, and would make the post-season where they currently stand.
Among the highlights of action over the past week was Fort Fairfield’s doubleheader sweep of Fort Kent last Wednesday. The boys fell behind early but a big second quarter gave them a 59-49 win. Isaac Cyr had 20 points, Chris Giberson 16 and Ryan Player a season-high 15 for the Tigers, now winners of six consecutive games.
The FF girls ran past the Warriors, 56-31, with Taylor Churchill scoring 20 to lead the way and Chelsey Pelkey and Teresa Maynard following with 11 and 10, respectively.
The Washburn boys continued their fine season by topping Ashland last Wednesday, 65-29, and following that up with a comfortable win at Limestone the following evening, 74-39. Noah Caron had 14 points in the win over the Hornets, while Parker Thompson had a career-high 16 to help the Beavers past the Eagles.
Steven Bellanceau had 10 for Ashland in the loss, while Victor Negron’s 12 points keyed the Eagles’ effort.
The Beavers girls played just one time and had to battle past LCS/MSSM Thursday, 45-38. Kassie Farley, a freshman, was the leading scorer with 18 points, with Jackie Peers netting a game-high 22 for the Eagles.
The Presque Isle teams played a doubleheader in Orono Saturday and the girls overcame a cold shooting performance to stop the Red Riots, 38-25. Emily Wheaton scored 18 and Skylar Vogel grabbed 12 rebounds to pace the Wildcats.
The boys stayed close with a strong Orono team but lost by a score of 44-41. Sophomore guard Griffin Guerrette had a strong overall game with 17 points, four assists and six steals in the loss.
The Central Aroostook girls beat both Hodgdon and Ashland last week to move up the standings, while the boys beat Van Buren after competing with No. 1 Easton for three quarters before falling.
The struggles continued for the Easton girls as their losing streak reached five following losses to Southern Aroostook and Madawaska last week.
