Shires not to be denied

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
AUGUSTA, Maine — If a true measure of a champion is how well a team handles itself in clutch situations, then the Houlton boys basketball team is truly an elite squad.
With an undefeated season on the line, and the gold ball sitting at the scorer’s table next to the Houlton bench, the Shiretowners were not about to let their dreams of winning a championship come crashing down.    Houlton completed the perfect season with a 58-56 overtime victory over Western Maine champ Waynflete Saturday night at the Augusta Civic Center. The Shires finish their season with a 22-0 record, while Waynflete of Portland ends the year with an 18-3 record.
It was a moment perfectly scripted for the Shires, and in particular Houlton junior big man Kyle Bouchard, who was fresh off his selection as Class C Tournament MVP for his performance at the Cross Insurance Center.
With the game knotted at 56-all and 18.5 seconds on the clock, Houlton had possession of the ball and called a timeout to set up the fateful final play. It was a win-win scenario for the Shires as Bouchard was apt to either make the shot or get fouled in the process.
Out of the huddle, Bouchard — arguably one of the best basketball players in the state regardless of division — received the ball in the backcourt and used a quick from junior Jake Drew to shake a defender before lofting a 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds remaining.
His shot bounced off the rim, but Waynflete’s Henry Cleaves fouled Bouchard on the play.
“I had a good feeling when Kyle got fouled that he would hit at least one of the three,” Houlton coach Rob Moran said.
Bouchard, who led all players in scoring with 28 points, calmly made two of his three foul shots to seal the victory for the Shires.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Bouchard said. “At this point in my life, these are the moments I live for. I got a good look (at the basket) until the guy closed out on me pretty hard. But I had a chance with three foul shots and took advantage.”
Interestingly enough, that shot was not the original play the coach designed when his team called a timeout.
“We were going to put Kyle on the high post and try to get him a touch, but as we were going out of the huddle, he said ‘how about a ball screen?’, so we tried that,” Moran explained. “That was a tough foul, but we were lucky enough that he went to the line and made a couple of foul shots.”
Junior Christian Crane, a 6-4 center, benefited from all the attention Bouchard drew as he hit multiple baskets on the weak side, just like he had all tournament long. Crane finished with 15 points, while senior Isaac Cone added seven; and senior Nick Guiod and Drew both chipped in four.
Serge Nyirikamba led the Flyers with 24 points, while Harry Baker-Connick added 13 and Abel Alemayo chipped in 12.
The roles were reversed earlier as it was Waynflete who had the ball at the end of regulation and a chance to win the game. The Flyers shot was off the mark at the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.
“I just wanted us to defend and if they took the shot early, I wanted to make sure we got the rebound,” Moran said. “But this feels great. I am so happy for these kids. They have been building for this for a long time. I’m thrilled.”
In the extra period, Houlton scored the first four points on a pair of Bouchard foul shots and an offensive putback by Cone for a 56-52 lead. Waynflete scored the next four points, making it 56-all to set up the Shires’ final play.
For senior Elyjah Crockett, ending his high school career winning a gold ball was a dream come true.
“It’s amazing,” Crockett said. “Everything we have been through, it’s all worth it. With Kyle on the line like that at the end, there was no doubt in my mind he was going to make those shots and we were going to win. We’re 22-0!”
During the post-game celebration, Guiod made a lasting impact on the next generation of basketball players when he cut pieces off of the net around his neck and passed out the strings to a gathering of eager young Shires along the baseline.
“The kids have supported us all year, cheering really loud for us, so I wanted to give them a little memento,” Guiod said. “Those are the future players for Houlton, so I wanted them to have a piece of it.”
Guiod said he got the idea of cutting pieces off the net from Hampden Academy’s Zach Gilpin, whose parents grew up in Houlton, after seeing Gilpin do it after the Class A regional championship.
“It’s just a little something special we could do for the community,” Guiod said. “We all had this one common goal, and they (the fans) helped get us here.”
Guiod added the one word that could best describe the season was “redemption.”
“We felt like we were the better team last year and let it go (in the Eastern Class C championship),” he said. “Coming into this year, our goal was to win every game.”
Championship Tidbits
• Houlton made three of eight shots (38 percent) from behind the 3-point arc and converted 22 of 37 shots (60 percent) from the floor. Waynflete made 5 of 13 shots (39 percent) from beyond the arc and made 23 of 54 field goals (43 percent).
• As the final buzzer sounded and the team stormed the floor, Bouchard turned to the Houlton fans and received a high-five from his uncle Mark Spurling, while Bouchard’s parents Karen and Marty, wiped tears of joy from their eyes.
• The Houlton High School band drew high praise from many in attendance for the state game. The team drew double duty as Waynflete did not have a band. During the band’s signature dance songs “Jump on it” and “Cupid Shuffle,” members of the audience, both young and old alike, joined the band to show off their dance moves.
HOULTON (58)
Cone 3-4 0-0 7, Crockett 0-0 0-0 0, Drew 2-2 0-1 4, N. Guiod 1-4 1-2 4, Bouchard 9-17 9-15 28, Holmes 0-0 0-0 0, Crane 7-13 1-4 15. Totals: 22-37 11-22 58. 3-pointers — Cone, N. Guiod, Bouchard.
WAYNFLETE (56)
Baker-Connick 5-12 2-2 13, Alemayo 4-6 1-3 12, Belleau 3-12 0-0 7, Nelligan 0-0 0-0 0, Nyirikamba 11-17 2-3 24, Cleaves 0-6 0-0 0, Schnier 0-1 0-0 0, Hutchinson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-54 5-8 56. 3-pointers — Alemayo 3, Bealleau, Baker-Connick.
Shires    17    14    8    11    8    —    58
Flyers    12    10    17    11    6    —    56