HOULTON, Maine — How does one improve upon an undefeated season that ended with the school’s first gold ball championship in 10 years?
That is the question on the minds of Houlton boys basketball fans, as well as varsity coach Rob Moran as the Shiretowners prepare to defend their state championship. And with a bundle of talented players returning from that squad, the Shires appear poised to once again be one of the elite teams in Eastern Class C.
Houlton had a season to cherish a year ago, posting a 22-0 overall record capped off with a thrilling 58-56 overtime victory against Waynflete School of Portland to bring home the gold ball.
“It will be hard to improve on that undefeated season, especially when you lose a lot of good, talented players like we did,” coach Moran said. “We have a lot of capable kids, but we will probably be a different style of team.”
Entering his fourth season with the Shires, Moran has tallied an impressive 52-13 record with Houlton and has appeared in the Eastern Class C championship three consecutive seasons. Moran said while he would like to see the Shires push the ball up the court, the team might be physically stronger and a better rebounding team than a year ago.
Lost to graduation were Isaac Cone, Nick Guiod, Elyjah Crockett and Kole Buzzeo. Guiod was a starter and primary ball handler for Houlton, while Cone (a defensive stalwart) and Crockett (a rebounding force) logged serious minutes coming off the bench. Buzzeo missed much of the year with a serious knee injury, but provided veteran guidance on the bench.
This year’s Shire roster features seniors Kyle Bouchard, Dakota Gramour, Christian Crane, Jake Condon, Dan Howe, Noah Holmes, Jake Drew, Jake Donovan; juniors Jake Brown, Garrett Ring, Jake Worthley; sophomores Cameron Graham, Jared Fox and Dylan Johnston; and freshman Cameron Cleary.
Moran said he has four of the five pieces to his starting lineup in place with Bouchard, Howe, Drew and Crane. The fifth starter has yet to be determined and could change on a nightly basis depending on the opponent.
It is no secret that the success of the Shires flows through Bouchard, a 6-foot, 4-inch forward with exceptional ball-handling skills. He is coming off a tremendous junior campaign in which he averaged 21.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. He broke the 1,000-point scoring plateau and currently has 1,387 career points for the Shires.
“Kyle is just a do-it-all kind of guy who, in addition to his scoring, is one of the better defenders in the state,” Moran said.
Howe missed multiple games last season with a knee problem, but all signs point to him being healthy this year. “He played great opening weekend for us, so getting him back and healthy for us is a huge boost,” Moran said. “He’s a great shooter and has good basketball IQ.”
Drew, a 5-11 guard, is coming off a stellar football season in which he led the Shires in rushing yards and touchdowns. “Jake is just a phenomenal athlete,” Moran said. “He will be one of our best defenders and can get to the rim whenever he wants.”
Crane, a 6-4 center, developed into a strong post player as the season progressed a year ago and that trend should continue this year. “Christian passes the ball really well and can hit a 15-footer,” the coach said.
Not knowing who the fifth starter will be is the one area that coach Moran hopes to address early in the season.
“We have to have somebody step up and seize that role,” he said.
Expect to see a little less man-to-man defense from the Shires as the team may lean more to zone schemes.
Class C is a lot deeper this year,” Moran said. “Calais, Washington Academy, Orono and Lee Academy are all going to be very good.”
