Jonesport-Beals and Shead are two of the smallest high schools in the state. But basketball is a big deal for both Down East communities, especially this year.
And Tuesday was a big day for the Royals and Tigers. The boys and girls teams from both schools traveled to Bangor for quarterfinal games in the Class S tournament for schools with student enrollments under 100.
So for most of the day and evening, the Cross Insurance Center was full of Shead orange and Jonesport-Beals blue.
“Down East, you know, it is tough. I mean, it’s a long winter,” said Paul Therriault, who was principal at Shead for 17 years, and is also a former basketball coach at the school. “So it’s a chance to come out and cheer your team on.”
Juanita Gray of Addison, whose granddaughter plays for Jonesport-Beals, agreed that Tuesday was a highlight of the winter, joking that it was “a day out of Dodge” for the fans who traveled to watch the Royals play.
“The communities are small,” Gray said. “They’re very proud of all of their players, and as you can see, there’s a pretty good turnout.”
Players from both schools could feel the support.
“Our fans are probably some of the best fans you will find,” said Jonesport-Beals senior Mia Mills. “And we are a small school, and yeah, our fans always show up for us. They help us win games with their support.”
Mills certainly helped her team win, scoring 26 points in the Royals victory over the Shead girls.
The Jonesport-Beals boys coasted to a win over Deer Isle-Stonington by a score of 77-25.
Senior guard Nathaniel Johnson said the Royals appreciate the sea of blue in the stands.
“When you look up and you see that, and it’s loud and it’s echoing across the court, it really means something,” Johnson said about the fan support. “It means a ton. They really back us, and we appreciate it, we love it, and they love us.”
The Shead boys also picked up a win on Tuesday. The Tigers earned a 50-38 victory over Washburn in the first game of the tournament.
“It’s been quite a few years since we’ve had both teams here,” Theriault, the former principal and coach, said after the Eastport teams played. “I couldn’t tell you the last time that Shead Boys actually had a victory up here. It’s been quite a while. Those things just make people feel good because the winters are long, as we well know,”
Senior Grayson Harkins led the scoring for the Shead boys with 21 points.
“I remember coming here as a kid and being here for Shead, and it’s a good experience,” he said after playing under the bright lights of the Cross Center.
And he wasn’t the only one who’s been watching the tournament since childhood.
Ronnie Alley of Jonesport said his family had been waiting for years to watch his grandson, Anderson Alley play in the tournament.
“Well, I tell you, my grandson is on the team. And this is what he has looked forward to for years,” Alley said.
Alley expects an even bigger Jonesport-Beals contingent in Bangor for the second round, now that both teams have advanced.
“And everybody supports it. It’s a two-town thing,” Alley said. “The girls team is no different than the boys team. Everybody who follows the girls team follows the boys team. We’ve done it for years.”
Shead coach Corey Sullivan, who played under Therriault when he was in high school, noted that the fans drove more than two hours for Tuesday’s games. And they weren’t just supporting their school, they were also supporting the region they hail from.
“We always show up in orange pretty well,” Sullivan said. “And we’re actually pretty friendly with Jonesport who plays next, so you know, we show up for them a little bit too.”
