This year’s teams are packed with talent
WRITTEN BY CRYSTAL SANDS
Class A
With the shakeup in the classifications beginning this year, Class A is going to be brimming with talent and strong teams. It should be an exciting season and an even more exciting tournament.
Oxford Hills lost to Cheverus last year in the Class AA regional championship, but with Cheverus moving to the South region and Class AA shifting into a new Class A, Oxford Hills is certainly going to be a team to watch this year. But Bangor and Hampden Academy should both have strong teams, and Hampden is going to be looking for another championship in Class A.
Coach Nick Winchester from Hampden Academy says they have graduated just one player from last year’s team, and the team has powerful depth this year.
“Our challenge is going to be finding the playing time for this kind of depth,” Winchester said. Hampden has a strong junior class with leaders Eve Wiles and Aubrey Shaw, as well as a 6’3” senior forward/center Grace Labree.
Bangor has a new head coach this year, Kristin Hermanson, and she is looking forward to a great first year at the helm. The former assistant coach knows the team well and is excited to have both Delaney Horr and Avery Clark (both committed to play ball next year at Husson) back as seniors. Coach Hermanson says they have a lot of players coming off of a state championship in soccer — the girls are motivated to win and hard working.
Class B
Like Class A, Class B is packed with talent. With Lawrence dropping from Class A to Class B, they will be looking to return to the tournament with depth and experience. Lawrence made it to the regional semifinals in the Class A tournament last year; it will be interesting to see what they can do in Class B.
But they’ll have their work cut out for them against the many talented teams in Class B this year. Ellsworth, Erskine Academy, and John Bapst have strong teams and high hopes for this year’s tournament. Ellsworth made it to the semifinals in Class B North last year and will be returning seniors Lizzie Boles and Kaylee Bagley.
John Bapst lost two seniors but has a returning captain from last year and a lot of depth on the team. Coach Matt Smith emphasized that the team is really close, which makes them stronger. Senior Anna Smith returns from last year’s team, which made it to the semifinals. Coach Smith said she is a rock for team unity, filling the role of team captain since she was a sophomore. Stella Goetz is a powerful junior guard Coach Smith is excited about, but said, “Anybody on the floor can be that person any given night, and that makes us hard to scout.”
Last year, Erskine Academy defeated Bapst in the regional semifinals, losing to Caribou in the Class B North final. With Caribou moving down to Class C this year, Erskine will be looking to go deep into the tournament again this season.
Class C
Caribou won last year’s state title in Class B, so they will be a team to watch in this year’s Class C. They will have a new head coach this year in Mackenzie Turner, who worked with the girls as a volunteer assistant coach for several seasons.
Mattanawcook Academy lost to Penobscot Valley in last year’s regional final, but with PVHS moving down to class D this year, Mattanawcook will be on a mission to return strong. With 6’1” senior Addison Cyr returning, Coach Pat House is looking to lead his team to another successful season.
Class D
A strong favorite in Class D this year has to be Penobscot Valley. Last year’s Class C state champion went undefeated, so fans are expecting big things from PVHS this year. Coach Nate Case says the team has their “big three” from last year returning — Rylee Moulton, Lila Cummings, and Brooklyn Raymond — but emphasizes that his team has powerful depth. Coach Case says they have a small team with only 10 girls playing basketball, so there are no tryouts.
“We are small but mighty,” he said.
Although his team averaged victories of 40+ points over opponents last year, Case says his players will not get complacent. He says he is expecting tough games from Machias and Bangor Christian.
Bangor Christian has a new head coach this season in Brock Bradford, who is excited about his team’s prospects. With Mary and Annie Allen transferring from Central High School, Bangor Christian will also have a lot of depth. Mary Allen already reached a career 1,000 points during her time at Central.
Class S
This year’s smallest class, Class S, includes schools with under 100 students — but the small size of these schools does not take away from the power they can have on the court.
Wisdom Coach Tracy Guerrette and Katahdin Coach Craig Hartsgrove are expecting good things, as both teams have had consistently strong showings in Class D.
Guerrette says her core group from last year is returning and that the group is tight knit.
“This team has been playing together since middle school,” Guerrette said. “It’s one of the benefits of being in a small school.”
Guerrette says her team is, right now, emphasizing daily improvement and hard work, and that her players are committed to building upon last year’s foundation.
