The boys basketball team from Madawaska has been nearly perfect this year. And that imperfection might actually be a big strength as they advance in the Class C tournament.
The Owls flew into the Bangor tourney with a 17-1 record, their only loss coming in the regular season finale against Fort Fairfield. But rather than being a setback, that double-overtime defeat might have been just what the Madawaska group needed.
“I think it helped us more than it hurt us,” senior forward Sam Thibeault told the Bangor Daily News after his third-seeded team survived a tough quarterfinal matchup against six seed Dexter on Monday night. “It humbled us a little bit, it humbled us, and it made sure that we were ready for what’s coming.”
The humility and hard work paid off at the end of the Monday night thriller, with Madawaska escaping with a 54-52 win over the Tigers. Like several others so far this tournament, it was the kind of game that neither team deserved to lose.
When asked after the game, Madawaska coach Shawn Pelletier agreed that his team’s previous loss might take some pressure off the Owls, now that they don’t have the speculation about a perfect season swirling around them.
“I think so. I think that was a big thing,” Pelletier said. “Once we got to that point, that last game where it was either going to happen or not, we definitely played our worst game of the season.”
“So I think it takes off a lot of pressure for us here,” Pelletier added. “We can just play our game, it worked for us here and hopefully it will work for us in the semis.”
Monday’s quarterfinal victory was the first for Madawaska since 2006, according to Pelletier.
“It’s really kind of re-energized the community, re-energized the love of basketball,” Pelletier said. “It’s great to see the young kids that are coming out and playing, the adults that haven’t probably gone to games in 20 years are there at our games, are traveling with us. So that’s phenomenal.”
Dexter’s effort in the Monday night loss was also phenomenal. Bryce Cooper led the game with 22 points and both teams’ coaches recognized his effort in interviews after the exciting and exhausting contest.
“He had a great game. We had a tough time stopping him all night,” Pelletier said about Cooper.
“We had a shot,” said Dexter coach Matthew Bartlett. “Nothing else you can ask for when you have three kids foul out.”
He said his team always leaves everything on the court, in each practice and on Monday night.
“It’s all we can give, it’s all we give every night,” Bartlett said.
Madawaska almost gave Dexter a chance down the stretch by missing some free throws, something Pelletier attributed to the adjustment of playing in a tournament atmosphere.
“I think tonight was a struggle, and I think a lot of it was just the jitters,” he said about his team’s foul shooting. “We haven’t been here as a team in 14 years, so this is a big environment for us that we just haven’t been in.”
That environment certainly didn’t seem too big for Owls forward Quinn Pelletier, despite the fact that he’s only in the eighth grade. He had 18 points to lead his team Monday night.
“Madawaska doesn’t have a strong basketball history, so we’re kinda trying to change that culture,” Coach Pelletier said Monday night. “So just to get that win, especially since it’s been the first time in almost 20 years, it’s just great to get that support and hopefully carry it on until Thursday.”
Madawaska plays at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Cross Center in Bangor. Pelletier said his team’s success thus far hasn’t been by accident.
“These guys have put in the work. Most of these guys I’ve been coaching since first or second grade,” said the coach. “There’s a lot of work behind this.”
