Four months ago, Peter Murray did not know if he would have a job, and a group of sullen Dexter High School youngsters sat in the gym wondering if they would have a basketball team.

The position of assistant principal at the Dexter Primary Middle School opened up four days before school started, and Murray, who had previously been an assistant principal, athletic director and JV boys basketball coach at Dexter High School, got that job.

He also became the head basketball coach of a team that did survive after the Tiger Fund Committee and Waterville philanthropist Harold Alfond had combined to raise the $82,000 needed to keep the winter and spring sports programs afloat.

The school board had voted to cut all extracurricular activities from the winter and spring schedules because of budget problems. Voters in SAD 46 had previously decided against raising additional money to help balance the budget.

“The thought that we might not have basketball just about brought us to tears,” recalled senior tri-captain Danny Grant.

But there is a basketball team, and these Tigers are happy.

They are 5-1, good for third place in this week’s Eastern Maine Class B Heal Points. And five of their games have been on the road.

“It was important for us to get off to a good start because we wanted to show our gratitude to the people who raised the money that enabled us to play basketball,” said senior guard and tri-captain Jason Adickes. “We want to give them something to cheer about.”

“Everybody is a little more enthused than we have been in previous years,” said senior forward and tri-captain Matt Haskell. “We all realized we could have a good team and a good season.”

The Tigers are a veteran team who have also been bolstered by newcomers off an 18-2 JV team.

“Our biggest strength is our balance,” said Murray, who has replaced legendary 26-year head coach Ed Guiski (308-190 record) as coach.

“If I was a coach trying to defend us, I wouldn’t be able to identify any one person to focus on,” said the 33-year-old Murray.

“We go eight or nine deep and everyone has the ability to score,” said Haskell.

The most pleasant surprise has been the team’s defensive play.

“I knew we had kids who could score but I was worried if we could stop anybody,” said Murray. “As it has turned out, the kids have really dug in on defense.”

“We knew we had a bunch of scorers and good athletes so the only thing we needed to work on was our defense,” said Grant. “We knew we had to make our defensive presence known this season.”

Adickes and Haskell have been the leading scorers, averaging 16-18 points per game. Haskell has also averaged 10 rebounds a game. Junior Josh Kimball is the point guard and has averaged 4-5 assists and seven points.

Junior forward Josh Wintle and steadily improving 6-6 sophomore center Brad Olson have been in double figures in three of the six games and have averaged 5-6 rebounds each.

Grant is the first guard off the bench and is a solid all-around player; senior Blaine Sandborn provides strength and rebounding underneath and seniors Josh Kiernan and Nate Dorman are effective wing players.

“I was impressed with them,” said Nokomis coach Jim DiFrederico. “They did a lot of things well against us. They have quickness, size and shooters. They have everything you need.”

Foxcroft coach John Pullen said, “They have three or four scorers who can step up and score 20 points on any given night. They are physical and very aggressive. They work at getting good position under the boards.”

Dexter’s goal is to make the EM Class B tournament for the first time since the 1989-90 season.

“Matt and I are close friends and we made a pact to make it to the Bangor Auditorium this year,” said Adickes. “It would be a rush to play on the Auditorium floor. My career wouldn’t be complete without playing at the Bangor Auditorium.”