They are the players whose mere presence in the lineup forced opposing coaches to draw up defenses specifically geared toward neutralizing or containing them.

Everything was thrown at them: double-teams, triple-teams, gimmick defenses like box-and-ones and triangle-and-twos, and mutant defenses which have no name and may never be seen again.

These are also the guys who put extra fans in the seats. Even casual fans would come to their games, either to be able to say they saw them play in person or to see firsthand what all the fuss was about.

They’re special. They are the members of the 42nd annual Bangor Daily News All-Maine Schoolboy Basketball Team.

Headlining the 1997 NEWS Dream Team are a starting five which might force even the staunchest optimists in the coaching ranks to keep a white flag nearby if their teams were in the unenviable position of playing this group.

Mike Mastropaolo of Falmouth heads the NEWS First Team, which also includes fellow first-timers Mike Burke of Gorham, Travis Gilmore from Mt. Blue of Farmington, Jason St. Pierre of Bangor, and Angelo Salvaggio from Cheverus of Portland.

Second-team members lack the championship hardware the first amassed this season, but are also talented. They are seniors Dave Cudworth from Sanford, Quinson Lancaster from Lawrence of Fairfield, and Andrew Hanson from Greely in Cumberland Center; and juniors Rickey White from Mount Ararat of Topsham and James Cerino from Bonny Eagle in Standish.

The third team also features three seniors – Steve Smith of Bucksport, Caribou’s Scott Raymond, and Washburn’s Trent Cunningham – and two juniors – Bangor’s Tommy Waterman and Greely’s Austin Ganly.

The NEWS All-Maine Team honors the state’s best 15 players, regardless of position, class, school, or region. The selections were made by the NEWS sports staff with input and votes from high school and college coaches, members of the sports media, and state high school officials and veteran hoop observers.

First Team

Mastropaolo, an honorable mention last year, won virtually every piece of hoops hardware there was to win this year. The leading Dream Team vote-getter was named Maine’s Mr. Basketball after leading his Yachtsmen to a 21-1 mark and the Class C state title and will be the first Falmouth player to have his jersey retired. He wore No. 33.

“This year, he’d take over the game when he had to,” said Falmouth coach Dave Halligan. “He averaged 22 a game, but could have had more. He made his teammates better by finding them when he was double and triple-teamed.”

The senior swingman, who also averaged 5.1 assists and 2.5 steals per game and shot 79 percent from the foul line, has been accepted at Colby College and Bentley and is also considering prep schools.

Burke was literally a one-man team this season after much of the talent from Gorham’s 1996 state title team graduated.

“It was hard to watch because teams were all over him because we didn’t have any other scorers,” said coach Kevin Jenkins. “I don’t throw a lot of big compliments around, but he’s just a tough, tough competitor.”

Despite the defensive muggings, Gorham’s No. 2 all-time scorer was one of the state’s top point producers this season with 463 and is second in team history in steals (144) and rebounds (536). Burke also led the team with 70 steals (3.7 SPG) and shot 52 percent from the field, 76.2 from the line.

The three-sport athlete and Mr. Basketball finalist will go on to either Bowdoin, Brandeis, or Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.

St. Pierre, also a Mr. Basketball finalist, blossomed on the varsity scene last year and was again Bangor’s top scoring threat in ’96-97.

“He’s a sweet shooter. Probably one of the best shooters I’ve ever coached here,” said Rams coach Roger Reed. “And he made some strides this year defensively, too.”

St. Pierre had as many as six and seven steals in several games this season and averaged four per game – a statistic Reed credits to his understanding of passing lanes and anticipation. St. Pierre hopes to attend Colby or a prep school next fall.

It’s hard to understate the impact Gilmore had on Mt. Blue this season. The transfer from Mount Abram in Strong gave the Cougars an unequalled force inside and led them to an Eastern Maine crown.

“He certainly was the player who moved us from being a good team to a very good team, and sometimes an unbeatable team,” said Mt. Blue coach Jim Bessey. “I saw no one this year who really matched his inside play.”

Gilmore led the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference in rebounding (12.4) and field goal percentage (58.2). He also averaged 3.7 blocks per game. He has been accepted at Maine, Southern Maine, UM-Farmington, and St. Joseph’s and is supposed to meet with Maine coaches this week.

Salvaggio was difficult to defend this year because he could score so many ways. He led his team in scoring (No. 3 in the Southern Maine Activities Association), was second in rebounds and assists (4.5 per game), and shot 82 percent from the line, 47 from the field.

“He’s a lot like Miles Simon at [University of] Arizona. He has an uncanny way of finding ways to score,” said Cheverus coach Bob Brewer. “He thrives on challenges and has a tendency to rise a level in the biggest games.”

After averaging 18.3 points per game in the regular season, the lone first team underclassman bumped it up to 23.4 in the playoffs.

Second Team

It certainly wasn’t a boring season for White. Not only did the junior from New Orleans play virtually all five positions, he encountered almost every defense known to man.

“One time, Morse put all five guys on him. And Bonny Eagle made sure there were three guys on him at all times when we played them,” said Eagles coach Neal Joseph, who is also White’s brother-in-law. “The best way to beat Rickey is a triangle-and-two, and your two guys better be on Rickey.”

Sanford’s Dave Cudworth prided himself on his post play and it showed. He led the SMAA in scoring and rebounding and will take his game to Norwich University.

“He’s the best low post player to come out of our league in the last 15 years,” said Sanford coach Doug Roberts. “He was our offense and defense. When we got him the ball, I told him not to pass it. He ended up guarding the other team’s best inside guy every time.”

Lancaster single-handedly carried Lawrence to the tournament and was named KVAC Player of the Year. Besides his offensive stats, he also averaged 5.5 steals. The three-year starter will attend Husson College next fall.

“Q marks the spot,” said Lawrence coach Mike McGee. “He’s the complete package. He’s smart… He can pass, shoot, penetrate and rebound and he was our best defensive player.”

Hanson was the vital cog in Greely’s state-title machine. The guard was second on the team in rebounds and first in points and steals (3.1) to lead unbeaten Greely to a second title in three years.

“He did whatever was needed to win. He was the reason we gave Falmouth their only loss,” said Rangers coach Ken Marks. “Everyone asked why I started him as a freshman . I said he wasn’t really a freshman because he plays above his age level.”

Cerino was the SMAA Player of the Year and the league’s No. 2 scorer. He shot 51 percent from the field and 45 percent from 3-point range en route to averaging 3.5 steals, and 2.6 assists per game for Bonny Eagle.

“He excels at on-ball pressure and created a lot of turnovers,” said Scots coach Bob Brown. “One coach in our league told one of his kids `If Cerino’s on you, I want you to throw the ball out of bounds because if you try to throw it by him, it’s an automatic two points.’ ”

Third Team

Ganly teamed up with Hanson to form one of the best 1-2 lineup punches in the state. The unselfish forward, Greely’s leading rebounder and No. 2 steals man (1.8 SPG), averaged 3.0 assists and 1.4 blocks. Marks calls him “our best defensive player by far.”

Smith was the reason Bucksport was the only team to force Greely out of man-to-man defense this season. The mercurial guard, who dished out 8.5 assists and made 2.5 steals per game, plans to attend Springfield or Thomas College.

His stats don’t exactly jump off the page, but there isn’t a coach in the state who wouldn’t mind having Waterman on his squad. He averaged five assists and three steals per game. Reed says “He’s 5-10, but I don’t think you can gauge how big his heart is. He’s the heart and soul of the Rams team.”

Raymond is the third Caribou player in three years to make the All-Maine team. The Big East’s Player of the Year played both forward positions and shot 30 percent from 3-point range. He shot 84 percent from the line and made his last 28 straight free throws. He’ll probably attend Thomas College.

Cunningham, the first Washburn boys player to make the All-Maine team, holds career and single season records in scoring (1,266 and 503), rebounds (667 and 247), and blocked shots (99 and 51). He also holds career marks in assists (215) and steals (98) and has averaged a double-double in points and rebounds the last three seasons. He will attend Colby College next fall.

1997 All-Maine Schoolboy Basketball Team

FIRST TEAM

Name School Yr Pos. Ht. PPG RPG

Mike Mastropaolo Falmouth Sr. F-C 6-4 22.0 7.1 Mike Burke Gorham Sr. G-F 6-1 24.4 7.9 Travis Gilmore Mt. Blue Sr. C 6-7 17.4 12.3 Angelo Salvaggio Cheverus Jr. G 6-0 19.4 5.1 Jason St. Pierre Bangor Sr. G 6-2 15.0 4.0

SECOND TEAM

Name School Yr Pos. Ht. PPG RPG

Rickey White Mount Ararat Jr. F 6-5 20.2 12.3 Dave Cudworth Sanford Sr. F-C 6-5 22.1 15.8 Quinson Lancaster Lawrence Sr. G 6-2 19.1 8.6 Andrew Hanson Greely Sr. G 6-0 17.4 4.9 James Cerino Bonny Eagle Jr. G 6-3 18.6 4.3

THIRD TEAM

Name School Yr Pos. Ht. PPG RPG

Austin Ganly Greely Jr. F 6-5 13.0 5.1 Steve Smith Bucksport Sr. G 5-9 10.0 5.6 Tommy Waterman Bangor Jr. G 5-10 10.0 4.0 Scott Raymond Caribou Sr. F 6-2 22.0 7.2 Trent Cunningham Washburn Sr. C 6-4 22.9 11.2

HONORABLE MENTION: Greg Gobel, Sr., Bucksport; Jeremy Bryant, Sr., Mt. Blue; Kasey Keenan, Sr., Presque Isle; Sam Clark, Sr., Morse; Robey Rhoads, Sr., Orono; Geoff Halber, Sr., John Bapst; Kevin Toohey, Jr., Oxford Hills; Kevin Walcott, Jr., Hyde; Eric Benge, Sr., Narraguagus; Joe Mountford, Sr., Lake Region; Adam Carter, Sr., Hodgdon; Matt Breen, Sr., Rockland; Richie Ashley, Sr., Cheverus; Dan Lambrides, Sr., Portland; Byron Carver III, Sr., Jonesport-Beals; Bobby MacMannis, Sr., Calais; Braden Clement, Soph., Skowhegan; Chris Benner, Sr. and Chris Ranslow, Sr., Hall-Dale; Matt Parker, Sr., Falmouth