Calais-Dirigo traditional fight continues

It’s becoming almost a harbinger of spring in the 1990s – a Calais-Dirigo matchup in the girls Class C state basketball championship.

It’s the same coaches, the same uniforms, the same mascots. The only thing that will be different this year is the makeup of the teams. With both the Blue Devils and the Cougars of Dixfield down at least three starters, the game will feature a host of new faces.

The Calais-Dirigo showdown, the fourth in a row since 1996, will take place at the Bangor Auditorium Friday at 7:35 p.m.

Eastern Maine champion Shead of Eastport will face Western Maine winner Monmouth Academy for the D state championship at the Bangor Auditorium at 7:05 p.m. Thursday. The site moves to the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday for the Class B title game between East winner George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill and WM champ Gorham at 7:05 p.m.

The Cougars lost three of the best players in Western Maine with the graduations of Mary Gill, Lisa Konopka and second-team All-Mainer Niki Dominiczak.

But Dirigo had plenty of players step up this year, like junior guard Tara Gagnon, who scored 28 points in the Cougars’ victory over Jay in the Western Maine final last week.

Jay coach Rob Taylor, whose Tigers suffered their only three losses of the year to Dirigo, called Gagnon one of the best players in Maine.

“She’s very tenacious, very aggressive, but she’s very smart,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in foul trouble.”

Gagnon’s sister Michele, who starts at point guard, is known for her 3-point shooting touch. Taylor also likes the play of 5-foot-8 forward Darci Holland.

“She’s a solid post player who rebounds well,” he said.

In Class D, the 20-1 Monmouth Academy team has one of the state’s tallest post players in 6-foot-2 junior Kate Chuprevich. The center led the Mustangs in the regular season with 17.8 points and 12 rebounds per game and will be the tallest player on the floor.

“We have a height advantage,” Monmouth coach Rick Amero said. “Then again, Jonesport-Beals had a height advantage and Shead handled it.”

Guard/forward Abby Carter averages 11.8 points. Guard Sierra Grant, who besides Chuprevich is the only returning starter from last year’s Western Maine championship team, also starts, along with guard Kara Pushard and guard Sarah Baran.

Amero goes eight or nine deep on his bench and switches defenses to keep the opposition on its toes.

“We like to change it up, play a lot of player-to-player defense,” he said. “I expect to get a lot out of each of the kids. We had a little bit of an inconsistent season but we play well when a lot of kids contribute.”

Amero said he’s hoping the Mustangs won’t think of Shead as a No. 6 seed as it was heading into the Eastern Maine tournament, where the Tigerettes upset three higher seeds for the regional title.

“Shead played a tough schedule and had a terrific tournament and they have a lot of kids who can score,” he said. “We try not to get too caught up with seeds. We opened our tournament with a No. 8 seed and we had a hard time. We try to make the kids realize that the state game is just another game.”

In Class B, the similarities between Gorham and George Stevens Academy should make for an interesting matchup. Both squads are young but very experienced, smart and quick offensively and have height in the post.

Forward Carla Flaherty and center Noel Beagle have been leading the Rams in scoring this season with about 15 points each. Beagle, a 6-foot junior, averages about 10 rebounds per game.

Beagle will face 5-foot-11 GSA center Gretchen Pemberton and 6-foot-5 backup Michala Bunten, who comes off the bench for the Eagles.

Forward De Emery, guard Bre Butterfield and guard Hannah Merrill round out the starting five. Merrifield has been alternating Merrill and forward Whitney Libby as starters this year.

Merrifield said she likes to play a mix of man-to-man and zone defenses. George Stevens coach Larry Gray said based on what he has seen of the Rams, the team plays an NBA-style offense.