The intense pressure accompanying his new job was never more evident to Deering boys basketball coach Mike Francoeur than when he picked up a copy of his local paper about four months ago.

“There was a story on us and the headline was something like ‘State title or bust’… and this was Nov. 15,” Francoeur recalled. “I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ ”

When it comes to the 2000-2001 season, all kidding has been swept aside. It’s all business … the business of winning the first gold ball in the long hardwood history of the Portland school’s program.

The Rams’ only other West title came in 1937. Winslow beat them 16-14 in the state game that year.

After sweeping through the Southern Maine Activities Association’s regular season, winning the SMAA title, and charging through the Western Maine Class A Tournament, the Rams are two days away from the school’s first state hoops title and a 22-0 season.

“They’ve always had a great overall record here, but they never seemed to be able to get over the hump,” Francoeur said. “When I interviewed, I told the committee they have the potential to create a dynasty here.”

That remains to be seen, but he has justified the committee’s faith after it picked him from a plethora of qualified candidates vying to succeed David Brenner, who resigned after 13 seasons.

Francoeur came over from Edward Little of Auburn after nine seasons with the Eddies. Being hired as basketball coach and history teacher at Deering marked a homecoming of sorts for the former University of Southern Maine assistant coach and his wife, who are both Westbrook natives.

With all the expectations on the Rams this season, it’s a homecoming the 34-year-old Francoeur hasn’t really had time to enjoy. He’s too busy concentrating on the monumental task at hand: Dethroning defending state champion Bangor on the Bangor Auditorium court Saturday night – its home away from home – and exorcise the demons from 74 years of postseason frustration.

“The community is in an uproar over our success,” Francoeur said.

Having two Division I-quality players on the team doesn’t hurt interest either. In fact, it’s the presence of 6-foot-5 senior forward and Mr. Maine Basketball finalist Jamaal Caterina plus 6-7 junior forward Nik Caner-Medley that has attracted the pressure and high expectations swirling around this team the last two seasons.

Both have been highly recruited by everyone from the University of Maine and every small college in the state as well as several quality Division I programs. There has been at least one college coach in attendance at almost all of Deering’s practices. Caterina has been offered 10 scholarships and Caner-Medley gets 30 to 50 pieces of recruiting mail a day.

Caterina averaged 23.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 4.4 assists this season. With 1,499 career points, he’s the school’s all-time leading scorer and may be the SMAA’s as well. The 219-pound Caner-Medley led the SMAA with 25.4 points and 13.4 rebounds. He also averaged 4.4 steals and has 38 dunks.

The size doesn’t end with Deering’s deadly duo as senior center Jay Casterella brings a 6-5, 220-pound frame to the fray. Casterella suffers from a rotator cuff injury which limits his right shoulder’s vertical mobility to 90 degrees, but that hasn’t stopped him from playing through the pain and leading the team in player-control fouls taken.

Walter Phillips is only 6-0, but the junior point guard can single-handedly torch a team if they ignore him. Phillips averaged 11 points and 8.5 assists in the tourney after a 9.7 ppg and 4.4 apg regular season. He also had a personal 12-0 run in the West title game.

Bo Belanger, a 5-11 junior guard, rounds out the starting five. He doesn’t possess eye-popping stats, but Francoeur calls him the team’s “glue out there on the floor.”

Regulars off the bench are 6-1 junior swingman Derek Raymond, 6-1 senior center and first-year player Travis Wiles, 6-1 junior power forward Josh Marks and 5-10 sophomore guard Pat Conway.

Deering has averaged 79 points per game while yielding 53. Aside from two nine-point wins over Portland, the Rams have won all their other games by 15 or more points. Deering has played various styles, but favors an up-tempo offensive pace while employing a lot of matchup zone defenses.