Devilish duo share Calais spotlight

CALAIS – Lanna Martin didn’t mean to spoil the surprise when she walked into the Calais High gym Monday afternoon and saw the painted banner hanging above the bleachers.

Only the presence of the sign was a surprise. Its message, which congratulated guard-forward Martin and guard Katie Frost in anticipation of the Blue Devils seniors each scoring their 1,000th career point Monday night, was not. Both girls have known since the beginning of the season that they were only a few games away from the milestone. It’s something they’ve both wanted for years, and the two seniors are happy to be recording the big points at home.

But the girls who have started every Calais girls basketball game since the opening contest of their freshman seasons thought they would only dream about reaching 1,000 points on the same night.

Each accomplished the feat during Monday night’s 72-33 victory over Shead of Eastport.

“We always kind of kidded around about it but we never thought it would actually happen,” Martin said hours before Monday’s game. “We’ve grown up together as best friends, best friends playing basketball together, and it means so much to do it on the same night.”

With more and more freshmen playing on varsity squads, the achievement isn’t as rare as it used to be. But for two players on the same team to hit the 1,000 mark in the same game … now that’s a feat.

It did happen at George Stevens Academy on Jan. 13, 2000, when Lora Trenkle and Nikki Allen both scored their 1,000th point in a game at Blue Hill. But can you think of another occasion?

Calais coach Bob McShane wanted Martin and Frost to reach 1,000 points in a home game, and was careful in last week’s games to spread out the scoring. He played them sparingly against Washington Academy of East Machias while relying on them against Lee.

Since Martin and Frost’s first game on a December night in 1998 the Blue Devils have gone 59-6, including a 10-1 postseason record. Calais has won two state championships and two Eastern Maine titles in that span, and earned EM runner-up honors during 1999-2000.

All along, the girls say, their teammates have been a huge part of the Blue Devils’ success. Perhaps no two have been more important in the past three years than fellow seniors Nanci Feck and Morgan Drew.

“We couldn’t have gotten to where we are without them,” Frost said simply.

Drew started alongside Martin and Frost for three years and has racked up more than 700 points in her career. Feck is a defensive-minded player who was the first player off the bench in her freshman season and has started every game since her sophomore year.

“I’m so happy for them,” Feck said Sunday night. “I think the most amazing thing is, it’s been my experience that you look in the paper and see the people who score 1,000 points and that [player] is pretty much all a team has. It’s great, but you don’t have even scoring. [Martin and Frost] really deserve this honor and it shows that the team has balanced scoring.”

Both girls are versatile players. Frost is known as a fine shooter and 3-point threat. Martin has become a tough inside player with a solid shooting touch. But Feck said that’s not necessarily what makes them so good.

“Playing against them you can tell how smart they are,” she said. “They’re good shooters, but a good defense can hold that down. Lanna and Katie are above all that.”

The four girls have been close since fifth grade. Their connection is through basketball, whether it was each girl writing in a middle-school assignment that their ultimate dream was to win four gold balls; playing on AAU and town-league teams; or shooting around until 2:30 a.m. on a court that had been shoveled clear of snow.

The girls are close in other areas. Martin is ranked first in the senior class, Feck is second and Frost is third. Frost is the Calais student council president, Feck is the National Honor Society President, Martin is the senior class president. So far, two of the girls are headed out of state for college (Martin will attend St. Anselm in New Hampshire on a basketball scholarship; Feck learned Saturday that she was accepted to the University of Connecticut on an academic scholarship; Frost is undecided).

In a way, Frost and Martin were relieved to get over the 1,000-point hubbub and focus on something else the girls hope they have in common: another successful season.

“Hopefully it will be over with early [in Monday’s game] so we can get on with the game,” Martin said.

Jessica Bloch’s High school report is published each Tuesday. She can be reached at 990-8193, 1-800-310-8600 or jbloch@bangordailynews.net.