Walsh, Craven topped Maine headlines in ’01

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Everything paled in comparison with Sept. 11.

The year 2001 will go down in infamy for the unprecedented terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Americans had to dig deep into their inner selves to gauge their feelings for their country. The acts of heroism and the displays of patriotism have been nothing short of remarkable.

We have proven to be a resilient country and we will become even stronger and more resilient as the result of these attacks.

The local sports scene will also be remembered for its unusual diary of significant stories.

March featured one of the most memorable finishes in a state championship basketball game when Joe Campbell laid in Zak Ray’s desperation heave to give Bangor a 57-56 win over heavily-favored Deering in the state Class A title game.

That occurred a few weeks after Valley High School of Bingham’s boys extended their winning streak to 84 games with a 90-81 win over East Grand of Danforth in the state Class D final.

The death of University of Maine coach Shawn Walsh due to complications from kidney cancer on Sept. 24 was the most significant story of the year.

Coaches like Shawn Walsh rarely come along. He not only built a struggling program into a national powerhouse and two-time NCAA champion, one that was emulated by coaches across the country, but he also put the state and the university on the map with his high-profile approach to marketing and promotion.

He was a brilliant salesman and a tireless, innovative coach who insisted on accountability from himself, his coaches and his players.

It is now time to send our prayers to affable Hall-of-Fame trainer Wes Jordan in his fight with pancreatic cancer. Nobody has influenced young trainers in the state like Wes, who spent 32 years at the University of Maine and three more at Brewer High.

He was an institution at the Bangor Auditorium during tournament weeks.

The athletic training complex in his name at Maine is going to be a dandy.

The University of Maine football team under coach Jack Cosgrove won a Division I-AA playoff game for the first time ever. Its 9-3 season, including the 14-10 win over McNeese State (La.) in the first round of the playoffs, earned it a final ranking of 10th in the national poll.

The Bear football program has taken the first step in creating a tradition. There will be 15 starters back next fall.

Maine is not a football state. It is a basketball state. But everybody loves a winner and if Maine can put together a string of winning seasons and playoff appearances, people will start showing up in larger numbers at Morse Field.

It will take time.

It was a tremendous year for Mark Hackett, who had the huge shoes of Gabby Price to fill as the head coach of the Bangor High School football team.

All Hackett did was lead Bangor to an undefeated season including its first state A title since 1981.

Hackett and the Rams overcame the loss of five players suspended earlier in the week leading up to the game for a drug-related incident.

Newburgh’s Ricky Craven had a breakthrough year, which included his first ever Winston Cup win in his 174th career race. The signs are promising to improve upon his 21st-place finish in the point standings this coming year in the Tide Ford.

The New England Patriots and young quarterback Tom Brady have been a wonderful story as they have stunned the multitudes by already qualifying for the postseason. No one predicted a playoff spot for the Pats.

In this era of complex defenses and blitz schemes, NFL quarterbacks must be mobile.

They don’t have to be running threats but they must be able to move around in the pocket and that is the advantage Brady has over Drew Bledsoe.

But let’s credit Bledsoe for being the consummate team player by helping Brady instead of turning his back on the man who took his position.

The curtain was thankfully drawn on the turmoil-infested and injury-riddled Red Sox, who faded miserably down the stretch after manager Jimy Williams was canned in favor of Joe Kerrigan.

The new ownership, including ski area owner Les Otten and former Maine senator George Mitchell, could finally bring a World Series championship to Boston.

General manager Dan Duquette, despite intelligent player moves, has alienated too many people to stay.

Still, he brought Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez to Boston; has unloaded psycho Carl Everett and has supplied the Red Sox with a rarity: A legitimate speedy leadoff hitter in Johnny Damon.

Damon will be able to manufacture runs with his speed and that can really come in handy when the sluggers are mired in slumps.

A new Fenway Park must be built.

As a knowledgeable friend pointed out the other day, the new ownership has smartly stated its intention to renovate Fenway.

It is a smoke screen.

By doing so, they have appeased the “Save Fenway” coalition and pro-Fenway supporters.

Sooner or later, they will acknowledge that they have no option but to build a new Fenway with at least 15,000 more seats so they can pay the exorbitant salaries.

The Celtics have been a pleasant surprise. Finally. It has now been proven that Rick Pitino’s place is in college, not in the NBA.

The University of Maine baseball team will host a postseason tournament for the first time since 1996 this spring when the America East tourney comes to Orono.

Hopefully, that and a good season will jumpstart interest in the program.

The Bruins appear to be contenders in the NHL’s Eastern Conference although the powers are still in the Western Conference.

The Bangor city council is on the right track concerning the Bangor Auditorium.

A new facility is needed.

It has been a wonderful auditorium with a tournament atmosphere that is second to none.

But renovating it would be a waste of time and money.

Hopefully, the new auditorium will have a similar ambiance with seats just as close to the action as the current one. That atmosphere provides lasting memories.

Just make those seats more comfortable, please.

And how about making it hockey and figure skating-friendly with the capability to be transformed into an indoor ice arena?

And the progress of the move to bring minor league baseball back to the area at the John Winkin Baseball Complex will be something worth watching.

Have a safe and happy New Year and here’s hoping 2002 is an even better one for all of you.

Larry Mahoney’s column appears every Wednesday. He can be reached at 990-8231 or by e-mail at lmahoney@bangordailynews.net