Valley vs. BC, Calais against Jay for state titles

While neither of the Eastern Maine boys champions has any recent state game experience to fall back on, this state-game stuff has become almost old hat to one of the Western champs.

For the fifth straight year, Valley High School of Bingham will represent Western Maine in the Class D state final, set to start around 3 p.m. Saturday at the Augusta Civic Center. The Cavaliers will take on East champ Bangor Christian (20-2).

Later on, a couple of new kids on the block will square off for the Class C title as 21-1 Calais meets West champ Jay, who brings an 18-4 record into the 9 p.m. game at the Civic Center.

The four-time defending state champs no longer have the longest winning streak ever put together by a Maine high school basketball team to protect as the Cavaliers’ string – the sixth-longest boys streak in the nation – was snapped at 101 back on Feb. 6, but even with the overtime loss to Class C Piscataquis of Guilford, Valley still hasn’t been beaten by a fellow Class D team since the Western Maine quarterfinals on Feb. 15, 1997. The Cavaliers also haven’t lost at home since before that date.

But those streaks are immaterial to the seniors on the team as the only one they’re worried about maintaining involves gold balls.

Head coach Dwight Littlefield’s Cavs lost one of the state’s best point guards when Nick Pelotte graduated last year, but they still return plenty of firepower starting with 6-foot-3 twin senior forwards Jason Hartwell and Luke Hartwell, two of the most versatile and multi-talented forwards in the state.

The twins combined to average 24.3 points per game in the regional tournament as the 21-1 Cavs’ average margin of victory was a whopping 30.0 points. Valley finished up in impressive fashion with an 85-39 blowout against Elan of Portland in the Western final.

Luke has been the hotter of the twins lately with 50 points in his last three games, but he hasn’t been the only hot player as 6-9 senior center Brian Andre is averaging 19 per game.

The backcourt has been solid with sophomore Mark Gaudet taking on some of the scoring load and freshman Lucas Melcher taking over the point, but even the loss of Melcher, who missed the Western final after suffering a foot injury the day before the game, didn’t hurt as junior Kirk Robinson and sophomore Chris Atwood filled in.

Both teams’ backcourts will be lighter as Melcher is out and BC junior guard David Chrisos was lost after suffering multiple injuries in a car accident days before the tourney began.

Class C – The last time the Jay Tigers played for a gold ball was 1984. Calais last advanced to the state game in 1991.

Both teams also have a flair for the dramatic as the Blue Devils staged second half comebacks in all three tourney games to get this far. Jay was down by 10 points in the final three minutes of regulation in the West final and had two starters foul out, but still managed to beat Georges Valley of Thomaston by five in overtime. The Tigers had to come back in their semifinal contest as well.

Jay’s guard-oriented lineup is led by twins Derek Armandi and Josh Armandi, who averaged 27.7 points combined per tournament game. Derek (14.7 ppg) and Josh (13.3 ppg) have been reliable scorers, but forward Tyrell Waldon has been explosive at an 18.7 ppg clip – off the bench.

Point guard Brian Fournier averaged only 8.3 points per game, but is a competent press breaker and one of many skilled defensive players the Tigers rely on.

The other Jay starters are forwards Dana Armandi (another brother, but not a twin or triplet) and Ryan Ouellette.