Chrisos enjoys H.S. Heisman event

Even though David Chrisos didn’t walk away from Friday’s High School Heisman award ceremony with the coveted crystal trophy, the Bangor Christian senior still had a memorable weekend in New York City.

The basketball and golf standout did have some hopes of winning the award, which went to Robert Huefner of Peachtree City, Ga., and Meghan O’Leary of Baton Rouge, La., on the girls side.

“I honestly thought I had a really good shot at winning and some of the parents thought I was going to win,” he said. “The kid who actually won thought I was going to win. But I was happy for him because he deserved it. Really, any one of us could have won it.”

Chrisos was having a breakout junior season when a car accident left him in intensive care just before the Eastern Maine Class D tournament. The Patriots soldiered on, using him as an inspiration, and ended up as Eastern Maine champions. This fall Chrisos was back on the golf course. He’s already played in three basketball gams for the Patriots.

Chrisos was concerned about getting his balance and coordination back in time for basketball, but that hasn’t been an issue so far.

“Everything’s back and some things are better,” he said. “Even my memory’s better. I work a lot harder now. I try to go to the gym four or five times a week and before I would just sit at home and do the PlayStation.”

The BC boys would have missed Chrisos in a big game against Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook that was scheduled for Thursday, but the game was postponed because of weather.

As a national finalist – one of about 14,000 student-athletes were nominated for the award at the start of the process – Chrisos and the 11 other finalists were awarded a gold medal and $1,000 each for their high schools. The two national winners receive a trophy and a $2,500 for their schools.

The 12 finalists were also profiled for a television segment that was aired on ESPN during the Heisman Trophy broadcast Saturday night.

It was Chrisos’ second trip to New York City. This time he was excited to see the Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island Ferry. He and the other High School Heisman finalists also visited Ground Zero.

“We all signed the [memorial] wall, all 12 of us,” he said. “That was sad to think about it, but I was happy I was able to.”

Chrisos also came away with a nice collection of autographs, including the signatures of all five Heisman Trophy finalists, including winner Carson Palmer of USC, and past winners Archie Griffin, Eric Crouch, Billy Sims and Desmond Howard.

One Vachon assisting another

She won’t be on the bench for every game, but look for a familiar face to be sitting near Cony of Augusta girls basketball coach Paul Vachon.

Vachon’s daughter, former University of Maine standout Amy Vachon, will be helping her father work with the defending Eastern Maine Class A champion Rams this year.

Not only does Amy Vachon have the coaching experience to sit on the bench – she has served as an assistant field hockey coach at Bangor and was the Waterville girls basketball coach for a season – but Paul Vachon said she brings game experience and will contribute as a liaison between him and the girls.

“She’ll be a female presence on the coaching staff, and that’s an added bonus for us,” Paul Vachon said.

Amy Vachon played for her father as a point guard and led the Rams to Class A state titles in 1995 and 1996. She went on to UMaine, where she holds school records for season and career assists.

After graduating from UMaine, Amy Vachon completed a graduate program in counseling at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She is currently living in Augusta and working as a counselor at Lawrence Middle School in Fairfield.

Jessica Bloch can be reached at 990-8193, 1-800-310-8600 or jbloch@bangordailynews.net.