Dexter’s defensive intensity surprises team’s coach

It’s no surprise that the Dexter girls basketball team is 15-0 with only three regular-season games left on the Tigers’ Class C schedule.

After all, Dexter has what is one of the most experienced and well-rounded squads in Eastern Maine and those two 6-footers – 6-3 Ashley Ames and 6-foot Ashley Foster – who have dominated this season.

But coach Margaret Veazie wasn’t expecting her team to be so committed to one certain aspect of the game this season.

“The all-around defensive intensity,” Veazie said after a recent game against Piscataquis of Guilford. “It surprises [me] to see them all buy into that. They’re just working really hard and they’re running. They’re sprinting down the court. Just the fact that they’ve been committed to pushing the ball and keep running to get in better shape.”

There’s another reason the Tigers tend to do a lot of work on the court – for the starters, there’s not a lot of time in which to work.

Dexter has had very few close games this year – a 48-37 win over Mattanawcook of Lincoln and a 39-27 victory over Stearns of Millinocket are the team’s closest so far – so Veazie tends to take out the starters early.

“I wish they could play longer,” she said. “That’s the only thing. These kids aren’t getting enough playing time. It’s really concerning me. If you play them too much, you get accused of running up the score. But it’s not fair to them. They’re going to have to play a whole tournament game and they’re not used to that.”

On the positive side, backups like Amanda Pullen, Sabrina Cote, and Meagan Fogarty have had valuable playing time.

The Tigers are hoping to get some good matchups for their long layoff between the regular season and the quarterfinals, which start Feb. 18 for Class C teams. Veazie said that will likely include a scrimmage against two-time defending Class B champion MDI.

Hampden’s Russell shines

Hampden senior Emmy Russell didn’t play much soccer this fall – a bad back plagued the standout goalie – but the 5-foot-8 forward is having a stellar basketball season.

According to recent Big East Conference Class A statistics, Russell leads the conference in rebounds with 14 per game. She’s second in steals with 3.5 per game, shooting at a 62.9 percent clip, and is averaging 20 points, second-best in the league.

Russell spent a lot of time on the bench for the Bronco soccer team that went 15-1. It was a tough choice to make.

“I had to get my priorities straight, and if I wanted to be my best in basketball, I had to take some time off in soccer,” she said after a recent win over Bangor. “Even though it was my senior year.”

Russell, a Big East all-conference player last year, has another big decision to make this year. She’s undecided about college and feeling the pressure a bit.

“I’m looking at a lot of schools to see if I can play basketball there,” she said. “There are a few D-II schools, smaller liberal arts schools in New England, and a few Division III. I really haven’t made any decisions yet, but I know I have to soon.”

Playoff schedules available

The high school playoff schedule kicked off this weekend with the regional cheerleading championships, and plenty of postseason hardware will be handed out over the next few weeks.

The Maine Principals’ Association has posted schedules for ice hockey, skiing, indoor track and field, swimming, wrestling, and gymnastics on its Web site.

To view the schedules, go to www.mpa.cc and click on late-breaking news.

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