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When you’re 6-foot-5, a freshman, and average almost 20 points per game for a relatively small school, it doesn’t take long for the rumors to begin to fly about a move to a larger high school and a higher level of competition.
Such is the life of Mark Socoby of Houlton High School, who may be the most celebrated basketball player to come through Houlton since Danny Dahl.
Dahl played two years for the Shiretowners before transferring to Bangor High School as a junior. He helped the Rams win a state championship in 1995 as a senior. Dahl went on to play Division I basketball at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.
“It’s really up to him. I don’t think he’s in that big of a hurry,” Ann Socoby, Mark’s mother, said. “I think he’d like to play here a couple of years and then maybe move on.”
Socoby said that he doesn’t dismiss the possibility of a move. The family has talked about it, but says that much would have to happen in order for a move to take place.
Socoby’s father, Steve, works for Houlton Water Co. as a line superintendent. He would likely have to find a new job. The Socobys have other children, including Hannah, who plays basketball at the University of Maine-Farmington.
Socoby is something of a basketball junkie. He plays the game year round, including summer leagues and AAU. Houlton coach Sean Callahan said Socoby is first and foremost a good kid, that he’s a team-oriented player who has a basketball mind.
“So many players that are gifted with talent will let you know how good they are,” Callahan said. “He’s not like that. If there’s something he needs to work on, he’ll be the first one in the gym the next day.”
Socoby leads his team in every statistical category from scoring average to taking charges. He scores 19.7 points per game for Houlton, 22 ppg in Big East games. He is pulling down rebounds at almost a nine a game.
And he is doing this less than a year after playing junior high school basketball. He said he has had to make a number of adjustments.
“The speed of the game is a lot different. It’s a lot faster than junior high, and the players are stronger,” Socoby said.
Callahan said he has slowly worked Socoby into all aspects of the offense. He began the season as primarily a perimeter player, which he prefers.
“I like playing on the outside a little better. I like to run the fast break,” Socoby said.
But Callahan has moved him more and more inside. Teams have attempted to defend Socoby using smaller, quicker guards. Callahan, naturally, began posting Socoby down low.
“Early on, because he’s a freshman, we weren’t sure how he was going to match up physically, so we had him on the perimeter. We’ve moved him inside and he’s shown he has the toughness,” Callahan said.
Socoby has also shown that when the game is on the line he is willing to step forward and lead.
“We have seniors, but sometimes when the game’s on the line, you’ve got to want the ball. You’ve got to lead the team in crunch time,” Socoby said.
Callahan said that despite all of the points scored and acclaim Socoby has received, the freshman has his eye on the prize.
“The bottom line, Mark’s main goal is team victories. In the pursuit of that goal, he does rack up some nice individual statistics,” Callahan said.
Socoby is also a good student. Although he’s still waiting for his second quarter grades, he made the honor roll in the first quarter.
The Houlton coaches and players have a goal in mind. The Shiretowners are 8-8 and still have a shot at making it to Bangor for the Eastern Maine Class B Tournament. Callahan said he doesn’t spend a lot of time thinking about whether Socoby might leave Houlton in the future.
“When it happens, it happens. Right now he goes to Houlton… We’ve got a big game [Wednesday] with Hodgdon. We could end up ninth and go to Orono. We’ve played them close,” Callahan said.
Don Perryman can be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or dperryman@bangordailynews.net
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