GSA, Dexter take on WM foes for titles Winthrop ‘mirrors’ play of EM champ

Two teams that “mirror” each other will meet tonight for the Class C boys state basketball championship at Bangor Auditorium.

Western Maine champs Winthrop will take on George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill beginning at approximately 9 p.m.

Winthrop, 19-2, was the top-ranked team in Western Maine and earned the right to play for the title by beating Hyde of Bath 57-55. It will be the Ramblers first time in the state game since they won back-to-back titles during the 1992 and 1993 seasons.

George Stevens’ last visit to the final game was a successful one. The 19-2 Eagles beat Boothbay in the 1979 championship game.

Winthrop coach Tom Hill said the teams “mirror” each other.

“I think the teams match up very similar,” Hill said. “We don’t have anyone who scores 20 points a game like [GSA’s Nick Henry], but the teams match up well.”

Dave Poulin plays the point for the Ramblers. The 5-foot-8 senior isn’t known for his scoring but he may have scored Winthrop’s biggest basket of the year when his layup with four seconds remaining turned out to be the difference in the Western Maine title game. Poulin averages six assists per game.

Senior shooting guard Chad Garwood stands 6 feet tall and averages 10.5 ppg.

Chad Garwood, a 6-0 senior forward averages 11 points and nine rebounds per game.

Joel Weisberg is a 6-1 senior forward and Dustin Harrington is a 6-0 senior guard. Both average 10.5 ppg.

Jason Childs, a 5-10 senior, is the first player off the bench and 6-6 senior Kyle Knight averages six points and eight rebounds per game.

The Ramblers go nine deep and that includes juniors Joey Burnham at 6-2 and 6-0 Rob Michaud.

“We try to get it up and down,” Hill said. “We’ll press and run.”

The Ramblers aren’t afraid to shoot from long range. Hill said his team shoots 15-25 3-pointers each game and hits the shots 34 percent of the time.

The Eagles are led by NEWS All-Tournament Team member Nick Henry. The 6-3 senior averaged 18 ppg during the Eastern Maine tourney including a 20 point, nine-rebound performance in their championship game win over Dexter.

Guard Mark Clapp was also voted to the all tourney team. The 5-9 senior averaged 9.6 ppg during the EM tournament and has a knack for coming through with big buckets when his team needs one.

Senior Mike Astbury runs the point. While not known as a scorer, Astbury will step in and take the shot if defenses sag into the lane as Piscataquis of Guilford did in the semifinals. Astbury scored 11 points in that game.

Senior Travis Templeton provides the Eagles with size in the middle at 6-6, while senior Ben Freedman can score and play a stopper role on the defensive end.

Senior Duane Ledien comes off the bench and will shoot from long range and 6-4 senior Chris Saunders give the Eagles valuable minutes and size inside off the bench.