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The high school basketball season came to a close a few weeks ago with the usual number of upsets and exciting finishes that make tournament time so special.
It also provided the state’s best players a stage to show what they were made of and many provided memorable moments.
It is from these moments and others throughout the season that the 48th Bangor Daily News All-Maine Schoolboy Basketball Team has been chosen.
Two members from last year’s team return and they are both first-teamers. Bangor’s Zak Ray and Ralph Mims of Brunswick head the list. Mims is one of only three juniors on the All-Maine team.
Joining the pair on the first team are Jeff Holmes of Cheverus in Portland, Jason Hight of Westbrook and Ryan McLellan of Nokomis in Newport.
The second team features post man Sean Mayo of Thornton Academy in Saco, forward Jac Arbour of Cony in Augusta and junior Rocco Toppi of Portland. Sweet shooting Patrick Conway of Deering in Portland and Micah Grant of Winslow, one of just two players among the 15 chosen who doesn’t come from a Class A school, round out the second team.
The other, scoring machine Travis Patterson of Class C Dexter, heads up the third team. Cheverus point guard Austin DeAngelis and Bangor swingman Wesley Day join him. A pair of guards, Edward Little of Auburn’s Nick Lawler and Brewer’s Andy Frost, were also chosen to the team.
The NEWS All-Maine team has honored the top 15 players in the state regardless of classification, position and region since 1956. The NEWS sports staff, with input and balloting by high school and college coaches and officials, sports media and veteran basketball observers, selects the team.
First Team
If you’re looking for gaudy numbers, don’t bother reading Ray’s scoring line. Ray’s forte is leadership. The 5-foot-11 senior handled the point on Bangor’s Class A state championship team. And nobody in the state handled the point better.
“If coaches got together and decided what their point guard would be, he’d be it,” South Portland boys coach Tony DiBiase said. “He’s very confident. He’s a floor general. He’s about as good as you can get as a point guard. Not flashy but effective. He made his teammates better.”
Ray was named Maine’s Mr. Basketball, was the most valuable player of the Big East Conference and won the NEWS’ William C. Warner award given to the Eastern Maine Class A Tournament’s MVP.
Ray averaged 12 points per game, five assists, four steals and four rebounds. He is still considering where he will attend college.
Holmes, a Mr. Maine Basketball finalist and Southern Maine Activities Association first-teamer, scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds per game. He was the catalyst in Cheverus’ run to the state title game where he was a handful for the smaller Bangor squad.
“He is very sound fundamentally. He is big and strong, a good low post presence,” Bangor coach Roger Reed said. “He gives you fits. He required that we had to have 2 to 21/2 players on him.”
At 6-5, Holmes showed the quickness to get into a position to shoot as well as defend the opposing teams’ post players. He will attend Division II Bentley College in Waltham, Mass.
Mims carved up defenses to the tune of 24.9 ppg and averaged 10 rebounds a game.
He was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year, the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference MVP and was named to the Eastern Maine Class A All-Tourney team after taking Brunswick to the finals.
The 6-3 junior is equally impressive shooting from long range or taking the ball to the basket.
“He scared me to death every time he shot and missed because he was going to pursue the ball,” Reed said. “He’s better at going after the ball than anyone.”
Hight averaged 20 points and five rebounds a game and was an SMAA first-teamer. At 6-2, Hight’s game is a smooth mix of pullup jumpers and creative runs at the basket.
“We played them three times this year and we didn’t stop him in any of them,” Cheverus coach Bob Brown said. “He can shoot the three and get it to the rim.”
Hight is still considering several colleges.
McLellan averaged 22 points and five rebounds per game. His points came from all over the floor. The senior has limitless range as he showed in the Eastern Maine Class A semifinals against Bangor when he made three 3-pointers in the second half from beyond 30 feet.
The 5-11 McLellan also showed an ability to create shots against much larger opponents.
“His strength was something that surprised me. He had the ability to get to the hole, create contact and still make the basket,” Brunswick coach Todd Hanson said.
McLellan was a Mr. Maine Basketball finalist and first-team Big East performer and was named to the EM Class A All-Tourney team. He has received a scholarship offer from Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, N.H.
Second Team
It would be hard not to notice Thornton Academy’s Mayo on a basketball floor. Once the game starts the 6-6 senior becomes even more noticeable.
“He’s big, powerful, a great presence in the low block,” DiBiase said.
The SMAA’s MVP averaged 19.1 points and 14.2 rebounds per game. He will attend Franklin Pierce.
Cony’s Arbour showed that big men don’t necessarily have to camp under the basket to score.
The 6-5 All-KVAC performer scored 20.5 ppg and showed range in scoring. Not that he was opposed to going inside. His 11.2 rebounds per game attest to that.
“He was probably the second best player in the KVAC,” Lawrence of Fairfield coach Mike McGee said. “We just had our all-star game. He scored 32 points and dominated.”
Arbour will attend Bowdoin College in Brunswick where he will study medicine.
Toppi of Portland has something that excites his coach Joe Russo – another year of eligibility.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time and he is one of the best all-around players that I’ve coached in my 23 years. His upside is what makes me excited,” Russo said.
The 6-4 junior scored 17.3 points and pulled down 9.4 rebounds a game. He was a first-team All-SMAA selection.
Conway is a pure shooter from anywhere on the floor. The 6-0 senior averaged 21 points and 2.9 rebounds for Deering and made opposing coaches nervous.
“What he does at every point is hurt you,” Brown said. “He is not to get an open look under any circumstance. Double him. Force him off the dribble. Don’t let him catch and shoot. You do all of those things and he’ll still beat you anyway.”
Conway plans to attend Bates College in Lewiston.
Winslow’s Grant carried the Black Raiders on his back to an Eastern Maine championship and ultimately a Class B state championship.
Grant averaged 19.3 points and 4.4 rebounds a game. He didn’t do things that dazzled the crowd, nor did he show a lot of flash and glitz. His game was more of the blue-collar variety.
“I thought he was the best player in our conference when you consider what he did in the tournament. He put that team on his shoulders. As a coach you can’t ask for more,” Camden Hills coach Jeff Hart said.
Grant plans to play basketball at Husson College in Bangor.
Third Team
Dexter reached the EM Class C championship game largely because of Patterson. The 6-foot guard was named tourney MVP despite playing on a losing team.
He put up some impressive statitistics: 25 ppg, 1,571 career points, 536 this year alone, and 61 straight double-figure games. He shot 57 percent from the field, 62.4 percent from two-point range.
“He’s certainly good enough to play on our team,” Bangor’s Reed said. “He’s an excellent [shooter]. Real nice skills. Unselfish, quite often, yet he was the primary scorer. He gave the ball up when he should have given the ball up.”
Patterson will attend Division I Liberty University (Va.) and plans to attempt to walk onto the basketball team.
DeAngelis’ scoring numbers fell off this year, yet his game improved.
The 6-1 Cheverus point guard moved to the position this year. He also became the second or third scoring option on the team with the addition of Holmes.
“I think he’s more of a leader. He’s not a great shooter but he’s a great scorer. He’s a solid, very heady player,” DiBiase said.
Like teammate Ray, Day’s numbers don’t jump off the page. He scored 10 ppg, but within Bangor’s scheme that was plenty. The 6-0 senior could also be counted on to hit big shots at big moments such as 3-pointers late in both the Eastern semifinal and final games.
“He has a nice looking shot. He’s not just a spot-up shooter. I was surprised. He’s a good basketball player,” DiBiase said.
Edward Little’s Lawler is another player who made those around him better.
“Nick Lawler is one of the toughest kids I’ve ever been around,” EL coach Mike Adams said. “When you coach against him or play against him, you hate him. Because he does everything it takes to win. But you love to have him on your team.”
Lawler was third in the SMAA in scoring with an 18.7 ppg average. He also had 4.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.7 steals per game.
Lawler will attend Bowdoin to play basketball and baseball.
Frost made quite a splash in the Big East after transferring to Brewer from Calais.
He led the Witches in handing Bangor its only loss of the season.
“He such a great defender and is explosive offensively,” Reed said.
Frost averaged 12 points per game and at 5-11 pulled down five rebounds per game.
All-Maine Basketball Team
First Team
Pos. Name School Yr. Ht. PPG RPG
G Zak Ray Bangor Sr. 5-11 12.0 4.0
G Ralph Mims Brunswick Jr. 6-3 24.9 10.3
C Jeff Holmes Cheverus Sr. 6-5 18.0 9.0
G Jason Hight Westbrook Sr. 6-2 20.0 5.0
G Ryan McLellan Nokomis Sr. 5-11 22.0 5.0
Second Team
Pos. Name School Yr. Ht. PPG RPG
C Sean Mayo Thornton Sr. 6-6 19.1 14.2
F Jac Arbour Cony Sr. 6-5 20.5 11.2
F Rocco Toppi Portland Jr. 6-5 17.0 9.4
G Patrick Conway Deering Sr. 6-0 21.0 2.9
G Micah Grant Winslow Sr. 6-0 19.3 4.4
Third Team
Pos. Name School Yr. Ht. PPG RPG
G Travis Patterson Dexter Sr. 6-0 25.4 6.1
G Austin DeAngelis Cheverus Sr. 6-1 15.0 3.0
G Wesley Day Bangor Sr. 6-0 10.0 3.0
G Nick Lawler Edward Little Sr. 5-9 18.7 4.1
G Andy Frost Brewer Jr. 5-11 12.2 5.0
Honorable Mention: Josh Armandi (Jay), Fred Bird (Presque Isle), Aron Brooks (Greely), Junior Bernal (Hyde), David Chrisos (Bangor Christian), Derek DiFrederico (Stearns), Matt Donar (Erskine Acad.), Kinsey Durgin (Telstar), Chad Garwood (Winthrop), Zach Gean (Massabesic), Gunnar Hagstrom (Yarmouth), Lucas Hayden (Nokomis), Nick Henry (George Stevens), Ben Keller (Hampden), Eric Lopez (Winslow), Josh Madden (Bangor Christian), Matt Mulligan (Penobscot Valley), Darius Parker (East Grand), Drew Pelletier (Brunswick), Jamey Polk (Sumner), Jake Roberts (Edward Little), Billy Russo (Mt. Blue), Corey Shields (Southern Aroostook), Scott Slack (Oxford Hills), Mark Socoby (Houlton), Tim Stammen (Camden Hills), Danny White (Foxcroft Acad.)
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