Eleven Buck seniors seek Class B hardware GSA-Jay meet in C rematch; CA vies for D title

For the 11 seniors on the Bucksport High School baseball roster, Saturday’s state Class B championship game against Oak Hill of Wales marks the climax of years spent pursuing mutual championship goals.

“I’ve been playing with these guys since I was 8 years old,” said Golden Bucks’ senior Phil Harvey. “We played all-stars together, and we’ve stayed with it right up through.”

Bucksport (15-4) carries a 12-game winning streak into the 5 p.m. state final at Gorham High School, a streak capped by a 5-4 victory in eight innings over Foxcroft Academy in the Eastern Maine title game.

Not bad for a team that started the spring 1-3 and then 3-4.

“I think the expectations always were there with the kids,” said first-year head coach Mike Cowing. “These guys, especially the seniors, have been playing together for a long time.

“I never had any kind of expectations in terms of a state championship or the playoffs. I just told the guys if they played fundamentally sound baseball all the other stuff would take care of itself.”

Bucksport last played in the state final in 2000. A veteran of that team, senior Adam Sheehan (4-1), will get the pitching start Saturday against Oak Hill ace Mike Daggett (8-1).

Oak Hill (16-3) defeated Gorham 1-0 on the Rams’ home field in the Western B final. The Raiders are searching for their first state championship since 1981, when they won in Class C.

The Bucksport-Oak Hill matchup is the second of two finals to be played in Gorham.

At noon, Central Aroostook of Mars Hill (11-5) faces undefeated North Yarmouth Academy in the Class D title game. Coach Jon Codrey’s Panthers defeated Shead of Eastport 6-4 in the EM final. NYA (18-0) has won 22 consecutive games, and is seeking its third state title in the past four years.

The Class C and Class A finals are set for Mansfield Stadium in Bangor.

The Class C title game at 11 a.m. is a rematch of the 2002 final between George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill (17-2) and Jay (14-5). Jay won its first state title by edging the Eagles 5-3 a year ago.

Coach Dan Kane’s GSA club, which is seeking its first state crown since 1997, edged Stearns of Millinocket 4-3 for its fifth EM championship in 10 years.

At 4 p.m., Mount Ararat of Topsham (16-4) looks its first Class A title against Deering of Portland (17-2). Deering is playing in its fourth final in five years, having won championships in 1999, 2000 and 2001.