Jeff Hart has been coaching boys basketball at the same school for so long, it doesn’t even have the same name now that it did when he started.

But with 22 years at Camden-Rockport/Camden Hills High in Rockport, Jeff Hart ranks among the state’s leaders in terms of continuous coaching service at one school.

And he’s got the wins to show for it – earning his 300th varsity coaching victory when the Windjammers overwhelmed Oak Hill of Sabattus 88-41 on Jan. 13.

“I’ve kept it pretty quiet for a reason,” said Hart of the mark. “I don’t like the focus to be on me. My kids were upset because I didn’t talk about it with more people.”

The coaching stability within the Camden Hills program is at the root of its success. Under Hart’s guidance, the Windjammers have won three state championships and five Eastern Maine Class B titles.

“I’ve been fortunate to be able to stay in one place,” said the 44-year-old Hart. “I’ve gotten great support from the community and from the administration, so we’ve been able to build a good program.”

Hart is a 1977 graduate of Mt. Blue High School in Farmington. After a year at Plymouth (N.H.) State College, he went on to graduate from the University of Maine.

He took his first coaching job with the Ellsworth High boys junior varsity during the 1981-82 season while fulfilling his student-teaching requirements at the Holbrook School in East Holden.

The next year, he accepted a teaching position at Camden-Rockport, and also was named the school’s boys varsity basketball coach.

More than two decades later, Hart and the Windjammers are still thriving – this year’s team ranks among the best in Eastern Maine Class B.

Hart sees at least two factors as the key to his coaching longevity.

“Personally, I think one key is to take care of yourself. I know I work out and try to do those kind of things,” Hart said. “Another thing, and probably some coaches don’t agree with this, is that I don’t get overly involved in summertime programs. I get involved in some things and give our kids a chance to play, but I’m not going to schedule 30 games during the summer. I don’t want to get burned out, and I don’t want the kids to get burned out.”

Basketball has changed much during Hart’s 22 years at the varsity level, but his enthusiasm for the game hasn’t waned. He currently serves as president of the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches, and has this year’s Camden Hills team poised for another run toward postseason glory.

“Coaching is still a great adrenaline rush for me,” he said.

Panthers’ Grew scorer, leader

Bryan Grew admits his job description with the Central Aroostook boys basketball team has changed over the years.

It’s all part of being one of two senior starters on an undefeated team.

“My role is a little different than last year,” said Grew, a 6-foot guard who became the Mars Hill school’s newest 1,000-point scorer last Saturday during the Panthers’ 83-47 win against Hodgdon.

“I haven’t been looked upon to score as much as I did last year. We’ve got a good freshman who’s come up and everyone else has progressed. I think my role is a little more being a leader this year.

“But when we’re not hitting, I see if I can hit.”

It’s certainly not as if Grew has forgotten how to score – as evidenced by his 26-point, 10-rebound performance against Hodgdon.

He still leads coach Tim Brewer’s team in scoring, averaging around 20 points per game compared to the nearly 25 points per game he averaged a year ago.

But now he’s the elder statesman, leading a lineup that includes classmate Patrick Walsh, junior Jason Woodworth, two sophomore starters in Andrew York and Taylor McLaughlin and freshman Tim Carlson, the team’s top reserve.

This marks Grew’s third year as a starter, after serving as the Panthers’ sixth man during his freshman year.

“He’s had a super career,” said Brewer. “He’s always the one getting the kids in the gym in the summertime; he’s just a great leader for us.”

Grew hopes to lead Central Aroostook to the top seed in Eastern D, which would earn the Panthers a preliminary-round bye and a direct ticket to the regional quarterfinals at the Bangor Auditorium.

He also is looking beyond the final Heal Point standings. Numbers are nice, including 1,000 career points, but there’s another prize to be sought.

“I’ve wanted to [score 1,000 points] ever since I was a little kid,” Grew said of his milestone.

“A thousand points is a thousand points, but a gold ball is what we want as a team.”

St. John Valley stunner

Fort Kent’s 79-72 boys basketball victory over Hermon on Monday afternoon was an upset by any measure.

Hermon, a senior-laden team, entered the game with a 10-2 record and was ranked fourth in Eastern Maine Class B. Fort Kent, meanwhile, was 4-7 and experiencing the growing pains of a team with only two seniors on its roster.

But that’s just the beginning. Consider their earlier meeting, at Hermon on Dec. 13. The host Hawks scored the first 13 points of the game and went on to a 95-46 victory.

Yes, a 49-point victory.

And now, a 56-point turnaround?

“I bet everyone was shocked when they heard about this,” said Tim Farrar, the Warriors’ first-year head coach.

The loss at Hermon – a game in which the Hawks took 41 more shots from the field and forced 31 Fort Kent turnovers – certainly marked the low point of the Warriors’ season.

But since that loss, which left Fort Kent with an 0-4 record, the Warriors have gone 5-3, a modest progression that took a significant step forward with Monday’s stunning win.

“The guys are competing every night,” said Farrar. “This was a big one, because if we can keep it up, we’re looking at maybe getting into the preliminary round [of the tournament].”

The Warriors were 1-5 at Christmas break when they trekked south for an exhibition game against Thornton Academy of Saco before heading on to Boston to watch the Celtics play on New Year’s Eve.

“We had 21/2 weeks off, and I think that trip really brought us together,” Farrar said.

The Warriors also have been boosted by the return of 6-foot-5 junior center Mitchell Ouellet, who missed several games early in the season – including the Hermon loss – with an ankle injury. Ouellet, who scored 18 points in the Hermon rematch, teams with first cousin Randy Ouellette, a 6-1 senior, to give Fort Kent solid frontcourt play, with Ouellette averaging double figures in both scoring and rebounding.

Another key to Fort Kent’s improving fortunes has been shifting 6-3 junior Seth Rivera from forward to guard, where he has teamed with 5-8 junior Pat Caron and 6-0 junior Tom Bard to stabilize the Warriors’ perimeter play.

“We’re starting to come together,” said Farrar.

Ernie Clark may be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or eclark@bangordailynews.net