Win helps Calais commemorate teacher Olsson

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Bob McShane usually walks the same route through Calais High School in moments just before games, to deliver his pre-game speech to the Blue Devils girls basketball team in a classroom near the high school’s gym. The route always takes him through the Calais High cafeteria.

That’s where longtime Calais teacher Ann Olsson had her study hall set up this year, because school construction forced her out of her classroom and into the more visible cafeteria. McShane would walk through the room and talk basketball with the likeable Olsson before games, and the girls often did the same during the school day.

McShane took that same route before Saturday’s game against Lee Academy, but it was an emotional walk for him. Olssen died in a car accident last Wednesday, and the Blue Devils had just returned from her funeral in Baileyville moments before playing the Pandas.

“It was hard. Even now thinking about it I get a lump in my throat,” McShane said Monday. “I walked into the room [where he gives his pre-game talk] and I just didn’t say anything.”

It’s been a tumultuous couple of weeks for the Blue Devils. Two starters are no longer on the team because of violations of the athletic code, McShane said. And Olsson’s accident threw the community into a state of shock.

Saturday’s varsity game was originally set for a 2:30 p.m. start with the junior varsity at 1. Lee Academy agreed to not play the JV game and move the varsity game to 3 to give the players more time to get back from the 1 p.m. funeral.

“It was kind of Lee to do that,” said McShane, who coached Olsson’s daughters Julie and Betsey at Calais. “The Lee girls had a card for us, too.”

The Pandas were already at the high school gym shooting around when the Calais girls got to the school Saturday afternoon. The teams had about 20 minutes to warm up before the game.

McShane said the Blue Devils dedicated the game, a 60-48 win, to Olsson.

Calais, now 10-3, has a tough road the rest of the way in what McShane said has been an inconsistent season.

The Blue Devils still have games against tough teams like Mattanawcook of Lincoln, Woodland, Narraguagus of Harrington, East Grand of Danforth, and Houlton left on the schedule.

The win over Lee, 11-1 coming into the game, should give the Devils a boost.

“I hope [the win over Lee] wasn’t just Ann’s inspiration,” McShane said. “I’m hoping we can carry this through the rest of the season.”

Tigers, Shires, others net big wins

Calais wasn’t the only team to pick up a point-worthy win over the weekend. A number of upsets and close finishes should shake up the Heal Point standings, which are due to be released Tuesday by the Maine Principals’ Association.

Class B Rockland, which was 8-5 before Saturday’s game against Camden Hills, picked up a big 48-37 win over the Windjammers, avenging a loss earlier this season.

In Class C, the Houlton girls also avenged a loss when they edged Stearns of Millinocket 64-59 in overtime. The Minutemen had a big win of their own last week when they handed Central of Corinth its third loss of the season. The Shiretowners, 8-4 going into the game, got 15 points in the fourth quarter from senior guard Claire Thompson. Stearns is now 10-3.

The Lubec girls, 6-4 before Saturday, held off Greenville 46-44 for a key Class D win. The Lakers are now 8-5. Katahdin of Stacyville picked up its ninth win of the season – and its second over Fort Fairfield – with a 41-40 win over the Tigers, who were 11-2 going into the Class D matchup.

Rollins just fine, thank you

Despite rumors to the contrary, Central standout Jenny Rollins is not done for the season after suffering an injury Friday night.

Red Devils athletic director Dick Sjogren said Rollins, a junior guard-forward, left a game against Stearns with a bad bruise on her right elbow. The incident apparently occurred near the end of the game with the outcome pretty much decided. The 2003 Eastern Maine Class C all-tourney team member scored 23 points in the 70-59 loss.

Rollins is just fine, and proved it with a 16-point effort in a 53-16 victory over Piscataquis of Guilford.

Cony’s Beaulieu appears in SI

Cony of Augusta student Zach Beaulieu is being recognized as a Starter All-American Teen in this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated.

Beaulieu, 17, is the only youth on the Maine Wheelers wheelchair basketball club team. The team is coached by his father, Ray Beaulieu.

Zach Beaulieu lost the use of his legs when he was hit by a car as a 4-year-old. He is a member of a junior national team that is heading to Australia in April and plans to attend the University of Illinois to play in its wheelchair basketball program.

The award honors exceptional youngsters participating in youth sports.

Jessica Bloch can be reached at 990-8193, 1-800-310-8600 or jbloch@bangordailynews.net.