Brunswick’s Ralph Mims named ‘A’ tourney MVP Gallant, Heath, Gauvin, Joerss also make boys squad

BANGOR – Ralph Mims felt he let his team down by getting into foul trouble during Brunswick’s semifinal against Cony of Augusta at the recent Eastern Maine Class A boys basketball tournament.

But his teammates rallied after Mims fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, and the Dragons outlasted the Rams 75-65 to reach the regional final.

One night later, Mims paid his teammates back with a virtuoso 41-point, 15-rebound, five-steal performance to help Brunswick avenge a loss to Bangor in the 2003 Eastern A final and advance to the state championship game for the second time in three years.

Mims’ dominance of Saturday night’s 54-42 victory – he scored 34 straight Brunswick points during one stretch – and his efforts throughout the Dragons’ run to the EM championship made him the unanimous choice to receive the tourney’s William C. Warner Most Valuable Player Award.

The MVP award was established in 1994 in memory of Bill Warner, who for 17 years served as NEWS sports editor. The award and NEWS All-Tournament Team are selected by a vote of media, tourney officials and representatives of the Maine Principals’ Association.

This marks the third straight year Mims has been named to the NEWS All-Tournament Team, the second time as MVP. As a sophomore, he won the Warner Award by averaging 24.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 steals while leading coach Todd Hanson’s club to its first regional title – and, ultimately, its first state championship.

This year, he averaged 24.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 steals in EM tournament play.

Mims is joined on the NEWS All-Tournament Team by Brunswick teammate Justin Gauvin, Bangor guards Aaron Gallant and Jordan Heath, and Cony forward Doug Joerss.

Gauvin, a first-year starter for Brunswick, was the steady hand at point guard to complement Mims’ explosive attacks on the basket. He came up big in the Dragons’ semifinal win over Cony, scoring 14 points with four assists and four rebounds.

Gallant averaged 16 points in three tournament games, highlighted by a 23-point performance in the Rams’ 50-26 semifinal elimination of top-ranked Oxford Hills of South Paris. Gallant’s offensive exploits came in conjunction with defensive assignments against the likes of Mr. Basketball finalists Corey Tielinen of Oxford Hills and Mims.

Heath averaged 9.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists while handling point-guard duties for Bangor. The 5-foot-11 junior scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds against Oxford Hills after a similar 10-point effort in the quarterfinals against Mount Ararat of Topsham.

Joerss, a 6-2 junior forward, made his mark in just two games for coach Bruce Hunt’s Cony club, averaging 19.5 points and 10 rebounds. He opened the tournament with a 29-point, 11-rebound effort as the sixth-ranked Rams upended No. 3 Messalonskee of Oakland to avenge a regular-season loss.

All-Tourney Team

Eastern A All-Tournament Team

Pos. Name School Yr. Ht. PPG RPG

G Ralph Mims* Brunswick Sr. 6-3 24.7 10.0

G Aaron Gallant Bangor Jr. 6-0 19.3 5.0

G Jordan Heath Bangor Jr. 5-11 9.7 4.3

G Justin Gauvin Brunswick Jr. 6-0 7.7 3.0

F Doug Joerss Cony Jr. 6-2 19.5 10.0

* ? William C. Warner MVP Award winner

Honorable Mention: P.J. Dowe (Bangor), Phil Warren (Brunswick), Colin Meyn (Mount Ararat), Corey Tielinen (Oxford Hills), Adam Vachon (Cony)