PORTLAND – A remarkable postseason ended with mixed emotions for Brunswick guard Ralph Mims.

One week after scoring 41 of his team’s last 43 points in the Dragons’ 54-42 victory against Bangor in the Eastern Maine Class A championship game, he blitzed a Portland defense for a Class A state final-record 46 points – only to see his team lose 69-63 in overtime at the Cumberland County Civic Center on Saturday night.

Yet immediately after the game, Mims was already in confidence-building mode – for his teammates.

“We definitely wanted to win tonight, but a lot of people didn’t think Brunswick would get this far this year,” he said. “The worst loss for me was last year when we played Bangor [in the Eastern Maine final] and Bangor beat us.

“I’ve tasted all types of losses and victories, so I told the juniors and sophomores, just come back and get it next year. This is your first time being in this environment, so don’t hold your heads down, work hard and apply yourself to get what you want.”

For Brunswick coach Todd Hanson, Mims’ post-game chats with his younger teammates wasn’t a surprise.

“He’s a phenomenal person,” said Hanson. “I’ve spent a lot of time with him over the last four years, especially as the [college] recruiting aspect has picked up, and he’s just a wonderful kid.

“After we came down here for the McDonald’s announcement that he was a Mr. Basketball finalist a couple of weeks ago, he came back to my house before we went to practice and had dinner with my family. He played a video game with my younger son, played one-on-one in the basement with my older son, and they both love him. He’s like extended family for me.

“He’s a class act. He plays hard, keeps his mouth shut, and is a threat every time he touches the ball.”

Mims, who arrived in Brunswick with his family as an eighth-grader, will leave high school with more than 1,800 career points, two Eastern Maine Class A championships and the 2002 state title.

“It’s sad, but life goes on,” said Mims, the son of Clint and Petronia Mims. “I’ve accomplished so much here that I have no regrets. I’ve never been happier than being with the group of guys I’ve played with for four years straight, and to have a coach who’s stayed on me 24-7. He stayed on me in class to get my grades right, to maintain my GPA, and get my test scores.”

Mims basketball future isn’t clear yet. He has been recruited by a number of major Division I programs, among them Florida State, Oklahoma, Cincinnati, Minnesota and Providence. Providence head coach Tim Welsh was in the crowd Saturday night.

Mims also may opt to attend prep school for a year.

“I’ve accomplished so much here that I’m satisfied with everything I’ve done,” he said. “I’m happy, but I’m hurting with the way this game came out. But things happen for a reason, and this time it came down on Portland’s side.”

Cony poised to contend in 04-05

The bad news for the Cony of Augusta girls’ basketball team was that it lost to Deering of Portland 50-41 in the state Class A final, the second time in three years the Rams fell just one game short of their quest to win their first gold ball since 1998.

The good news for the program – and perhaps bad news for the rest of the state – is that the Rams will return virtually intact next year. No one graduates from the 2004 team, whose post-season roster included eight juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen.

“A lot of people in our league thought this was the year to come and get us, and in Eastern Maine as well,” said Cony coach Paul Vachon. “These kids persevered throughout the whole thing, and tonight we came up short, but it wasn’t because of lack of effort and lack of heart. I’m very proud of them.”

Vachon expects the Eastern A ranks to be highly competitive again next winter, particularly with the likes of Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference rival Skowhegan returning the bulk of a team that started two freshmen and two sophomores this year.

“It’s tough enough getting out of the East, believe me,” said Vachon, whose club topped Skowhegan in the EM final. “We’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us, but hopefully this run that we’ve had gives us the experience we need for next year.”

Cony’s returning nucleus will be led by Eastern A tournament MVP Katie Rollins, a 6-2 junior who is attracting the attention of a number of Division I scouts – including perhaps former University of Maine coach and current Michigan State coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie.

Palombo-McCallie, a Brunswick High alum, was at Saturday’s game, and while she didn’t identify the subject of her scouting mission, it was believed to be Rollins.

Others back for the Rams next year include standout junior guard Briiana Rende and talented 6-1 freshman Cassie Cooper.

“We’ve got next year to look forward to,” Rollins said. “But we can’t disregard that we won the Eastern Maine championship this year. We have to be proud of our accomplishment and congratulate Deering on their win.”

Bangor teams honored

Bangor High School was well-represented at this year’s Class A state finals. Both the Rams’ girls and boys basketball teams received Eastern Maine Class A sportsmanship banners during halftime of the respective championship games. Bangor and Marshwood of Elliot won the boys banners for Eastern and Western A, while Bangor and Sanford were the girls winners. … Mims not only set a Class A state final single-game scoring record of 46 points against Portland, he also tied a 37-year-old Class A state final record of 18 field goals. The mark originally was set by Sanford’s Nick Scaccia in 1967. … Next year’s Class A state championship games are scheduled for the Bangor Auditorium, with the single-game sessions switching time slots. The boys final is slated for 3 p.m., with the girls final to follow at 7 p.m.