Ellsworth gives coach Higgins 400th victory Eagles shut out Golden Bucks

ELLSWORTH – Like almost all of the Ellsworth High soccer players in the past three decades, Andy Berry, Jacques Tardie, Noah Jordan, and Jensen Rich first learned to play the sport from Brian Higgins.

But it takes a while for youngsters to understand just who’s teaching them and to comprehend the impact that coach will have on them.

“I don’t think it really hits you until you get to middle school about the importance,” Berry said Tuesday night after the Eagles’ game against Bucksport. “Then you start coming to the games and it’s like everybody wants to watch the high school kids play and there’s the guy who was teaching you soccer that summer.”

On Tuesday night, Berry and the rest of the Ellsworth senior captains helped Higgins reached a milestone it is believed no one else in the state has. The Eagles rolled over the Golden Bucks for a 5-0 win, Higgins’ 400th victory as the Ellsworth boys coach.

The closest coaches to Higgins are believed to be Sam Pendleton, who was the longtime Georges Valley of Thomaston coach, and Camden-Rockport High coach Don Palmer. Pendleton and Palmer, who are retired, were believed to have at least 300 wins, as was Marc Michaud, who coached the Madawaska boys.

Higgins’ career record now stands at 400-78. He estimated he has about 36 ties.

Higgins characteristically showed little emotion during the game, save a small smile when the crowd at Del Luce Stadium began chanting his name with about 30 seconds left in the game.

He began his career at Ellsworth in 1974. In 31 years he has led Ellsworth to four state titles, 13 Eastern Maine crowns, nine undefeated seasons, and 26 years in which the team had double-digit wins. Higgins’ teams have never had a losing season.

“I certainly never thought about it when I first started coaching,” he said. “You never think you’re going to last this long.”

He has also coached the boys tennis team since 1980 and the girls since 1982.

Ellsworth was 4-1 coming into the game while Bucksport was 0-3-1. The Eagles put the game out of reach early with four goals in the first half. Rich had two, including the first goal of the game 3 minutes, 59 seconds into the first half.

Ellsworth outshot the Golden Bucks 23-3 before halftime. Jacques Tardie and David Langley also scored in the first half. Taylor Wentworth put in a goal about five minutes into the second half.

Bucksport sophomore goalie Miles Bisher made 20 saves on 37 shots, holding up despite the five goals he allowed.

“He’s a perfectionist,” said Bucksport coach Larry Clement. “He thinks he should save everything, even when he’s peppered like he was tonight. We had some defensive breakdowns, but he just took some absolute shots.”

After the game Higgins was presented with the game ball and a plaque commemorating the milestone.

“Our players did all the work,” Higgins said, addressing the crowd after the ceremony. “I was just there to take them to McDonald’s at away games.”