Coaches use screen play to surprise, honor Hamlin

MILO – Tony Hamlin isn’t easily surprised by anything that takes place near a basketball court.

A playing career at the University of Maine and more than two decades as a high school coach has exposed him to nearly every possible game-night scenario.

Except for Wednesday night, when many of his coaching colleagues came together to honor Hamlin on surpassing 300 victories during a career that has included stops at Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield, Morse of Bath, South Portland and his current post at his alma mater, Penquis Valley High School.

Hamlin had no idea it was coming – until his own high school coaches, Dennis Black and Carroll Conley, and college coach Skip Chappelle entered the high school gymnasium, along with a dozen of his peers for a pre-game ceremony before the Patriots’ 63-58 overtime victory over Central of Corinth.

“I was shocked, actually,” said Hamlin.

Among others joining the crowd already in attendance were members of Hamlin’s family and coaches Dick Barstow and Bill McAvoy of Katahdin of Stacyville, Peter Murray of Dexter, Wade Duplissea of Stearns of Millinocket, Steve Levasseur and Bob Marquis of Schenck of East Millinocket, Ron Weatherbee and Randy Harris of Lee Academy, Aaron Wilcox of Bangor Christian, Harold Williams of Central of Corinth, Jamie Russell of Piscataquis of Guilford and Penquis girls coach Brent Bailey.

Several brief speeches were given, and Hamlin was presented a special basketball in recognition of his 300th victory, a 72-39 home-court win over Stearns on Dec. 29.

“A lot of coaches had to shuffle their practices to make it,” said Russell. “I know Steve Levasseur had his jayvee coach take over his practice. But I know everyone wanted to be there, and I know some other guys would have been there, too, but they had games that night.

“Everybody sees you going at it with these other coaches on Tuesday and Friday and Saturday nights, but what they don’t see is that we’re all pretty close.”

The most challenging part of the ceremony was keeping it secret, which required some cloak-and-dagger tactics including using a flashlight to direct the coaches to an alternate entrance to the school so they could wait out the junior varsity contest in the teachers’ lounge.

Hamlin did notice a couple of the visiting coaches in the gym before the varsity game, but didn’t suspect what was to come.

“For all those coaches to give up an extra night during the season when they don’t have to be on the road to come over for this was special,” said Hamlin, who now has 306 career wins over a 23-year career. “It was really kind of humbling.”

Hamlin was a star guard at both Milo High and Penquis, playing his first two years at Milo under Black and his final two years at Penquis under Conley after SAD 41 was formed in the late 1960s.

Hamlin was a four-year letterman under Chappelle at Maine and captained the Black Bears in 1974.

He then went into teaching and coaching, spending his first three years at MCI before moving to Class A at Morse in 1978. He spent four years guiding the Shipbuilders, then moved to South Portland in 1982. During seven years there he guided the Red Riots to the 1983 Class A state championship and Western A titles in 1983 and 1985.

Hamlin left coaching in 1988, but returned to his hometown and took over the Penquis program in 1996-97 season.

In eight-plus years with the Patriots, he has amassed 152 victories and led his team to the school’s first Class C state championship in 2000 as well as Eastern Maine titles in 1999 and 2000.

This winter, the Patriots are 12-2 and ranked second in Eastern Maine Class C. Wednesday’s win over Central was the sixth straight for Penquis, which next plays on Saturday against PCHS in Guilford.