BANGOR – Ryan Martin’s family has roots in the St. John Valley – specifically Van Buren.

So when the Baron of Van Buren phoned the Maranacook of Readfield sophomore guard Friday morning, Martin was more than excited to take the call.

Matt Rossignol’s call was complimentary in nature, but also included a request.

“He congratulated me on beating his record, but told me to wait until my senior year to break any more,” said Martin.

Martin broke one of Rossignol’s records during Maranacook’s victory over Medomak Valley of Waldoboro in Wednesday’s Eastern Maine Class B semifinal, making 18 of 20 free throws. That snapped the single-game mark of 17 free throws made by Rossignol in 1985 and Mike Geisler of Camden-Rockport in 1994.

But he nearly erased Rossignol’s name from the record books three more times Saturday, when he scored 35 points to lead the Black Bears to their first Eastern B championship with a 69-57 victory over Presque Isle at the Bangor Auditorium.

The 5-foot-8 Martin had 15 field goals in the game, two shy of Rossignol’s 17 made in a 1985 tournament game.

Martin finished with 36 field goals for the three-game regional, one shy of the 37 field goals Rossignol made in 1985.

And he finished the tourney with 102 points – including 26 in the quarterfinals against Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln and 41 against Medomak Valley – to finish just one shy of the Eastern B-record 103 points Rossignol scored in 1985.

“He’s got such great bounce and elevation, he shot it on some 6-5 guys and you’d think he was the biggest guy out there,” said Presque Isle coach Tim Prescott. “He transitions from dribble into jump shot really well, I mean really well. That kid’s going to have a fine career in front of him.”

Surely those close calls with Rossignol’s records will be a future topic of conversation the next time the Martin family visits Van Buren.

“My dad’s friends with [Rossignol], so I go over there in the summer and we shoot around a little bit,” said Martin.

Fort Kent’s Pelletier stands out

One of the young players who made an impression at the tournament last week was Fort Kent freshman Emily Pelletier.

Pelletier, who scored 15 points in the No. 6 Warriors’ quarterfinal win over Washington Academy of East Machias, played about the first five games of the regular season on the junior varsity.

So just how did Pelletier go from the JV to starting two Eastern Maine Class C tournament games – at the point guard position, no less?

“Basketball’s my life,” the 4-foot-11 Pelletier said after Fort Kent’s loss to Central of Corinth. “I just had goals, I set them high, and I practice all the time.”

Practice, and getting a chance to start for the varsity one evening when there was no JV game. Eventually, she worked her way into the starting lineup.

Pelletier has emerged as a big-time scoring threat, particularly from long range. She hit four of her nine 3-point attempts in the quarterfinals.

But most coaches who did their scouting already knew about Pelletier’s range. She drained 10 3-pointers in a Jan. 17 win over Caribou, setting the Fort Kent school record for most 3-pointers in a game.

“Everything was going. Everything. Even if they came off wrong, they went in,” she said with a big smile. “Coach was going to take me out but [her father, assistant coach Ron Pelletier] told him I was close to the record. So they kept me in and set up plays for me.”

Playing at the Bangor Auditorium has been a dream for Pelletier, who grew up in Hampden and moved to Fort Kent the summer after her fifth-grade year. She admitted to some nerves before Friday’s semifinal, but felt only excitement before the quarterfinals.

“I was just happy to be here,” she said. “I was smiling the whole time.”

Just getting warmed up…

Fans of the Central Aroostook of Mars Hill boys basketball team put a new twist on a popular late game chant and during the final moments of Saturday’s Eastern Maine Class D championship game.

Instead of yelling “Warm up the bus” to fans of Deer Isle-Stonington once it became apparent that the Panthers had the game well in hand, CAHS fans chanted “Warm up the boat,” to play on Deer Isle’s affinity for fishing and boating.

Singular senior standout

The tournament creates and brings out its share of heroes and stars each year, and the Class D portion was no exception as Andrew York not only led his Central Aroostook Panthers of Mars Hill, he made them better.

The 6-foot-2 York scored a game-high 24 points, but it was his presence and leadership that counted just as much – off and on the court.

“Even when he came out, they were still able to rotate defensively to the ball and they moved the ball well,” said Deer Isle-Stonington coach Glenn Billings.

Billings couldn’t say enough about the player who his team paid particular attention to.

“He’s very good and mature as far as breaking things down and looking things over. Whatever you give him, he’s going to take,” Billings said. “He can not only break you down off the dribble, he can also shoot outside and off the dribble.

“He’s tough. There’s nothing you can do because if you play halfway back on him, he’ll shoot over you and if you play him up, he’s going to go around you and if you double him, he’s going to pass. You just hope he has a bad day.”

York doesn’t figure to have a lot of those. Besides gearing up for a state championship appearance next, he’s also evaluating college choices.

The prospective mechanical engineer has already received offers from two Division I colleges in Virginia and wants to continue his playing career in college.

Coach, AD, committee member?

Call it a conflict of interest, call it putting too much on your plate, but whatever you deem Jay Brown’s positions at Ellsworth High School and the Maine Principals’ Association Basketball Committee, don’t call him underworked.

Brown is the athletic director of the high school and also began his first year of a three-year term as a member of the basketball committee.

Or, that was the original plan.

A week before the basketball season began, the boys coach resigned to take a position elsewhere. Having coached several years at Schenck High School in East Millinocket, Brown had the ability to become an interim coach for the team, but did he have the time?

“It has been hard to juggle being here [at the tournament fulfilling his committee responsibilities] and having practice [his Ellsworth team made it to the semifinal round],” Brown said.

One of the basketball committee’s main responsibilities is to ensure sportsmanship is maintained at the auditorium, and present the sportsmanship awards to the most deserving teams.

So is this a conflict of interest for Brown, trying to give his team a hand up in the judging of the respectable award?

“I’m obviously not allowed to vote in the class I coach in, but other than that I’m fine,” Brown said, adding that other committee members have been very supportive of his awkward position.

As a judge of sportsmanship Brown admits that as a coach being respectful has always come natural to him.

“It never was an issue for me, it was always a thought in my mind to act appropriately,” he said.

Even when digging to find a weak moment in his time at the Auditorium no committee members would come forward, explaining that Brown is always a gentleman.

“Jay was on his best behavior this week,” fellow chairman Dan Higgins reported.