Tourney showcases EM’s best

More observations…

. One great thing about Eastern Maine tournament week is that it brings all the best players together at various locales to test their individual skills within the team concept that’s a prerequisite for a championship run.

And different observers, paying customers and working stiffs alike, develop favorites among the hundreds of players who grace the Bangor Auditorium and the Augusta Civic Center, not only because of their achievements, but because of the characteristics that shape their games.

Take the confidence of Hampden Academy’s Daniel McCue. The fitness of Ellsworth’s Corey DeWitt. The versatility of Calais’ Brandon Tomah. The craftiness of Lee Academy’s Tom Bird. And the physical and inner strength of Bangor’s Alex Gallant.

All are worth sharing with the next generation of tourney hopefuls. There’s a lot to be learned from those examples.

. It’s been a remarkable week at Bangor High School.

First the Rams win the Class A boys indoor track state championship. Then Bangor wins the Class A girls swimming state title, followed the next night by a state crown in boys swimming.

Now the boys basketball team is 19-1, and will play for the Eastern Maine Class A championship Friday.

Some will point to the fact that Bangor has the highest enrollment of any high school in the state, 1,427 according to the 2007 Class A basketball tournament program, so the Rams should win everything.

And for sure those numbers create for a larger pool of athletes from which to draw, but championship efforts aren’t merely about numbers.

Consider last fall’s Class A football state final, when two of the smallest schools in the state’s largest class did battle before Lawrence High of Fairfield – enrollment 924 – defeated Gorham to emerge as the champion.

It takes tons of talent and dedication among athletes and coaches alike, from the feeder system to the varsity level, to earn a state championship in any sport in any class.

Right now, Bangor has the good fortune to have a lot of both.

. Congratulations to the Hampden Academy Broncos on a job well done.

No one was sure what to expect of the two-time defending Eastern A boys basketball champs this winter, not with a new look after graduating All-Maine center Jordan Cook and Co, and certainly not losing to Bangor by 40 in the opening week of the season.

But coach Russ Bartlett and his staff persevered, blending championship veterans like McCue and Evan Farley with prime-time newcomers like Justin Brown, Brad Haase and Antonio Juco.

Hampden grew to play its best against its toughest opponents – with regular-season wins over Messalonskee of Oakland, Gardiner and Mt. Blue of Farmington, and in perhaps the best measuring stick over its 18-game schedule, a three-point loss to Bangor in their rematch.

Then came the stunning victory over No. 1 Edward Little of Auburn in the Eastern A quarterfinals before a narrow loss to Messalonskee in Wednesday night’s semis.

To watch the Broncos mature over three months is a credit to Bartlett and his staff, and the winning environment they have fostered.

The graduation losses of McCue and Farley in June will be considerable, but with Brown, Haase and Juco back and some promising big men on the horizon, expect Hampden to continue its winning ways.

Ernie Clark may be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or at eclark@bangordailynews.net.