Western Maine fields formidable foes for finals

The four teams that will represent Western Maine in this weekend’s schoolboy basketball state championship games boast a combined record of 74-6 this winter.

While that falls just short of the 81-4 record amassed by Eastern Maine champions Bangor, Camden Hills of Rockport, Calais and Deer Isle-Stonington, it does suggest that the opposition will be formidable with Gold Balls on the line.

Western A champion Portland has lived up to its preseason hype, marching to a 20-1 record including a 62-44 triumph over intracity rival Cheverus in the regional final. In that game, Cheverus scored seven unanswered points at the end of the third quarter to close within 40-36, but Portland quelled that momentum with a dominant fourth-quarter performance to put the game away against the only team to defeat the Bulldogs this year.

Joe Russo, who has guided Portland to a pair of state championships in his 17 years as head coach, features a well-balanced team led by senior guard Andrew Duncanson. Duncanson, a Bangor Daily News All-Maine second-team choice last season, averaged 17 points per game during the Western A tournament to earn MVP honors.

The Bulldogs also feature rugged 6-5 junior center Justin Powell, senior forward Ryan Carmichael, a semifinalist for this year’s Mr. Basketball Award with 3-point shooting range, and junior guard Jake Longstaff.

Portland, which brings a 13-game winning streak into Saturday night’s Class A state final against Bangor at the Augusta Civic Center, has been stingy defensively during postseason play. The Bulldogs have allowed an average of 44 points per game in tourney wins over Kennebunk, Bonny Eagle of Standish and Cheverus.

Western B champion Mountain Valley of Rumford (18-3) is back in the state final for the second straight year, this time challenging Camden Hills after dropping a 73-58 decision to Maranacook of Readfield last year.

The Falcons are led by Mr. Basketball finalist Andy Shorey, a 6-4 senior center who already has quarterbacked the school’s football team to a Class B state championship during the current school year.

Shorey is averaging 20.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game this season, and averaged 19 points in the Western B tournament while earning regional MVP honors for the second straight year.

Coach Dave Gerrish’s Mountain Valley lineup also includes Owen Jones, Justin Staires, and point guard D.J. Gerrish, who’s averaging five assists per contest.

The third-seeded Falcons are coming off a 39-32 win over Greely of Cumberland Center in the Western B title game, as Shorey had 19 points and Gerrish 11. Mountain Valley topped Freeport 74-46 in the quarterfinals and Cape Elizabeth 62-33 in the semifinals.

Western C champion Boothbay (19-2) is back in the state final for the first time since winning it all in 2001. The Seahawks nearly got back last year, but lost to Winthrop in the regional final.

Coach I.J. Pinkham, in his 31st year as Boothbay’s coach, returned virtually all of his lineup from a year ago, and added senior guard Owen Johnson, who sat out his junior season with a knee injury after leading the team in scoring as a sophomore.

Johnson was the MVP of last week’s Western C tournament, leading a balanced Boothbay attack with an average of 12.3 points per game as the Seahawks advanced to a matchup with undefeated two-time Eastern C champion Calais at the Bangor Auditorium on Saturday night.

Joining Johnson in the lineup is point guard Matt Sceviour, center Kris Noonan and forwards Roy Arsenault and Pat Norton.

The second-seeded Seahawks defeated North Yarmouth Academy 58-36 in the quarterfinals, then avenged their only losses of the season by beating Winthrop 71-46 in the semifinals and Dirigo of Dixfield 52-45 in the championship game.

Boothbay will bring a 10-game winning streak into the state final, including a 47-41 regular-season victory over Western B champion Mountain Valley on Jan. 25.

Western D champion Gould Academy of Bethel returns to the state championship game for the first time since 1982 and is in search of its first state crown since 1976.

The 17-0 Huskies, who will face Deer Isle-Stonington in Saturday’s state final at the Bangor Auditorium, have good height in 6-5 seniors Ian Siekman and Tyler Bruens, along with senior forward Evan Bruens, and senior guards Seth Gray and T.L. Tutor, the MVP of the Western Maine tournament.

Coached by Todd Siekman, second-seeded Gould reached the state game by defeating Forest Hills of Jackman 54-34 in the quarterfinals before knocking off perennial power Valley of Bingham 52-44 in the semifinals and defending regional champion Richmond 50-42 in the final.