Calais shows success using ‘attack mode’ Class C champs pay attention to details

Fast-break basketball sometimes is portrayed as helter-skelter, but the performance of the undefeated Calais Blue Devils in winning their second consecutive Class C boys basketball state championship Saturday was one of both speed and efficiency.

Coach Ed Leeman’s club committed only eight turnovers in its 70-66 victory over Boothbay in the state final at the Bangor Auditorium – and just two during a second half in which Calais scored 44 points in 16 minutes.

“That was as good a team effort as we’ve had in a long time,” said Leeman, “and we needed it to beat that team.”

The Blue Devils held on after building a 10-point fourth-quarter lead without relying on trying to run out the clock. Instead, as Calais broke Boothbay’s pressure in the final minutes, it attacked the basket and got key layups from senior guard Robbie Rogers.

“We got 2-on-1s, so we were going to take a look,” said Leeman. “I don’t think we really know how to slow the ball down, but that’s the character of this team, it does much better if we keep attacking.”

Calais won its 44th consecutive game over the last two seasons the same way it won most of the first 43, with that attack mode designed to put away teams early or wear them down over 32 minutes.

The Blue Devils also sought to limit their opponents’ free-throw opportunities, and that proved important against a veteran Boothbay team. While Calais made just 5 of 13 attempts, that still produced a net gain of one point over the Seahawks, who didn’t attempt a free throw in the first half and finished 4 of 7 from the line.

“Our theme all through the tournament was ‘don’t water the flowers,'” said Leeman. “We felt if we could get more field goals than the other team we could win, but if we gave the other teams a lot of foul shots that would be something that would get us in some trouble.”

Another key to the Blue Devils’ success was their offensive balance. All-Maine swingman Brandon Tomah scored just six points in the final, but helped his team in myriad other ways as Rogers (16 points), senior forward Chris Taylor (16), junior forward Rod Tirrell (15) and junior guard Sam Bell (12) picked up the scoring slack.

“All year long that’s the way it was,” said Leeman. “People noticed Brandon more because he picked up his scoring at the tournament, but all year long we were pretty balanced.”

Bell and Tirrell will join classmate Nathan O’Neill and sophomores Cal Shorey and Jordan Leeman as top returning players next season as Calais seeks to return to the upper reaches of Class C basketball.

But in the graduating Tomah, Taylor and Rogers, the Blue Devils will have a big void to fill.

“When we lose those three guys, we lose a big chunk out of our team,” said coach Leeman. “You don’t replace a Brandon Tomah, you don’t replace any of those three guys. But we’ll look at things over the summer and go with what our strengths are. It might be a different story for the Blue Devils next year, we might not go 900 miles an hour.”