’07 tourney highlights memorable

With the Maine McDonald’s Senior All-Star Weekend bringing down the curtain on the state’s 2006-07 basketball season – weather permitting – here’s one last look at the some of the highlights of the schoolboy basketball campaign.

Best In Show: The Bangor Rams stepped up their play from the regular season to leave little doubt about their status as the state’s best team.

The 21-1 Rams withstood a semifinal challenge from the state’s second-best team – Mt. Blue of Farmington – before wearing down Messalonskee of Oakland in the Eastern A final and whipping Portland in the state title game.

And while Alex Gallant will take his considerable talents to Bates College next year, the Rams will return a tall and talented club led by center Ryan Weston and forward Lee Suvlu in a bid for an eighth state championship during Roger Reed’s coaching reign.

Outstanding Encore Performance: The Calais Blue Devils weren’t necessarily expected to win a second straight state championship, but were prohibitive favorites to make it back-to-back Eastern C titles.

Turns out coach Ed Leeman’s club did both – going 44-0 over two seasons – as seniors Brandon Tomah, Chris Taylor and Robbie Rogers led Calais through a quiet run to the regional title before calling upon all their championship reserves to outlast a talented Boothbay team 70-66 in the state final.

Outstanding Performance As An Underdog: Hampden Academy simply refused to relinquish its two-year hold on the Eastern A crown without a fight, despite suffering heavy graduation losses after the 2005-06 campaign.

But coach Russ Bartlett’s club regrouped behind veterans Daniel McCue and Evan Farley, and fought their way back to the Augusta Civic Center where the eighth-seeded Broncos frustrated Mr. Basketball finalist Troy Barnies to earn the upset of the tournament with a lopsided 57-39 quarterfinal win over top-ranked and unbeaten Edward Little of Auburn.

Outstanding Individual Performance in a Series: Alex Gallant simply dominated the Class A tournament.

The 6-foot-4 senior scored between 22 and 24 points in each of Bangor’s four postseason victories, while also averaging nine rebounds a contest.

When the Rams’ needed a rebound, he got it. When it needed a layup, he made it. When it needed a baseline jumper, he made it look like a layup.

No one could stop him.

While Mr. Basketball is a career achievement award, it’s hard to deny Gallant status as the player of the year.

Outstanding Individual Performance in a Game: This one came on opening night of this year’s tournament, but time won’t erase the memories produced by Ellsworth senior guard Corey DeWitt’s 52-point outburst in a quarterfinal win over Hermon.

DeWitt used his talent and superior fitness – he’s going to Dartmouth to run cross country and track, after all – to will the Eagles to victory in the triple-overtime classic, shooting 16 of 34 from the field and 15 of 19 from the free-throw line.

Outstanding Individual Play: An easy one here, Jon Eaton’s offensive rebound and putback with 8.7 seconds left in the Eastern D final between Deer Isle-Stonington and Schenck of East Millinocket.

The senior had the presence of mind not to assume a teammate was going to make a layup, and followed in the miss as he was fouled. The pressure-packed free throw that followed was the difference as the Mariners eked out a 75-74 win in the game of the tournament.

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