Alex Gallant has had an enviable nine months of athletic competition.

Last June he drove home the winning run for Bangor High School in the Class A baseball state championship game.

Last month he led Bangor’s basketball team to the Class A state title, scoring more than 20 points in each of the Rams’ four postseason victories.

That latter effort brought the 6-foot-4 forward to the forefront of the state’s high school hoop world, and also has landed Gallant atop the 52nd annual Bangor Daily News All-Maine first team.

Gallant is one of five seniors on the first team, joined by Mr. Basketball Troy Barnies of Edward Little of Auburn, Sean McNally of Gardiner, Andy Shorey of Mountain Valley of Rumford, and Andrew Duncanson of Portland.

Ryan Martin of Maranacook of Readfield, one of three juniors on this year’s squad, heads the second team, along with Brandon Tomah of Calais, Corey DeWitt of Ellsworth, junior Sam Leclerc of Winthrop, and Eric Friend of Cheverus of Portland.

The third team consists of Eric Taylor of Messalonskee, Isaiah Brathwaite of Mt. Blue of Farmington, Coleman Findlay of South Portland, junior Ryan Weston of Bangor, and Owen Johnson of Boothbay.

The All-Maine team honors the state’s top 15 players regardless of class, position, or region as selected by the BDN sports staff with input from coaches, media, officials, and other basketball officials from around the state.

First team

GALLANT averaged 23.7 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 61 percent from the field as Bangor swept through the Eastern Maine Class A tournament and then topped Portland in the state final.

“I always thought he could be a dominant player for us, and he lived up to that,” said Bangor coach Roger Reed.

Gallant, an honorable mention All-Mainer as a junior, was the Eastern A tourney MVP as well as a Mr. Basketball semifinalist for leading the Rams to a 21-1 record this winter.

Those honors came on top of a regular season in which he was named Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A North player of the year after averaging 16.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest.

“When we needed a big basket this year, he made it,” said Reed. “When we needed him to rise to the occasion, he would do it, and that’s something you really saw during the tournament. He made one big shot after another for us.”

Gallant will attend Bates College in Lewiston next year and play basketball and baseball.

BARNIES set the benchmark for future Edward Little players with a star-studded career that was capped off when he was named the state’s 2007 Mr. Basketball.

Barnies led the KVAC Class A in scoring and ranked second in rebounds while also averaging two blocked shots per game in leading the 18-1 Eddies to an undefeated regular season, the KVAC Class A title, and the top seed in Eastern A.

Barnies is a two-time KVAC Class A South player of the year, sharing the honor with McNally this season.

“His leadership and just the quality of person he is are the biggest things about Troy,” said Edward Little coach Mike Adams of Barnies, a third-team All-Maine selection as a junior. “We had talked about wanting to have a face for our program, and Troy obviously was that for us.”

Barnies will play at the University of Maine next season.

MCNALLY is a third-year All-Mainer, having made the third team as a sophomore and the second team as a junior.

At 6-foot-8, 240 pounds, McNally was an imposing inside presence with a varied offensive skill set.

“Almost every game he was double- or triple-teamed because he’s so athletic,” said his father, Pat McNally, who coached the 12-8 Tigers this season.

The Mr. Basketball finalist and KVAC Class A South co-player of the year led his conference in rebounding and blocked shots (4.5 per game).

“Last year he came into the season coming off a foot injury, and he hadn’t been able to run or work out for about seven months,” Pat McNally said. “He came into this season in great shape and ready to play.”

McNally will also play at the University of Maine next season.

SHOREY is a second-generation All-Maine first-team selection. His father, Andy, was a third-team choice in 1976 and a first-teamer in 1977 for Rumford High School.

The younger Shorey was asked to play more on the interior this winter and used his strength to great success while leading 19-3 Mountain Valley to the Class B state championship.

“He really developed into a great offensive and defensive rebounder,” said Mountain Valley coach Dave Gerrish. “That was huge for us in the tournament. Against Greely and Camden Hills [in the Western B and state finals] there were critical times in each game when he was the one who came up with the ball.”

An honorable mention All-Mainer last year and Mr. Basketball finalist this season, Shorey was the 2007 Mountain Valley Conference player of the year and outstanding player of the Western Maine Class B tournament each of the last two years.

“He played well all the time,” said Gerrish, “but he really was able to step it up in the big games.”

DUNCANSON led Portland to a 20-2 season and the Western Maine Class A championship.

The lightning-quick point guard was the Southern Maine Activities Association second-leading scorer for the second straight regular season, then averaged 17 points per game en route to being named most outstanding player of the Western Maine Class A tournament.

Duncanson also led the SMAA in steals (3.6 per game) and was second in assists (4.9 per game), and was named a first-team conference all-star each of the last two years.

“He’s been one of the easiest players to coach I’ve ever had,” said Portland coach Joe Russo. “He comes to practice every day, works hard, and never asks for any favors. His work ethic was contagious, and it set the tone for the team this season.”

Duncanson, a third-team All-Maine choice a year ago, is considering several options for next year, among them Husson College and the University of Southern Maine.

Second team

MARTIN was the KVAC Class B player of the year for the second straight season after leading the conference in scoring while helping 16-3 Maranacook earn the No. 1 seed in Eastern Maine Class B. He also was named to the All-KVAC defensive team.

“He really took a lot of pride in his defense this year, he worked very hard on the defensive end,” said Maranacook coach Rob Schmidt.

Martin also was one of the state’s best free-throw shooters at 92 percent for the season.

A first-team All-Maine choice as a sophomore after leading the Black Bears to the Class B state title, Martin didn’t have the same postseason platform this winter. A shorthanded Maranacook team – guard Will Bardaglio was out with mononucleosis – was ousted in the quarterfinals by Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield.

TOMAH’s two years at Calais bordered on perfection – a 44-0 record and two Class C state championships.

This year he led the 22-0 Blue Devils in scoring and rebounding and also contributed three assists and two rebounds per game as well as the ability to be a defensive stopper against guards or forwards.

“He’s a complete player, and he loves the game,” said Calais coach Ed Leeman. “And he’s still working on his game to try to get better.”

A third-team All-Maine choice last year and a two-time Eastern Maine Class C tournament MVP, Tomah hasn’t finalized his plans for next year. Leeman said he’s considering attending Lee Academy or the University of Maine.

DeWITT was one of the state’s most explosive scorers, as evidenced by an Eastern B tournament-record 52 points in the regional quarterfinals.

And while he did post big numbers – leading the Big East Conference in scoring this winter and finishing with 1,450 career points – he also was an effective playmaker for the 16-4 Eagles.

“He could rebound, he could handle, he could shoot, he could distribute, and he could play defense,” said Ellsworth coach Jay Brown of DeWitt, an honorable mention choice in 2006.

“He also understood ‘team’ and was able to make his teammates better.”

The Big East player of the year and Mr. Basketball semifinalist also was named the Eastern B tourney MVP after averaging 41 points and 9.5 rebounds in two playoff games.

DeWitt will attend Dartmouth next year.

LECLERC played point guard for 17-3 Winthrop but also was the Ramblers’ primary scoring threat. He led Winthrop in scoring as well as assists (5.7 per game) and steals (4.8) while helping his team advance to the Western C semifinals.

An All-Mountain Valley Conference first-team choice, Leclerc was accurate enough from long range to force defenses to come out after him and an effective enough ballhandler to get around those pursuers for damaging drives through the defense.

“He’s quick enough to be a good penetrator, and he’s a good 3-point shooter,” said Winthrop coach Dennis Dacus. “He doesn’t back down from anybody, and he knows that his work ethic off the court prepares him for what anybody throws at him on the court.”

FRIEND led Cheverus in scoring, rebounding, assists (5.0 per game), and was the team’s top free-throw shooter. Playing on the wing offensively, Friend was effective both shooting from beyond the 3-point arc and driving past defenders to the basket while leading the 19-2 Stags to the Western A final.

“He also sees the floor, understands the situation at it is developing, and is able to hit the open man,” said Brown. “He really did it all for us.”

The All-SMAA first-team choice also was named Cheverus’ defensive player of the year, a tribute to his ability to cover guards or forwards.

Friend has drawn interest from several Division III schools, including Plymouth State, Colby-Sawyer, Daniel Webster, and Southern Maine.

Third team

TAYLOR’s strong inside play led 16-6 Messalonskee to its first-ever appearance in an Eastern Maine Class A final.

The lanky center was named to the All-KVAC Class A North first team for the second straight season, then averaged 13 points and 12 rebounds in three tournament games.

An honorable mention All-Mainer as a junior, Taylor is expected to attend the University of Maine at Farmington in the fall.

BRATHWAITE was the offensive catalyst for a 16-4 Mt. Blue team that handed Bangor its only loss and nearly ousted the state champions in the Eastern Maine Class A semifinals.

The Mr. Basketball semifinalist led the Cougars in scoring and rebounding while adding 3.2 assists per game to earn All-KVAC Class A North first-team recognition. Brathwaite subsequently was named to the Eastern A all-tournament team.

“He was our go-to guy offensively,” said Mt. Blue coach Jim Bessey. “And he’s a very good defender, he can guard a 3 [small forward] or a 4 [power forward]. He’s an excellent passer who sees the floor and can make plays very quickly.”

FINDLAY was the top low-post presence in the SMAA, leading the conference in rebounding each of the last two years and also ranking tops in field-goal accuracy thanks to a soft touch and frequent use of the backboard.

Findlay averaged double figures in both scoring and rebounding for the last two years for coach Tony DiBiase’s 11-8 South Portland club.

The first-team All-SMAA choice will continue his career at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland.

WESTON’s stats weren’t overwhelming, in large part because Bangor won many games by lopsided margins, limiting the junior center’s time on the court.

But the son of All-Maine player Leroy Patterson of Bangor, a second-team choice in 1961 and a first-teamer in 1962, elevated his game during the postseason to help the Rams win the Class A state title.

A second-team All-KVAC Class A North choice, Weston averaged 11.3 points and eight rebounds while earning Eastern A all-tourney recognition.

He also keyed a Bangor defense that allowed an average of 39.4 points per game this season.

JOHNSON was a study in perseverance for 19-3 Boothbay.

One of the top-shooting sophomores in the state two years ago, he sat out last season with a knee injury.

This year he returned with more of an inside game, which proved particularly effective during postseason play as he was named most outstanding player of the Western C tournament while leading the Seahawks to a berth in the state final.

Johnson, who is being recruited by several Division III programs, also was the Seahawks’ top defender, according to coach I.J. Pinkham.