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There will be a new Eastern Maine Class C champion this year, of that most are sure.
Just who it will be, however, is something no one seems to be sure about.
Lee, the defending Class D state champion which will go into the postseason with at least 15 wins after moving to Class C, and Houlton (17-1) seem to be the favorites to take the place of Dexter, which had won five straight regional titles but struggled this year after graduating most of its starters.
Although those two squads are ensconced in the top Heal point spots, there are a number of teams underneath them that can – and have – make some waves.
Calais knocked Lee from the undefeated ranks Jan. 16 with a 63-61 win, while Washington Academy of East Machias ended George Stevens’ 14-game unbeaten streak with a 48-35 win on Jan. 31 – a win that could ensure the Raiders of the third spot in the standings. Narraguagus of Harrington has been tough against most of those teams this year, is another squad to watch.
Outside of Washington County and the coast, Fort Kent and Stearns of Millinocket also lurk as dangerous matchups while Piscataquis of Guilford and Orono, which had a fine season with a 12-4 record, could make waves even though they’re further down the standings because of their schedules.
“There are four or five of us that I think have a legitimate shot at it,” said GSA coach Donald Allen, whose Eagles will finish the regular season with at least 16 wins. “Obviously Lee and Houlton are very tough, but there are a lot of good teams out there.”
Houlton will take a 14-game winning streak into the tournament, with its last loss coming Dec. 14 against Lee. Those 15 wins have been impressive, too, coming against teams like Stearns, Calais, Lee, Fort Kent, and Class B squads Caribou and Presque Isle.
Senior center Rachel Foster has had a huge season, averaging 17.7 points per game during the Shiretowners’ winning streak. She scored 26 points in their 61-53 win over Lee.
Desiree Dow, Courtney Putnam, Vanessa Sanderson, Lainey Herring and Emily Bartlett have also been among the key players for Houlton.
The Pandas have one of the toughest and most experienced starting lineups in the state, let alone Class C. Forward Karin Bird has been a scoring machine this year, including her 1,000th career point. Guards Aarika Ritchie and Amanda Gifford continue to be among the best all-around players in Maine. Forward Dana Houghton has offensive range and can shut down much taller players. Brooke Harris is a consistently pesky defender with a fine shooting touch.
Most coaches expected George Stevens to have a big season considering the Eagles graduated just one player from last year’s team. GSA coach Allen has gotten a huge season out of junior guard Maddie Park, who averaged about 22.5 ppg. The Eagles also look to their tall, athletic players like Marina Van der Eb, India Frazier, Sarah Brown and Kayla Eaton.
Allen also has a good group of guards in Alida Peake, Emily Peake and Stevie Theoharidis.
All that depth helps the Eagles maintain a lot of energy, especially on the defensive end, which has been a big key this year.
“Defensive pressure is our game,” Allen said. “… We can go about nine deep and play them all a lot.”
Washington Academy, which was the top seed last year but lost to No. 8 Calais 58-53 in the EM quarterfinals, has the talent and experience to make a deeper push this year.
Senior point guard Kayla Wood, the daughter of coach Gary Wood, is the team’s leading scorer at 15 ppg. After her, things are balanced offensively with sophomore forward Andi Flannery averaging around 10 ppg and freshman Taylor Seeley has given the Raiders a big boost off the bench with about 10 ppg.
Senior guard Carilla Fritz, junior guard Janna Espling and sophomore guard Bri Nicely all add 6-7 ppg.
“We’ve had good balance and that’s what we’ve tried to do,” Gary Wood said.
Calais, which made it to the EM final last year as the No. 8 seed, got a huge boost from its win over Lee and with its tall front line and fine guard play but like many teams this year it’s been an up-and-down season for the Blue Devils – a tough Narraguagus squad beat Calais 51-50 in the final week of the regular season.
Fort Kent, which heads into the tournament with a 14-4 record, closed out their regular season with a 67-38 win over Class B Presque Isle. The Warriors have been bolstered by the return of senior Marissa Albert, who missed part of the season due to an injury. Albert, along with Taylor Boucher and Emily Pelletier have, as expected, led Fort Kent in scoring.
“It’s going to be an interesting tournament,” Gary Wood said.
jbloch@bangordailynews.net
990-8193
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