BANGOR – Just three times in the first 12 years of the William C. Warner Most Valuable Player Award was there a repeat recipient of the honor.
Sam Henderson of Class C Hodgdon (1995 and 1996), Ralph Mims of Class A Brunswick (2002 and 2004), and Josh Madden (Class D Bangor Christian in 2003, Class D Calvary Chapel in 2004) made up that elite trio of Eastern Maine boys basketball tourney stars.
But now there are two new members of the two-time MVP club, with Jordan Cook of Class A Hampden Academy and Andrew York of Class D Central Aroostook of Mars Hill winning the Warner Award for the second straight year in 2006 after leading their defending state championship teams to back-to-back regional titles.
Cook, York and Ryan Martin of Class B Maranacook of Readfield all were unanimous MVP choices, while Brandon Tomah of Calais was a near-unanimous choice in Class C, where he and teammate Chris Taylor finished 1-2 in the voting.
The Warner Award, established in 1994 in memory of a former NEWS sports editor and reporter, and all-tourney teams were selected by a vote of media, tournament personnel and representatives of the Maine Principals’ Association.
The 6-foot-10 Cook dominated the Eastern A tournament, averaging 25.7 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots per game in leading Hampden Academy to its second straight regional title.
The University of Maine-bound Cook shot 63 percent (31 of 53) from the field and 15 of 15 from the free-throw line, and had at least 24 points and 11 rebounds in each of Hampden’s three tourney games.
Cook was joined on the Eastern A all-tournament team by Hampden’s J Uhrin, Doug Eichinger and Jordan Kelly of Brunswick and Sean McNally of Gardiner.
Uhrin was the primary perimeter complement to Cook’s strong inside play for the Broncos. The athletic 6-2 guard averaged 14.3 points in three wins, including a 16-point effort in the semifinals against Gardiner on 7 of 9 shooting.
Eichinger led Brunswick to its fourth Eastern A final in the last five years, averaging 17 points per tourney outing. The 6-1 senior had 24 points in the Dragons’ 59-51 quarterfinal win over rival Morse of Bath, and 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists in a semifinal win over Messalonskee of Oakland.
Kelly earned his all-tournament berth with a 3-point shooting explosion in the EM final. The 6-2 senior scored 28 points in a 62-49 loss to Hampden but made 8 of 15 3-point tries to eclipse the Eastern A single-game record of seven set by Troy Scott of Lawrence of Fairfield in 1989 and tied by Corey Thibodeau of Old Town in 1996.
The 6-8 McNally led Gardiner to its second straight trip to the regional semifinals, averaging 15.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in two games. McNally had 20 points and 16 boards as the Tigers outlasted Mt. Blue of Farmington in overtime in the quarterfinals, and had 11 points and nine boards against Hampden Academy in the semifinals despite battling foul trouble.
In Class B, Martin broke one tourney record and narrowly missed three others in leading Maranacook to its first EM title. The 5-8 sophomore made 18 free throws in a semifinal win over Medomak Valley of Waldoboro to snap the record of 17 set by Van Buren’s Matt Rossignol in 1985.
He scored 102 points in his three-game stay at the Bangor Auditorium, one point shy of Rossignol’s 1985 record; had 36 field goals, again one short of Rossignol’s 1985 mark, and made 15 field goals in the final against Presque Isle, two short of Rossignol’s mark.
Martin’s tournament blitz was highlighted by a 41-point uprising in the semifinals, followed by 35 points in the final against Presque Isle. Martin shot 36 of 63 (57 percent) from the field in three games, and 27 of 32 (84 percent) from the free-throw line.
Joining Martin on the Eastern B all-tourney team were Greg Whitaker and Matt McGlinn of Presque Isle, Corey Dewitt of Ellsworth and Matt MacKenzie of Medomak Valley.
Whitaker’s tournament effort was highlighted by a 26-point performance against Maranacook in the final, which included 21 points in the first half. The 6-5 senior also averaged six rebounds per game in postseason play.
McGlinn, a 6-1 point guard, scored 21 points in the championship game – 15 in the first half – after an 18-point effort in the semifinals that helped the Wildcats eliminate Ellsworth.
Dewitt, a 6-2 junior guard, led Ellsworth to its semifinal berth, scoring 25 points in a quarterfinal win over Mount View of Thorndike and adding 22 in the semifinal loss to Presque Isle.
The 6-5 MacKenzie averaged a double-double in Medomak Valley’s two tourney games. He had 12 points and 10 rebounds in the quarterfinals against Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield, and 24 points and 10 boards against Maranacook.
The versatile Tomah led a balanced Calais team to its second Eastern C title in five years.
The 6-1 junior, a transfer from Woodland, had 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists as the undefeated Blue Devils handled George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill 67-44 in the regional final.
His high statistical game of the postseason to date was a 17-point, 10-rebound effort in a semifinal victory over Madawaska.
Taylor, also a 6-1 junior, was Calais’ leading scorer in the tourney, scoring 19 points in both the semifinals and finals.
Also earning Eastern C all-tournament honors were Alan Campbell of Madawaska, Collin Henry of GSA and Ryan Martin of Dexter.
Campbell averaged 21 points as Madawaska earned its second straight semifinal berth. The 6-3 senior made 5 of 10 3-point tries in the quarterfinals en route to a 24-point game.
Henry was part of a talented George Stevens front line that led the Eagles to the regional championship game. The 6-4 senior’s tournament was highlighted by a 20-point, six-rebound performance in a quarterfinal win over Central of Corinth.
Martin, a 6-0 senior, averaged 11 points and played a key defensive role in leading a rebuilt Dexter team back to the semifinals. He scored 10 points in a quarterfinal victory over PCHS of Guilford, then had 12 in a semifinal loss to GSA.
York earned Eastern D tourney MVP honors for the second straight year, but at a different position.
Now playing point guard for the Panthers, York averaged 18.3 points in three tourney games as the defending state champions extended their winning streak to 20 games.
The 6-2 senior came up biggest in the final, when he scored 24 points on 7 of 12 shooting from the field and a 6- of-6 effort from the line in an 80-52 win over Deer Isle-Stonington.
Also named to the Eastern D all-tourney team were Tim Carlson of Central Aroostook, Bryant Ciomei of Deer Isle-Stonington, Chris Byron of Schenck of East Millinocket and Tom Bird of Lee Academy.
Carlson, a 6-0 junior, matched York’s scoring average, including 24 points in the quarterfinals against Bangor Christian and 22 in the semis against Schenck.
Ciomei, a 5-9 junior, led Deer Isle-Stonington to the regional final with a consistent three-game effort. The guard averaged 16 points, including 19 in a semifinal win over Lee Academy.
Byron, a 6-2 junior post player, had the highest scoring average in the Eastern D tournament, with 21 points in a quarterfinal win over Van Buren and 27 points and 10 rebounds in a semifinal loss to Central Aroostook.
Bird, a 6-1 junior forward, weaved through opposing defenses to average 17 points in two tourney games, including 21 points in the semifinals against Deer Isle-Stonington.
All-Tourney teams
Class A
Pos. Name School Yr. Ht. PPG
C Jordan Cook* Hampden Acad. Sr. 6-10 25.7
G J Uhrin Hampden Acad. Sr. 6-2 14.3
F Doug Eichinger Brunswick Sr. 6-1 17.0
F Sean McNally Gardiner Jr. 6-8 15.5
F Jordan Kelly Brunswick Sr. 6-2 14.3
Honorable Mention: Matt Natole (Messalonskee), Travis O’Dell (Brunswick), Daniel McCue (Hampden Acad.), Nathan Eldridge (Cony), John Moloney (Mt. Blue)
Class B
Pos. Name School Yr. Ht. PPG
G Ryan Martin* Maranacook So. 5-8 34.0
F Greg Whitaker Presque Isle Sr. 6-5 18.0
G Corey Dewitt Ellsworth Jr. 6-2 23.5
C Matt MacKenzie Medomak Valley Sr. 6-5 18.0
G Matt McGlinn Presque Isle Sr. 6-1 15.3
Honorable Mention: Mike Poulin (Maranacook), Will Bardaglio (Maranacook), Andy Tracy (MCI), Chris Coffin (Presque Isle), Adam Kingsbury (Presque Isle)
Class C
Pos. Name School Yr. Ht. PPG
G Brandon Tomah* Calais Jr. 6-1 13.0
F Chris Taylor Calais Jr. 6-1 15.3
F Alan Campbell Madawaska Sr. 6-3 21.0
C Collin Henry George Stevens Sr. 6-4 12.7
F Ryan Martin Dexter Sr. 6-0 11.0
Honorable Mention: Mark Sirois (Madawaska), Sam Bridges (GSA), Caleb Owen (GSA), Nick Peirce (Dexter), Adam Knowles (Calais)
Class D
Pos. Name School Yr. Ht. PPG
G Andrew York* Central Aroostook Sr. 6-2 18.3
F Tim Carlson Central Aroostook Jr. 6-0 18.3
G Bryant Ciomei Deer Isle-Stonington Jr. 5-9 16.0
F Chris Byron Schenck Jr. 6-2 24.0
F Tom Bird Lee Acad. Jr. 6-1 17.0
Honorable Mention: Peter Pickering (Lee), Taylor McLaughlin (Central Aroostook), Owen McCarthy (Katahdin), Collin Ciomei (Deer Isle-Stonington), Eric Martinez (Central Aroostook)
*-William C. Warner Most Valuable Player Award winner
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