This year’s recipients of the William C. Warner Most Valuable Player Award represent all areas of the basketball spectrum.
There’s the pure power player, the scoring machine, the versatile swingman and the big man with a perimeter game – all who led their teams deep into postseason play and thus have been recognized as MVPs of the recent Eastern Maine boys basketball tournament.
Two recipients, senior forwards Alex Gallant of Class A Bangor and Brandon Tomah of Class C Calais, were unanimous choices, with Tomah also just the sixth two-time winner in the 13-year history of the Warner Award.
They are joined by record-setting senior guard Corey DeWitt of Class B Ellsworth and junior center Collin Ciomei of Class D champion Deer Isle-Stonington as tournament MVPs.
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-4 Gallant dominated the Eastern A tournament, using his inside strength to 23.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in leading Bangor to its first regional title since 2003.
He was a model of consistency in postseason play, with 24 points and five rebounds in the quarterfinals, 23 points and 10 rebounds in semifinals and 24 points and nine rebounds in the championship game against Messalonskee of Oakland.
Gallant, who shot 61 percent (27 of 44) from the field in three games, was joined on the Bangor Daily News Eastern Maine Class A all-tournament team by Eric Taylor of Messalonskee, Isaiah Brathwaite of Mt. Blue of Farmington, Bangor’s Ryan Weston and Daniel McCue of Hampden Academy.
Taylor averaged 13 points and 12 rebounds in three tournament games. Brathwaite averaged 16 points in two tournament games and scored 23 points in the semifinals when Mt.Blue lost a narrow 57-55 decision to Bangor.
Weston was the perfect inside complement to Gallant for Bangor, averaging 11.3 points and eight rebounds for the Rams. He had 16 points in a semifinal win over Mt. Blue.
McCue, the only returning player from last year’s Eastern A all-tournament team, averaged 17.5 points in leading the two-time defending regional champions to a quarterfinal victory over No 1. Edward Little of Auburn and a berth in the semifinals.
In Class B, DeWitt electrified the Bangor Auditorium crowd on opening night of the tournament, setting an Eastern B record with 52 points in Ellsworth’s 87-75 triple-overtime win over Hermon in the quarterfinals. Also an all-tourney choice in 2006, the 6-2 guard added a 30-point effort in Ellsworth’s loss to Camden Hills of Rockport in the semifinals, and finished his tourney run with averages of 41 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
Joining DeWitt on the Eastern B all-tournament team were Derek Libbey of Mattanawcook Academy from Lincoln, Paul Campbell and Christian Pieri of Camden Hills and Troy Murray from Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield.
Libbey averaged 27.3 points in three games while guiding the Lynx to a berth in the regional final, and also contributed 7.3 rebounds per game.
Campbell and Pieri quarterbacked a balanced Camden Hills team to its fourth EM title in the last seven years. Pieri averaged 12.3 points per game, while Campbell averaged 11 points and scored in double figures in each tournament game.
Murray sparked No. 8 MCI’s trip to the semifinals, a run that included a quarterfinal upset of top-ranked and defending state champion Maranacook of Readfield. Murray had 12 points in that game, then 23 points in a semifinal loss to Mattanawcook.
In Class C, Tomah did whatever was asked by Calais coach Ed Leeman in leading the Blue Devils to their second straight undefeated run through the Eastern C tournament. The 6-foot forward averaged 19.3 points and seven rebounds, and also was a defensive catalyst as Calais extended its overall winning streak to 43 games.
Also on the Eastern C all-tournament team were Roy Burdin and Mike Wharff of Piscataquis of Guilford, Drew Farrar of Houlton and Chris Taylor of Calais.
Burdin led PCHS to its berth in the final with an impressive inside game that produced 16 points and nine rebounds per contest, including 20 points and nine rebounds in the Pirates’ 62-59 loss to Calais in the title game.
Wharff averaged 11.7 points and got PCHS off to a quick start in the tournament, making five 3-pointers and scoring 21 points in a quarterfinal win over Dexter.
Farrar led the Shiretowners to their first semifinal berth since the program won its first state title in 2004. He scored 14 points in a quarterfinal win over Orono, then added 13 points in a semifinal loss to Calais.
Taylor averaged eight points per game, and also contributed a strong interior defensive effort and played a key leadership role for Calais.
In Class D, Collin Ciomei found success both inside and on the perimeter in leading unbeaten Deer Isle-Stonington to its first regional championship in a decade. The 6-4 junior averaged 20 points in three victories, including 21 as the Mariners edged Schenck of East Millinocket 75-74 in the final.
He was joined on the Eastern D all-tourney squad by his older brother, Bryant Ciomei of DI-S, Chris Byron and Mike Lowell of Schenck of East Millinocket and Tim Carlson from Central Aroostook of Mars Hill.
Bryant Ciomei provided a strong leadership effort as well as 10.7 points per contest in earning all-tourney honors for the second straight year.
Byron, another repeat all-tournament choice, was the tournament’s leading scorer with 20.3 points per game, and also rebounded in double digits for the Wolverines.
Lowell provided an perimeter complement to Byron’s inside play, with his tournament highlighted by a 25-point performance against DI-S.
Carlson, a third two-time all-tourney choice, helped the two-time defending state champions return to the semifinals with 16 points in the quarterfinals against Calvary Chapel of Orrington in the quarterfinals and 19 in their semifinal loss to Deer Isle-Stonington.
Class A
Pos. Name School Yr. Ht. PPG
F Alex Gallant* Bangor Sr. 6-4 23.7
C Eric Taylor Messalonskee Sr. 6-4 13.0
G Isaiah Brathwaite Mt. Blue Sr. 6-1 16.0
C Ryan Weston Bangor Jr.. 6-5 11.3
G Daniel McCue Hampden Sr. 6-3 17.5
Honorable Mention: Art Trask (Mt. Blue), Matt Natole (Messalonskee), Antonio Juco (Hampden), Troy Jellison (Bangor), Orlando Holmes (Messalonskee)
Class B
Pos. Name School Yr. Ht. PPG
G Corey DeWitt* Ellsworth Sr. 6-1 41.0
G Derek Libby Mattanawcook Jr. 6-1 27.3
G Paul Campbell Camden Hills Jr. 6-0 11.0
G Christian Pieri Camden Hills Jr. 6-1 12.3
G Troy Murray MCI Sr. 5-11 17.5
Honorable Mention: Brady Vose (Mattanawcook), Ryan Martin (Maranacook), Gordon Fischer (Camden Hills), Demetrios Katsiaficas (Ellsworth), Nick Wootton (Camden Hills)
Class C
Pos. Name School Yr. Ht. PPG
F Brandon Tomah* Calais Sr. 6-0 19.3
C Roy Burdin Piscataquis Sr. 6-5 16.0
G Drew Farrar Houlton Sr. 5-11 13.5
F Mike Wharff Piscataquis Sr. 6-0 11.7
F Chris Taylor Calais Sr. 6-1 8.0
Honorable Mention: Mike Von Rotz (Washington Academy), James Bates (Houlton), Joey Hunter (Washington Academy), Robbie Rogers (Calais), Sam Bell (Calais)
Class D
Pos. Name School Yr. Ht. PPG
C Collin Ciomei* Deer Isle-Stonington Jr. 6-4 20.0
C Chris Byron Schenck Sr. 6-3 20.3
G Bryant Ciomei Deer Isle-Stonington Sr. 5-10 10.7
G Mike Lowell Schenck Jr. 6-2 15.3
G Tim Carlson Central Aroostook Sr. 6-0 17.5
Honorable Mention: Jon Eaton (Deer Isle-Stonington), Peter Pickering (Lee Academy), Kerry Thompson (Schenck), Tom Bird (Lee), Alexander Merrill (Calvary Chapel)
*William C. Warner MVP Award winners
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