Bangor High School basketball standout Zak Ray has been wrestling with a decision on where he would attend college for months.

His heart said Division I Northeastern University in Boston but his mind was a bit more practical, pushing him toward Bates College in Lewiston.

Ray made the practical choice and will attend Bates and play Division III basketball for coach Joe Reilly’s Bobcats.

“It was pretty hard because I’d always wanted play at a high level. But it was just a question of putting things in perspective and then making a decision,” Ray said.

Ray, a 5-foot-11 point guard, led the Rams to back-to-back upset wins in the Eastern Maine Class A final over Brunswick and then in the state championship game over Cheverus of Portland.

He was a member of the NEWS All-Schoolboy first team, a McDonald’s Senior All-Star and the Eastern Maine Class A tournament most valuable player.

Ray’s quickness, determination and leadership drew the attention of a number of Division II and III college basketball coaches hoping to draw him to their schools.

He also strongly considered walking on the Northeastern basketball team as a non-scholarship player.

When he considered everything, Ray said Bates was the right choice.

“It’s close to home and the great education Bates provides was too hard to pass up on,” Ray said.

Ray also excelled on the gridiron where he quarterbacked the Rams to a state championship in 2002 and received all-state honors as a safety his junior and senior years.

He is unsure whether he will play football at Bates.

“I haven’t decided because I want to get settled in with the books and it may be too hard playing two sports,” Ray said. “And from what I hear, football would take up some of the basketball season. They kinda overlap.”

Ray will be joined at Bates by Hampden Academy’ Ben Keller. The 6-3 forward scored more than 1,300 points at Hampden. He’s looking forward to playing with, rather than chasing around Ray.

“I wanted stay close to home and it’s a good school. I really like the coach. The whole campus is really nice and I’m looking forward to play with Zak,” Keller said.

John Bapst picks O’Connell

After suffering through four consecutive winless football seasons, administrators at John Bapst in Bangor are turning to former Bangor High School football player Dan O’Connell to right the ship.

John Bapst athletic director Mike Thomas said that O’Connell was chosen from among eight applicants for the school’s head football coaching position.

O’Connell, 26, graduated from Bangor in 1995 where he was a starter on both sides of the line for former coach Gabby Price. He is currently the general manager at Benjamin’s After Dark in downtown Bangor.

“Having played for Gabby at Bangor, he brings a winning attitude. He brings experience, attitude and enthusiasm,” Thomas said.

O’Connell went on the play football at Bates College where he was a three-year starter on the offensive line and a team co-captain his senior year.

“I think the big thing with what we’ve gone through in the past, the level of success hasn’t been what people would like,” O’Connell said. “We need to create a buzz. Get people to support Bapst football across the board. We need to get people excited about John Bapst football.”

O’Connell served as an assistant to former John Bapst coach Rob Zartarian, who stepped down after one year. Thomas said that Zartarian took the job with the understanding that it wouldn’t be a long-term situation.

The Crusaders have had four consecutive 0-9 seasons. John Bapst, a private school, does not have a football feeder program. It draws students from many communities that do not have middle school or junior high school football.

“We get student-athletes that you have to teach the basics from getting in a stance to putting on a helmet even… You have to teach them from the ground up. But it gives us a chance to mold them into our system,” O’Connell said.

Don Perryman can be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or dperryman@bangordailynews.net