Last weekend’s Maine McDonald’s Senior All-Star festivities represented a considerable production for the Maine Basketball Coaches Association, but this year’s event also featured a production within that production.
A CBS Sports crew spent Friday evening and much of Saturday filming a story on the inaugural recipients of the Maine McDonald’s Spirit of the Game Awards, Patrick Thibodeau of Greely of Cumberland Center and Josh Titus of Edward Little of Auburn.
The award honors two high school seniors who embody the spirit of the sport, exemplify sportsmanship, support and inspire their teammates and coaching staff and show an ability to overcome obstacles and boundaries.
Titus, who has autism, and Thibodeau, who has Down’s syndrome, were managers for their schools’ boys basketball teams, and each suited up for his team’s last home game of the regular season. Titus scored nine points and grabbed two rebounds while Thibodeau made a pair of 3-pointers.
To present the awards, CBS flew in Jason McElwain, who gained national acclaim in January 2006 when as manager of his basketball team at Greece Athena High School in Rochester, N.Y., he was added to his high school’s roster for its last game of the season. McElwain, who is autistic, made six 3-pointers and scored 20 points in four minutes, and that performance won an ESPY award for Best Moment in Sports.
McElwain, now an assistant coach at his alma mater, also was on hand Saturday as Thibodeau and Titus served as managers for the East and West boys all-star teams.
The piece is scheduled to be aired on April 4 during CBS’s coverage of the NCAA Division I Final Four.
Safe passage for Fischer
There are few bigger honors for a Maine schoolboy basketball player than to be named a finalist for the Mr. Basketball Award.
But Gordon Fischer of Camden Hills of Rockport, one of this year’s finalists, had an even more important calling that prevented him from attending Friday night’s awards banquet at Husson University in Bangor.
The 6-foot-6 senior forward was en route to Guatemala to participate in a Safe Passage service program.
Safe Passage works with the poorest at-risk children of families working in the Guatemala City garbage dump to provide a comprehensive and integrated program that fosters hope, good health, educational achievement, self-sufficiency, self-esteem and confidence.
Since its founding in December 1999, the nonprofit organization has grown from educating 40 children to more than 500 thanks to a dedicated local Guatemalan staff, caring sponsors and volunteers from Guatemala and around the world.
Safe Passage was founded by Yarmouth native Hanley Denning, a Greely of Cumberland Center and Bowdoin College graduate. Denning died in an automobile accident while traveling between Guatemala City and Safe Passage’s offices in Antigua in 2007.
Top foul shooters crowned
Kenni Norton of Mount Abram of Salem and Cameron Mitchell of Waterville were crowned the state’s free-throw shooting champions Saturday at Husson University.
Norton, a senior guard, made 49 of 50 free-throw attempts to win the girls’ title, edging Miriam Qazi of Portland’s Waynflete School, who finished second among the four finalists with 46 of 50.
Other girls’ finalists were Emily Pelletier of Fort Kent (44 of 50) and Adriana Eurich of Stearns of Millinocket (42 of 50).
Mitchell, who made just 39 of 50 to win the Central Maine qualifying event, won the boys state title by making 47 of 50, two better than runner-up Justin Artus of Penquis Valley of Milo (45 of 50). Other finalists were Kyle Randall of Cheverus of Portland (44 of 50) and Matt Till of Caribou (43 of 50).
Coaches of year recognized
The Maine Association of Basketball Coaches has named its 2008-09 coaches of the year for Eastern and Western Maine boys and girls basketball as voted on by their peers.
Eastern Maine boys coaches of the year were: Class A: Clayton Blood, Brewer; Class B: Tim Prescott, Presque Isle; Class C: Peter Wolley, Narraguagus of Harrington; Class D: Troy Cilley, Woodland.
Eastern Maine girls coaches of the year were: Class A: Craig Jipson, Edward Little of Auburn; Class B: Jeff Hudson, Presque Isle; Class C: Mike Portwine, Stearns of Millinocket; Class D: Larry Gardner, Fort Fairfield.
Western Maine boys coaches of the year were: Class A: Mark Karter, Westbrook; Class B: Ken Marks, Greely of Cumberland Center; Class C: Matt Cook, Wiscasset; Class D: Anthony Amero, Forest Hills of Jackman.
Western Maine girls coaches of the year were: Class A: Jessica Mayol, Windham; Class B: Chris Roberts, Cape Elizabeth; Class C: Brandon Salway, Waynflete of Portland; Class D: Mike LeBlanc, Forest Hills of Jackman.
Trio to play in NE game
Three graduating Western Maine schoolboy basketball standouts, including 2009 Mr. Basketball Thomas Knight of Dirigo of Dixfield, are scheduled to play Sunday in the New England High School Challenge all-star game to be held at Springfield (Mass.) College.
Knight, fellow Mr. Basketball finalist Mick DiStasio of Cheverus of Portland and James Morse of Class A state champion Thornton Academy of Saco are listed on the North roster for the event’s public school all-star game featuring players from throughout the six-state region.
Knight will continue his playing career at Notre Dame next fall, while DiStasio will attend Division III Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. Morse has yet to decide his college future, though he is considering Trinity, Division II Bentley (Mass.) and Pfeiffer and Wingate, both of North Carolina.
One of the North coaches for the Springfield all-star contest will be Bob Brown of Cheverus.
The public school game will begin at noon, followed by a slam dunk contest at 2 p.m. and a private school all-star game at 3:30 p.m.
