HAMPDEN, Maine — All the traditional sources of motivation seemingly have been used up.
Barely three years into their high school basketball careers, Hampden Academy senior basketball players Nick Gilpin, Brendan McIntyre, Conar Moore and Jake Black already have achieved the following:
— A 66-3 record.
— Class A state championships in 2013 and 2015.
— Three Eastern Maine Class A titles (among the school’s current streak of four in a row).
— An undefeated record at home.
Most high school players would be more than satisfied with any one of the above, but for these four Broncos and their teammates, it’s the journey to such spoils that remains the driving force.
“I think knowing that every single night we have a game teams are really going to want to beat us, that gets us going,” said Gilpin, a four-year starter and first-team Bangor Daily News All-Maine guard who has the additional accomplishment of winning the the Eastern A title as a freshman with a buzzer-beating shot.
“We really just don’t want to lose, especially here,” he said. “We haven’t lost at home since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2010 so we really want to keep that streak alive.”
Hampden will attempt to extend that streak Tuesday night when it hosts Bangor in a game with slightly different ramifications from previous editions, given that the new five-class basketball format adopted by the Maine Principals’ Association this year has put the neighboring schools in different classes.
Bangor (1-2) is in the newly created Class AA comprised of the state’s largest schools, while Hampden remains in Class A.
But for the most veteran Broncos, that change won’t make much difference once the game begins.
“We’re a bunch of 17- and 18-year-old kids; I don’t think it really matters who we’re going to play,” said Gilpin. “We’re going to suit up and play our hardest no matter what every night. There’s nothing we could really do about being in the lower class this year, but obviously we’re going to go out every night and do what we can.”
Hampden is 3-0 this winter, buoyed by a stifling defense that has yielded just 36.7 points per game in victories over Skowhegan, Messalonskee of Oakland and Mt. Blue of Farmington.
“I think they are very prideful, and winning is important to them,” said Hampden coach Russ Bartlett. “There are no egos, the team is most important and the guys we demanded leadership from last year and had to coax it out of them, we haven’t had to do any of that this year.
“Nick Gilpin’s leadership skills have really stepped to the forefront, and consequently in practice he’s more vocal and holds his teammates accountable much like his big brother [Zach, the 2013 Gatorade Maine Player of the Year now playing at Bentley] did. I think that’s something that will make us better.”
McIntyre, Moore and Black all played football at Hampden this fall and were at varying stages of basketball shape as the season started.
But the primary ambition they share with Gilpin remains as it was a year ago.
“Our goal is to work hard every day, make the next day our best day and go from there,” said McIntyre.
That commitment to approaching their final season of high school basketball from the present instead of the past makes motivation somewhat less complicated for players who already have won so much — though it’s not without challenges.
“It is kind of hard to stay mentally focused throughout the entire process,” said Gilpin, “but the leaders such as me, Brendan, Conar and Jake who have been around the longest are doing our best to keep everybody focused.”
Bartlett also is fully aware of his role in trying to wring any boredom from the grind behind his program’s stunning run.
“Complacency hasn’t been a problem, understanding that we’ve done some different things in practice this year due to the fact we’ve got a lot of guys who have been in the same practices for years,” he said. “My job is to give them the same information in a fresh light and I think we’ve done a good job of that so far.”
For additional inspiration, the most veteran Broncos reflect on the predecessors who groomed them for success.
“We came in our freshman year with the opportunity to play with some great players,” said Gilpin. “I remember Cam Scott, who was one of the best defensive players in the state all throughout his high school career. Getting a chance to go up against him every day in practice really made me a lot better because I was kind of baptised by fire. I had to go in there and learn quickly.
“And then Zach is somebody you could learn a lot from, they all did a good job shaping us into what we are now so I think it’s our job to help shape the younger kids in the program this year.”
But while the likes of Gilpin, McIntyre, Moore and Black are working to prepare younger Broncos for their turn in the spotlight, they ultimately hope to savor success in that same spotlight once more themselves.
“They’re a pretty lunch-pail type of group,” Bartlett said. “They come to practice every day and we talk about trying to be better at the end of the day than they were at the beginning of the day.
“I can tell them that until they’re blue in the face but they’re the ones who have to do it, and they’ve done it pretty well.”
