When Tony Staffiere took over as the girls basketball coach at Mount View High School in Thorndike, he wanted to find a way to “get our alumni back involved with our program.”
He discussed it with Mount View athletic director Chuck Karter.
So the decision was made to have an alumni recognition night and former Mount View standouts Emily Ellis and Adrienne Shibles, who went on to have outstanding college careers as well, will be the first two honored on Friday night during the game with visiting Skowhegan. The varsity game begins at 6:30 p.m.
“I don’t think you could come with two better people to start with,” said Staffiere. “They used to have a pretty good program here, it was pretty well respected in this region. We want to recognize that and build on it.”
Ellis, who is from Brooks, is in four Halls of Fame and Knox native Shibles is in the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.
Ellis is in the New England, University of Maine, Maine State and Maine Basketball Halls of Fame.
Ellis scored over 1,000 points at Mount View and went on to score 1,637 points and grab 623 rebounds in her remarkable career at UMaine, where her number 40 was retired.
“Emily’s reputation speaks loud and clear in central Maine from her days at Mount View and in eastern Maine with her time at the University of Maine,” said Staffiere.
Shibles followed an exceptional high school career by scoring over 1,000 points at Bates College in Lewiston.
Shibles has also had a memorable coaching career, leading the Bowdoin College Polar Bears to a 157-50 record. She is in her eighth season and has led Bowdoin to six NCAA Division III appearances in her seven previous seasons and a 9-6 record in NCAA Tournament play.
“She has had a rapid rise in the coaching ranks,” said Staffiere. “To follow Stefanie Pemper and continue to have that kind of success isn’t an easy thing to do. You’ve got to give her a lot of credit. She’s a phenomenal coach. She has been one of the fastest coaches to reach 150 wins in the country.”
Staffiere said they have also represented Mount View well by being outstanding citizens wherever they have lived.
Ellis and Shibles will have a meet-and-greet with the Mount View players and their families in the school’s staff lounge before the game and will receive a plaque during halftime festivities.
Staffiere plans to honor other players at least every other year as he strives to build community sport for his program while also getting alumni involved with it.