BANGOR, Maine — Bruce St. Peter’s basketball personality trends more toward the steady and efficient than the dramatic.
But the 6-foot-5 senior center from Ellsworth High School provided his team some of both during the recent Class B North tournament.
So, too, did sophomore guard Taylor Schildroth of George Stevens Academy in Blue Hill and junior center Jordan Doody of Easton, as all three led their teams to regional championships.
For those efforts, each has been named a winner of the Bangor Daily News’ William C. Warner Most Valuable Player Award for their respective classes, with Schildroth the Class C recipient and Doody the Class D honoree.
The Warner Award, established in 1994 in memory of a former Bangor Daily News sports editor and reporter, and BDN North region all-tournament teams were selected by a vote of media, tournament personnel and Maine Principals’ Association representatives.
St. Peter’s inside play helped Ellsworth win its first regional title since 1988. He averaged 14.7 points and ranked among the team leaders in rebounds, blocked shots and successfully absorbed player-control fouls during tournament play.
St. Peter also displayed some last-second magic, with his buzzer-beating jumper in overtime lifting the Eagles to a 42-40 semifinal win over Caribou.
“He’s always been our leader defensively with his charges. He can block shots, he rebounds and doesn’t give up many easy shots,” said Ellsworth coach Peter Austin. “That’s what we need from him. He can dominate a game offensively, defensively and by rebounding.”
Joining St. Peter on the BDN Class B North all-tournament team are Ellsworth teammates Bryce Harmon and Nick Bagley, Donovan Savage of Caribou and Jake Koffman of Orono.
Harmon’s flare for the dramatic preceded St. Peter’s semifinal game-winner, as his long 3-pointer as time expired in the fourth quarter sent that game into overtime. The 5-11 junior guard averaged nearly 10 points per game during the tournament, with 13 points and four assists in the final.
Bagley found offensive success both beyond the 3-point arc and working near the basket to add 11.3 points per game to Ellsworth’s tournament run. The 6-foot senior forward contributed 14 points to the Eagles’ semifinal victory.
Savage used his playmaking and scoring ability to lead sixth-ranked Caribou to the semifinals. The 5-foot-11 senior guard scored 18 points in each tournament game while shooting 86 percent (19 of 22) from the free-throw line.
Koffman, a 6-foot-3 junior forward, epitomized Orono’s rugged inside game that earned the Red Riots their second trip to a regional final in as many years — the 2015 berth came in Class C. Kofffman’s free throw with 3.8 seconds left gave Orono a 52-51 semifinal win over top-seeded Old Town. He had seven points and 13 rebounds in that victory.
Schildroth diagnosed what the George Stevens attack needed during tournament play, then provided it as the Eagles won their first two games by an average of 37 points before rallying from a 10-0 deficit to defeat Bucksport 55-43 in the Class C title game.
The 6-foot sophomore’s leadership was most evident in that final when he scored 32 points and grabbed seven rebounds. He had 16 of his team’s 19 first-half points and 26 of the Eagles’ 38 points through three quarters as GSA gradually gained control.
“He sees the court really well and hits people on the break, and he also can go to the basket,” said GSA coach Dwayne Carter of Schildroth, who averaged 22.7 points in three tournament games. “He can go by anybody.”
Schildroth is joined on the BDN Class C North all-tournament team by Tyler Pye of Bucksport, Justin Thompson of Schenck of East Millinocket, Jimmy Buzzell of Hodgdon and Nick Szwez of GSA.
Pye, a 6-foot senior forward, played much bigger than his height in leading the third-ranked Golden Bucks to their first regional final since 2002. He averaged 14.7 points during the tournament, including 20 points and five rebounds in the final and 18 points and 13 rebounds in Bucksport’s semifinal win over Hodgdon.
Thompson, a 6-2 junior guard, was the leading scorer in the C North tourney, averaging 24.0 points in two contests. The son of Schenck coach Darrick Thompson had a monster quarterfinal, totaling 26 points and 20 rebounds in an overtime survival of Lee Academy.
Like Thompson, Buzzell and his team moved up to Class C from Class D this winter under the statewide expansion from four to five classes, but the upward mobility didn’t affect his production. The 6-foot senior guard scored 23 points as seventh-ranked Hodgdon defeated No. 2 Fort Fairfield in the quarters, then added 19 points in a narrow semifinal loss to Bucksport.
Szwez provided steady inside play for the champion Eagles in coordination with 6-6 sophomore Max Mattson. The 6-4 senior center averaged 11.3 points, including 16 points in the semifinals and six points and 10 rebounds in the title game.
Doody was one of five different players who received votes for the Class D North tourney MVP, a reflection of the balance not only within the Easton roster but also among the top teams in the division given that the Bears’ run to their first regional crown since 1980 included two overtime victories.
The 6-foot-3 Doody saved his biggest game for the final, scoring 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds as coach Manny Martinez’s club outlasted Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook. He was at his best near the basket as he averaged 13.0 points in the Bears’ three tournament games.
Doody is joined on the BDN Class D North all-tournament team by Easton teammates Logan Halvorson and Jake Flewelling, Jacob Godfrey of Machias and Jackson Mathers of Southern Aroostook.
Flewelling teamed with Doody up front to give Easton the edge it needed in the final, contributing 12 points and eight rebounds. The 5-foot-11 junior forward also got the Bears off to a good start in the tournament with 26 points and seven rebounds during a quarterfinal win over Wisdom of Saint Agatha, and he averaged 14.3 points per game throughout the regional.
Halvorson, a 5-foot-9 senior guard, scored 13.3 points per game and came up with two of the timeliest baskets for Easton, the go-ahead hoop to start overtime against Southern Aroostook and a driving layup midway through overtime to propel the Bears to a 52-48 semifinal win over Washburn.
Godfrey had the dominant single-game performance of the tournament with 27 points and 26 rebounds in Machias’ semifinal loss to Southern Aroostook. The 6-foot-5 sophomore center averaged 22 points and 17 rebounds during the Bulldogs’ two-game stay.
Mathers, a 5-foot-9 junior guard, led Southern Aroostook to the championship game, averaging 18.3 points per tournament contest. His knack for scoring was best evidenced during postseason play at the free-throw line, where Mathers made 22 of 25 attempts, or 88 percent.
