Somewhat removed from the I-95 corridor, the Medomak Valley Panthers have been one of eastern and northern Maine’s most consistently competitive boys basketball teams of recent vintage.
Just in the last four years, the Waldoboro-based team has won two Eastern Maine Class B championships ( 2013 and 2015) under the state’s former four-class system and advanced to the Class A North title game last winter, the first season of five-class play.
Some high-caliber individuals have graduated from the program over those years, among them big men John Murray and Ryan Ripley from the 2013 team and the versatile Nicholas DePatsy in 2016, but so far this season the winning continues.
The Panthers are 5-0 and, along with 4-0 Hampden Academy, the only teams still unbeaten in Class A North, with Medomak Valley ranked first and HA in second place.
Medomak Valley is coming off a rugged early season stretch, first defeating KVAC Class A North preseason favorite Messalonskee of Oakland and then topping Midcoast rival and defending regional champion Oceanside of Rockland-Thomaston and an improved Nokomis of Newport team — both unbeaten at the time — on back-to-back nights Monday and Tuesday.
Defense has been a catalyst for Medomak Valley during its recent streak, with the Panthers allowing just 45.2 points per game after yielding a season-high 58 points in a six-point win at 3-1 Nokomis.
“Everyone is contributing at different times during a game,” said veteran Medomak Valley head coach Nick DePatsy. “Defensively we have been doing a great job, rebounding off the defensive end, not getting split, hedging and recovering, and taking charges.”
Medomak Valley features the frontcourt duo of 6-foot-7 senior Cameron Allaire (16.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game) and 6-3 senior Kyle Donlin (18.4 ppg), while classmate Cale Gee is the team’s primary playmaker with 4.3 assists per outing,
“This group makes getting better every day a goal, but we still have a long ways to go,” said DePatsy, whose team is scheduled to host neighboring Camden Hills of Rockport in its next game at 6 p.m. Friday. “We must keep improving on both ends of the floor. The team chemistry is good, the ball movement is getting better and they are a fun group to coach.
“But there are a bunch of good teams in Class A North so we need to come out and play our ‘A’ game every night.”
Skowhegan shines on defense
Skowhegan girls basketball coach Mike LeBlanc didn’t know what to expect with a young team in his first year coaching the Indians last winter.
So far in his second campaign, the Indians have played some of the best defense in the Class A North ranks. And that hasn’t surprised him in the least.
With a roster that includes eight sophomores and three freshmen, LeBlanc’s Indians are 5-0 while holding four opponents under 30 points.
Skowhegan has yielded 28.8 points per game in its victories over Hampden Academy, Brewer, Mount View of Thorndike, Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield and Erskine Academy of South China.
“They’re a good group and we’re all learning on the fly,” LeBlanc said Wednesday.
LeBlanc’s starting lineup, Sydney Reed, Sydney Ames, Annie Cooke, Mariah Dunbar and Alyssa Everett, are all sophomores.
“They’re the ones who are able to set the tempo,” LeBlanc said. “Our offense will come from our defense.”
The game against Brewer was the only contest in which the Indians have yielded more than 30 points, a game Skowhegan won in overtime.
On Thursday, Skowhegan expects a big challenge from a talented Gardiner squad.
“We’ve passed the other two tests with Hampden and Brewer, but that’s a big test,” LeBlanc said.
If the Indians are able to keep playing stingy defense, they may be able to compete the first third of the season unbeaten.
“Last year, we had problems holding teams down,” LeBlanc said. “Now we’re starting to learn a little bit of team defense and they’re starting to get it.”
Free Throws …
John Bapst continued its torrid start to the season, improving to 4-0 with an impressive 56-47 victory at Mount Desert Island on Tuesday. Gracie Philippon pumped in 24 points to pace coach Mike Webb’s Crusaders, who host fellow Class B North contender Presque Isle at the Cross Insurance Center on Friday at 6 p.m.
Hermon used a game-breaking, 19-3, fourth-quarter run to pull away and defeat Foxcroft Academy 58-42 Tuesday night. The Hawks entered the fourth quarter leading by only four. Maddie Pullen drained five 3-pointers en route to 17 points to pace the Hawks’ offense.
Defending Class D North regional champion Shead of Eastport has won its first three games in convincing fashion, showing the Tigerettes may again be a tough out once February rolls around. Coach Dean Preston’s club has averaged a solid 57.6 points per game in victories over Machias, Jonesport-Beals and Hodgdon.
In Shead’s most recent win, a home victory over the Hawks, Holly Preston racked up 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. The Tigers sit fourth in a Class D North logjam.
Woodland has been an early-season surprise in Class C North, having won its first three games, including a season-opening, one-point road win over defending Class C state champion Narraguagus of Harrington. The Dragons were set to put their undefeated record on the line Wednesday against Jonesport-Beals.
