It almost seems like the Ellsworth boys basketball team is cursed.
The past two years, the Eagles have gone 18-0 in the regular season, only to be upset by Yarmouth in the 2022 state championship game, and Orono in the 2023 regional championship game; with both losses being decided by single digits.
This spring, the Eagles’ championship window will probably close, when first-team all-Mainer Chance Mercier — the heart and soul of Ellsworth’s high-octane offenses — and five other seniors receive their caps and gowns, never to suit up in Eagles threads ever again. Currently standing at 14-3, the writing is on the wall for the Eagles, yet the pressure to perform is higher than ever.
“As a player, coming up short two years in a row, it leaves you with this feeling,” four-year varsity point guard Miles Palmer said. “You don’t want to be that team that can’t seem to get the big win. [But] our community still has a lot of faith in us to do what everyone knows we can do.”
More than anything, the pressure to break the glass ceiling comes internally.
“We want it more than anyone. We’re gonna do everything we can to get that gold ball,” Mercier said. “If we have to beat Old Town, beat Orono, beat Caribou; ok then we’re gonna do it.”
This regular season, Eagles have already lost to No. 1 Old Town (15-3) and No. 3 Orono (15-3) once apiece, splitting the season series with both teams, and most recently dropping a shocker to No. 6 Hermon (10-8) on Jan. 24. The path to a state title is undoubtedly going to be rocky, but the Eagles believe the adversity they’ve faced over the past couple months — and years — was exactly what they needed to fulfill their destiny.
Namely, Ellsworth’s identity is stronger than ever before.
“We started the year kind of trying to figure each other out. That’s what makes this team different; we’ve found each other,” Mercier said. “It’s being more unselfish as a team. Making that extra pass and finding the open man; everybody is capable.”
This emphasis on team chemistry and selflessness plays exactly into Ellsworth’s run-and-gun style of basketball.
“We’ve never really been a huge team, so it’s super natural for us to bust up and down the floor,” Palmer said. “We have a roster of 15 guys that can go out and play, and if we need to, we’ll use 15 people to get up and down the court; just to get fresh legs in the game. I don’t think many other teams can say that.”
This regular season, the Eagles have the second-best offense in Class B North (behind only No. 4 Maranacook), averaging 70 points per game with eight different players averaging at least 4.5 ppg. Ellsworth also has the second-best defense (behind only No. 10 Winslow) in Class B North, allowing 48 points per game.
Last year, the Eagles scored and allowed an identical number of points, but only played Old Town and Orono once apiece in the regular season, and had only four players score 4.5 points or more per game — meaning Ellsworth’s 14-3 record arguably misrepresents their true balance and strength as a team.
The talent has been there for Mercier, Palmer and the Eagles, but it wasn’t enough the past two years. This year, their added desperation, depth and selflessness could be exactly what they needed.
