The accolades keep coming for Orono senior point guard Pierce Walston.
On Thursday morning, Gatorade named Walston the Maine Boys Basketball Player of the Year, following in the footsteps of greats like Cooper Flagg of Nokomis (2022), Bryce Lausier of Hampden Academy (2020) and Nik Caner-Medley of Deering (2002).
This March, Walston also led his Red Riots to their second consecutive Class B state title, and won the Maine MaxPreps Boys Basketball Player of the Year Award.
“It feels amazing,” Walston said Thursday morning. “Credit to my teammates, coach and community — everyone that has supported me [along] the way.”
The 6-footer also individually eclipsed the 1,000-point threshold in December, and averaged 17.8 points, 6.8 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game his senior season.
In the tournament, Walston played his heart out, tallying 29 points, five assists and four steals against rival Old Town in the regional finals, and 16 points, seven assists and three steals against undefeated Oceanside in the state finals.
“In my nearly 40 years of coaching both high school and collegiately, I have not seen another young person exhibit more growth as a person and player — he has become an expert at dissecting opposing defenses,” said Orono head coach Ed Kohtala. “Though he is our primary ball-handler and the director of our offense, he normally draws a tough defensive assignment against one of our opponent’s top scorers. There is no one on our team whose role is more extensive or demanding.”
Awarded by Gatorade to recognize “exemplary character and academic achievement” in addition to athletic excellence, Walston has donated his time as a youth basketball coach, has volunteered locally with the Riot Buddies, a school program for high school upperclassmen to mentor middle schoolers, and maintains an A average in the classroom.
After graduation, Walston plans on joining the Air National Guard for a year, before going back to school. He plans on playing basketball at the NCAA Division III level.
Walston also helped lead Orono to a football state championship in November, scoring three touchdowns in the Red Riots’ upset victory over undefeated Old Orchard Beach in the 8-man small title game, en route to Orono’s first gold football in 29 years.
“There is no other kid I’ve seen in this state that deserves it more,” Orono running back and power forward Ben Francis said of Walston. “He’s hard working, and locked in during practices, games and in the offseason. Being able to lead our team beside him the past four years has been a true honor.”
