Whether it’s scoring goals on the soccer field or knocking down shots on the basketball court, Caribou senior Owen Corrigan is having a prolific year offensively for the Vikings.
After setting a new school record by scoring goals at a blistering pace for the Caribou boys soccer team this fall, Corrigan has morphed into one of Maine high school basketball’s top scorers as well.
The senior guard is already a basketball state champion, serving more as a role player a season ago on the Caribou team that won the Class B state title. Last year, the Vikings offense ran through forward Tristan Robbins. And this year, Corrigan has had to step into a more primary role as a scorer.
“I didn’t score much last year,” Corrigan said after dropping 22 points in an overtime win over Orono on Monday.
It’s been a different story this season. Corrigan is averaging around 25 points, six rebounds and six rebounds per game, according to his coach.
“Really guys are getting me open, getting me the ball when I need it, and we have a bunch of scorers on there all game. So it’s tough to cover us,” Corrigan explained about his scoring ability flowing from the team’s collective offensive effort.
He said his success on both the basketball court and soccer field is driven by being a competitor and wanting to win every night.
His coach, who knows him especially well given that he’s also his uncle, similarly highlighted Corrigan’s emphasis on team wins. Coach Kyle Corrigan, who was also a standout basketball and soccer player in his own right, said Owen Corrigan has responded well to his new leadership role for Vikings basketball.
“I think he’s taking it in stride too, and I think he’s starting to understand we don’t need him to score 30 a game,” Kyle Corrigan said. “And what we need is, we need him to just do all the little things right for us and make the right reads.”
Owen Corrigan doesn’t care if he scores 20 points or two, as long as his team gets the victory, his coach said.
“He just wants to win. And I think that’s a true testament to a leader right there,” Kyle Corrigan said.
The senior guard’s shot was a little off the mark Monday, but he did a good job getting into the paint and making the right decisions off ball screens, the coach added.
“I’m proud of him as a coach. I’m proud of him as an uncle. He’s a really great kid,” Kyle Corrigan said.
But the star player doesn’t get a free pass on anything just because his uncle is the coach.
“I think the biggest thing that we’ve always said is, I will not be easier, but I will not be harder,” the coach added. “And that’s a big thing for me is, I’m not going to treat you any differently.”
Corrigan conceded that he does ask more from the senior captain, but not because of their family connection.
“I am harder on him sometimes, but not because he’s my nephew, because he’s supposed to be our leader and our captain,” the coach added. “So it’s not because he’s my nephew. I was just as hard on Tristan last year. And he understood that was gonna be his role this year.”
The younger Corrigan was happy to get out of Orono with a win, after the Vikings outscored the Red Riots 10-0 in overtime. The two teams have clashed frequently as top teams in Class B North recently ,and that trend has continued with both programs dropping to Class C this year.
“This is a team that we look at every year and we’re like, ‘Wow, we can drop that game, you know, we have to come out and play hard,’” Owen Corrigan said about Orono. “And this is a big win for us.”
He said the key for him on Monday night was getting to the basket against Orono on a cold night shooting.
“I wasn’t hitting shots tonight, so I tried to get all my points at the rim,” he said.
And just because he and his teammates are playing down a division this year, Corrigan said the competition hasn’t gotten any easier.
“I think a lot of people thought that, but honestly, I think Class C is a little tougher than B this year,” Owen Corrigan added.
Caribou is currently at the top of the division with a record of 11-2.