Here are the Boys teams we think will win.
WRITTEN BY MATT JUNKER
February in Maine can sometimes seem bleak. But it also brings us one of the most vibrant and exciting sporting events of the year.
High school basketball teams and the communities that support them descend on Bangor, Augusta and Portland to vie for a championship. Each and every tournament season is packed with marquee matchups, stunning upsets, electric plays and raucous fans.
For a few weeks, the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Augusta Civic Center, and Cross Insurance Arena in Portland become the center of the Maine sports universe.
And for teams from the North region, their path to the state championship game will run mostly through Bangor and Augusta. Class A North teams will play their regional tournament in Augusta, with the state championship then held in Portland. Class B, C, D and S North teams will compete for the regional championship in Bangor. The Class B state title game will be held in Bangor, while the C, D and S state championships are slated for Augusta.
There are always surprises during the tournament, but as a bunch of talented boys teams get set to test their abilities in a playoff atmosphere, here are some of the North teams and players that seem most likely to make deep runs in pursuit of a regional championship.
Class A: Camden Hills is the team to beat
The biggest class in the North region may have the shortest list of likely contenders. There are plenty of quality teams in the division, but the Camden Hills Windjammers of Rockport stand out from the pack. Not only did the Camden Hills squad win its first 13 games of the season, it also boasts one of the best players across the state in senior guard Nolan Ames.
Ames leads a high-energy Windjammers offense that likes to run-and-gun, getting out on the fast break while knocking down shot after shot. Camden Hills was leading all Class A schools in its conference by averaging nearly 68 points per game through the first nine contests, with Ames leading the conference by averaging more than 26 points per game.
The prolific senior can knock down three-pointers and attack the rim for highlight-reel dunks, making him one of the most dominant forces in Maine basketball this season. If that continues in Augusta during the regional tournament, Camden will be tough to stop.
“They’re a good club. They’ve got an elite player with Nolan Ames, and then they’ve got a really good supporting cast that plays well together,” Bangor coach Jay Kemble said after the Windjammers ran away from his Rams in a 62-34 game earlier in the season.
Edward Little of Auburn played Camden Hills incredibly close at the start of the season, losing by just two points in early December. The Red Eddies will also loom large in the Class A tournament, with senior guard Akol Maiwen right behind Ames scoring nearly 24 points per game through 11 contests.
Bangor and Hampden Academy should be on people’s radar for a potential upset. The Rams in particular have enjoyed an impressive turnaround this season, rebounding from a pair of one-win seasons and transforming into a .500 team through the first 14 games. If sophomore guard Nate Grunkemeyer can get going during the tournament, Bangor could make some noise in the playoffs.
Class B: Can anyone stop Cony’s high-powered offense?
Of all the great basketball being played in the north region this year, Class B might be home to the best. The top of the standings is chock-full of talented teams and prolific scorers, and there may be no division that’s harder to predict heading into tournament time.
Senior guard Carter Wiggin and the well-balanced Hermon Hawks team won 13 of its first 15 games. Mount Desert Island junior guard James Witham has become one of the state’s toughest players to guard on a team that only lost once in its first 15 games — in a triple-overtime marathon against Hermon. Both Ellsworth and Gardiner are talented teams that deserve to be in the conversation about regional title contenders as well.
But among all of the depth in Class B, the Cony Rams of Augusta have earned the spot as favorites. Not only did the Rams win 13 of their first 15 games, matched only by Hermon in the division, but Cony also dealt Camden Hills its first loss of the season on Jan. 24.
Cony has been playing some of the most exciting and up-tempo basketball in all of Class B, and by beating the top team in Class A North, the Rams have distinguished themselves as the team to beat in the region.
Hermon may have found a blueprint for slowing that high-powered offense with a 60-47 win over Cony in early January, but the Rams also may have learned from that defeat.
“We’re going to fix some things and we’re gonna be ready,” Cony freshman phenom Carter Brathwaite said after that loss against Hermon.
Brathwaite was second in Cony’s conference for Class B scorers through the first 10 games, averaging more than 20 points per contest. And he was one of three Cony players in the top 20 of that scoring list, with seniors Jackson Kay and Parker Morin averaging more than 16 and 13 points respectively.
Combined, that high-powered Cony offense averaged nearly 80 points per game through the first 10 games of the season. If that relentless attack is at its best during the tournament, the Rams will be a force to be reckoned with.
Class C: Caribou well-positioned for another title
The reigning Class B state champions look like the favorite to win the Class C North title this year. Caribou hasn’t had an easy road after dropping down to Class C this year, but the Vikings have found their footing — and scoring — in the new division.
After losing its primary offensive weapon from a year ago in forward Tristan Robbins, Caribou has turned to senior guard Owen Corrigan to shoulder more responsibility this season. And Corrigan has delivered, pacing the Vikings to a 13-2 record through their first 15 games.
And senior Landen Belanger made one of the biggest shots of the year so far, knocking down a last-second jumper to help the Vikings beat Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln earlier in the campaign.
That Mattanawcook team, the defending Class C North champs, is among the contenders this year as well. With experienced leaders like senior Andrew Oliver and junior Kooper McCarthy back after last year’s trip to the state final, the Lynx look well-positioned for another deep run.
One of the tougher teams in Class C, and potentially the most inspiring story in all of Maine basketball this season, can be found in Dover-Foxcroft. The Ponies of Foxcroft Academy won 12 of their first 15 games, and they did so with gritty leadership from senior forward Lennon McAfee.
McAfee averaged more than 18 points, roughly six rebounds and three steals per game through the first 12 contests — and he did so with only about 15% usage of his right arm due to an injury sustained at birth.
Expect more inspired play from McAfee and other top Class C players, including Fort Kent’s Aden Jeffers. His Fort Kent squad could very well be the last team standing after the regional tournament, and don’t sleep on Orono as a spoiler, either. The Red Riots have had to overcome several key injuries and have just been getting healthy late in the season.
Class D: Machias, Bangor Christian and Madawaska headline packed field
There may be no class in the North region tougher to predict confidently than Class D. Machias has been the undisputed powerhouse for the bulk of the season, going 14-0 to start. That included two victories over Bangor Christian, one of the top contenders right behind the Bulldogs.
Both Bangor Christian and Madawaska went 13-2 through the first 15 games.
Machias has strong senior leadership, including from 1,000-point scorer Mickey Fitzsimmons and fellow-guard Liam O’Connor. The Bulldogs pair of wins over Bangor Christian and victory over Class C contender Fort Kent gives credence to their front-runner status.
Bangor Christian similarly boasts two of the best players in the division, with senior forward Jesse Booker recently hitting the 1,000-point mark for his high school career and junior guard Rajon Reed commanding the backcourt.
Madawaska’s record and its experience getting to the Class C North final a year ago also demand respect heading into the tournament. The Owls’ Quinn Pelletier was already one of the tourney’s most captivating players a year ago, and he was only an eighth grader playing up with the high schoolers. Now a freshman, Pelletier is having another strong season. He and the Owls could make things interesting in an already thrilling Class D North lineup.
Class S: Jonesport-Beals has the edge, but don’t rule out Katahdin
Class S, the new small-school class created as part of a statewide reclassification, has a clear favorite in the North region. Jonesport-Beals, like Machias, has been delivering some quality basketball Down East. The Royals were 11-5 through most of their season and look well-situated heading into the regional tournament in Bangor.
But even though it’s under .500, there’s another Class S team that could take Bangor by storm.
Katahdin of Stacyville went 7-8 in its first 15 games, but those numbers don’t tell the whole story. Among those eight losses, only one came at the hands of a fellow Class S school. The others came against Class D competition.
After making it to the Class D regional final a year ago, Katahdin could be back in the mix with another late push in the Class S tournament.