Preseason games a learning tool

By Gloria Austin  
Staff Writer
    Local high school basketball teams traveled to play preseason games before the regular season opens on Friday night. The preseason games are instrumental in helping teams work on kinks and develop game situation strategies.
    Coaches also had the chance to try a number of combinations on the floor and weren’t as concerned about the score as they were how the players were learning and adapting to their roles.
    The Houlton varsity boys’ and girls’ teams played in Howland against Penobscot Valley and Penquis.
Katahdin’s Olivia McNally fires a 3-pointer
    In boys’ action, the Shiretowners lost their first game to PVHS by 15 points.
    “We trailed at halftime by 15 points,” said coach Mike Fogarty. “We made some adjustments and played them evenly in the second half.”
    A preseason score doesn’t hold much value, as both squads were playing most if not all their players on their rosters.
    On Saturday, the Shires were defeated by five points in overtime by Penquis.
    “The boys played much better,” Fogarty said. “I was pleased on how we competed. It was good to have a tight game this early.”
    With the season just beginning, the preseason games served as an instructional tool to discuss game situations and what to do in overtime in an actual game.
    “We also played a core group trying to find out what our rotations will look like,” added Fogarty.
    In girls’ play, the Houlton Lady Shires split with Penobscot Valley and Penquis.
    In their first contest, the Lady Shires raced away from PVHS 57-23, while the second game finished as an overtime loss, 44-42, to Penquis.
    The Lady Shires open the regular season on Friday night at 7 p.m. when they host Lee Academy.
    The Southern Aroostook boys and girls played in a tourney with Schenck, Shead and Woodland.
    The Lady Warriors went 2-1 over the weekend, defeating Schenck and Shead and falling to Woodland. The team is playing without the services of point guard Evangeline Goodall, who is sidelined with a strained calf muscle, said coach Cliff Urquhart.
GHCA’s Chad Duff goes up over Colton Bivinghouse
    The Warriors went 1-2 against their opponents, defeating Woodland, but losing to Schenck and Shead. The Warriors played Shead tough, falling by a point and having a couple of chances to win at the buzzer.
    Last Wednesday, Katahdin hosted GHCA in a scrimmage.
    In the girls’ game, the Lady Cougars were clicking to take a 71-18 win over GHCA, while in the second game of the doubleheader, the Cougars were able to pull away from the Eagles for the win.
    Katahdin participated in a preseason tournament in Howland, too.
    The Lady Cougars split their games, defeating Howland and losing to Penquis. The Cougars dropped both of their games to Howland and Penquis. The teams are battling the flu, so the boys had two starters out on Friday night and another on Saturday, according to athletic director Phil Faulkner.
    The Hodgdon varsity boys and girls played three preseason games against Lee, Bangor Christian and Fort Fairfield.
    Hodgdon coach Jerry Adams said he used all 12 players during the games, as he was figuring out what positions and roles fit his players best.
    “I found out I have a very impressive group of freshmen,” he said. “I could possibly have one or two of them in the starting rotation.”
    The Lady Hawks took on Calais, Bangor Christian and Lee.
    Coach Vaughn Farrar was trying different blends of players on the floor throughout the two-day event.
GHCA’s Amber Michaud and Katahdin’s Kali Rush battle for a rebound
    “I learned who wanted to step up,” he said. “With the different combinations, I was looking for who might vie for a starting position.”
    The Hodgdon girls didn’t match up well against Lee, but they played their next two opponents closer.
    “On the second day, we had good intensity,” said Farrar. “We were competitive in both games.”