Top seniors show off skills in all-star basketball games
Sports Editor
CARIBOU — The 2010 Aroostook County All-Star Basketball Classic drew a bumper crop of senior athletes to the hardwood for one final hurrah of their high school basketball careers.
Held at Caribou High School, the games serve as a fundraiser Scholarships for Aroostook County Athletes. The games featured two boys teams and two girls squads playing for bragging rights in a light-hearted game that featured several spectacular shots and a bunch of smiles as players who were once rivals became teammates.
Members of the Aroostook County Senior All-Star boys White squad included Derrick Rossignol, Van Buren; Zach Straubel and Chad Duff, both of GHCA; Jordan Bragan, Houlton; Lucas Craig, Katahdin; and Chris Williams and Dan McGuillicuddy, both of Hodgdon; Dillon Kingsbury and Keenan Eaton, both of Presque Isle; Jamie Cyr, Madawaska; and Ted Walker, Caribou. The coach was Matt Rossignol.
Members of the boys Blue team included Josh Churchill, John McNamee and Josh Booth, all of Fort Fairfield; Garrett Stiles, CAHS; Nate Ackerson and Ethan Braley, both of Presque Isle; Lucas Hafford, Ashland; Dakota Sleeper, SACS; Chris Nadeau and Cameron Anderson, both of Caribou; and Seth Cropley, East Grand. The coach was Bill McAvoy.
Members of the girls Violet team included Liz Goodall and Rochelle Nadeau, both of SACS; Haley Johnson and Liz Kofstad, both of Presque Isle; Vanessa Sanderson and Martha McPartland, both of Houlton; Brianna Hartin and Chelsea Hartin, both of CAHS; Olivia McNally and Melissa Duffy, both of Katahdin. The coach was Larry Worcester.
Members of the girls Pink team included Taylor Baker, Ashland; Kelsey Wilson and Courtney Churchil, both of Fort Fairfield; Chelsea Sloat, Hodgdon; Taylor Boucher and Breanna Thibodeau, both of Fort Kent; Brittany Doak, Caribou; Emma Dionne, Madawaska; and Kayla Guerrette, Wisdom. The coach was Jeanette Peters.
Representatives of the local media, including Rene Cloukey of WAGM-TV; Ken Holck, of WHOU radio; Joseph Cyr and Kevin Sjoberg, of The Star-Herald and The Aroostook Republican & News newspapers; along with event organizer Jim Carter, selected athletes for the all-star games.
In the girls game, Team Pink edged Team Violet 63-59 in a high-scoring affair. Team Violet led 19-17, 33-28 and 46-41 at the quarter breaks, before Team Pink rallied in the final period, outscoring Violet 22-13.
Boucher led Team Pink with 17 points, while Dionne added 15; Thiobdeau 12; Guerrette, eight; Churchill, five; and Doak, Wilson and Baker, each with two.
For Team Violet, Sanderson led all players with 18 points, while Johnston and McNally, each had 10; Kofstad, eight; Goodall, seven; and Duffy, McPartland and B. Hartin, each with two.
In the boys contest, Team Navy edged Team White 59-51 in a back-and-forth contest. Team White led 12-11 in the first quarter, but Navy took a 29-24 halftime-lead into the locker room. In the third period, Navy’s advantage grew to 46-35. Team White tried to mount a comeback in the final stanza, outscoring Navy 16-13, but the rally fell short.
Leading the balanced scoring for Team Navy was Sleeper with 12 points, while Booth added 10; Ackerson, Churchill and McNamee, each had eight; Braley and Stiles, both six; and Hafford, four.
For Team White, Kingsbury led the way with 11 points, while Williams and Eaton both added eight; Bragan, seven; Craig, five; Cyr and Duff, each four; and Straubel and Rossignol, each two.
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
SOARING — Dillon Kingsbury, left, of Presque Isle soars to the hoop while guarded by Wildcat teammate Nate Ackerson during last Thursday’s senior all-star game in Caribou.
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
POSTING UP — Taylor Baker, right of Ashland tries to take the ball to the basket as Southern Aroostook’s Rochelle Nadeau defends during last Thursday’s senior all-star game in Caribou.
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
WHITE TEAM — Members of the Aroostook County Senior All-Star White squad include, front row from left, Derrick Rossignol, Van Buren; Zach Straubel, GHCA; Jordan Bragan, Houlton; Lucas Craig, Katahdin; and Chris Williams, Hodgdon; and back, coach Matt Rossignol; Dillon Kingsbury, Presque Isle; Keenan Eaton, Presque Isle; Jamie Cyr, Madawaska; Dan McGuillicuddy, Hodgdon; and Chad Duff, GHCA. Not pictured is Ted Walker, Caribou.
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
PINK TEAM — Members of the Aroostook County Senior All-Star Pink team include, front row from left, Taylor Baker, Ashland; Kelsey Wilson, Fort Fairfield; Chelsea Sloat, Hodgdon; Taylor Boucher, Fort Kent; and Breanna Thibodeau, Fort Kent; and back, Brittany Doak, Caribou; Courtney Churchill, Fort Fairfield; Emma Dionne, Madawaska; Kayla Guerrette, Wisdom; and coach Jeanette Peters. Not pictured is Jordan Chandler of Washburn.
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
BLUE TEAM — Members of the Aroostook County Senior All-Star Blue team include, front row from left, Josh Churchill, Fort Fairfield; Garrett Stiles, CAHS; Josh Booth, Fort Fairfield; and Nate Ackerson, Presque Isle; and back, coach Bill McAvoy; Ethan Braley, Presque Isle; John McNamee, Fort Fairfield; Lucas Hafford, Ashland; and Dakota Sleeper, SACS. Not pictured are Chris Nadeau and Cameron Anderson of Caribou; and Seth Cropley, East Grand.
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
VIOLET TEAM — Members of the Aroostook County Senior All-Star Violet team include, front row from left, Liz Goodall, SACS; Haley Johnson, Presque Isle; Liz Kofstad, Presque Isle; Vanessa Sanderson, Houlton; and Rochelle Nadeau, SACS; and back, coach Larry Worcester; Brianna Hartin, CAHS; Olivia McNally, Kathahdin; Martha McPartland, Houlton; Melissa Duffy, Katahdin; and Chelsea Hartin, CAHS.
