’Cats and Vikes in big game tonight
Panthers and Beavers still unbeaten in ‘D’
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
The Presque Isle and Caribou boys’ basketball teams will hook up for their first meeting of the season tonight at 7 p.m. at Presque Isle High School, and a competitive game is expected between the two Eastern Maine Class B teams who were ranked first and eighth, respectively, in the Heal Point standings as of Tuesday.
ZACK MCCLUNG 
of Central Aroostook lays the ball in for two points during last Wednesday’s 73-43 win over Madawaska.
“It should prove to be a great basketball atmosphere,” said second-year Wildcat coach Terry Cummings. “We know that Caribou is a very good team and we will have to be at our best to win.
“They have a prolific scorer in Dayne Savage [15.9 points per game], a great defender in Matt Milliard [who also averages 8.4 ppg], and Derek Richardson [14.9 ppg, 7.7 rebounds per game] and Cody Herbert [10.3 ppg, 4.4 rebounds per game] give them an inside presence,” Cummings said. “Plus they have some very good role players who stay within themselves.”
Caribou coach Chris Casavant said defense is always a key for his team and that will be the case in tonight’s contest as well.
“When we defend well, we give ourselves a chance to win,” he said. “Our offense is better because we are able to get out and run.”
The 12th-year Viking coach is well aware of the talent PI brings to the floor, especially 6-8 junior center Bradley Shields [11.1 ppg, 7.5 rebounds per game] along with seniors Tyler Brooks [12 ppg, 6.6 rebounds per game] and Jonah Stephenson [14.8 ppg, 5.8 assists per game].
“We’re going to have to hit shots,” Casavant said. “That may sound cliche, but with Shields inside, we’re going to have a difficult time doing much down low, so we’re going to have to convert from the perimeter.”
The Wildcats own a 7-1 record following Saturday’s 56-50 win at Hermon. PI’s lone loss came at the hands of Houlton at home on Dec. 12. They have reeled off six victories in a row since.
Caribou is 5-3 following Saturday’s 61-56 home win over Old Town.
The Wildcats’ victory over Hermon came despite a slow start. PI fell behind by seven points in the first quarter before mounting a comeback and forcing a halftime tie.
“Then we played some great defense and executed very well offensively, especially late in the third quarter and early in the fourth,” Cummings said.
Shields had 17 points and 13 rebounds, along with six blocked shots, to lead PI. Jonah Stephenson had 16 points and dished out seven assists and Tyler Brooks notched 13 points.
In the Class D ranks, the Central Aroostook Panthers and Washburn Beavers both continued their winning ways.
CA got a real test at home Saturday against Hodgdon, but still came away with a 64-62 win to move to 8-0 on the season.
Joe Stiles had a big gamefor the Panthers with 20 points. Zack McClung poured in 19 points and Chandler Brewer netted 14.
Chris Hudson had 22 to lead the Hawks, whose fourth-quarter comeback attempt fell short.
CA also defeated Madawaska (73-43) and Katahdin (76-56) in its other games last week.
The Panthers played Easton in a key matchup last night in Easton.
The Washburn Beavers rolled to three easy victories and are now 7-0 on the season. The team has yet to be challenged, as their smallest margin of victory is 25 points.
The Beavers bested Southern Aroostook on New Year’s Eve, and then began 2013 with an 81-28 romp over Wisdom last Wednesday before Monday’s 95-43 triumph over Greater Houlton Christian Academy played at UM-Presque Isle.
Mitchell Worcester scored 36 in the win over GHCA and 25 against Wisdom,while Nick Bragg had 20 in the victory over SA and Cameron Bragg 16 against the Pioneers.
