By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
Three local teams held No. 1 positions in their respective divisions as of Tuesday morning, but the coaches of the squads aren’t relaxing as the second half of the season arrives.
The Presque Isle girls improved to 12-0 entering their home game against Fort Kent Tuesday night after defeating both Caribou and Foxcroft Academy in action last week. The wins brought the team’s winning streak to 56 since the end of the 2010-11 season.
The Wildcats are 14.1 points in front of 10-0 Nokomis, the school that last handed PI with a loss, for the top spot in Eastern Maine Class B.
Coach Jeff Hudson said his team was not at its best in the two recent victories, the latter which needed overtime before being decided, but still remains confident with six more games remaining.
“Right now our team seems to be going through a lull. We need to keep fighting and I think we will be fine coming down the stretch,” Hudson said. “We may not be playing our best, but we continue to win games.”
Hannah Graham continued her stellar play, especially against Foxcroft Saturday, when she tallied 31 of her team’s 50 points in the overtime win.
“She was spectacular all day,” Hudson said. “She carried us for most of the game with her ball handling, her scoring and some key steals late in the fourth quarter and in overtime.”
The team trailed by six points with two minutes to play in the fourth, but a three-point field goal by Taylor Williams and a conventional three-point play by Graham knotted the score. PI actually led before the Ponies’ Brianna Skolfield, who finished with 28 points, scored with two seconds left to force the extra session. Krystal Kingsbury scored on an offensive rebound with six seconds left in OT to provide the winning points in the 50-48 triumph.
Presque Isle had easily handled Foxcroft at home, 75-35, Dec. 21.
“They played this one with a lot more energy and desire,” Hudson said.
Last Tuesday, Graham and Kingsbury tallied 21 and 17 points, respectively, as PI held off a pesky Viking team. Regan Nelson tossed in 10 points and Williams added nine for the Wildcats.
The Fort Fairfield girls have had an up-and-down season, according to coach Larry Gardner, but still found itself in first place in the EM Class D ranks.
The Tigers were just ahead of 11-0 Limestone-MSSM for the top position
“We’re consistent as far as being inconsistent goes,” quipped Gardner, pointing to a victory over three-time defending state champion Washburn last Tuesday in which the team shot 60 percent from the field and then two nights later falling by 14 to Easton in a game in which five Tiger players fouled out and his team shot just 29 percent (9 for 31) from the free throw stripe.
In the victory over Washburn, Whitney McNamee put in 26 points, a career best, while Teresa Maynard also topped her previous high with 18 as Fort prevailed. The frontcourt duo also combined for over 20 rebounds in the game.
The Beavers led by eight at halftime but were limited to three third-quarter points as the Tigers surged in front.
“The defense did what we wanted it to do,” Gardner said.
Mackenzie Worcester scored 17 points and Carmen Bragg netted 14 more to lead Washburn’s attack. Joan Overman was also in double figures with 10 points.
Easton managed a 55-41 Thursday and following another win Monday over Katahdin has now won six of its last seven to improve to 8-3.
“This group of girls have a few things that I think contribute to our success,” said first-year Bears’ coach Robert Doar. “They are all great friends, are unselfish and have a willingness to want to learn and work hard to achieve personal and team goals.
“I am impressed with their ability to stay focused and never consider themselves out of a game.”
The Bears trailed entering the fourth quarter against both Fort Fairfield and Katahdin before mounting comebacks each time.
The Tigers also led by seven at halftime before Easton rallied.
“We wanted to limit the number of touches [McNamee] got and not let her dictate how we played and it worked,” Doar said.
“They are aggressive and Kayli Ward makes them a much better team,” Gardner said.
Ward, a transfer from Presque Isle, scored 15 points, but the team featured plenty of balance as well as Kylee Carter scored 11, Mariah Cyr and Cassie Buck 10 points each and Hannah Ferris grabbed 10 rebounds.
Nicole Giberson scored 11 points and McNamee had 10 for the Tigers, who fell to 6-3.
The Easton boys made it through a difficult portion of their schedule unscathed and are at 10-0 and percentage points ahead of Hodgdon to top the rankings in EM Class D.
Easton is coming off a stretch in which it beat three consecutive teams which entered with record of .500 or better. Following a Jan. 4 win over Fort Fairfield to begin the new year, last week the Bears survived against a shorthanded Central Aroostook squad, which was without star guard Chandler Brewer, with a 63-49 victory last Tuesday. On Friday, the Bears were impressive in stopping Wisdom of St. Agatha at home, 65-29.
“Having veteran leaders that have been in tight games where we may not be playing our best, they know what it takes in late-game situations to walk away with a win,” said third-year Easton coach Dillon Kingsbury.
Offensive balance was evident in the most recent win, which came Friday. Logan Halvorson scored 13 points, Hunter Turner 11 and Cody Halvorson and Drew Sotomayor nine each.
Against the Panthers in Mars Hill three nights earlier, Logan Halvorson found his range early by netting three first-quarter three-point field goals en route to a season-best 17 points. Jake Flewelling came off the bench to tally 13 and Turner notched 10. Spencer Garrison worked hard on his way to a game-high 19 points and Zac McClung added 13 as Brewer missed his third game of the season due to injury and he said his return for the remainder of the regular season is in question.
“As the season has gone on we’ve grown to realize that for the first time in a many years Easton has a target on its back,” Kingsbury said. “Each and every game we play from here on out, opponents will give us their best knowing we could be their ticket into a great position in the Heal Points come prelim time.
“We’ve grown to realize we can’t just show up and go through the motions and win games. We have to bring it each and every game as well,” he added.
