Youth movement carries SACS to finals

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
 BANGOR Maine — In Southern Aroostook’s quarterfinal, coach Bill McAvoy thought his freshman guard, Jackson Mathers, looked a little nervous on the big stage of the Cross Insurance Center.    By Thursday’s semifinal, however, the young point guard was back to his normal self, launching 3-pointers and showing pinpoint accuracy from the free throw line. Mathers netted 18 points, including an 8-of-9 effort from the foul line to help lift No. 5 SACS (15-6 overall) to a thrilling 49-45 overtime victory over No. 8 Van Buren (12-9).
With the win, the Warriors advanced to Saturday’s Eastern Class D championship against No. 3 Hodgdon. The Hawks (18-3) made it to the title game with a win over previously unbeaten No. 2 Easton (20-1) in the day’s other semifinal. (See accompanying story.)
“We thought, in a couple of years, maybe we would be able to get to this point because we are so young,” McAvoy said. “But everything worked out well for us.”
Mathers converted four of five foul shots in the overtime period to help seal the victory for the Warriors. Junior guard Cameron Landry also netted 18 points for SACS, while freshman Nolan Altvater added 10.
Van Buren’s Jake Rioux led all players with 27 points, while Andre Rossignol added eight.
Warrior forward Will McGary made one of the headier plays in overtime. With 8.5 seconds to play, and the Warriors on top 47-45, McGary snatched the ball away from a Van Buren player, but quickly found himself trapped in the corner with nowhere to go. McGary, a senior, alertly called a timeout to avoid turning the ball over.
“He may not score a lot, but Will is like another coach on the floor,” coach McAVoy said. “He is a kid we will never be able to replace. He does so much that you just don’t see in the stat book.”
On the ensuing drive, senior guard Cody Lassonde fired a pass up the floor to Altvater, who converted a layup, making it a two-possession game (49-45) with just 2.6 seconds to play.
Southern Aroostook had built a 37-31 lead early in the fourth quarter, but Van Buren’s Rioux single-handedly kept the Crusaders’ hopes alive, scoring all 11 points in the final frame of regulation.
VAN BUREN (45)
Lajoie 1 0-0 2, J. Rioux 9 3-5 27, P. Rioux 0 0-2 0, Rossignol 3 0-2 8, Sytulek 2 0-0 4, Grivois 2 0-0 4. Totals: 17 3-9 45. 3-pointers — J. Rioux 6, Rossignol 2.
SACS (49)
Cullinan, Landry 7 1-4 18, Mathers 4 8-9 18, McGary 1 0-0 2, Lassonde 0 1-1 1, Burpee, Altvater 3 4-7 10, Nelson 0 0-2 0. Totals: 15 14-23 49. 3-pointers — Landry 3, Mathers 2.
Crusaders    12    8    11    11    3    —    45
Warriors    12    10    12    8    7    —    49