Panther boys remain perfect
By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
The Central Aroostook Panthers are one win away from completing another perfect season. The team needed a big comeback Monday, but moved to 17-0 with the win over Washburn. The Panthers take on Katahdin in Stacyville in Thursday’s regular season finale.
CA is still in first place in the Eastern Maine Class D standings and that seed should hold heading into the post-season. Washburn (15-2) is currently fourth, while Easton (11-5) is eighth. Those two teams meet in Easton Friday, while the Bears also play Southern Aroostook in Dyer Brook tonight in a game with serious playoff implications.
Contributed photo/Kerrie Alley-Violette
1,000-POINT CLUB — Fort Fairfield senior Travis Noyes became the third Tiger boys basketball player and fourth overall to reach 1,000 points for a career. Noyes reached the mark during Thursday’s game in Washburn. From left are coach Todd Alley, brother Mikey McLellan, Noyes, mother Amy McLellan and athletic director Tim Watt.
Fort Fairfield (10-7) holds the ninth position with one game remaining against Madawaska tonight. Both the Bears and the Tigers appear secure to stay in the top 10 and at worst make appearances in a preliminary-round playoff game, to be played next Wednesday.
Ashland (5-12) is 14th and Limestone-MSSM (0-16) 20th and both are out of playoff contention.
In Class B, Presque Isle (15-1) is currently fifth and was scheduled to play at Fort Kent last night and will finish out its slate Friday in Caribou. Depending on the results of those two final games, PI will most likely end up between third and seventh in the final rankings.
The Vikings (12-4) are in eighth place and have secured a spot in the preliminary round of the playoffs. They were scheduled to play Houlton last night prior to Friday’s showdown with the Wildcats. Victories in one or both games will probably lead to Caribou hosting a playoff game next Wednesday against either Hermon or Nokomis.
The final Heal Point standings will be released this weekend.
Summaries of games played through Monday, Feb. 7 are as follows:
Central Aroostook 57, Washburn 52 – The Panthers stayed undefeated by rallying in the second half at Washburn Monday.
Central Aroostook trailed by 16 points in the third quarter, but came all the way back to take the lead heading into the fourth. Both teams then exchanged leads a few times before the Panthers took control in the final minute.
Brendan York led the comeback by draining three three-pointers in the third period. He finished with 14 points in the game. Mike McClung scored 20 points, while Caleb Kelly tossed in 16 and defensively held Washburn’s high-scoring sophomore guard Mitchell Worcester to eight second-half points.
Worcester finished with 22 and Jordan McLaughlin added 11 for the Beavers.
Wisdom 55, Ashland 32 – The Pioneers led by just one at halftime Monday, but Curtis Picard netted 19 of his 26 points after intermission to secure the victory.
Kenny Tarr scored 15 points and Jordan Beaulier added 11 more for the visiting Hornets.
Presque Isle 52, Old Town 33 – The Wildcats used a strong second half to get past the Coyotes in a Saturday afternoon home game.
Travis Dyer led the way with 14 points, followed by Alex Tuttle with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Oliver Zubrick notched 11 points for the ’Cats. Wilder York had seven points and seven assists.
Washburn 85, Southern Aroostook 63 – The host Beavers had its offense in gear Saturday behind the high-scoring duo of Worcester and McLaughlin.
The two combined to hit seven three-point baskets, with Worcester finishing with 33 points and McLaughlin totaling 26.
Cody Robinson fired in 21 for the Warriors.
Staff photo/Gloria Austin
SCORING CHANCE — Junior Reid Clark of the Easton Bears puts a shot up over GHCA’s Russell Socoby during Friday’s game in Hodgdon, won by the Bears, 62-59.
Easton 62, GHCA 59 – The Bears received a stiff challenge by the Eagles Friday in Hodgdon, but the visitors came out on top behind Reid Clark’s 20 points.
Jared Hafford hit three three-point field goals and had 14 points for Easton.
Micah Wiley and Adam Little scored 15 points each for GHCA.
Central Aroostook 65, Van Buren 31 – Tim Brewer picked up his 200th career victory Friday behind a balance attack which saw all five Panther starters total nine or more points.
Kelly’s 14 led the way, while Logan McLaughlin had 13, McClung 12, Dan Brewer 11 and York nine for the Panthers.
A.J. Edgecomb scored nine for the host Crusaders.
Washburn 85, Fort Fairfield 66 – Travis Noyes scored 19 points, including the 1,000th of his career, but his Tigers came up short against the Beavers Thursday in Washburn.
Noyes joins Jon Nichols and Shawn Manter as the only Fort Fairfield boys basketball players to hit the milestone. His three-pointer late in the fourth quarter allowed him to reach the mark. He also had 15 assists and six rebounds in the contest.
Worcester led the winners with 20 points, while Connor Fitzpatrick was also stellar for the Beavers as the senior hit for 17 points. Nick Bragg had a career-high 15 points and Jordan McLaughlin netted 14 for the winners.
Andrew Lewis also notched a career-high total with 25 points for Fort Fairfield, while also adding 14 rebounds. Dylan Caldwell added 12 points.
Wisdom 58, Easton 52 – The Bears were upended in St. Agatha Thursday as Curtis Picard scored 17 points to lead the victorious Pioneers.
Hafford and Clark had 17 and 14 points, respectively, for Easton.
Katahdin 55, Ashland 47 – The upset-minded Hornets led at halftime, but Colton Bivighouse scored 15 of his 25 points after intermission to allow the host Cougars to survive Thursday.
Tarr matched Bivighouse’s total with 25 himself, while Beaulier had 11 for Ashland.
Presque Isle 69, Mattanawcook 59 – Tuttle poured in 24 points, while Dyer and Zubrick had 20 and 15, respectively, as the Wildcats won on the road last Tuesday.
Chase Vicaire scored 28 points for the Lincoln-based Lynx.
Fort Fairfield 70, Hodgdon 45 – Noyes had 19 points and 10 assists last Tuesday as the host Tigers defeated the Hawks.
Teammate Jahleel Williams also had a solid outing with 12 points and seven assists, while Dereck Dufour scored 12 and Caldwell 10 to go along with eight boards.
Nick Lunn had 16 points for the Hawks, who trailed by just four points at halftime.
