Presque Isle No. 2 in Class B, Washburn second in D standings

Presque Isle No. 2 in Class B,

Washburn second in D standings

11 teams qualify for basketball post-season

By Kevin Sjoberg

Sports Reporter

    All six of the area’s basketball teams have earned berths into the playoffs by finishing among the top two-thirds in their division.
    The prelim round will be held tonight, with winners advancing to play in the Bangor Auditorium beginning this weekend.

    PRESQUE ISLE junior center Brad Shields goes up strong for a shot attempt during a game against John Bapst this winter. Shields and his Wildcats are the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Maine Class B Tournament.
    Drawing a bye into the quarterfinals are the Presque Isle Wildcats, who climbed into the No. 2 seed in Eastern Maine Class B following their come-from-behind win over Caribou Friday.
    The Wildcats went 15-3, with two of the losses coming to Houlton, the No. 1 team in Class C.
    “This year’s team has been very special,” PI coach Terry Cummings said. “We have different guys stepping up each night. We have trailed in many games, but have shown the ability to come back with our never-say-never attitude. These guys fight from the opening tip until the final buzzer sounds.”
    PI will take on the winner of the prelim game between No. 7 Waterville and No. 10 Old Town. That quarterfinal will be played at 9:05 a.m. Saturday.
    Senior guard Jonah Stephenson has had an outstanding season in his first year as a starter, averaging 15.5 points and 5.9 assists.
    Tyler Brooks, a senior and the lone returning starter from last year’s team that reached the tourney semifinals, has been affected by injuries but still averages 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds.
    Junior Bradley Shields, at 6-foot-8, is a rugged inside presence who averages 10.2 points and 8.7 boards.
    Jacob Williams and Corey Willette are the other starters and their leadership has been invaluable.
    The bench is one of the team’s strengths. Cody Lyford, Ben Nickerson, Karson Eaton, Michael Boone and Drew Bates have all contributed double-digit scoring performances and help the team in other facets as well.
    “I cannot say enough about the contributions that our bench has made this year,” Cummings said. “They are ready when their number is called.”

    WASHBURN’S MITCHELL WORCESTER AND FORT FAIRFIELD’S ANDREW LEWIS go head-to-head during a regular season contest. The Beavers are the second seed and the Tigers are ranked No. 10 heading into this year’s playoffs. 

    The second-ranked team in EM Class D is the Washburn Beavers. They have used a record-breaking offensive showing from senior Mitch Worcester, along with the outstanding leadership he has shown to an otherwise youthful team, to compile an impressive 17-1 record and the No. 2 seed in this year’s Eastern Maine Class D tourney.
    Worcester established the career scoring record at WDHS and became one of the few 2,000-point scorers in Maine basketball history. He has had two games with 50-plus points, several others with at least 40, and is averaging a whopping 35 ppg.
    He also leads the Beavers in rebounding, averaging 12 per game, along with steals and assists.
    It is his leadership ability, however, which has been the most impressive quality, according to coach Randy Norsworthy.
    “I have seen him mature as a person and as a leader,” said the sixth-year coach. “His humble attitude and the fact that he is always encouraging others has been what I’ve enjoyed most this season.”
    Worcester and Nick Bragg are four-year veterans surrounded by a large group of sophomores and freshmen.
    Sophomore Cameron Bragg and freshman Jarrett Olson have had injury-riddled regular seasons, but Norsworthy said both are back and getting into game condition.
    Bragg was the Beavers’ second-leading scorer prior to suffering a mid-season injury, while Olson started early on and is a member of the team’s regular rotation in the frontcourt.
    “I expect them both to be available for as many minutes as needed in the post-season,” Norsworthy said.
    Sophomore forward Kenny Irving, sophomore center Cameron Preston and freshman guard Noah Caron are other weapons for Washburn, whose lone regular season loss came against Fort Fairfield at home Jan. 31.
    The Beavers averaged 73 ppg and the margin of victory in their wins averaged out at 29 points.
    Norsworthy said keeping Worcester on the floor will be critical to the team’s success in the playoffs.
    “He has to stay out of foul trouble and we will have to rebound with some of the bigger teams we will meet,” he said.
    Washburn’s 2011-12 season ended prematurely when it was knocked off by Deer Isle-Stonington in the quarterfinals, but this year’s playoffs get under way tonight when the Beavers host either Van Buren or Ashland at 7 p.m.
    A victory by Washburn will lead them into the quarterfinal round Tuesday, Feb. 19 and a matchup against either No. 7 Bangor Christian or No. 10 Fort Fairfield at 11:05 a.m.

    CHANDLER BREWER of the Central Aroostook Panthers tries to get a shot off over Hodgdon’s Chris Hudson at a recent game. 

   The Central Aroostook Panthers are the No. 3 seed in the ‘D’ ranks with their 13-5 record. The Panthers rely heavily on sophomore guard Chandler Brewer, as well as senior forward Steven Decker, senior guard Joe Stiles and sophomore forward Zack McClung.
    Central Aroostook had lost four consecutive games before ending that streak in its regular-season finale against Katahdin Feb. 7.
    However, 13th-year coach Tim Brewer has an excellent track record in the tournament, collecting four state titles since 2005.
    “They are a threat until proven otherwise,” said Fort Fairfield coach Todd Alley, whose team was swept by CA. “Tim always has them well prepared and if you look past them, you are in trouble.”
    The Panthers host No. 14 Schenck of East Millinocket in the prelim round tonight at 7 p.m. in Mars Hill. The winner takes on the winner of the No. 6 Machias vs. No. 11 Katahdin prelim. That quarterfinal game will take place Monday at 9:35 a.m.

    EASTON’S HUNTER TURNER has been a key contributor in the frontcourt for his eighth-ranked Bears, who host Southern Aroostook in a preliminary playoff game tonight.

    The No. 8 seed is the Easton Bears, under second-year coach Dillon Kingsbury. Easton went 14-4 on the regular season, which included victories over Central Aroostook and Fort Fairfield and a one-point loss at home to the Panthers.
    Easton went in to last year’s tourney in eighth place as well, beat Schenck in the preliminaries and gave the eventual state champion Jonesport-Beals Royals all they wanted for a half before finally succumbing.
    The Bears are a different team, having to replace three starters off last year’s squad. Easton starts one senior in sharp-shooter Jared Hafford, along with sophomores Cody Halvorson and Connor Burtt, junior Hunter Turner and freshman Logan Halvorson.
    The Bears will match up against No. 9 Southern Aroostook in tonight’s prelim to be played at Easton beginning at 9 a.m. The two teams did not play each other during the regular season.
    If Easton wins, it has a rematch with No. 1 Jonesport-Beals Monday at 8:35 p.m. in the quarters.
    With a 9-9 record, the Fort Fairfield Tigers are the 10th-ranked team in EM ‘D.’ Alley’s squad was the only one able to defeat Washburn this season, and also gave the Beavers a tussle on their home floor Jan. 22 before losing, 69-61.
    Fort Fairfield’s success could hinge on the play of senior center Andrew Lewis, who is one of the best big men in Aroostook County.
    Lewis averaged 21.5 points and 13.8 rebounds per game and can be dominant.
    “Nobody works harder than he does,” Alley said. “He goes hard after every rebound, is a leaper and has great instincts around the basket. Plus he doesn’t shy away from the big moments.”
    That is a good sign with the playoffs lingering. Lewis leads a frontcourt that also includes sophomores Hunter Beaulieu (9.5 ppg) and Caleb Daigle and senior Andrew Tuck.
    Austin Bernier, Johnny Theriault, Noah Bernard, Robbie Watson and Logan Craig (8 ppg) are also part of Alley’s regular rotation.
    Fort Fairfield travels to Bangor to take on No. 7 Bangor Christian for a 6 p.m. game tonight. The winner advances to the quarterfinals and plays Monday at 9:35 a.m.

    MARK CHASSE  of the Ashland Hornets  moves in against a Wisdom defender during a regular season contest. Ashland played Van Buren Monday night for the chance to reach the prelim round of the EM Class D playoffs. 

    Also extending their season were coach Trevor Hews’ Ashland Hornets.

    Thanks to a win over Van Buren, Ashland (7-11) had the opportunity to play off Monday against the Crusaders, who they finished in a flat-footed tie with,  for the chance to claim the No. 15 spot outright and move into the prelim round against No. 2 Washburn.
    The Hornets are led by senior Tyler Levesque, a forward who averages 16 ppg and double figures in rebounds, logging 15 or more in at least four games this season.