FALMOUTH – All Falmouth needed to do was settle down. That’s not easy when it’s the opening game, the adrenaline is racing and a team wants to begin making amends for last season.

Matt Packard got Falmouth off to a fast start, hitting three 3-pointers in the opening quarter, and the Yachtsmen spurted again at the start of the third to pull away from Cape Elizabeth for a 60-37 Western Maine Conference boys’ basketball victory Friday night.

Falmouth missed the Western Class B tournament last season for the first time since the Reagan administration, and naturally that didn’t sit well with the team, especially the seniors like Packard, who have been used to winning.

“I feel we have something to prove this season,” said Packard. “Not making the tournament was on our minds all off-season. We lost a lot of close games.

“Beating Cape is huge because eight of our 10 losses last season were to Cape, York, Greely and Yarmouth.”

Both teams came out racing, which resulted in early turnovers and steals.

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“The first half in the first game is always going to be like that,” said Packard, a point guard. “Once we settled down and ran our offense, we were fine.”

Falmouth led 18-8 after one quarter. Cape Elizabeth made a run in the second, outscoring the Yachtsmen 17-10 to trail 28-25 at halftime.

Falmouth scored the first 10 points of the third quarter: Jeremy Lydick opened with a 3-pointer, Jack Cooleen followed with an inside basket and Packard nailed his fourth 3-pointer of the game. Matt Kingry added two from the line before Chris Robicheaw scored for Cape.

Falmouth outscored Cape 19-4 in the quarter to open a 47-29 lead.

Falmouth showed its balance and depth, qualities that likely will be on display many more games before the season ends.

“They have so much depth,” said Cape Coach Jim Ray. “If someone is having an off quarter, they can put someone else in. Both teams were a little out of sync in the early going but we were more out of sync than they were.”

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Trailing 21-12 early in the second, the Capers closed the half with a 13-7 spurt.

Chad Peterson started the run with a three-point play. After Robicheaw hit a 3-pointer, Kingry scored for Falmouth, but Max Gore and Henry Babcock followed with baskets for Cape Elizabeth.

The Capers, who won two of the last three regional titles, graduated four starters.

Ray believes his team will improve as the season progresses but to do that, the players will have to be like past Cape teams and show a strong work ethic.

The Capers worked hard but were up against a bigger and more experienced team.

“We have some strong seniors,” said Falmouth Coach Dave Halligan. “Our underclassmen did a nice job too. After the opening few minutes we started to get into the flow.”

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Packard led Falmouth with 14 points and Cooleen added 13.

Robicheaw led Cape with 10.

Staff Writer Tom Chard can be contacted at 791-6419 or at:

tchard@pressherald.com

Twitter: TomChardPPH

 


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