BRUNSWICK’S JOSH DORR (10) tries to get between Kennebunk defenders Dustin Ewy (20) and Jack Kiley during a Class A South high school boys basketball game at Brunswick on Friday. The Dragons won, 59-34.
It was November 2016, and the Brunswick High School football team was celebrating a 28-6 victory over Kennebunk in the State Class B championship in Orono.
On Friday, the Brunswick student body carried cut-out versions of the “Gold Ball” won that night as the Dragons hosted the Rams in a Class A South basketball clash in a rematch of sorts.
BRUNSWICK FORWARD Jackson Gordon (12) looks for someone to pass to while pressured by Kennebunk’s Dustin Ewy (20) on Friday in Brunswick. Gordon had 10 points in the Dragons’ 59-34 victory, ending a three-game losing streak.
“My football guys, this game was special for them, and they were well-focused. I don’t think it would have mattered who we played tonight because the energy was there,” said Brunswick coach Todd Hanson.
“We thought about (the championship), and we realized that the football win was behind us,” said Brunswick forward Jackson Gordon, who scored 10 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. “This win is a big momentum booster for us.”
Nate Benoit was the catalyst for Brunswick once again. He scored 22 points, 11 coming during the second quarter when the Dragons out-scored the Rams, 18-3, to build a 25-8 halftime lead.
Kennebunk struggled mightily in the opening half, making just 2-of-22 shots and committing 13 turnovers.
“We wanted to keep it close, and defensively in the first quarter we played well,” said Kennebunk coach Barrett Belanger, whose Rams trailed 7-5 after eight minutes. “We talked between quarters of picking up the offense. I thought our defensive effort continued, but to score eight points in the first half was tough.”
After Benoit scored three points in the first quarter, the senior drained three straight 3-pointers as the Dragons closed the half on a 13-0 run.
“I am proud of the guys because we grinded through that first quarter and did some good things, not turning the ball over. We had big contributions out of Jackson rebounding and Corban’s (Teel) inside presence was huge, and Nate made shots,” said Hanson.
Kennebunk pressed to open the second half, forcing a pair of turnovers and receiving two 3-pointers from Zack Sullivan.
But once the Dragons broke the Rams’ press, with Hanson directing his team to go hard to the basket, the hosts rolled off quick transition points behind Gordon and Teel. The duo combined for 10 third-quarter points, with Benoit hitting two more treys as Brunswick stretched out to a 49-21 lead through three quarters.
“We have struggled a bit to find offense, especially in transition. If we could do what we did tonight, I would sign up for that,” said Hanson.
“We came out and executed plays, and we played with a lot of heart and energy,” said Gordon. “Our main goal was to attack the basket. We came to win tonight. We have a lot of bigs down low, and we can also kick it out for outside shots from Nate.”
“Unfortunately, falling behind the way we did, we went to our press, and when you do that you are trying to match up in the scramble,” said Belanger. “The second half started off great, hit a couple shots and picked up a couple steals. But, then it switched and they hit some shots. It turned pretty quickly. Coach Hanson did a good job of getting kids in position to break our press.”
Tripp Bush, the Kennebunk quarterback in the fall, led the Rams with 12 points, with Kyle Pasieniuk adding seven points and Sullivan picking up six. Belanger said he felt his players really wanted to win this game after the football result.
“It would have meant a little something to win tonight,” said Belanger. “They wanted to win, and they are a little bit down. This has turned into a nice little rivalry.”
“We challenged the kids before the game, play hard and play with passion and intensity,” said Hanson. “One of those three things have been missing. We put it together tonight, and I am proud of my guys for maintaining that for 32 minutes.”
Kyle Hanson came off the Brunswick bench to score six points, while guards Josh Dorr and Alejandro Garcia-Sancho did a solid job penetrating the Kennebunk
(3-6) defense before passing off to forwards, with both picking up six assists. Teel had five points, five rebounds, three blocked shots and four assists, while Benoit finished with five boards and three steals. Buckham chipped in six caroms and Sam Sharpe had five as the Dragons outrebounded Kennebunk, 37- 24.
Brunswick is scheduled to visit Camden Hills on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Brunswick 59,
Kennebunk 34
Friday, at Brunswick
Kennebunk — 5 3 13 13 — 34
Brunswick — 7 18 24 10 — 59
Kennebunk — Zack Sullivan 2-0-6,
Tripp Bush 5-0-12, Cam Lovejoy 0-2-
2, Dustin Ewy 0-2-2, Cole Hoffman 0-
0-0, Kyle Pasieniuk 2-3-7, Jack Kiley
0-0-0, Jack Weaver 0-0-0, Chris
Grady 1-3-5, Nick Robinson 0-0-0,
Tom Lazus 0-0-0, Ariel Calanidri 0-0-
0. Totals — 10-10-34.
Brunswick — Nate Benoit 8-0-22,
Josh Dorr 1-0-2, Jackson Gordon 4-
2-10, Corban Teel 2-1-5, Alejandro
Garcia-Sancho 1-0-2, Jack Bates 0-0-
0, Kyle Hanson 3-0-6, Colby Bucknam 1-3-5, Dawson Hebert 0-1-1,
Sam Sharpe 1-1-3, Sam Dorval 0-0-
0, Alex Small 1-0-3, Jacob Lamoureux 0-0-0. Totals — 22-8-59.
3-point field goals — (K) Sullivan 2,
Bush 2; (B) Benoit 6, Small.
Records — Brunswick 4-5; Kennebunk 3-6.
Up next for the Dragons — Tuesday
at Camden Hills, 7 p.m.
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