Six-foot-11 JP Estrella and his South Portland High teammates will take on Oxford Hills in the Class AA championship game on Saturday night. Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer
CLASS AA
WHO: Oxford Hills (18-3) vs. South Portland (20-1)
WHEN: 9 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Cross Insurance Arena, Portland
TV: MPBN’s “The World” channel (1276 TW/Spectrum; 164 Comcast)
KEY PLAYERS: Oxford Hills – Teigan Pelletier, so., F (16.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists); Cole Pulkkinen, jr., G (11.8 points, 3.3 assists, 36 steals); Eli Soehren, jr., G (9.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists); Colby Dillingham, sr., C (13.5 points, 7.9 rebounds). South Portland – JP Estrella, jr., C (20.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.1 blocks); Owen Maloney, sr., F (10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 steals); Jaelen Jackson, jr., G (14.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists); Jayden Kim, so., G (2.9 points).
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Pelletier, a 6-6 wing player, has been clutch, with winning baskets against Bangor in the North quarterfinals and in overtime to knock off No. 1 Edward Little in the North final. … In the paint, the 6-10, 280-pound Dillingham will try to limit the active 6-11 Estrella’s offensive rebounds. At the other end, Estrella is a significant shot-changer. … Both teams want to work inside with their big men and off dribble drives – and stop the other team from doing the same. The team with the most quality chances from mid-range and in transition will have an edge. … Oxford Hills has never won a boys’ basketball state championship. Its only other trip to a state final was in 1990. South Portland won the first Maine basketball championship in 1922 and has gone 11-11 in boys’ large-school title games, including Class AA losses to Portland in 2016 and 2017. The Red Riots’ last title came in 1992 in a five-overtime classic against Bangor.
You may have heard of the guy dribbling the ball: Freshman Cooper Flagg and Nokomis High take on Falmouth in the Class A final on Saturday. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel
CLASS A
WHO: Nokomis (20-1) vs. Falmouth (19-2)
WHEN: 3 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Cross Insurance Arena, Portland
TV: MPBN
KEY PLAYERS: Nokomis – Cooper Flagg, fr., G/F (20.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists); Ace Flagg, fr., F/C (11.0 points, 6.9 rebounds); Alex Grant, so., G (6.2 points, 29 3-pointers); Madden White, jr., G/F (10.3 points). Falmouth – Brady Coyne, sr., G (19.3 points, 4.0 assists); Jack Stowell, sr., G (19.2 points, 4.1 assists); Judd Armstrong, jr., F (12.6 points); Zach Morrill, sr., C (8.2 points, 9.1 rebounds).
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Nokomis’ 6-foot-7 standout, Cooper Flagg, has already established himself as one of – if not the best – players in Maine with an explosive all-around game. His twin, Ace Flagg, is an in-the-paint force. White gives the team a third scorer, and the Warriors have been stingy defensively. Nokomis, the No. 1 team in the Varsity Maine poll, is the top draw in Maine high school basketball. Expect the arena to be packed. … Falmouth is more experienced. Coyne and Stowell are legitimate 3-point threats who can create for others. The Navigators need to match Nokomis on the boards and avoid giving up a big second-half run like Nokomis used to bury Cony and Brewer in the North regional. Falmouth Coach Dave Halligan is 6-2 in state championship games. … This is Nokomis’ first boys’ basketball state final.
NOTE: Player statistics are for regular-season games.
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