GRAY—Gray-New Gloucester might not be the first team to come to mind when you’re discussing traditional boys’ basketball powers, but it might be time to change that perception.

Wednesday evening on their home court, the Patriots managed to achieve a couple of things that last happened when the year began with the number 1, not 2.

Hosting red-hot Greely, its longtime nemesis, Gray-New Gloucester demonstrated why it has been so successful so far this winter and why its title hopes are realistic.

The Patriots jumped to a quick 10-point lead in the first quarter, draining four 3-pointers, and were on top, 15-7, after eight minutes.

Gray-New Gloucester momentarily led by 11 in the second period, but the Rangers roared back within three before the Patriots held a 32-26 advantage at the half.

Gray-New Gloucester threatened to pull away again in the third quarter, taking a 48-36 lead on a 3-pointer from senior captain Max Kenney, but again, Greely answered and when junior Jackson Leding made three free throws after time expired, the deficit was just four, 54-50.

Despite foul trouble and a hostile gymnasium, the Rangers completed their comeback and went ahead for the first and only time in the game when senior sharpshooter Tyler Pettengill drained a 3 to make it 62-59 with 3:52 to play.

But the Patriots, who have been involved in several down-to-the-wire games this season, simply refused to lose.

After junior Noah Hebert tied the score with a 3-ball, junior Aidan Hebert gave Gray-New Gloucester the lead for good on another 3 with 3:09 remaining.

After the Patriots got a basket from Kenney and three free throws from Noah Hebert, Greely still had a chance to tie in the waning seconds, but Pettengill was off the mark and two foul shots from senior Michael Ryan slammed the door as Gray-New Gloucester prevailed, 72-67.

Noah Hebert had a team-high 19 points as the Patriots swept a season series from the Rangers for the first time this century, dropped Greely to 10-8 and finished the regular season 15-3, their best since the 1975 Class C state championship team, the program’s most recent Gold Ball winner, posted the same mark way back in 1975.

“We talked in the locker room about enjoying this for a day or two because it’s a big accomplishment,” said Gray-New Gloucester coach Ryan Deschenes, who is in his 11th season. “We haven’t been known as a basketball school. We’ve had some good years, but this group has really bought into doing what we need to do to be successful and being great at what we’re good at.”

History boys

Gray-New Gloucester, which went 10-9 a year ago, losing to Fryeburg Academy in the Class A South quarterfinals, has enjoyed its best season in decades and has the pieces in place to make a deep playoff run.

The Patriots rolled in their opener, 70-50, at Freeport, then fell at home in overtime to Biddeford (50-45), dropped a 67-63 decision at Kennebunk, handled host Poland, 86-56 and beat Greely in Cumberland for the first time in nearly two decades (57-36). Gray-New Gloucester’s winning ways continued against Fryeburg Academy (60-47), Cape Elizabeth (44-37), Lake Region (91-68), Brunswick (75-70, in overtime), Poland (75-64), Mt. Ararat (62-43) and Wells (75-53). After a narrow 57-54 loss at reigning Class B champion Yarmouth, the Patriots bounced back to down Lake Region (80-44), Freeport (74-49), Fryeburg Academy (72-47) and York (70-61, in overtime).

Greely has redefined saving its best for last and the word resilience.

The Rangers opened with a 54-49 loss at Fryeburg Academy, downed visiting Brunswick on senior Seamus Raftice’s buzzer-beater, 43-42, then dropped a 66-59 decision at Class AA South contender Gorham, lost at home to Gray-New Gloucester (57-36) and fell at York (61-51). Greely then beat host Freeport (72-41), visiting York (53-50) and visiting Yarmouth (58-48). After losing at reigning Class A South champion Falmouth (51-37), the Rangers downed visiting Cape Elizabeth (57-40). Greely then dropped a 62-60 decision at Lake Region on a last-second basket before edging visiting Wells (59-57) and losing at red-hot Yarmouth (59-36). Then came the game for the ages, an eight-overtime victory over Fryeburg Academy (117-115), which jump-started a win streak that continued with victories at Wells (60-53), at home over Poland (89-66) and at home over Freeport (52-48).

In the teams’ first meeting Dec. 27, junior Nate Hebert led the way with 25 points, while sophomore Ethan Michaud paced Greely with a dozen.

Wednesday, in front of a packed house, the Patriots beat the Rangers again.

But this time, it was a fight for 32 minutes.

It took nearly two minutes for the scoring ice to be broken before Kenney made a free throw and Aidan Hebert converted the first field goal with a reverse layup.

A jumper from Leding put Greely on the board, but Nate Hebert drained Gray-New Gloucester’s first 3 and after Pettengill answered with a 3-ball that bounced in, Ryan sank a 3, Noah Hebert drained another and in transition, Noah Hebert set up Nate Hebert for a 3 and a 15-5 lead.

Pettengill then found senior Hayden MacArthur for a backdoor layup to pull the Rangers within eight heading to the second period.

There, junior Carter Libby continued the Patriots’ hot-shooting ways with another 3, but MacArthur banked home a leaner, then Pettingill drilled another 3 to make it 18-12.

Gray-New Gloucester countered again, as Aidan Hebert set up Noah Hebert for a 3, but Pettengill converted an old-fashioned three-point play (basket, foul, free throw).

After Noah Hebert set up senior Mitchell Heinrich for a layup, Raftice drove for a layup and his first points, then sophomore Kade Ippolito added a three-point play to pull Greely within a single possession, 23-20.

After Heinrich made a free throw, Kenney scored on a putback, but a MacArthur free throw, followed by two more MacArthur foul shots again cut the Patriots advantage to three points, 26-23.

The Rangers couldn’t draw any closer, as Kenney went coast-to-coast for a layup and Noah Hebert added two free throws.

After Petengill made a jumper, MacArthur hit a free throw following a Gray-New Gloucester technical foul, but with 3.8 seconds showing, Kenney was fouled after grabbing an offensive rebound and he hit both free throws for a 32-26 halftime advantage.

Pettengill led all first half scorers with 11 points, but six 3-pointers had the Patriots in front.

The scintillating back-and-forth play continued in the third quarter, as after Nate Hebert hit a fadeaway jumper, Leding and Ryan traded 3-pointers.

Leding then drove for a layup, but Nate Hebert one-upped him by driving and laying the ball in with his left hand before driving and banking home a finger roll to make it 41-31.

Pettengill then drove and somehow willed the ball into the basket, but Kenney again countered with a leaner in the lane.

After Pettengill sank a 3, Noah Hebert drove for a layup, then Kenney buried a 3 for a 48-36 Gray-New Gloucester lead midway through the frame.

The lead wouldn’t last.

Greely started to dig its way out of its hole, as Raftice made two free throws, then he converted a three-point play.

After Kenney set up Noah Hebert for a 3 in the corner, Raftice made a baseline jumper, then Ippolito scored on a putback to cut the deficit to just six, 51-45.

In the final minute of the period, Nate Hebert converted a three-point play, but MacArthur drove for a layup and at the horn, Leding was fouled while shooting a 3 and he calmly sank all three attempts to pull the Rangers within 54-50 heading to the fourth quarter.

A mere seven seconds in, Raftice stole the ball and raced in for a dunk to make it a two-point game.

Then, with 7:18 to play, a Michaud layup after a steal finally brought Greely even.

With 6:04 remaining, Ryan was fouled by Raftice, his fourth, and then, making matters worse for the Rangers, Raftice was called for a technical foul, his fifth foul, and his night was done prematurely.

“Seamus is important to us and having him on the floor makes the defense play differently across the board,” Greely coach Travis Seaver said. “No secret, we’re a better team with him on the floor.”

Ryan hit one free throw, then Nate Hebert made one of the technical free throws. Aidan Hebert was then fouled and he too made one-of-two attempts.

With 5:45 on the clock, Pettengill countered with a 3, but Aidan Hebert drove the baseline and made a layup to put Gray-New Gloucester back on top, 59-57.

With 4:50 left, MacArthur got a contested leaner to drop, then with 3:52 remaining, after Ippolito kept possession alive with an offensive rebound, he set up Pettengill for a 3 and Greely had the lead, 62-59.

But the Patriots refused to buckle.

A mere 17 seconds later, after Aidan Hebert twice kept possession alive with offensive rebounds, Noah Hebert sank a 3 to tie it.

Then, with 3:09 remaining, in transition, Noah Hebert passed to Aidan Hebert, whose 3-point shot was true and Gray-New Gloucester was back in the lead to stay, 65-62.

After Leding missed a 3, Aidan Hebert did the same, but Ryan got the offensive rebound and with 2:20 to go, Kenney drove into the lane and made a layup to stretch the lead to five.

“The other guys built me up for that moment,” said Kenney. “It felt good. We do that two minute drill every day in practice and practice makes perfect.”

“Max is fantastic,” Deschenes said. “He’s been eyeing Greely for awhile. He’s a tough matchup because he’s so strong and he can go downhill.”

MacArthur then missed a shot and Noah Hebert got the rebound and was fouled.

With 59.7 seconds left, Hebert made both free throw attempts to seemingly put it away, but the Rangers are never out of a game.

Seven seconds later, Pettengill buried a 3 to give Greely a pulse.

The Patriots then turned the ball over and with 28.6 seconds to play, MacArthur scored on a runner in the lane and just like that, it was a two-point contest again.

Thirteen seconds later, MacArthur fouled out and Noah Hebert went to the line for two critical free throws. His first went in-and-out, but the second went down to make it a three-point contest.

The Rangers called timeout with 11.2 seconds to go and to the surprise of no one, the ball came in the left corner to Pettengill.

To Gray-New Gloucester’s horror, Pettengill shook his defender and with 2 seconds to go, had a clean look at a potential game-tying 3, but on this night, there would be no miracle comeback as the shot was off target and Ryan got the rebound.

“Honestly, that wasn’t our first option,” Seaver said. “(Tyler) did a great job getting the ball and getting open. I told him in the locker room, I’ll take him taking that shot 10 times out of 10.”

Ryan was fouled with 0.4 seconds on the clock and he sank both free throws to make it official, allowing the Patriots to celebrate their 72-67 victory.

“We all love each other,” Kenney said. “It’s team chemistry mostly. We’ve really bonded. What contributes most to our success is we can guard one through five with all five players on the floor. We’re the most versatile team defensively and offensively, we can do a lot of different things.”

“Greely’s always good and they’ve improved so much from last time,” said Deschenes. “They made a run and I never felt comfortable, but these guys trust each other and what we’re doing. We have guys who can do multiple things, so we’re tough to guard. Greely did a good job making us work, but we scored enough. We know we’ll get a great shot if we’re patient and spread the defense out vertically.”

Noah Hebert paced Gray-New Gloucester with 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Nate Hebert added 16 points and five rebounds, while Kenney tallied 14 points and also had three rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Ryan finished with nine points and six rebounds, Aidan Hebert had eight points, four rebounds and three assists and Heinrich and Libby each added three points off the bench.

The Patriots sank 11 3-pointers, had a 32-21 rebound advantage, overcame 19 turnovers and hit 15-of-23 free throws.

For Greely, Pettengill dazzled with 25 points, including six 3-pointers. MacArthur added 14 points, three rebounds and three assists before fouling out. Raftice was limited by fouls and wound up with 11 points. Leding also finished in double figures with 10 points. Ippolito had five points and eight rebounds and Michaud (who, along with senior Parker Sasseville and sophomore Andrew Padgett, played some key minutes off the bench) tallied two points.

The Rangers made 12-of-14 foul shots, but turned the ball over 15 times.

“We have fight,” Seaver said. “Tonight shows how much we’ve grown over the year. We’ve played really well the last couple weeks and the guys are getting confidence. We came into an environment like this and things didn’t go our way, but we were still able to be in position to win at the end and that was great.”

On to the Expo

Gray-New Gloucester is ranked second in the Class A South Heal Points at press time and is hoping to hold off Westbrook and Marshwood for that spot. The Patriots will take part in a quarterfinal Saturday, Feb. 18 at the Portland Exposition Building. They believe they can go deep in the tournament and it wouldn’t be wise to bet against them.

“I knew what type of team we had going into the season and I’m really proud of the guys,” Kenney said. “We need to continue to do what we’ve been doing, fighting it out and using our chemistry and building each other up. We’re excited to go into the playoffs and do something special.”

“We know everyone is good in Class A,” Deschenes said. “Anyone can win it and we’re one of those teams. We’ll see who we draw. We have to continue to defend, both in the full court and the half court. We have to keep doing that and stay disciplined. We have an opportunity to do something special.”

Greely will likely be the No. 5 seed in the region. Rest assured, no one will want the Rangers in their bracket.

“We’ve come a long way,” Seaver said. “Realistically, we should have been 0-5 but we beat Brunswick at the buzzer. To sit where we are now, we’re much better than our record shows. Our goal all along was to be playing our best basketball come February and I think we’re there.

“We’ll find out how good we are in a couple weeks. These guys are playing with confidence and I think we’ve shown we can play with anyone. We want to be a team that no one wants to play and I think we’re there. We just have to play better defense and have more consistency on both ends of the floor.”

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.

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