The calendar has flipped and the one certainty that will carry over from 2023 to 2024, is that local basketball teams will continue to triumph.
After a solid start to the winter sports season, look for the good times to keep rolling.
Here’s a glimpse at the action so far:
Stags surging
Cheverus senior standout Maddie Fitzpatrick has lived up to billing as the state’s best girls’ basketball player, helping the Stags pass a series of tough tests in the early going. File photos.
Cheverus’ girls’ basketball team won the 2022 Class AA state title, the program’s first, and was on the brink of a repeat crown last winter before letting a 12-point lead slip away in a double-overtime loss to Oxford Hills in the regional final.
This season, the Stags returned senior standout Maddie Fitpzatrick and senior Ruth Boles, an emerging star in her own right, but after that, faced a lot of questions. Questions that Cheverus has answered affirmatively and emphatically over the first third of the campaign.
After opening with a 48-28 win at South Portland, the Stags got a measure of revenge with a surprisingly one-sided 77-48 victory at Oxford Hills. Cheverus then handled visiting Thornton Academy, the preseason favorite (53-40), before rolling at Portland (72-35) and Deering (61-27) and holding off Scarborough (46-37).
Fitzpatrick, who will play next year at the University of Maine, has been at her best in the biggest games, scoring 26 points against the Vikings, adding 22 (with 12 rebounds) in the statement-making victory over the Golden Trojans and despite being swarmed by defenders and mired in foul trouble, posting a 14-point, 14-rebound stat line versus the Red Storm.
“I think that we’re underrated,” said Fitzpatrick. “No one really knows us. We’re just together right now and focused on ourselves. We don’t listen to all the noise.”
“Maddie’s just amazing,” Cheverus coach Billy Goodman said. “It’s rebounding, it’s passing, it’s stealing the ball. She does everything.”
Boles, who will play at Springfield College next year, has excelled as well against top opposition, scoring 13 points against both the Vikings and Golden Trojans and adding six points and a whopping 15 rebounds against the Red Storm.
“I don’t realize how big an impact I have, but it’s such a privilege to play on such a great team,” Boles said.
“Ruth had the best game I ever saw her play at Oxford and she did it again (against Thornton Academy),” Goodman said. “I asked her to play like a champion and that’s what she’s done.”
Beyond Boles and Fitzpatrick, Cheverus has seen the likes of Olivia Conroy, Megan Dearborn, Rachel Feeley, Anna Goodman, Rachel LaSalle and freshmen Addison Jordan, Abby Kelly and Sierrah McKenzie shine in key spots.
“We knew other girls would have to step up and they did,” said Goodman. “Anna, Megan, Rachel Feeley, others. They all did a great job. Different girls have stepped up for us in different games.”
The Stags now wear the bulls-eye squarely and have a lot of big games to come, but they’re ready for the challenge and want to get back to the pinnacle.
“Every season has its ups and downs,” said Fitzpatrick. “If we just stay together, we can work through tough times and become a good team. It’s really exciting what we’ve done so far. It makes us optimistic for the future. We have to stay focused.”
“We’re a humble team,” said Billy Goodman. “We don’t think we’re better than anyone else. We’ve played a bunch of good teams and I’m still learning the kids. There’s not a lot of room for error. We’re in a tough division and we’ll just take it one day at a time.”
Deering was 2-4 at press time, starting with losses to visiting Freeport (49-43) and at reigning Class A South champion Brunswick (43-39), beating host Falmouth (41-36) and visiting Portland (45-39) before losing at home to Cheverus (61-27) and at Lewiston (55-34).
“We need wins,” said longtime Rams coach Mike Murphy. “Our mentality has to change. We can’t play like freshmen and sophomores when we’re seniors.”
Portland opened with a 50-33 loss at Bangor. After a 56-48 home win over Bonny Eagle, the Bulldogs fell at home to Edward Little (45-33), at Deering (45-39), at home to Cheverus (72-35) and home to South Portland (48-37), but Saturday, the Bulldogs improved to 2-5 after a 49-38 victory at Kennebunk.
Waynflete, which won just six games and missed the playoffs a year ago, has turned things around in the early going. The Flyers, who are in Class D South this season, started by downing host Poland (33-24), then defeated visiting Traip Academy (21-11) and Sacopee Valley (40-22). The Flyers sought their first 4-0 start in nine years when they went to Boothbay Tuesday.
Two contenders
Jeissey Khamis has been close to unstoppable for Portland’s boys’ basketball team, the reigning Class AA North champion, which is out to a fast start this winter. File photo.
In Class AA North boys’ basketball, reigning regional champion Portland has company atop the heap in the form of city rival Cheverus (Windham is also out to a fast start).
The Bulldogs and Stags squared off Dec. 21 at the Portland Exposition Buildings where Cheverus held on for a 49-44 victory. Leo McNabb led the way with 14 points, as the Stags held off the Bulldogs late.
“We’re just all working together,” said McNabb. “It’s a lot of new players, a new team. We’re just well-balanced from bigs to guards and we’re good at finding each other.”
“It was a good win,” said Cheverus coach Richie Ashley. “A good test. I told the guys before the game, win or lose, there’s no Gold Ball given out tonight. It was a really good measuring stick on where we are and what need to improve. (Portland’s) a great team with a great coach. They’ll be there at the end, so it’s nice to come win here on the big floor.”
In fact, the Stags won their first five games, also downing visiting South Portland (58-49), the two-time reigning Class AA state champions, as well as visiting Oxford Hills (74-36), host Thornton Academy (66-64) and host Deering (67-60). Along with McNabb, players like Jameson Fitzpatrick, Sammy Nzeyimana, Gio St. Onge and Maddik Weisberg came up huge in that stretch.
Last Thursday, Cheverus finally fell from the unbeaten ranks after a 58-51 setback at Scarborough.
“It’s a learning experience,” said Ashley. “We had chances to make plays.”
Saturday, the Stags improved to 6-1 after a 70-53 home win over Lewiston, paced by 17 points from Fitzpatrick.
Cheverus was right back in action with a key trip to Windham Tuesday (see our website for game story).
“Nobody in this league can just walk out there and win because everyone is good,” Ashley said. “Anybody can beat anybody.”
Portland, meanwhile, had opened with wins at Bangor (82-45), Bonny Eagle (64-53) and Edward Little (53-49), then downed visiting Deering (56-46) before its 49-44 home loss to Cheverus, which saw Jeissey Khamis score 19 points and add 11 rebounds in defeat.
“Cheverus played like seasoned veterans, like it was championship week,” said longtime Bulldogs coach Joe Russo. “That’s how well they played tonight. In control and organized. We had too many hiccups.”
Portland then responded with a 46-39 win at South Portland, earning a measure of revenge for last year’s state game loss. In that one, Khamis continued to dazzle, producing another double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds.
“They dropped the banner down in front of us and they beat us last year in the championship, so we took it personal,” said Khamis.
“This was a nice recovery game,” Russo said. “Tonight’s game, we won on heart and soul and determination.”
The 5-1 Bulldogs returned to action Tuesday at Lewiston. Portland is at Windham for a key tilt Saturday.
“We’re just touching the surface on how we can get better,” Russo said.
Deering, which lost its first 17 games a year ago before prevailing in its finale, started this winter with closes losses at Scarborough (40-35) and at home to Thornton Academy (52-50) before defeating visiting Sanford (48-44). After a 56-46 setback at Portland, the Rams defeated host Edward Little (50-48), but they couldn’t turn that into a win streak, instead falling to 2-5 with home losses to Cheverus (67-60) and Lewiston (44-43).
In the most recent outing, Deering was down three points and had the ball late with a chance to tie it, but couldn’t get a 3-point shot off and instead settled for a layup, which ran out the clock.
“That’s just who we are right now,” lamented Rams coach Todd Wing, after the loss to the Blue Devils. “We play teams tough, but we’re not winners yet. We’re not closers. Eventually you have to throw a knockout punch, but we’re a team that throws jabs. We’re not ready for that yet.”
Deering hopes to bounce back Thursday at South Portland. The Rams host Bonny Eagle Saturday.
“The schedule won’t do us any favors,” Wing said. “We’ll learn some quick lessons and if we don’t learn, we’ll keep getting the same results.”
Waynflete has lived up to billing as a Class C South contender, winning its first three games. First, the Flyers defeated visiting Poland (72-59). After dispatching visiting Traip Academy (51-25), Waynflete enjoyed a 63-50 victory at Sacopee Valley. The Flyers fell from the unbeaten ranks with a 56-38 setback at Monmouth Academy in their final game before the new year.
Waynflete hoped to get back on track Tuesday when it hosted Boothbay.
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. For game updates and links to game stories, follow him on Threads: @foresports2023
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