The Gray-New Gloucester boys’ basketball team will be playing in a state championship game for the first time since 1975. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
GRAY — Gray-New Gloucester High had a good boys’ basketball team last season. A 15-3 regular-season record. One playoff win. A regional semifinal loss.
Several additions and improvements – some obvious, others less so – have turned the Patriots into an even better team this year. Now they are a single win away from the program’s first state championship since 1975.
This year, the regular-season record was a touch better – 16-2 to earn the No. 1 seed – and featured a 15-game winning streak. In the playoffs, the Patriots worked through a tough shooting game to beat Freeport, 62-56, in its regional semifinal and then did a better job capitalizing at a high-speed pace to beat Noble, 71-59, in the regional final.
“The upperclassmen have always been extremely dedicated to basketball, and this year we just took it to another level and proved it,” said Carter Libby, the starting center and one of eight seniors.
Gray-New Gloucester (19-2) will play North champion Hampden Academy (19-2) in the Class A state championship game at 2:45 p.m. Saturday at Portland’s Cross Insurance Arena. It’s the Patriots’ first appearance in a boys’ basketball state final since winning the Class C title in 1975. Hampden, which features Mr. Maine Basketball finalist Zach McLaughlin, is making its ninth Class A championship game appearance with Coach Russ Bartlett since 2005.
The most obvious change for Gray-New Gloucester has been the addition of John Patenaude, who transferred from Poland. A junior guard, Patenaude scored 19.7 points per game at Poland as a sophomore. He added another top-tier scorer to complement Nate Hebert, who had averaged 20.6 points as a junior.
“I remember playing them last year when I was at Poland and they beat us by like 30 both games,” Patenaude said. “They had a lot of talent last year. I didn’t really think they were missing any pieces, but I did think I could bring a lot to the table.”
Patenaude’s presence means teams can’t focus solely on shutting down Hebert. In the regular season, Hebert averaged 21.3 points and Patenaude added 17.9. In the tournament, Patenaude is the team’s leading scorer at 17.7 points per game, with Hebert averaging 15.7 points.
Gray-New Gloucester’s John Patenaude rises to the basket around Jamier Rose of Noble in the Class A South final on Friday night at the Portland Expo. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Another obvious change is that former assistant coach Ian McCarthy took over as head coach for Ryan Deschenes. McCarthy is quick to credit Deschenes, the Patriots’ coach for 12 seasons, as the program’s architect, and also to praise his assistant coaches. Deschenes is doing well in his new job. He replaced retired Mark Karter as Gorham’s coach and has the Rams in the Class AA state final.
Championship teams need more than just scoring. They also need rebounding, defense, and a general toughness and grit. A key adjustment this season has been McCarthy’s emphasis that twin brothers Aidan and Noah Hebert are the team’s engine. The twins are Nate Hebert’s nephews.
“We said right out of the gate that we’re going to go as far as those two take us,” McCarthy said. “I say it in front of (the team) all the time.
“At the end of the day, the twins are what drive us at the defensive end, and we made a commitment early on that if we were going to do anything special, we needed to commit on that end of the floor. We had to follow their lead.”
At Tuesday’s practice, Noah Hebert was still sporting a 6-inch floor burn on his left forearm, courtesy of one of his many dives onto the Portland Expo floor during the South regional. He said one reason the team has improved is his own development over the past two seasons.
“Confidence for me was a big thing I was lacking. Last year, it kind of sprouted. I started shooting the ball more. I was our second scorer,” Noah Hebert said. “This year, it’s a little different with Johnny coming in. He’s a natural scorer, just like Nate. So I’ll do my part not only with scoring but defense.”
Gray-New Gloucester’s Noah Hebert throws up a shot after being fouled by Noble during the Class A South championship game. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
Noah Hebert leads the team in steals with 2.4 per game and is second in rebounding while averaging nearly eight points per game. Aidan Hebert is averaging 9.4 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds while taking over point guard duties.
Another good thing that has gotten better is the Patriots’ crowd support, Libby said. Home games were routinely packed and Gray-New Gloucester fans travel, too. Libby recalled this year’s regular-season game at Yarmouth. The Patriots had a tough start and went to halftime trailing 26-19.
“We came out of the locker room and every GNG parent and kid got out of their seat and started clapping and cheering, and that really helped,” Libby said. “We went on a run and won a tough game on the road.”
Noah Hebert said he has visualized how a championship celebration would look and feel.
“I don’t want to say anything too early, but it would be pretty awesome. Not only for us, but also for the community.”
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