FALMOUTH—The Falmouth-Noble boys basketball rivalry has been simmering for years and this season, it’s at a fever pitch.

Saturday afternoon, one month after Noble edged Falmouth in North Berwick, the Navigators hosted the Knights in a pivotal midseason battle and the teams, as expected, put on a memorable show.

One that came all the way down to the final horn.

And resulted in a crucial win for Falmouth and the first loss of the year for Noble.

After the Knights raced to an early 10-8 lead, the Navigators turned up the defensive intensity and scored the final eight points of the first quarter.

Falmouth didn’t allow much in the second period either and by halftime, held a 27-18 advantage.

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High-flying Noble then hit its stride in the third quarter, as senior standout Jamier Rose wasn’t able to produce much offense on his own, but his multiple steals and assists helped the Knights race all the way back to lead, 36-33, before the Navigators closed on a 6-0 run to cling to a 39-36 edge heading to the final stanza.

Neither team led by more than three in the fourth period and when Rose converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 2:04 to go, Noble held a 51-48 advantage.

But Falmouth would close in style, pulling within one on a contested bank shot from senior standout Davis Mann, then taking the lead with just 17.7 seconds showing, on two free throws from senior star Billy Birks.

After a steal from senior Jaxon Cameron, two foul shots from senior reserve extraordinaire Ezra Hamlin pushed the lead to three and a last-second Knights’ 3-point attempt was off-target, allowing the Navigators to prevail, 54-51.

Mann led all scorers with 23 points, Birks added 14 and Falmouth improved to 9-2, dropping Noble to 10-1 in the process.

“(Noble’s) been our rival since Christmas tournament fifth grade in Scarborough,” said Birks. “This was a great game and it always will be when we play.”

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As good as advertised

Falmouth and Noble entered the season as the favorites in Class A South and haven’t disappointed.

The Knights roared out of the gates with wins at Class AA South powerhouse South Portland (67-59) and at home over Falmouth (54-52). Noble then defeated visiting Kennebunk (67-52) and host Deering (59-47), as Rose reached the 1,000-point mark for his career. After closing the 2024 portion of the schedule with victories at Fryeburg Academy (71-60), at home over reigning Class AA South champion Gorham (69-50) and at Brunswick (63-37), the Knights opened the new year by beating visiting Thornton Academy (73-53), host Gray-New Gloucester, the reigning Class A champion, in a regional final rematch (57-54), and visiting Scarborough (63-46).

The Navigators, meanwhile, began their season with a 54-52 loss at Noble, then held off host Gray-New Gloucester (66-62), beat visiting Westbrook (70-65), eked out a 44-43 win at Marshwood, then gave longtime coach Dave Halligan his 600th career victory with a 68-42 win at Deering. After beating host Kennebunk (58-42) to close the old year, Falmouth began 2025 with wins over visiting Marshwood (54-21) and Brunswick (64-39). Tuesday, Falmouth’s seven-game win streak was snapped at Scarborough (64-59).

“We were a little too confident going into the Scarborough game,” said Birks. “That brought us down to Earth.”

Thursday, the Navigators beat host Westbrook (60-49).

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In the teams’ first meeting, Dec. 10, Rose scored 24 points, including the winning basket with 4.2 seconds remaining, while Birks had a team-high 16 for Falmouth.

Saturday, in front of a large and raucous crowd, the teams went back-and-forth for 48 minutes before the Navigators did just enough at the end to earn a critical victory.

Falmouth senior Tyler Simmons goes up for a shot as Noble senior Andrew Marzoli defends early in the Navigators’ 54-51 victory Saturday. Photos courtesy Kneka Smith

The Knights couldn’t have asked for a better start, as senior Andrew Marzoli won the opening tip to senior Bryce Guitard, who pulled up and drained a 3-pointer just five seconds in.

Falmouth quickly countered on a 3 from Birks.

After Rose set up senior Chase Dodier for a layup on the fastbreak, senior Tyler Simmons shot a leaner over Marzoli and got it to drop to tie the score for the second time.

Rose’s first points, coming on a jump shot, put Noble back in front again, but after Simmons kept possession alive with an offensive rebound, he set up Mann for a 3 and the Navigators’ first lead of the game.

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With 4:57 to go in the opening frame, Rose made a 3 to make it 10-8 Knights, but they wouldn’t lead again the rest of the half.

A runner off the glass from Birks tied it, Mann drove for a layup, Birks hit a jumper, then with 51 seconds to go, a Birks layup made it 16-10 Falmouth after eight minutes.

Birks led the way with nine points.

The Navigators continued to stymie Noble in the second quarter.

Falmouth senior Declan O’Brien drives to the hoop. 

Birks picked up where he left off by opening the stanza with a 3-pointer.

With 6:28 to go, a Rose free throw snapped a 6 minute, 29 second drought and the Navigators’ 11-0 run.

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Senior Declan O’Brien countered with a leaner, then Marzoli banked home a shot for Noble’s first field goal in 7:48.

Mann then made two free throws after being fouled on an offensive rebound, then Hamlin first made his presence felt by drawing a foul on an offensive rebound and also sinking both free throws, giving Falmouth its biggest lead, 25-13.

After Guitard countered with a 3-ball, Guitard made two foul shots to cut the deficit to seven, but inside the final second, Birks inbounded to Mann, who knocked down a jumper for a 27-18 advantage at the half.

Birks had 12 points and Mann nine in the first half.

The visitors then hit their stride in the third quarter.

Noble senior Jamier Rose attacks the rim.

The second half began with back-to-back Rose steals, which resulted in layups by junior Evan Ballard and Dodier.

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After Mann put back a miss, Ballard made a free throw.

Cameron drove for a layup, but sophomore Mark Lapointe made a free throw for the Knights to start an 11-0 run.

After Ballard hit a 3, Lapointe converted an old-fashioned three-point play (putback, foul, free throw) and with 2:39 remaining in the frame, Guitard’s jumper in the lane gave Noble its first lead since the first quarter.

Out of a timeout, Ballard then tacked on two free throws to make it 34-31.

Back came the Navigators, as Mann drained two foul shots and after Rose set up Lapointe for a layup, senior David Gravier set up Mann for a layup, Mann tied the score with a free throw, then with 10.8 seconds showing, Cameron scored on a runner while being fouled and he added the and-one free throw to send Falmouth to the fourth period hanging on to a narrow 39-36 edge.

The lead would then change hands four times down the stretch before the Navigators did just enough to win it.

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Guitard started the final stanza with a long jumper, but Hamlin countered with a putback.

With 7:11 to go, a 3-ball from junior Brady Tucci pulled the Knights even at 41-41.

With 6:32 left, in transition, Rose found Guitard for a 3 and the lead.

Gravier then set up Cameron for a reverse layup and with 5:07 remaining, Mann’s three-point play gave Falmouth the lead back, 46-44.

Falmouth senior Davis Mann drives for two critical points. Mann was fouled and completed the three-point play.

When Cameron found Mann for a layup 14 seconds later, the Navigators appeared primed to get a little breathing room, but instead, Guitard banked home a shot with 3:50 on the clock and 27 seconds later, on the fastbreak, Rose found Dodier for a layup to tie the score, 48-48.

After both teams missed chances to go in front, Falmouth turned the ball over, Rose took off down the floor and made a layup while being fouled by Simmons (his fifth). Rose then added the free throw for a 51-48 lead with just 2:04 left.

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But Noble wouldn’t score again.

The Navigators turned the ball over and the Knights had a chance to make it a two-possession game, but Gravier took a charge on Marzoli (his fifth foul).

“Shout out to David for that charge,” said Birks. “That turned the game around.”

Mann drove and despite being closely guarded, banked home a shot with a minute left, pulling Falmouth within a single point.

The Navigators then came up huge on defense again, as Noble turned the ball over.

That gave the Navigators an opportunity to retake the lead and with 17.7 seconds to go, Birks was fouled on a drive and went to the line for the biggest free throws of the game.

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“We ran a little set,” Birks said. “Sometimes we reverse the ball, but I saw a lane and I took it.”

Birks sank both attempts and Falmouth was finally in front to stay, 52-51.

“My free throw numbers have not been great this year, but when it came down to it, I had to make them,” Birks said.

“He’s a senior captain and he’s been in some big games, so he has experience,” Halligan said. “I was glad to see him at the line.”

Again, the Knights weren’t able to get a shot up, as Cameron poked the ball away to Hamlin, who was fouled with just 5.7 seconds remaining.

Hamlin went to the line and made both attempts to push the lead to three.

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“I took some deep breaths to calm down and shot like it was practice,” said Hamlin.

“Ezra doesn’t get a whole lot of credit,” Halligan said. “He’s like an offensive lineman. He does all the dirty work. He calmly sank those two free throws.”

Out of a timeout, Noble had one final chance to hit a 3 and force overtime.

Rose raced into the front court, but he was closely defended and the Navigators took the dangerous Guitard out of the play as well, so Rose had to feed Dodier for a long prayer.

A prayer that wasn’t answered, as the ball ricocheted off the backboard.

“We doubled Bryce on the inbound pass and we really just had to play straight up defense,” Birks said.

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“We tried to take away their weapons,” Halligan said. “We took the 3 away because if they made a layup, it wouldn’t matter.

“We had designed something to have some action where we hoped Bryce could get free, or get Jamier to get downhill,” said Noble coach John Morgan. “We checked in another shooter on the left side corner, but unfortunately those last-second situations are tough. They covered them well.”

Falmouth players celebrate at the final horn.  

At 6:02 p.m., Falmouth was able to celebrate its hard-fought 54-51 victory.

“We’re always going to be fighting,” said Birks. “We’ll always claw back. At half, we switched up our press-breaker and that hurt us a little bit. We figured it out and dialed it in by the end.”

“I can’t even describe it, this was awesome,” Hamlin said. “It’s finally coming together. We wanted this one. We were all hyped up for it. We played really well together.”

“This was a fun one and it’s more fun when you win,” added Halligan, after his 605th career victory. “We want to play the best. That’s how you find out what you’re made of. (Noble) didn’t quit. They came right back at us, but I have to give my kids credit. Usually against good teams, it’s the defensive end that makes a difference. Noble did a good job taking away what we were doing in the first half. We had to find some other things to do. It was like a chess match. That’s when it’s fun.

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“This is a confidence-builder. It’s a new team. What we’ve learned is we can’t take any team lightly.”

Mann finished with a game-high 23 points and also also had five steals and three rebounds.

“(Davis) needs to be involved in the game and it’s probably my mistake for sending him down the court to get him away from the defensive pressure,” Halligan said. “We got him back in the flow and the game changed.”

Birks didn’t have a second half field goal but wound up with 14 points, three assists and three rebounds.

Cameron added seven points, six rebounds and four assists.

Hamlin played big minutes off the bench and contributed six points and eight rebounds.

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“I think my role is to get the ball to our scorers, Billy and Davis,” Hamlin said.

O’Brien (five rebounds) and Simmons (seven rebounds) tallied two points apiece.

The Navigators enjoyed a 44-26 rebounding advantage, hit 13-of-17 free throws and overcame 18 turnovers.

Noble’s offense was paced by Guitard, who had 17 points. Rose was held to nine points, but he did produce 10 steals, seven assists and four rebounds.

“One of the things we wanted to be better at this year than last is that we need to know that even the best players in the state will be human some nights and teams will try to take them away, so we have to be better as a collective group,” Morgan said. “Second half, everyone on the floor was ready to play and was a threat and that was a big difference.”

Ballard had eight points (and five rebounds), Dodier and Lapointe (six rebounds) finished with six apiece, Tucci had three and Marzoli two (to go with five blocked shots and five rebounds).

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The Knights made 9-of-14 free throws and turned the ball over 15 times.

“I don’t think our 10 wins this year were because we were scoring the ball incredibly well,” Morgan said. “I think we were doing the little things, like owning the glass. In the first half, our offense wasn’t flowing and we weren’t doing the little things. Second half, we got back to that.”

Unfinished business

If Falmouth and Noble play again, it would be in the Class A South tournament next month.

A third Knights-Navigators showdown could be an epic.

“We’ll probably see them again, so we couldn’t go 0-2 against them,” Birks said.

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“(Noble’s) a really good team, probably the best team, so I hope we earn the right to play them again,” Halligan said.

“We won the game on our home floor in a hostile environment and they did the same thing here, so it would be an awesome opportunity to see them a third time,” Morgan said. “We have a lot of respect for Falmouth and their coaching staff.”

Noble (currently ranked first in the Class A South Heal Points standings) is back in action Tuesday at Massabesic.

“I told the guys that it was good to take a loss now so we can bounce back and learn,” Morgan said. “We didn’t want to be in that high-pressure situation in the first round. We don’t want this to happen in the playoffs.”

Falmouth (second in Class A South) stays home to battle reigning Class AA champion Windham Tuesday, then welcomes Gorham Friday before traveling to rival Greely for a showdown Jan. 20.

“This is just the start of our season,” Hamlin said. “We have to keep working hard, get better and prepare for the playoffs.”

“We’ll respect everybody,” Halligan said. “We just want to compete at a high level and we don’t want to take any steps backwards.”

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

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