FARMINGTON – The Mt. Blue High School boys basketball team is headed to the Maine Principals Association’s State Basketball Tournament this weekend. The team is slated to play Cony High School in a 4 vs 5 seed matchup Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. in the Augusta Civic Center.
The 4 seeded Cougars finished the regular season with a 12-6 record. Above them lies the top seeded team, the Brewer High School Witches, who notched a 17-1 record. The 2 seeded Nokomis Regional High School Warriors completed the season with a 13-5 record, while 3 seeded Skowhegan Area High School finished the season with a 12-6 record.
The Cougars’ matchup against the Rams is the third this season. Previously, the team split with Cony, losing in the earlier portion of the season then notching a gritty win on the road. The early loss to Cony, which was a 63-71 defeat, came during a game where leading scorer Evans Sterling could not compete. The second matchup between the two schools led to a solid 68-62 win. The victory was the result of 19 and 18 point performances from senior Chandler Briggs and Sterling, aided with 13 points from senior Zak Koban.
The matchup on Feb. 18 should be an exciting exhibition, as both teams have strong guards and excellent shooting to lead to an even game between the two. Looking ahead to the playoff tournament, head coach Troy Norton stated that the team is, “rested, healthy, and excited to make a run in the tournament.”
Cougars junior guard Evans Sterling remarked that the team’s success is due to the hard work and chemistry. Sterling noted that he felt “very confident with our team, we are still getting better and we are ready for playoffs.”
The Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference is notoriously known as being one of the most difficult conferences in the entire state. With the top contending teams all fighting hard each night. This makes the Northern A division of the state tournament essentially wide open. Norton noted this as well, remarking that “Our league has been wide open all year. We have beaten all of the other contending teams once except Brewer, and we played them close. So, Brewer is the favorite entering the tournament but anything can happen.”
As far as strategy goes for the Cougars, the team will look to lean on their veteran players, which includes three of the best offensive threats in the Northern A division. Evans Sterling, Zack Poisson and Chandler Briggs each have been key pieces to the Cougars’ offensive success.
This season has been a strong one for the team. Norton discussed that “the highlight for me this season has been watching the upperclassmen be rewarded for all of their hard work and dedication by having a great season.”
A victory Saturday would lead to Wednesday night showdown between the winner of the Brewer and Camden Hills game. Tipoff for the regional semifinals will be at 8:45 p.m. on Feb. 22 at the Augusta Civic Center. The winner there will lead to the regional championship game, which will be at 7:45 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24 at the Augusta Civic Center.
