By Michael Hoffer
MaxPreps.com
Though pitchers and catchers began practicing for the spring sports season Monday, there was still a little unfinished winter business to tend to.
After one of the most enjoyable and memorable basketball seasons in memory, competition turned from serious to friendly in recent senior all-star games.
In the Southern Maine Activities Association, the top boys from York and Cumberland counties did battle in a game that was decided by one point.
Team A featured the likes of Thornton Academy standouts Dakota Greene, Kory Martin and Jeff Winnie, as well as Bonny Eagle's John Onesti and Westbrook's Kyle Sanborn.
Team B included Doug Alston of Class A state champion Cheverus, South Portland's Will Furbush and Nick Wright and Deering star Kyle Donovan.
Team B clung to a 49-48 lead after one period and after the dust had settled in the second half, Team B held on for a 100-99 triumph.
Furbush led all scorers with 23 points. Biddeford's Dan Jamieson added 17 for the victors. Donovan finished with 16 and Alston had 12.
Team A was led by 20 points from Martin. Noble's Anthony Staton and Portland's Anthony Passmore had 14 points apiece. Scarborough's Andy Pogar finished with 13 and Sanborn added 12.
Sanborn won the 3-point shootout at halftime, making 11 shots to nine by Passmore and Gorham's Andrew Arena.
Donovan was the slam dunk champion, with Gorham's Mike Foustokus finishing runner-up.
The girls' SMAA game was equally thrilling.
Team B, featuring Porscha Lewis of state champion Deering, McAuley's Sarah Oliver and Westbrook's Cynthia Wescott, overcame a six-point halftime deficit to beat Team A 72-71.
Scarborough's Sarah Bonenfant was the star for the winners, hitting a trio of 3-pointers en route to 18 points. Cheverus' Kathryn Hess, Marshwood's Ashleigh Locke, Massabesic's Samantha Leach and South Portland's Kelsey Flaherty all added eight points apiece.
For the vanquished Team A, Gorham's Lindsey Hansen led the way with 16 points. McAuley's Shannon Wood and Noble's Maggie Burns both had 13 points. Nicole Garland, of Deering, contributed seven points.
In the Western Maine Conference, the top girls and boys were divided into “blue” and “white” teams.
The girls' “white” team, featuring Waynflete's Margaret Veroneau and Renee Nicholas of Western B champion Lake Region, fell behind 38-25 at the half and couldn't rally, falling 65-50 to a blue team led by Falmouth's Morgan Furman, Greely's Megan McDevitt, Lake Region's Erica Webb and Poland's Paige Piper.
The game's top scorer was Webb, who had 13 points. McDevitt had 11 and Piper 10 in a winning cause. Nicholas and Veroneau both had 12 points for the vanquished.
Furman was named Player of the Game after scoring five points, grabbing four rebounds, blocking three shots and getting three steals.
Veroneau won the 3-point contest at halftime, making 12-of-20 shots and holding off 13 other contestants.
In the boys' game, the blue team, featuring Tommy Ray of Western B champion Cape Elizabeth; Falmouth's Mike Doyle and Kevin Smith; North Yarmouth Academy's Liam Anderson; and Yarmouth's Lucas Denning and Joe Dilworth, grabbed a 45-27 lead at the half and appeared home free, but the white squad, led by Greely's Spenser Adams and Wells' Demetri Gatzogianni and Josh Tufts, put forth a tremendous rally.
In the end, the blue team held on down the stretch to eke out a 72-69 triumph.
Anderson led all scorers with 19 points and was named Player of the Game. Doyle added 16 for the victors. Adams and Tufts both had 13 points in a losing cause.
Smith won the halftime 3-point contests, draining 13-of-20 attempts. The slam dunk contest was taken by Cape Elizabeth's Shaine Burks.
All-Stars Named
In addition to the senior all-star contests, the Southern Maine Activities Association and Western Maine Conference named their all-star teams.
The SMAA's boys' first team featured Mick DiStasio of state champion Cheverus, Deering's Kyle Donovan, South Portland's Keegan Hyland, Thornton Academy's James Morse and Jeff Winnie, and Westbrook's Kyle Sanborn.
The second team consisted of Cheverus' Doug Alston, Deering's Ronald Abwoch, Portland's Jake Longstaff, Thornton Academy's Kory Martin and Windham's Travis Guerrette.
Third teamers included Gorham's Mike Foustoukos, Kennebunk's Robbie Nutter, Portland's Ed Bogdanovich, Scarborough's Chris Hughes and South Portland's Will Furbush and Westbrook's Dominic Borelli.
Biddeford's Dan Jamieson, Bonny Eagle's John Onesti, Cheverus' Indiana Faithfull, Gorham's Andrew Arena, Kennebunk's Sean Bergeron, Marshwood's Colin Cooper, Noble's Anthony Stanton and South Portland's Nick Wright were Honorable Mention selections.
Faithfull, Biddeford's Cameron Neumann, Bonny Eagle's Lincoln Sanborn, Massabesic's Jimmy Thyng, South Portland's Matt Lee and Windham's Jon Sangillo were all members of the All-Rookie team.
Faithfull was selected Rookie of the Year.
Donovan won league MVP.
Bonny Eagle's Rick Simonds was named Coach of the Year.
Kennebunk won the team Sportsmanship Award.
On the girls' side in the SMAA, the first team included Biddeford's Aimee Mortensen, Deering's Nicole Garland, Gorham's Rachele Burns, Massabesic's Georgia Boisse, McAuley's Shannon Wood, Noble's Shane Sorrell, South Portland's Jess Aceto, Kelsey Flaherty and Brianna Hawkins, and Westbrook's Cynthia Westbrook.
Honorable Mentions included Biddeford's Keila Grigware, Deering's Kayla Burchill, Claire Ramonas and Diana Manduca, Marshwood's Michelle Williams, McAuley's Rebecca Knight and Sarah Oliver, Noble's Maggie Burns and Alyssa Stokes, Sanford's Mary Roberts, Scarborough's Reegan Brackett and Christy Manning, Thornton Academy's Emma Morrison, Westbrook's Erin Murphy, and Windham's Riley Gravey.
Maggie Burns was named Player of the Year.
Noble's Kyle Keenan was honored as Coach of the Year.
In the Western Maine Conference, Cape Elizabeth's Tommy Ray, Falmouth's Stefano Mancini, Freeport's Reid Christian, Greely's Spenser Adams and Yarmouth's Joe Dilworth made the Class B boys' first team.
Cape Elizabeth's Alex Bowe, Freeport's Jon Klages, Lake Region's Phil Leighton and Yarmouth's Lucas Denning and Johnny Murphy were named to the second team.
Cape Elizabeth's Andrew Dickey, Falmouth's Kevin Smith, Greely's Chris Young, Poland's T.J. England and Wells' Demetri Gatzogiannis made the third team.
The Class C boys' first team consisted of NYA's Liam Anderson, St. Dom's' Aaron Allen, Traip's Trevor Higgins and Tyler Metevier and Waynflete's Lucas O'Neil.
Old Orchard Beach's Sam Lewis, Sacopee's Blais Whitney, St. Dom's' Billy Colasante and Traip's Brennen Connor and Eric Modica made the second team.
On the girls' side, Falmouth's Morgan Furman and Haley Jordan, Fryeburg's Coreen Hennessy, Lake Region's Renee Nicholas and York's Niki Taylor made the Class B first team.
Second teamers included Fryeburg's Hannah Sawyer, Gray-New Gloucester's Chelsea Durgin, Greely's Megan McDevitt, Lake Region's Krysti Leach and Wells' Brooke Stevens.
Falmouth's Paige Wyman, Greely's Katie Mathews, Poland's Paige Piper, Yarmouth's Catie Clarke and York's Laney Yeomelakis made the third team.
In Class C, Traip's Jordyn Cronen and Ali Higgins, along with Waynflete's Mariam Qazi, Margaret Veroneau and Morgan Woodhouse, made the first team.
NYA's Blair Haggett, Old Orchard Beach's Lauryn Goyet and Katie Robichaud, Sacopee's Whitney Stacey and St. Dom's' Allaina Murphy were named to the second team.
Michael Hoffer is the sports editor of The Forecaster, a family of weekly newspapers based in Falmouth. Michael can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net
