By Michael Hoffer
MaxPreps.com
Even though all the champions have been crowned, the winter sports season didn't come to a close until last weekend, when basketball and hockey gave out their most prestigious awards.
Basketball: Martin, Mack Named Top Players
Friday evening at the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches'/Maine McDonald's awards banquet in Bangor, the state's the Miss and Mr. Basketball Awards were saved for last.
For Maranacook's Ryan Martin and Cony's Rachael Mack, who were chosen as the top senior players in the state, it was worth the wait.
Martin capped a stellar career and sensational senior season which saw his team win the Class B state championship for the second time in three years. Martin has also been named Maine's Gatorade Player of the Year.
Martin had almost 1,900 points for his career. He was Most Valuable Player of the tournament as a sophomore and a senior and led the Black Bears past Cape Elizabeth in the Class B Final the last night of February with a 26-point performance, which included a clutch, late 3-pointer.
Martin averaged over 23 points a game as a senior and erupted for a school-record 56 in one game. He could fill it up from the perimeter or take it to the hoop and was also a solid foul shooter.
Martin is still weighing his college options.
Winthrop point guard Sam Leclerc and Bangor guard Jon McAllian were also in the running.
Mack also enjoyed a tremendous career and won a pair of Gold Balls. She is Maine's Gatorade Player of the Year and became the third player from Cony to win the top honor.
This winter, Mack led her team in scoring and rebounding at over 18 points and 10 rebounds per game. She surpassed the 1,000-point plateau for her career. Cony wound up 18-3, but was shocked by Oxford Hills in the Eastern Class A Final.
Mack will attend Colby College in Waterville next school year.
Lee Academy's Aarika Ritchie and Morse High School's Jill Henrikson were also in the running.
All-Star Highlights
The day after the awards banquet, the Senior All-Star games were held in Bangor.
In boys' action, the Class A/B East squad downed the West 77-76. Martin had 15 points, while Bangor's Lee Suvlu led all scorers with 18. Deering's Kyle Donovan was the top scorer for the West team. He had 16 points, while Doug Alston, of state champion Cheverus, finished with 14.
The boys' C/D team was the lone West squad to emerge victorious, edging the East 66-65 behind 11 points from Leclerc. Calais' Sam Bell had 15 points for the East.
On the girls' side, the East A/B team downed the West 62-53 thanks to 18 points from John Bapst's Hillary Laferriere. The West team was paced by Lake Region standout Renee Nicholas, who finished with 17 points.
The East C/D squad enjoyed a 70-62 triumph over the West. Houlton's Rachel Foster led the way with 24 points. Telstar's Bailey Davis led the West with 11 points. Waynflete's Margaret Veroneau added nine.
In other news from the weekend, Yarmouth's Adam Smith was selected the MABC Coach of the Year.
Greely's Megan McDevitt and Messalonskee's Josh Gilbert won the Foul Shooting championships. McDevitt was a perfect 50-of-50, while Gilbert made 47 of his attempts. He then beat Presque Isle's Russ Mortland (who had also made 47-of-50) in a shootout. Gilbert sank nine of 10 tries. Mortland was eight for 10.
We'll recap the Western Maine Conference and Southern Maine Activities Association all-star games next week.
Hockey: Dube Wins Travis Roy Award
The Biddeford Tigers hockey team had no peer and was simply unbeatable this winter. Fittingly, the top player in the state came from the perfect squad. Sunday, the Travis Roy Award, given to the top senior player in Class A, went to Biddeford goalie Tony Dube.
The Travis Roy Award honors the former North Yarmouth Academy and Yarmouth High standout who was paralyzed 11 seconds into his first college shift with Boston University in 1995.
Dube led the Tigers, the defending state champions, to a 20-0 regular season. He had a save percentage of .957 and allowed just one goal per game. Dube holds the school career record for wins with 46. His career goals-against-average was 1.45. He held the fort in a scintillating overtime regional final victory over Kennebunk, then turned away countless Lewiston power play opportunities in the state game.
Dube is also a two-time first team, all-state selection, an honor roll student and regularly volunteers with Biddeford Youth Hockey.
Dube is uncertain of his college destination.
Michael Hoffer is the sports editor of The Forecaster, a family of weekly newspapers based in Falmouth, Maine. Michael can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.
