By Michael Hoffer
MaxPreps.com
In the Western A boys quarterfinals at the Portland Expo last weekend, the best game was the first game pitting No. 4 Thornton Academy and No. 5 Deering.
Deering rallied from a 14-point deficit to take a one-point lead late, but the Golden Trojans survived, 51-48, thanks to two free throws and a layup from senior James Morse.
Top-ranked Cheverus then met No. 8 Biddeford in a game expected to be a romp. The Stags obliged in the first half, racing to a 24-8 lead, but were lifeless in the second half and the Tigers got as close as four, 29-25, before Cheverus scored the game's final six points (thanks to junior Lenny Cummings) to advance, 35-25.
“The team that won 18 games wasn't there tonight,” Cheverus coach Bob Brown said. “Everyone's said we're the best team in the state. Not tonight, baby. Not tonight. A bunch of teams were up there watching and thinking 'Yahoo, we can get them.'”
No. 3 South Portland had to face No. 6 Portland on the Bulldogs' home floor, even though the Red Riots were the higher seed. South Portland was in good shape for a half, riding 14 points from junior standout Keegan Hyland to a five-point lead, but Hyland was smothered in the second half, managed just four points and a 16-point second-half explosion from junior Walter Stover led Portland to a 72-49 win.
“They hit shots and we didn't counter,” South Portland coach Phil Conley said. “That was the big difference in the game.”
No. 2 Westbrook was tested by No. 7 Windham for a half, but eventually moved on with a 58-42 win thanks to 22 points from junior Dominic Borelli.
Cheverus battled Thornton Academy and Westbrook met Portland in the semifinals Wednesday night. The regional final is Saturday.
In Western B, the top two seeds left little doubt in their quarterfinal tests.
No. 1 Greely raced to a 39-14 halftime lead over No. 8 Gray-New Gloucester and cruised 68-35 behind 15 points from senior Chris Young.
No. 2 Falmouth also ended all suspense quickly against No. 7 Lincoln. The Yachtsmen scored 21 of the game's first 24 points, then put it on ice in the second half in a 68-42 triumph. Junior Stefano Mancini went off for 25 points.
“The first game is always the toughest in the tournament,” longtime Falmouth coach Dave Halligan said. “You don't know what to expect. These kids came out and did a great job in the first quarter. We didn't turn the ball over and executed. Even when the subs came in they did their job, which was nice to see.”
No. 3 Mountain Valley was upset by No. 6 Lake Region, 61-52. The Lakers erased a 12-point third quarter deficit and hit their free throws down the stretch to advance. Phil Leighton led the way with 17 points.
No. 4 Cape Elizabeth got a scare from No. 5 Yarmouth, but the Capers managed to make enough plays and hit enough foul shots late to eke out a 66-58 decision. Senior Alex Bowe led the team with 21 points and junior Conor Moloney added 16. Yarmouth senior Johnny Murphy saw his career end after a 20-point performance.
Girls Basketball: Deering, York tested
Undefeated defending state champion Deering, the top seed, entered the Western A girls tournament as the huge favorite, but got a severe test from No. 8 McAuley Monday night.
The Lions were within two for most of the third period and only trailed by five with five minutes to go before the Rams finally put them away, 39-25, behind 20 points (including 16 in the second half) from sophomore Kayla Burchill.
“I told people and people laughed, but McAuley was the best eighth-seeded team,” Rams first-year coach Mike Murphy. “They're young, but they're very talented. We got pushed and that's what we want. I was very proud of the kids. They were very resilient. We had to work and we did. Both teams did. It was a grind-it-out game.”
No. 2 Scarborough crushed No. 7 South Portland, 53-26, to set up a date with No. 3 Biddeford, a 51-42 winner over No. 6 Marshwood. No. 4 Noble downed No. 5 Windham 35-21 to earn a semifinal date with Deering.
In Western B, top-ranked York faced a slow-down approach from No. 8 Wells and wasn't able to pull away until the very end of a 36-21 decision. The Wildcats will next face an upset threat in red-hot No. 4 Falmouth, which edged No. 5 Lisbon 58-49.
“I think that the bracket we fell into at No. 4 is a great spot for us,” Yachtsmen first-year coach Kristi Ouellette said. “I think we know York well. I think my girls are confident after the last game that they're beatable and that we can do a good job defending their post. It's a tough task.”
No. 2 Greely used a 12-plus minute drought by No. 7 Lake Region, the three-time defending regional champion, to roll to a 39-27 win. The Rangers will face No. 3 Mountain Valley (47-34 victors over No. 6 Gray-New Gloucester) in the semifinals.
Hockey: Gorham, Greely earn top seeds
On the ice, the playoffs commence this weekend.
In Western A, Gorham went 17-1 to earn the top seed, followed by Thornton Academy, Falmouth, St. Dom's, Scarborough, South Portland, Portland and two-time defending champion Biddeford.
In Western B, Greely is tops with rival Cape Elizabeth second.
Waterville has the top seed in Eastern A. John Bapst is No. 1 in Eastern B.
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.
