On March 24 at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham, Aroostook County’s Special Olympics basketball team celebrated its 25th year of play by winning the state championship in the master’s division. The team went undefeated in the day-long tournament and took home the gold.
In their opening game against a wily veteran team from the Dill Center in Skowhegan, the team used its speed to get off to an early lead. Point guard and floor leader Ryan Hansen, his backcourt partner John Robertson, along with center Kent Stevens and forwards Ralph Terrell and R.J. Wilcox, moved the ball smoothly down the court, avoiding costly turnovers. The squad played excellent defense and ran an effective fast break.
With the lead firmly in hand, these players deserved a break. After subbing in, their teammates held the lead and pleased their coaches with their skills. At guard, Ray Bucklin, Bradley Cyr, Jamie Kemper and Rose Ouellette kept the experienced Dill Center players in check. Chad McAdams held the center position against a taller opponent, and swing man Dan Gosline helped run down the clock when needed. Forwards Beth Flannery, Steve Michaud and Mark Elkins rebounded and worked on defense effectively. Forward Debbie Wiggins was outstanding on the boards. The Aroostook team prevailed by a score of 18-10.
In the semifinals, the Aroostook team faced the favorites from OHI in Bangor, a team that has dominated this tournament for several years. In last year’s tournament, Aroostook narrowly lost to “Team Maine,” an all-star team which included several OHI players. That team went on to finish third in the national Special Olympics basketball tournament in Iowa.
Since last year’s defeat to Team Maine, the Aroostook coaching staff worked on the team’s confidence, promising that if the team worked hard, they could defeat both Team Maine and the OHI squad that provided so many of its players.
The game turned out to be a barnburner. After giving up a couple of easy baskets, the Aroostook team’s staff called a timeout, and the players resumed play with renewed concentration and focus. The game turned into a very fast-paced, defensive struggle that had the crowd on the edge of their seats. Aroostook players impressed the crowd with very effective and unselfish passing, and that teamwork finally allowed them to take the lead toward the end of the second half. From that point on, it was the defense that did the job, holding OHI scoreless in the final minutes. The final score was 14-11, an upset victory for the County team.
In the final, Aroostook faced a team from Strive, in the Portland area. This was a very young and fast team, but Aroostook had a height advantage and was able to match the speed of Strive. Once again, the starting five was able to build a lead. The play of their teammates enabled the starters to get a needed and deserved rest, while the reserves protected the lead as they did in the first game. The starters returned to close the deal in the final minutes, and Aroostook claimed a 17-12 victory for the championship.
This was the seventh state championship for the Aroostook team, which still includes five members from the original team formed in 1982. Back then, with the essential support of Shirley and Margaret Flannery of Fort Fairfield, original coach Mike Puleo was able to get the program started. Of the original team-five veteran players Ray Bucklin, Beth Flannery, Steve Michaud, John Robertson and Kent Stevens-are still active. Brad Stevens took over the coaching duties in 1994 and was joined by Steve DeMaio in 1997. Zack Maynard assisted the coaches this year.
To participate in or find out more about the Aroostook Special Olympics basketball program, call 455-8158 or 551-9123.
