Hornets go 2-0 to start ‘07

    The Ashland Hornets began their basketball season much the same as they ended their Eastern Maine soccer season, with the boys’ and girls’ teams in step achieving double wins. Ashland conquered Wisdom last Friday, the girls 51-13 and the boys 91-59.     Mindy Chasse led the Hornet scoring with 17 points, followed in close second by fellow captain Whitney Flint who scored 13.
    “We pressed them early and they couldn’t get the ball over half court,” noted head coach Bill Nemer. “We just got it under our belt, and we’re glad to get our first win.”
    The dominating lead gave several Hornets a chance to come off the bench early in the game. Ten different players added points to the Ashland score. The girls also impressed the coaching staff with their foul shooting percentage and the number of steals.
    The Ashland boys dominated in offense over Wisdom in Friday’s match at St. Agatha. Senior Lucas Belanger captained the team with scoring, tallying 24 points over the four quarters. Three of his teammates also put in double-digit efforts: Jeremy Tarr at 18, Tyler Cote at 12 and Nick Gimbel at 10.
    “Belanger was a monster inside on the post,” commented head coach Joel Hall. “They were just not able to handle him one-on-one. He had 18 first half points.”
    The Ashland girls served their Katahdin rivals to a taste of defeat on Monday night. At home, Chasse shot 100 percent from the free-throw line and hit 27 points and 16 rebounds to captain the team to their second victory, 52-39.
    “It was what I hoped to happen,” commented coach Nemer. While he believed his girls could have had a better second half when Katahdin began to find their court legs, he was pleased with the outcome.
    Flint added to the Hornet lead with 13 points and pounced on 12 rebounds. She also shot nine for 12 from the foul-line.
    “Those two are going to get fouled so they nee to make those shots,” noted Nemer.
    Crystal Cook tallied up 10 points.
    The boys traveled to Stacyville on Monday for four quarters that ended with only a six-point difference, 61-54, in favor of Katahdin. While Carl Nemer hit two three-pointers for a total of 19 points and Belanger had 20, the boys couldn’t take the lead from the Cougars.
CA  towers over opponents
    Katahdin hosted the Central Aroostook boys in Friday night action, but the home court advantage didn’t pull through for the Cougars when the Panthers came away with the 59-34 win. Cameron York found the hoop for a team high 23 points. Logan McCarthy added his own 10 points.
    The Central Aroostook girls’ varsity squad matched the boys’ record on Saturday with an on the road win against Fort Fairfield, 41-25.
    Panther Alexandria Dame found the net for 18 points, and Sarah Long added 14 more for CAHS.
    “We had too many turnovers,” said head coach Rodney Codrey, about his estimation of 40 changes in possession. “and we missed a lot of layups, but it was their first game.”
    Whitney Clark led the Tigers with 11 points. She had three successful attempts from behind the three-point arch.
    “If she’s left alone, she’s going to make that shot, so we played 3-2 defense,” explained Codrey about his coaching technique that night.
    Clark’s three-point finesse led the Fort Fairfield girls to a 49-40 win over Madawaska on the road Monday night. Clark had four triple scores during the four quarters and totaled 20 points.
Beavers begin 2007-08 season
    Washburn’s girls started on a returning path to last year’s impressive season with a win against Southern Aroostook at Washburn, 59-38. The Beavers dominated offense with a 16-5 run in the second giving WDHS a point cushion and game-winning adrenaline.
    Rachel Palmer led Beaver scoring with 22 points and leapt for nine rebounds. Kelsee McLaughlin made 13 points and snatched 10 rebounds. Teammate Rebecca Campbell added another 10 for Washburn.
    The Washburn boys traveled to Hodgdon last Friday for their season-opening game. After three quarters, the Beavers tied Hodgdon 41-41. However, foul trouble late in the fourth forced head coach Randy Norsworthy to take out three starters and go to the bench. Hodgdon then pulled in front for the 55-49 win.
    Nick McIntosh led the Beaver scoring with 23 points, and Connor Fitzpatrick added 13.
    Norsworthy looked to build experience for depth on the bench after the game. “It’s going to be a challenge this year,” he said. “We need a better inside presence.”
    The Beavers have a young team, but still managed to keep the pressure on Hodgdon with a fullcourt defense. According to Norsworthy, the unseasoned players will have to play catch up quickly this season.