It looks as if the 5-6 grade Aroostook Youth Basketball League team may once again be back in the playoffs.
“Our team has had another successful year,” said Houlton AYBL Coach Marty Bouchard. “We have a great group of kids who love basketball. They put a tremendous amount of effort into improving their game.”
The Houlton boys are 9-1 after racking up three straight wins.
On Dec. 28, the Shiretowners narrowly defeated Fort Kent in overtime, 49-44 at Houlton Alumni Gymnasium.
The Houlton team took a 13-8 lead and built a 26-20 halftime advantage before being outscored in the third, 14-8, as Fort Kent knotted the game at 34-all. The teams played evenly in the final period before the Houlton team outscored the visitors, 5-0 in overtime for the win.
Elyjah Crockett led Houlton with 15 points, while Kyle Bouchard netted 11 more. Chandler Brewer scored nine points, while Kole Buzzeo added eight, Garrett Putnam chipped in with four and Nick Guiod had a basket.
In a doubleheader on Dec. 27, the Houlton boys defeated both Presque Isle teams.
Against Presque Isle White, the young Shiretowners overpowered their host 44-23. The Houlton boys built a 20-7 halftime lead and extended it through the third, 36-16 en route to the win.
Bouchard led Houlton in this game with 11 points, followed by Guiod with seven points; Dan Howe, along with Buzzeo and Brewer each had six points; Jacob Drew dropped in four points, while Putnam and Noah Holmes scored two points each.
In the second game, the Houlton boys overwhelmed Presque Isle Blue, 45-22.
The Shiretowners took a 12-2 opening lead and built it to a 24-8 halftime cushion, extending their lead over three quarters to 35-16, picking up the win.
Guiod led Houlton with 12 points, while Buzzeo tossed in eight and Drew had seven. Brewer, Bouchard and Putnam all had four points, while Howe added a hoop.
In a game played before Christmas, the Shiretowners defeated visiting Madawaska, 46-36.
The teams played evenly in the first period before Houlton gained a 21-17 lead at halftime. After three periods, the Shiretowners nursed a five-point lead and then outscored the Owls, 18-13 in the final period to take the win.
Bouchard paced Houlton’s offense with 14 points, while Crockett netted 11 more and Brewer netted eight. Howe and Putnam each had four points, while Buzzeo hit for three and Guiod a hoop.
On the court, these young men are unselfish and they understand it takes everyone on the team to fill a role. But, their off-court friendship is just as strong.
“One of the best things about this group of kids is their togetherness,” said Bouchard. “Some of the best times are the meals after we play our opponent. If you attend a Houlton High School game, you can see the team sitting together, often behind the bench, spending time together.”
The young Shiretowners will meet Caribou East and Caribou West this Saturday in Caribou to determine the AYBL title.
“We will need to win both games in order to earn a chance to be league champions this year,” explained Bouchard.
But the matchup isn’t an easy one, as in their first game against Caribou West, Houlton squeezed out a two-point win in what Bouchard described as a “defensive game,” 27-25. And, the boys lost by a point to Caribou East, 38-37, a game in which they had led by 13 points with five-and-a-half minutes to play.
In order for the Houlton boys to win, Bouchard said they will have to limit turnovers and execute on offense.
“As a rule, our team works fairly hard on the defensive end,” he said. “The inability to limit turnovers has been an Achilles’ heel throughout the year. Another key will be handling the full court pressure that will be applied by the Caribou East team.”
If the Houlton boys win the weekend Caribou showdown, they will play in the championship game against Caribou East at a neutral site the following week.
“We will be working hard to prepare for the difficult task of playing two quality teams back-to-back this Saturday,” said Bouchard.
“Our team has had another successful year,” said Houlton AYBL Coach Marty Bouchard. “We have a great group of kids who love basketball. They put a tremendous amount of effort into improving their game.”
The Houlton boys are 9-1 after racking up three straight wins.
On Dec. 28, the Shiretowners narrowly defeated Fort Kent in overtime, 49-44 at Houlton Alumni Gymnasium.
The Houlton team took a 13-8 lead and built a 26-20 halftime advantage before being outscored in the third, 14-8, as Fort Kent knotted the game at 34-all. The teams played evenly in the final period before the Houlton team outscored the visitors, 5-0 in overtime for the win.
Elyjah Crockett led Houlton with 15 points, while Kyle Bouchard netted 11 more. Chandler Brewer scored nine points, while Kole Buzzeo added eight, Garrett Putnam chipped in with four and Nick Guiod had a basket.
In a doubleheader on Dec. 27, the Houlton boys defeated both Presque Isle teams.
Against Presque Isle White, the young Shiretowners overpowered their host 44-23. The Houlton boys built a 20-7 halftime lead and extended it through the third, 36-16 en route to the win.
Bouchard led Houlton in this game with 11 points, followed by Guiod with seven points; Dan Howe, along with Buzzeo and Brewer each had six points; Jacob Drew dropped in four points, while Putnam and Noah Holmes scored two points each.
In the second game, the Houlton boys overwhelmed Presque Isle Blue, 45-22.
The Shiretowners took a 12-2 opening lead and built it to a 24-8 halftime cushion, extending their lead over three quarters to 35-16, picking up the win.
Guiod led Houlton with 12 points, while Buzzeo tossed in eight and Drew had seven. Brewer, Bouchard and Putnam all had four points, while Howe added a hoop.
In a game played before Christmas, the Shiretowners defeated visiting Madawaska, 46-36.
The teams played evenly in the first period before Houlton gained a 21-17 lead at halftime. After three periods, the Shiretowners nursed a five-point lead and then outscored the Owls, 18-13 in the final period to take the win.
Bouchard paced Houlton’s offense with 14 points, while Crockett netted 11 more and Brewer netted eight. Howe and Putnam each had four points, while Buzzeo hit for three and Guiod a hoop.
On the court, these young men are unselfish and they understand it takes everyone on the team to fill a role. But, their off-court friendship is just as strong.
“One of the best things about this group of kids is their togetherness,” said Bouchard. “Some of the best times are the meals after we play our opponent. If you attend a Houlton High School game, you can see the team sitting together, often behind the bench, spending time together.”
The young Shiretowners will meet Caribou East and Caribou West this Saturday in Caribou to determine the AYBL title.
“We will need to win both games in order to earn a chance to be league champions this year,” explained Bouchard.
But the matchup isn’t an easy one, as in their first game against Caribou West, Houlton squeezed out a two-point win in what Bouchard described as a “defensive game,” 27-25. And, the boys lost by a point to Caribou East, 38-37, a game in which they had led by 13 points with five-and-a-half minutes to play.
In order for the Houlton boys to win, Bouchard said they will have to limit turnovers and execute on offense.
“As a rule, our team works fairly hard on the defensive end,” he said. “The inability to limit turnovers has been an Achilles’ heel throughout the year. Another key will be handling the full court pressure that will be applied by the Caribou East team.”
If the Houlton boys win the weekend Caribou showdown, they will play in the championship game against Caribou East at a neutral site the following week.
“We will be working hard to prepare for the difficult task of playing two quality teams back-to-back this Saturday,” said Bouchard.
