State Class D preview

    FORT FAIRFIELD — The Fort Fairfield girls basketball team has already accomplished more than any other squad in the Tigers’ 37-year history, but that does not mean the team is resting on its laurels. 

    With last Saturday’s  50-38  victory over Central Aroostook for the Eastern Class D championship, the Tigers earned the right to play for the state championship for the first time in schoolgirl history at Fort Fairfield.
    The Tigers (20-1) will play Western Maine winner Greenville (17-2) in Saturday’s 1:05 p.m. state title game at the Augusta Civic Center.
    “The girls are pretty well focused on [winning] the gold ball,” Tiger coach Larry Gardner said. “I think they have gotten over the hype of winning the regionals and are now focused on Saturday.”
    For coach Gardner, in his 12th season as the Fort Fairfield girls coach, Saturday’s state title game will be his third try at bringing home a gold ball. In 1984 and again in 1988, Gardner guided Fort Fairfield boys teams to Eastern Class B crowns, only to come up short in the state title games.
    Ironically, Saturday’s girls championship will once again see the Tigers playing for the gold ball in Augusta.
    The road to the state title game saw Fort Fairfield, the No. 2 seed in Eastern Class D, defeat No. 7 Shead 49-30 in the quarterfinals; beat No. 3 Southern Aroostook 51-42 in the semifinals; and bested No. 1 Central Aroostook 50-38 in the regional finals.
    If the Tigers are to be successful, the team will look for continued scoring from sophomore Amanda Hotham, a 5-foot, 6-inch forward/center, who is averaging nearly 25 points per game in the tournament. Hotham established regional tournament records for most free throws made in a game (15 in the championship) and in the eastern tournament (35).
    Other starters for Fort Fairfield include Kelsie Wilson (5-6 guard), Courtney Churchill (5-7 guard), Danielle Tracy (5-3, guard) and Brooke Beaulieu (5-10 center). If and when Hotham draws the double team, expect the Tigers to work the ball to Beaulieu and Tracy. Beaulieu had eight points in the regional championship, while Tracy added six. Freshman Sydney Churchill (5-5 guard) could also have a big game with her shooting skills from the perimeter.    
    In Greenville’s regional championship, Gretel Breton led the team with 18 points, while Saige Weeks chipped in 12.
    Gardner said he had done a little bit of research on Greenville and has concluded that the Lakers will likely try to press. He believes the Lakers also do not do a lot of substituting, which he hopes will pay off for Fort Fairfield later in the game.
    “We’ve seen more zone [defense] than man-to-man so we will have to work on that in practice this week,” Gardner said. “From what I have heard, Greenville is very athletic and is coming off a good soccer season.”
    Greenville has played in the state Class D soccer championship the past two seasons, falling to Southern Aroostook both times.
    The Tigers’ game plan is simple.
    “We need to take care of the ball,” Gardner said. “I think the team that can do that will come away with it.”

 

    REGIONAL CHAMPS — Members of the Fort Fairfield girls basketball team which won the Eastern Class D crown include, front row from left, Kacie York, Brooke Beaulieu, Kelsie Wilson, Courtney Churchill, Danielle Tracy, and Amanda Hotham; and back, assistant coach Vaughn McLaughlin, assistant coach Dedra Webb, manager Keegan Watt, Rebecca Pelkey, Courtney Morgan, Kelsey Turner, Emily Blaisdell, Sydney Churchill, Kellyn McGillan, manager Aleesha Campbell and coach Larry Gardner.