CAHS twins honor faith by missing title game
Sports Editor
MARS HILL — Tough decisions are often made by seniors as they contemplate which university they plan to attend and what they intend to study.
Those tough decisions normally do not involve deciding whether to play in a basketball game.
Central Aroostook High School seniors Brianna and Chelsea Hartin, identical twin sisters, were faced with that decision after the Panthers won their Eastern Class B semifinal game against Bangor Christian Wednesday at the Bangor Auditorium.
As Seventh-Day Adventists Christians, the Hartin twins celebrate the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. That time is reserved for a day of worship and family, not playing basketball. Since the Eastern Class D championship was scheduled for 9:05 Saturday morning, the Hartins were unable to play in the game.
So was the decision not to play a difficult one for the stellar senior athletes? Not really.
“It’s been a great year,” Brianna said after Thursday’s semifinal win. “We worked really hard and we wondered if we would get to this point and have to make this decision. But we made our decision from the get-go and this wasn’t something we chose off a whim. It’s a commitment we have made all our lives. That time [the Sabbath] is a time we spend working on our relationship with God and our family. As much as we want to play Saturday — and we really do — this is our commitment to God and we are not ready to back out on it now.”
“We have complete faith that if God wants us to play in Saturday’s game, he can send a snowstorm,” Chelsea said. “We are at peace with whatever happens. We have faith in our girls no matter what happens,”
During the regular season, the Hartins missed just two games — a 32-31 loss to Washburn and a 55-21 victory over Wisdom. The twins credit CAHS Athletic Director Ryan Guerrette for coming up with the favorable regular season schedule.
“The twins are two remarkable young ladies,” Guerrette said. “They will finish the school year first and second in their class academically. They are definitely role models for all the other students in the school. They just recently were selected to the McDonald’s all-state cademic team. They only select 10 student/athletes from the state and both of them made it.”
The girls’ decision not to play was not unexpected, Guerrette said.
“It was no surprise to the administration and coaching staff that the Hartins didn’t play on Saturday,” Guerrette said. “The girls haven’t played on Friday night their whole career due to their faith. I’m very proud of the girls for standing up for what they believe in. Most kids would have folded and they didn’t let anyone peer pressure them into playing — not just in this game or in any other game on Friday [nights] or Saturdays their whole career. The team was really good about it as well. All the kids knew they weren’t going to play long before the tournament started.”
“Our team is really close and coach has been extremely supportive,” Brianna said. “He [coach Rodney Codrey] has gotten to know us really well and that has been a blessing. The support has been tremendous. It [Mars Hill] is a great community. We’ve only been here for three years, but the community has adopted us as one their own.
“Since Brianna and Chelsea’s arrival at Central Aroostook High School, I have had the opportunity to observe their ability to interact with students and parents,” coach Rodney Codrey said. “They worked very hard on improving their rapport with young and old alike and enjoy teamwork in high school athletics. They are two of the most outstanding young ladies that I have the opportunity to know and coach, not only for their athletic abilities but also as well rounded individuals.”
Guerrette gave an example of the type of individuals the Hartins are. The twins, after every home game, would come out and help the janitor clean the bottles and other garbage out of the stands.
“No one ever asked them to do it, they just started doing it on their own,” he said. “I could go on and on about them. These kids don’t deserve anyone judging them for their decision. They really get the bigger picture.”
“Their ability to fit in whether it is with friends or with new people is definitely an asset,” Codrey added. “They are very dependable, trustworthy and take the time to really listen to people in their time of need. They have shown to be motivated on all phases of life for their age and are truly leaders. This is evident, when I observe them with their peers that look to them for guidance and input in difficult situations. They are very knowledgeable and seek perfection in all that they do. As the Varsity Basketball Coach at Central Aroostook High School it is an honor and a privilege to have Brianna and Chelsea as student athletes.”
Staff photo/Joseph Cyr
PANTHERS Chelsea Hartin, left, and twin sister Brianna chose to sit out Saturday mornings’s EM final due to a religious observance. The Hartins are Seventh-Day Adventists Christians, whose Sabbath is celebrated from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.
