PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Two coaches and an athlete with long histories to Presque Isle sports became the newest members of the Presque Isle High School Athletic Hall of Fame Friday night, in an induction ceremony at the Northeastland Hotel.
Med Cotton, Dave Maxcy and Brennen Shaw are the newest inductees of the illustrious hall of fame, with only Cotton being unable to attend. Cotton, 98, was represented by his son-in-law, Marc Nicknair, who read a written statement from Cotton that filled the tables with laughter.
Current Presque Isle boys athletes watch an address during the Presque Isle High School Athletic Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday. (David Marino Jr. | The Star-Herald)
Presque Isle Athletics Director Mark White hosted the dinner, which featured about 90 people from Presque Isle and surrounding communities. It was the 10th annual ceremony for the hall of fame, which was created in 2011.
Many represented were those active in Presque Isle sports, including Presque Isle boys basketball coach Terry Cummings, girls basketball coach Jeff Hudson and hockey coach Carl Flynn. Members of the Presque Isle hockey, boys basketball and girls basketball teams were also in attendance.
Cotton, who was inducted by Maxcy, was lauded for his work in founding the Aroostook League for tennis and revolutionizing Presque Isle High’s tennis program. Coaching both the boys and girls tennis teams, he led the boys team as it captured 10 Aroostook League titles in 11 years.
“He always encouraged the players to go all out, to be the best they could be, and meet the challenge of the situation,” Maxcy said.
In a written statement, Cotton said he was proud that he was able to elevate the sport of tennis in the area, including helping to create some of the first female athletic programs at Presque Isle High School.
Maxcy made his name in Presque Isle’s cross-country and track and field program, which he coached from 1958 to the mid-2000s. His achievements include leading the high school boys cross-country team to back-to-back state championships in 1958 and 1959, and five Eastern Maine cross-country and track championships from 1995 to 1997.
He was inducted by Mike Waugh, who said Maxcy personally recruited him for the cross-country team in the 1990s. He said Maxcy’s personable and supportive coaching style propelled him and countless others to success.
“I think for many of us who are here and know Dave, he is already in the hall in our hearts and minds,” Waugh said. “Tonight is just formally recognizing the Dave that we know.”
In his acceptance speech, Maxcy described his experience getting involved in Presque Isle sports. He went out of his way to thank nearly a dozen coaches who helped him throughout his career.
Former Presque Isle hockey player Brennan Shaw poses with several current Presque Isle hockey players at the Presque Isle High School Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony on Friday. (David Marino Jr. | The Star-Herald)
Shaw, the only player inducted in the ceremony, was a 2010 Presque Isle High graduate who made waves on its hockey and basketball teams. He was inducted by his former coach, Carl Flynn.
“He had an innate hockey sense that could not be taught,” Flynn said. “Often, he saw things that none of the rest of us could see. And almost always, they worked.”
Shaw thanked his friends and family for their support during his hockey career, which he said often included 5-plus hour car rides to attend his away games, nearly always out-of-County and sometimes out-of-state.
Shaw is the Wildcats’ career scoring leader in hockey, with a total of 183 points (99 goals and 84 assists). Shaw’s play helped the Wildcats capture the 2009 Eastern Maine Class B hockey championship, along with helping them get to two regional championship matches.
Shaw ended up playing hockey and baseball at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire before playing hockey at Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts. While studying business there, he won the 2014-2015 Northeast-10 Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year award, which honors those who excel in both academics and sports.
The inductees were decided in May of 2019 by the 11 members of the Presque Isle Hall of Fame Committee. An athlete needs to be on seven of the ballots to receive induction.
