PORTLAND, Maine — The Caribou boys had extra time to think about their Class B championship game on Saturday, with the Viking girls needing the court a little longer for their overtime miracle win over Biddeford in the previous game at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.
The boys followed suit with a win of their own. But with much less drama.
Caribou ran away from the York Wildcats in the second half, earning a 65-44 win and bringing home yet another Class B championship for the Aroostook County city.
“It’s one of the funnest moments of my life,” senior guard Kaymen Sargent said after scoring 13 points in the victory. He was one of four Vikings to score in double digits as part of a balanced offensive attack.
Junior forward Landen Belanger, a member of the Bangor Daily News’ all-tournament team, put up a game-high 16 points for Caribou.
Junior guard Owen Corrigan also had 13, and Class B all-tournament team MVP Tristan Robbins had 10 for Caribou.
“It’s definitely a dream come true,” Robbins, a senior forward, said afterward. “All of us, we’ve been dreaming of this moment.”
The second half made all the difference for the Vikings, who went into the break up only four points. But they built on that 26-22 lead throughout the second half, outscoring the Wildcats 19-7 in the third quarter alone.
“I think we were just able to settle in, and trust our teammates more, and get everyone involved more,” Sargent said about that second half effort.
That second-half push helped the top-ranked Class B North team cruise to another state title. The Caribou boys won back-to-back championships in 2019 and 2020.
“Once we get going, we get going,” Caribou coach Kyle Corrigan said about his team’s ability to build momentum. “I’m just so proud of the guys. And not just the guys who play, the guys who helped us prepare. The guys on the bench. This is the tightest group I’ve ever coached.”
The Vikings dealt the Wildcats their first loss to end what had been an impressive season for the Class B south champion squad. Reece MacDonald led the scoring for York with 12 points.
Earlier in the playoffs, Robbins said he relished the opportunity for his Aroostook County team to prove how good they are during the tournament. He was asked about those comments after winning a championship on Saturday.
“I feel like we proved it. We heard talks all week that we were the underdogs and that we have to travel six hours, it’s going to be hard,” Robbins said. “We proved everybody wrong. And it feels great. I still just can’t believe it.”
