Houlton sweeps junior high tourney

    DYER BROOK, Maine – It was a sweep for the Houlton girls and boys junior high basketball teams, as they overtook Southern Aroostook in the championships of the 35th annual Southern Aroostook Invitational Basketball Tournament held before February vacation.
    With inclement weather and high school basketball playoffs, the tournament dates and times were adjusted, but the championships were held Feb. 15 in Dyer Brook.
“Teams and individuals do not always realize their ultimate dreams and goals,” said Southern Aroostook Athletic Director Murray Putnam, “but it is my hope that each participant can and will take with them some of the many and varied lessons that can enrich their everyday lives.”
Putnam hopes that this junior high tourney sets the stage to foster and encourage a student-athlete to grow, while exhibiting individual and team-related skills in the game of basketball.
In the first game, the Houlton girls overpowered Southern Aroostook, 49-23, while in the nightcap, it was the Houlton boys overtaking Southern Aroostook 46-39 for the championship.
In the opening round of games, the Ashland girls edged out Hodgdon, 26-22, while Southern Aroostook narrowly escaped Katahdin, 40-36. In the night game, the Katahdin boys handled Hodgdon, 46-21.
The second series of games found the Southern Aroostook boys defeating Katahdin, 54-44, while the Houlton girls overwhelmed Ashland, 46-24. In the night game, the Houlton boys picked up a lopsided 68-17 victory over Ashland to set up the finals.
Each year, at the conclusion of the tournament, an all-star team is selected for both boys and girls. Coaches participating in the event cast the votes.
Named to the girl’s all-star squad were: Olivia Raymond and Kaitlyn Somers of Southern Aroostook; Megan Merry of Katahdin; Brooke Labelle of Ashland, along with Allie Carmichael of Houlton. Garnering the votes for the Most Valuable Player was Houlton’s Amanda Fogarty.
On the boy’s side, Aaron Eastman and Doug Dickison were named to the all-star squad, along with Billy Livezey of Katahdin; Nick Lunn of Hodgdon and Robert Rockwell of Southern Aroostook. Chosen as the boy’s Most Valuable Player was Patrick Goodall of Southern Aroostook.