The coaches’ pregame handshake will be a unique one – yet very familiar – when the York High girls’ basketball team plays at Marshwood next Thursday night.

That’s because you might say the coaches know each other pretty well.

Steve Freeman is in his first year as the head coach at York. He served as a longtime assistant to Rick Clark, who retired after the Wildcats won the Class A state title last winter.

His son, also named Steve, is in his second year as Marshwood coach.

The two said they’re trying to make this just another game.

“It will be more interesting for everyone around us,” said the younger Freeman. “It will be business as usual for us.”

They’ve been on opposing sidelines before, such as last year when the elder Freeman was Clark’s associate head coach. But this is the first time they will coach against each other as head coaches.

“It’s a little strange, but I’m looking forward to it,” said York’s Steve Freeman, a 66-year-old history teacher. “We’ve talked about it for a while. We’ve heard a lot of jokes about it from the other coaches in the league.

“I think it’s going to be fun.”

Marshwood’s Steve Freeman, a 46-year-old environmental engineer at Swamp, Inc., in Newington, New Hampshire, played for his father as a freshman and on the junior varsity at York. His dad was also on the bench as an assistant when Steve played for York’s varsity.

“We’ve had a lot of fun together,” said York’s Steve Freeman. “I’m looking at it as a great opportunity. There aren’t many fathers and sons who get this opportunity.”

The younger Steve Freeman said his father had a big impact on his decision to coach.

“He was playing or coaching for as long as I remember,” Freeman said of his dad. “I was a gym rat growing up. When he was the freshman coach, I was about 7 and I was at all the games, sitting on the bench.

“That played a big part in my love of the game.”

York graduated a good portion of its offense from a team that won the Class A state championship. Marshwood is an up-and-coming program that advanced to the Class A South quarterfinals last year.

“I know a lot of his kids,” said the dad. “I’ve watched him coach them from elementary school through junior high, and now. I think they’re going to do very well.”

The teams meet one other time, Jan. 25 at York.

PORTLAND BOYS’ coach Joe Russo jokingly asked if he could hand out his team’s 2016 championship rings at Friday’s opener.

Considering the game is at South Portland – the team the Bulldogs beat in a scintillating 52-50 double-overtime Class AA final – Russo knew that wouldn’t be good form. But both he and Red Riots Coach Kevin Millington are looking forward to Friday’s game, in part because it’s a chance to relive memories.

Russo said he still gets chills thinking about the state final in front of a near-capacity crowd at Cross Insurance Arena.

“We had that game won four times and we had that game lost four times,” Russo said.

Reaching the state final in Millington’s first season at South Portland had a positive carryover.

“It kind of gives me a little cache with the kids; all the kids were really, really excited and optimistic to get back into it, and that’s transitioned into some pretty hard-working kids in the (preseason),” Millington said.

Portland is atop the Portland Press Herald’s 10 Teams to Watch in southern Maine. South Portland is No. 6.

Both teams will be in a transitional stage Friday.

Portland’s style won’t be significantly different. The Bulldogs are still a quick, hard-nosed defensive team. But Russo said there is a big gap in terms of experience between his returning starters – Terion Moss at the point, forward Griffin Foley and center Charlie Lyall – and the rest of the team.

“Our challenge will be mixing those three returning starters with really inexperienced and young role player with very little varsity minutes,” Russo said. “They’re doing pretty good, but we’re making a lot of young mistakes.”

For South Portland, it’s more a matter of changing its style from a big, physical team to a quicker, faster-paced squad that still has a rim protector in 6-foot-5 senior Ruay Bol.

“It’s just a completely different game,” Millington said. “Last year we were really big and not very quick. This year, we’re as quick as anybody. We get up and down the court pretty easily and have a lot of guys in that 5-11 to 6-4 range.”

THE WESTBROOK BOYS didn’t crack the Press Herald’s 10 Teams to Watch, but that’s not a knock on the Blue Blazes, who looked like an improved club over the summer and preseason.

Despite graduating point guard Curtis Knapton and 6-foot-6 center and top rebounder Anderson Kavute, Westbrook has two significant reasons why it could improve after a 10-9 season that included a Class A South quarterfinal loss to eventual state champ Falmouth.

First, junior guard Zac Manoogian returns a year older and stronger after leading the team in scoring (12.8 ppg), and showing the ability to make 3-pointers and get to the foul line frequently.

Perhaps more importantly, Dan LeGage, in his second year as head coach, has had a full offseason working with his team.

“Last year I got hired after the summer, so everything was new to them,” said LeGage, a former Deering’s coach. “I was meeting a lot of kids for the first time at tryouts last year. Our first half of the season was like what a typical coach would do during the summer. The second half of the season, we hit our strides and won a bunch in a row.”

TRANSFER STUDENTS could improve the playoff chances of three girls’ teams in Class AA South.

Senior guard/forward Alisha Aube, a Maine Sunday Telegram All-State selection last winter at Westbrook, transfered to Thornton Academy. Junior guard Eva Mazur, regarded by many as the best defensive player in the SMAA, transfered from McAuley High (now Maine Girls’ Academy) to South Portland. And junior guard/forward Deirdre Sanborn transfered from Cheverus to Bonny Eagle.

Aube, who is 68 points away from 1,000 for her career, brings a scoring element to a team that traditionally is among the best defensive teams in the SMAA. “Everyone knows she can shoot the outside jumper,” said Thornton Coach Eric Marston, “but I’m most impressed by her midrange shot and inside game. Her footwork is excellent and she finishes well.”

Mazur joins an experienced and talented group at South Portland, making the Riots one of the teams to beat. “She’s big and athletic and can play almost anywhere,” said Coach Lynne Hasson. “We know she’s a great defender, but I’m surprised at how much she’s improved her offensive game. She’s a great passer and sees the court well.”

Bonny Eagle Coach Scott Regan said Sanborn “can be a difference maker. She’s a ridiculous athlete. People who don’t know who she was (last year) will know who she is (this year).”

CHEVERUS BOYS’ COACH Ryan Soucie said 6-5 junior forward Jesse Matthews is getting attention from NCAA Division II schools. Matthews averaged 12.0 points and 5.6 rebounds as a skinny sophomore, working in tandem with Jack Casale (16.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg).

“He can score the ball. He can shoot and drive,” Soucie said. “His athletic ability has improved substantially and he’s gotten stronger. He’s still kind of skinny, but he’s gotten stronger in the way he presents on the floor. Every drill we do, he’s not just laying the ball in, he’s dunking the basketball.”

PHIL CONLEY makes his debut as the Scarborough boys’ coach Saturday at Cheverus. Conley had a 108-51 record and won the 2013 Western Class A championship in eight years at South Portland. He resigned after the 2014-15 season when told he would not be rehired.

Conley replaces Tony Di- Biase at Scarborough. He also succeeded DiBiase at South Portland.

Copy the Story Link