When Brunswick senior Evan Kilfoil looks back on his high school basketball career, there will be too many memories to count. The same goes for Freeport senior Rachel Wall, who’s played valuable varsity minutes since her freshman year. The two seniors were recently named to the Maine McDonald’s Basketball Senior All-Star roster in their respective conferences.

“It’s truly an honor to be named with some of these other great players and to be recognized for my achievements,” said Kilfoil. “It’s just awesome. It’s nice to put Brunswick back in the conversation. I think I’m the first boys player in five years.”

Indeed, Kilfoil became the first Brunswick boys basketball player to be named a McDonald’s All-Star team since Thomas Hanson was selected in 2016. 

Wall was equally ecstatic, and reflective. 

“I just think about how far I’ve come since my freshmen season, it’s really crazy to look back on it,” she said. “It’s fulfilling to see my hard work pay off and utilize the tremendous skills that I have gained.”

Wall became a starter during her sophomore season. This year, she found herself switching up the style of her game to prepare herself for what’s to come.

“I’ve strictly been a post player my whole career, but I wanted to challenge myself this year to expand my game and prepare for next season,” said Wall, who will play soccer and basketball at Covenant Collegecin Georgia. “I’m going to be playing guard in college, so I used this unique season to my advantage to adapt to the perimeter game and improve my outside shot.”

Kilfoil also started playing varsity during his sophomore season, even starting a few games. He became a regular starter during his junior season, and knew he would be taking on a leadership role this season.

“I went into the season wanting to be ‘the guy’ that leads and people on the team can look up to,” said Kilfoil.

Brunswick coach Todd Hanson said he got to know Kilfoil long before he started high school. 

“I remember when he came to my summer ball clinic, I think he was just in third or fourth grade at the time,” said Hanson. “Even then you could see the passion he had for the game. It’s players like him who make coaching so rewarding, and I am really going to miss him next season.”

While their final high school season was significantly modified, both Kilfoil and Wall will remember all they had to go through.

“It’s been a crazy ride when I look back on my career, from our first team success freshman year to my knee injury, to the adversity we dealt with this year, I wouldn’t have asked for any other school to do it with,” said Kilfoil.

Added Wall: “None of us had played long stretches of minutes with each other before this season. We found our rhythm and bounced back to finish the season strong, and I’m so proud of the work that everyone put into this season.”

Kilfoil remains undecided on his plans for next year, but said he has received calls from a handful of Division III schools about playing basketball. 

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