SOUTH PORTLAND — The faces definitely will look different.
But Gabe Galarraga, the one returning starter, says the expectations are the same for the South Portland High boys’ basketball team.
“It’s the same expectation. We want to make it as far as we can,” said Galarraga, a powerful 6-foot-6 forward with outside shooting ability.
South Portland is the two-time defending Class AA state champion. Galarraga was a key contributor on both teams. But this year, he and junior guard Manuel “Manny” Hidalgo are the only players back who saw any significant time in the postseason.
“We’ll have to reinvent ourselves again,” said South Portland Coach Kevin Millington.
The Red Riots have done that better than any other team in the large-school Class AA since Maine went to a five-class system in 2015-16, which was also Millington’s first year at South Portland.
The Red Riots reached the regional final in six of the seven AA seasons, winning regional titles four times. Last season’s 52-42 championship victory came against longtime rival Portland. Portland has been to three AA finals, beating South Portland in the first two in 2016 and 2017.
Millington is 123-35 at South Portland, including an 8-2 mark in the pandemic-abbreviated 2020-21 season.
“Every year I’ve been here since my freshman year every practice is intense. You’re playing just as hard or harder than in a game,” Galarraga said. “We really get after it at practice and expectation is we’re going to bust our ass on defense, we’re going to talk, we’re going to move the ball well and be unselfish and play a good brand of basketball.”
Tuesday was the second day of practice for most winter sports teams in Maine. Across the state that meant basketball players were still in tryouts, with players trying to earn their spots on the varsity and junior varsity squads.
South Portland also had to replace key players a year ago after winning the school’s first state title in 30 years. Gone from the 2021-22 team were 6-foot-11 JP Estrella, who transferred to Brewster Academy after committing to the University of Tennessee where he’s now a freshman, and all-around glue guy and scorer Owen Maloney.
But the Red Riots still returned a Varsity Maine All-State selection in Jaelen Jackson at guard, Galarraga to help inside and out, and veteran guards with playoff experience in Jayden Kim, Ben Smith and Joey Hanlon.
This year the only varsity players back are Galarraga, Hidalgo and Tom Maloji, who played sparingly. Senior Chris Keene and junior Carmine Soucy, two good outside shooters, were postseason additions to the roster. The Red Riots could have had a core foursome back, but Kim transferred to Kent’s Hill and Nafees Padgett moved on to Tilton Academy in New Hampshire. Kim would have been the Red Riots’ primary ballhandler, a role he increasingly took last year, and Millington said Padgett likely would have been the team’s leading scorer.
“We think we can still put five guys out there at all times that will make us pretty competitive in probably one of the more competitive leagues and certainly the toughest schedule I’ve ever had since I’ve been here,” Millington said.
Millington said the schedule is tougher for several reasons. Massabesic (0-18 in 2022-23) has moved from AA South to Class A, along with Noble (7-11). Deering has shifted from AA North to AA South to make two seven-team regions.
“In the South every team is good. So right there that’s 12 games that are competitive and then our crossovers, we’ve got Portland twice and they’re very good,” Millington said. “Then we have Falmouth, Noble who is really good, Edward Little who is always good, and Cheverus so we just have no weaknesses on our schedule.”
That means both the few returners and the newcomers will have to take on bigger roles and possible new ones.
“With each year you take a bigger step,” Galarraga said. “Now that I’m a senior I’m going to have to vocalize a lot and make sure all my guys are good.”
The 5-foot-7 Hidalgo said he’s ready to do more.
“It will change a bit. Now I’m more of a primary scorer,” Hidalgo said. “Still keeping the tempo up high and just more like a leader now. I have to step up into the role more.”
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