Is the rest of the Eastern Class B field playing just to see who gets to be runner-up to undefeated Camden Hills?
That’s debatable, but the other seven coaches agree that the undefeated Windjammers are the clear-cut tourney favorite.
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“Anybody who thinks of telling you otherwise is crazy,” Presque Isle coach Tim Prescott said.
Added Nokomis coach Carl Parker: “If I was forced to bet, I’d bet on Camden and feel pretty good.”
Parker also pointed out that the tournament is by no means a formality the Windjammers must endure before the state game.
“Like anything, if there’s a couple breaks, or foul trouble, or somebody plays well, (Camden) can lose,” Parker said. “They’re still just high school kids.”
Prescott’s Wildcats, the No. 3 seed, are 17-1, and take on No. 6 Gardiner (13-5) in the tournament’s first game at 8 tonight at the Bangor Auditorium. On Saturday, No. 10 Nokomis (12-7) takes on No. 2 Ellsworth (18-0) at 9:05 a.m. No. 5 Winslow (15-3) faces No. 4 Medomak Valley (14-4) at 1:35 p.m., and No. 8 Caribou (13-6) plays No. 1 Camden Hills (18-0) at 4:30 p.m.
Gardiner is in the regional quarterfinals for the first time since 2007, when the Tigers played in Class A.
“It’s been a while since we’ve been up to Bangor,” Gardiner coach Jason Cassidy said. “Our kids just play hard. They accomplished some of our goals, and we reevaluate, and we’ll try to get Presque Isle now. They’re just playing hard. It’s a new experience, the postseason play. They just want to play.”
Aaron Toman, a 6-foot-3 junior center, leads the Tigers with 12.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Guard Mike Trahan finished second in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference with 5.6 assists per game.
“They’re obviously a pretty capable team,” Prescott said. “We’re looking forward to a very close game.”
The Wildcats are led by the frontcourt of 6-5 Alex Tuttle and 6-3 Oliver Zubrick, who combined average 26 points and 13 rebounds per game. Point guard Travis Dyer is a strong outside shooter, averaging just over 15 points per game.
“Tuttle can really get it done (in the post), and Zubrick can. They’re tough,” Cassidy said.
Nokomis is making its first appearance in the regional quarterfinals since 2003, when the Warriors reached the Eastern A semifinals. Junior Chris Braley leads a Warriors team that has no seniors.
“The kids worked very hard. They really became much, much better in regards to the mental focus of the game,” Parker said.
Braley averages 24.3 points and 12.4 rebounds per game, and is dangerous in the post or on the perimeter. Ethan Pearl averages 3.2 assists for the Warriors.
Nokomis needs to try to slow down Ellsworth’s uptempo game. The Eagles, led by Andrew Austin and Cote Card, like to run.
“Those kids have played together a long time,” Parker said of Ellsworth. “They’re an uptempo team. It’s really important for us to space the floor well.”
The only rematch of a regular-season game features Winslow and Medomak Valley. On Jan. 14, Medomak earned a 47-40 win at Winslow. The Panthers are led by sophomore center John Murray (15.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg) and junior guard Alex Greenrose (2.4 steals per game).
“They’re tough to defend inside. They can shoot the three, and they do a nice job attacking the basket,” Winslow coach Scott Wood said.
The Black Raiders have won seven games in a row, and are led by senior post player Mike McCann, who averages 17.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Guard Justin Murray is another scoring threat for Winslow.
Senior guard Matt Till leads Caribou with 11.7 points per game, and the Vikings will have their hands full with Camden. Tyler McFarland (24.6 ppg, 12.1 rpg) is arguably the best player in the state, while Keegan Pieri (16.6 ppg) and Joel Gabrielle (2.9 apg) also are strong players for the Windjammers.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com
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