AUGUSTA — There was a sense of normalcy all week.
“We came out Wednesday and it felt like a practice,” senior forward Blayke Morin said. “We practiced like it was tournament time. I didn’t think it would be like that. Then we kept going and the next day, it felt even better. Saturday, we came out and were just feeling it. It was amazing.”
The Lakers are hoping to juggle that normalcy with the biggest game of their lives Saturday when they face Shead High School in the Class D state championship game at the Civic Center at 1 p.m.
The Lakers have been so intent on the state game this winter that the regional title game last weekend felt like a means to this Saturday’s end.
“We were going in there like it was a normal game,” Morin said. “So we won it like it was like winning a normal game. It didn’t really feel like winning a championship.”
The Lakers are relatively young, with just two seniors, but Rangeley has plenty of motivation, especially after last year’s 60-54 loss to Washburn, which claimed its fifth straight state title. Rangeley hasn’t won a state title since 2004.
“Being a senior, it makes it even more special,” guard Maddison Egan said. “It’s my last year and winning Southern Maine’s and we’re going on to the states again.”
Taylor Esty scored 30 for the Lakers last season, but Mackenzie Worcester scored a Class D state record 37 points and reached the 2,000-point milestone in the win for Washburn. Though Rangeley won’t face a team with the kind of championship experience that Washburn had, Shead could still be one of the toughest foes the Lakers have seen this season.
The Tigers, which haven’t been in the state game since 1999, have size. Third-seeded Shead (15-6) outrebounded Central Aroostook in the regional final 44-24. The Tigers also play a solid zone defense, allowing just 31 points per game in the tourney.
Sophomore guard Cierra Seely had 14 points and five rebounds in the championship win and was the D North tourney’s MVP. Sophomore forward Cassidy Wilder had 11 points and 12 rebounds while junior guard Katelyn Mitchell had six points and 11 rebounds.
Rangeley counters with its share of size and a formidable defense. Morin (18 ppg, 8 rpg, 5 apg, 5 spg), junior Celia Philbrick and sophomore Sydney Royce (10 ppg, 6 rpg, 5 spg) are strong inside while Morin also poses a matchup problem outside. She can move away from the basket and shoot or pass off to open players.
“Blayke facing the basket at the foul line is dangerous,” Rangeley coach Heidi Deery said. (Against Vinalhaven), we told her to run a play where she was at the foul line and she faced the hoop and she decides where she’s going.”
Morin finished with a career-high 34 in that game and was unstoppable for the Vikings defense, especially after Vinalhaven’ starting forward got into foul trouble.
The Lakers also have guards Natasha Haley (8 ppg, 5 rpg, 4, spg) and Egan (10 ppg) who can create and drive to the basket. The Lakers also have a deep bench. Eighth-grader Amelia McMillan (8 ppg, 5 rpb, 4 spg) and freshman Brooke Egan lead a group that has subbed in effectively.
“We have three eighth-graders and five freshmen,” Egan said. “They all work hard in practice. They’re the reason why we’re here right now because they push us hard in practice.”
Rangeley also has a stifling defense. The Lakers averaged just 26 points against during the regular season and outscored opponents by 28.6 points. Rangeley hit all three opponents in the Class D South tourney with a smothering press that gave the Lakers the lead early. When Rangeley had to readjust against Vinalhaven, the Lakers maintained their defensive intensity in the halfcourt and held the Vikings to just 33 points.
“We love to press,” said Deery, whose team jumped out to a 21-2 lead in the first quarter against Vinalhaven. “That’s what we do. We press every game. We didn’t want to get away from that (against Vinalhaven), but once we started to struggle, I felt like we needed to go to our halfcourt and try to step them and force them to run offense.”
Between the press and an intense defense and a balanced offense, the Lakers will make for a challenging team for the Tigers to match. None of the teams in the D South were able to solve the Rangeley defense or nullify the numerous offensive options.
“There was a lot of variety,” Morin said. “They had to pick what they wanted to do. Whatever they picked, we went around it.”
After opening the season with a loss to Richmond, the Lakers have won 20 straight. There were stumbling blocks for a team with just three upperclassmen, but the Lakers remained focused on improving. They shrugged off the high expectations and pressures to repeat.
“We just decided that we were going to be positive and support each other on the court and in practice,” Deery said. “It was my job to get after kids and everyone else was going to be positive and it worked for us.”
kmills@sunjournal.com
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