Dillan Steele goes up for a rebound in the paint during a home game against Machias on December 15. By Jack Scott
Deer Isle— The girls basketball team beat Sumner handily 63-38 on December 13. We led easily 17-4 after the first quarter and cruised to the win from there on. The subs got plenty of playing time in the second half which is beneficial without a JV program. Rylee Eaton led us with 16 points, Lily Gray had 13, Kaylee Morey had 12, and Brittany Gray and Brienna Limeburner each had six.
The girls won a similar game against a weak Machias team 65-18 in the first home game of the season on December 15. After running up a 23-5 lead in the first quarter, Coach Randy Shepard backed off with multiple substitutions. In the fourth quarter, there were no starters on the floor. Everyone but one player scored at least a basket. Both Kaylee Morey and Lily Gray played the third quarter by mostly passing the ball for assists. Lily Gray had 18 points, Rylee Eaton had six, Kaylee Morey had five, and five different players had four points.
The girls are 4-0 on top of Class D, though Heal Points have little significance early in the season. We have a couple challenging games before the new year which will make us work harder. We need to be battle tested and perform well if we are to be a true top contender. The problem with playing weaker teams is that you can get away with sloppy play. This team has loads of talent and is motivated, so we just need to stay focused.
The boys basketball team lost a forgettable game to George Stevens 75-27 on December 11. We scored only eight points in the first half and got buried. Myles Brown had 10 points, Tobey Snow had six, and Nathan Thompson had five.
The boys lost to Sumner 70-39 on December 13. We started out close, trailing only 12-11 after the first quarter, but lost ground quickly to trail 31-21 at the half. We couldn’t manufacture enough offense in the second half and fell further behind. Myles Brown led us with 15, Coleman Brown had 10, Zach Billings had six, and Nathan Thompson had five.
The boys gave the fans an early Christmas present, beating Machias 53-45 at home on December 15. We survived a dismal first quarter with many turnovers, forcing passes on offense, and trailed 15-3. We came to life in the second quarter, helped by Coleman Brown’s 12 points to trail 25-24 at the half.
We traded baskets in the third period and were tied at 45 with 2:45 left in the last quarter. Myles Brown dropped in a three pointer and Coleman Brown put back an offensive rebound to put us up by five. Tobey Snow grabbed a defensive rebound with 30 seconds left and Myles Brown iced it with two foul shots with 15 seconds left.
This was a big win for us and a statement game for Coleman Brown who led us with 20 points, but also a lot of rebounds and blocks against a taller Machias team. Myles Brown, Nathan Thompson, and Tobey Snow each had nine points. This was the confidence builder we needed. After falling in a hole, you could see the belief in our eyes as we matched Machias in intensity.
The boys are 1-2 but the win over Machias was huge in Heal Points. I feel it was even more huge in confidence. This is only one win, but we see what we can do with the young crew that we have. It was a team win with everyone contributing and Coach Don Allen rotated in a lot of players to keep our energy high. If we can maintain this intensity, I think we will surprise a lot of teams.
Kaley Eaton makes her way through the paint to put in two points during a home game against Machias on December 15. By Jack Scott