BANGOR – Some nights, the shots just do not fall, and in the case of the George Stevens Academy Eagles, that scenario came at an inopportune time.
The Eagles struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the Class C North regional final, losing to Houlton 54-34 at the Cross Insurance Center in the team’s first postseason loss since the 2015 season.
The George Stevens Academy Eagles are 2019 Class C North runner ups after falling to Houlton 54-34 on February 23 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Photos by Anne Berleant
“[Houlton] shot extremely well, they made every pass extremely tough,” said head coach Dwayne Carter. “They were relentless on the boards. Tonight just wasn’t our night.”
The three-time defending Class C state champions only managed eight points in the first quarter, and 15 in the first half, as Houlton rallied to a 10 point, 25-15 lead in the first 16 minutes of the game. The Shires stretched that lead to 15 in the third quarter, outscoring GSA 15-10 to hold a 40-24 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Senior Tanner Ashley moves the ball up court.
Despite a handful of short runs in the fourth, the Eagles were not able to battle back, and Houlton took its first regional finals win since the 2014 season. Combined, the two teams have won four state championships between 2014 and 2018.
“We have averaged 60 points a game all season, so that just says how difficult they made it for us on defense,” said Carter.
Isaac Wardwell snakes through the Houlton defense.
After a comeback overtime win the day before against Mattanawcook Academy in the semifinals, the Eagles were not able to find that magic for a second straight night.
“Yesterday, I thought we had better shot selection,” said Carter. “We tried a bunch of different sets to try and get ourselves going, but we just couldn’t find any flow.”
Caden Mattson closes in at the rim.
Since the state championship season in 2016, the Eagles have gone 82-6 over the last four years, a run that Carter contributes to his players.
“I’ve had [Dannenburg] and Percy [Zentz] since their freshmen years, they’re a huge part of why we have that record,” he said.
Senior Isaac Wardwell led the Eagles in scoring with 12 points, senior Reece Dannenburg had five in the Eagles final game of the season.
Andrew Szwez shoots from the key.
Reece Dannenberg takes a shot.