Boys’ basketball and ice hockey players share a similar vantage point
Messalonskee boys’ basketball and ice hockey players share a similar vantage point at this stage of the regular season: each team stands atop the Heal Point standings in its respective division.
With an 11-2 record, the basketball team is ranked No. 1 in Class A North, while the hockey team at 7-2 is the No. 1 seed in Class B North.
Given that the hockey team finished the regular season as the Class B North leader, the current success is not surprising. The Eagles went into the season as one of the expected title contenders.
The same is true of the basketball team. Last season the team went into the playoffs ranked third in its division with a 14-4 record.
Still, to have two teams, whatever their pedigree, from the same school and gender both being No. 1 in their respective divisions is an impressive accomplishment.
“It is pretty uncommon,” Messalonskee athletic director Chad Foye said. “It is not something you see very often.”
Foye said both teams benefit from strong contingents of upperclassmen.
“For varsity teams if you have strong junior and senior classes that helps,” he said, “because they are usually more mature both physically and mentally.”
What remains to be seen is how high the teams ascend once the regular season ends and the postseason begins.
On the basketball court, the Eagles nearly reached the state final game last winter, falling by a single point against Hampden Academy in the regional championship.
For the hockey team, the playoffs proved more humbling last season. The Eagles were upset by eighth-ranked Old Town 3-1 in the opening round although Foye pointed out that Messalonskee dominated the game in every respect except the scoreboard.
So the postseason storylines are different for the two Messalonskee teams. The question for the hoopsters is can they take the next step and capture a regional and possibly state title.
The question for the icemen is can they atone for the disappointment of last winter’s early ouster from the playoffs.
For the basketball team, the answer will come sooner given the Class A boys’ tournament is scheduled to start Feb. 15 at the Augusta Civic Center.
The quarterfinals of the Class B North hockey tournament is not slated to begin until Feb. 25, meaning the final answer on the hockey team’s fate might not be known until the state title game on March 8.