WESTERN C BOYS BASKETBALL: Playing smart key for Hall-Dale

WESTERN C BOYS BASKETBALL

WESTERN C BOYS BASKETBALL: Playing smart key for Hall-Dale

Hall-Dale draws rematch with No. 1 Dirigo

By Gary Hawkins ghawkins@centralmaine.comStaff Writer

Based on regular season results there are two obvious favorites in tonight’s Western Maine Class C semifinal games.

Top-seeded Dirigo beat No. 4 Hall-Dale 73-41 in their regular season meeting while No. 2 Waynflete downed No. 6 Old Orchard Beach twice.

Both underdogs played well in quarterfinal games. Hall-Dale beat No. 5 Madison 74-68 and Old Orchard dominated No. 3 Boothbay 78-48.

«I expect a very different Hall-Dale team,» Dirigo coach Travis Magnusson said. «When they shoot the ball well they’re very dangerous.»

The Bulldogs shot well against Madison, led by 6-foot-5 center Sam Shepherd, who made five 3-pointers and scored 23 points. Mike Woods and Austin Bechard also played well in the quarterfinal game, but the key to Hall-Dale success will be handling Dirigo’s pressure defense.

«I would definitely expect to see some press,» Hall-Dale coach Jim Patrick said. «They’re very quick. We’ve got to make smart decisions with the basketball.»

Dirigo has the Mountain Valley Conference Player of the Year in 6-4 center Cody St. Germain, who averaged 20 points and nine rebounds a game. Patrick plans to put the shot-blocking Shepherd on him.

«I think that’s going to be the showcase of the night, seeing that matchup,» he said. «A person very good offensively in the paint against a person very good defensively in the paint.»

Both teams have a number of other weapons. Hall-Dale goes nine deep and has a strong rebounder in Brad Shepherd. The Cougars counter with first team MVC selection Ben Holmes along with three quick guards in Caleb Turner, Josh Turbide and Travis Frost.

Dirigo finished at 17-1, losing its last game of the regular season to Class B Spruce Mountain, a loss they avenged in the conference championship game.

«I think that was a big thing for us,» Magnusson said. «We were kind of getting a little complacent in practice. I thing the focus has been a little better for it.»

Waynflete beat Old Orchard Beach 53-36 in the first game of the season and 54-41 later in the year, but played well against Boothbay.

«They had some contributions from more kids than we had seen from them in the regular season,» Waynflete coach Rich Henry said. «Quincy Grace gave Boothbay some problems down low.»

Henry’s Flyers are deep, with eight players averaging between six and nine points a game. They have size and outside shooters.

«(Old Orchard had success against Boothbay in playing zone,» Henry said. «I would expect to see some zone and pressure on the perimeter.»

Gary Hawkins — 621-5638

ghawkins@centralmaine.com

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