By: Thomas Curtis

AA North: Portland, Cheverus, Oxford Hills, Lewiston, Edward Little, Windham, Bangor.

AA South: South Portland, Thornton Academy, Gorham, Bonny Eagle, Scarborough, Sanford, Deering.

First, let’s look at the new classifications. These are effective through 2025. Nobody is taking the challenge and moving up, but Noble and Massabesic decided to move down to A South. For Noble, I don’t love the move. Jamier Rose and Bryce Guitard are about to take a big step and their supporting cast is strong. I would liked to have seen what kind of noise they might have made in AA South. As for Massabesic, they went winless last year. It’s probably a good thing that they dropped down, at least they’ll have a better chance against some smaller schools. In the North, Hampden Academy dropped to A, making it an even seven teams in both divisions. Deering made the in-class move from North to South to make it seven teams on both sides. That’s all for the changes, so we’re down to 14 programs in Class AA.

Now for the rankings.

1. Portland Bulldogs, AA North

Coming off a 2022–23 State championship appearance, the Bulldogs returned a good amount of talent despite the losses of Remijo Wani and Pitia Donato. Pepito Girumugisha, Jeissy Khamis, and Kevin Rugibirwa all had strong junior seasons where they contributed in their own ways. Khamis was a force in the paint down the stretch, Rugibirwa’s shooting was key, and Girumugisha played excellent defense off the bench. Sophomore Cordell Jones, who transferred from Gorham this summer, has the athleticism to provide assistance immediately. Portland should make another run this season.

2. Thornton Academy Golden Trojans, AA South

Some might think that since they’re losing 2022–23 Mr. Maine Basketball (Will Davies), Braeden Camire, and Aleesio Marcus from last year they’re going to fall off. Despite the losses, Thornton is always ready to reload. Juniors Wyatt Benoit and Trey Eldred specifically will try to pick up the bulk of the scoring, and people around Thornton like senior forward Josh Ney to breakout both on the offensive and defensive end of the floor. You can never count Thornton out, they’re a perennial contender.

3. Gorham Rams, AA South

With 2+ years of varsity experience for Ashton Leclerc, Caden Smith, and Gabe Michaud, there are no more excuses. A pair of first round exits in the last two years were less than ideal, but there was always their senior season to really make a run. With a core of these three seniors, junior big man Griffin Gammon, and shooters all over the place, this should be the year. Former Gray-New Gloucester head coach Ryan Deschenes will replace Mark Karter on the sidelines, so a change in the voice telling them what to do might be the piece that pushes this squad over the top. They have quality regular season wins, but they’ve got to get over the postseason hump this year.

4. South Portland Red Riots, AA South

The defending Class AA state champions should probably be a little bit higher on this list, but I don’t trust the returning players on this roster compared to what they lost. From last year’s starting lineup, the only player coming back is senior big man Gabe Galarraga. They lost Jaelen Jackson and Ben Smith to graduation, while Jayden Kim and Nafees Padget transferred to private schools. Coach Kevin Millington is going to have to lean on Galarraga and incoming junior guard Manny Hidalgo to try and three-peat.

5. Scarborough Red Storm, AA South

The Storm entered last season’s playoffs with a 6–12 record and as a heavy underdog to third seeded Gorham, but upset the Rams in the quarterfinals at their home court. The architect of that victory, D’Angelo Alston, has graduated, but his predecessors remain. Nate Glidden, the hero at the end of that game, will look to keep that momentum into his senior season alongside the star Liam Garriepy. And to go along with those two, 6’9 sophomore center Spencer Booth will provide a similar presence that Alston did last season. Don’t be surprised when Scarborough starts hot this season.

6. Cheverus Stags, AA North

Cheverus is another team with its own three headed monster in the backcourt. Leo Mcnabbe, Sammy Nzeyimana, and Gio St. Onge all do their own specific things well (score, facilitate, defend in that order). Last year the three sort of took a backseat to the 25.6 PPG one man show that was Silvano Ismail. If the guards can pick up the scoring slack, Maddik Weisburg will look to build on his 5 rebounds per game his junior year. They also transferred in forward Rocco Depatsy from Falmouth who is looking to break out down low. As a Stags fan the biggest thing you need to see is if the backcourt can produce as much as they’re projected to.

7. Deering Rams, AA South

Headlined by junior guard Evan Legassey, these aren’t the Rams that you saw in 2022-’23. Legassey will be the leader in the scorebook for Deering but the whole team likes to get out in transition, score quickly, and play full court press most of the game. With a plethora of fast guards that rotate well together, they won’t get tired. Justin Jamal and Trip Marston both scored north of 8 points per game last year, and 6’4’’ David Otti should be good inside. Deering won’t be an easy game for anybody in AA.

8. Lewiston Blue Devils, AA North

Lewiston’s offseason was headlined by the departure of 2025 guard Yusuf Dakane as he transferred to Pomfret School in Connecticut. He leaves Caden Boone, a fellow combo guard, along with multiple other athletes who can create off the dribble. The Blue Devils lack a pure big man, which will prove to be a problem against Cheverus or Portland who have the size advantage.

9. Windham Eagles, AA North

Windham retained a talented back court with athletic players such as AJ Moody, Creighty Dickson, and Quinton Lindsay from last year, where all three got a ton of varsity run. If teams don’t have three guards that can stay in front of these guys, one will take advantage. Windham’s offense won’t be an issue, but there are questions about their interior defense. When they faced South Portland in a preseason matchup, they struggled to contain Gabe Galarraga inside. They just don’t hold the size advantage against many teams.

10. Edward Little Red Eddies, AA North

The Red Eddies return a dynamic duo in the backcourt of Eli St. Lauren (14.5 PPG)and Marshall Adams (12.1 PPG), both of whom were top 10 in scoring in AA North last season. St. Laurent was fourth in all of AA with 4.5 assists per night, with Adams not far behind with 3.6 APG. I’m not worried about the stars because Edward Little has a great duo, but the returning depth worries me. Landon Cougle and Tudum Monday graduated last year after leading the team in rebounds per game, so there’s a void to fill down low for Edward Little. If they can replace those two, the Red Eddies have a solid roster to be competitive in AA South.

11. Sanford Spartans, AA South

The Spartans will go as far as their two top seniors Tanner McCann and Makai Bougie go. Bougie finished his junior season at 14.1 PPG, while McCann had 8.8. McCann’s strength is behind the arc, at 38% from distance last season. Bougie isn’t scared to rebound down low, as he was tied for 4th in AA South last season with 6.8 rebounds per game. The two will have to do a majority of the work, but if they step up and handle the workload, Sanford could pose a problem in AA South.

12. Oxford Hills Vikings, AA North

Oxford Hills was a win away from the State Championship last year, but lost almost every contributor to that team in the offseason. Seniors Cole Pulkkinen, Tanner Bickford, Elias Soehren, and Holden Shaw made up a little over 80% of the Vikings points per game last season. To add insult to injury, class of ’24 forward and Mr. Maine Basketball candidate Teigan Pellitier transferred to a private school over the summer. After that, it’s Jake Carson (2.7 PPG) and a bunch of newcomers to Varsity basketball. I have a tough time seeing success for Oxford Hills this season.

13. Bonny Eagle Scots, AA South

The Scots lost one of the strongest senior classes in the state after last season, one that included Elliot Bouchard (13.4 PPG, 13 RPG), Hayden Campbell, and Dom Gordon. Another hit they took was losing junior CJ Cooper to a knee injury he suffered during the football season that most likely keeps him sidelined for the entire ‘23-’24 campaign. Terrell Edwards will have to have a Silvano Ismail type season to keep Bonny Eagle in contention this season.

14. Bangor Rams, AA North

Bangor ended last year with a record of 2–17. Their -376 point differential was second to last in AA, only in front of winless Massabesic. I don’t project Bangor to breakout this season and make a run in the AA tournament, but with a year of losing behind them I would expect a short bound to four or five wins.

By: Andre Dube

Caden Smith-#22. Senior Captain. Forward/Guard.

Caden’s 3rd year as a starter for the Rams and 4th year on the Varsity squad, Caden is a shifty wing who doesn’t mind bringing the ball up, calling plays and leading the offense. An underrated rebounder who puts his body on the line. When it comes to defense, Caden can guard positions 1-5 with not much of a struggle. Caden is looking to have a big senior year with the Rams after missing almost all of his senior football season with a knee injury.

Ashton LeClerc - #35. Senior Captain. Guard.

 This will be Ashton’s 3rd year starting as a guard, and 4th year on the team playing in some games as a freshman during the covid season. As a sophomore, Ashton was the team's primary ball handler. Throughout his junior and so far into his senior year he has still taken the role of being the 1/point guard; he just doesn’t bring the ball up. Ashton will be the guy the Rams rely on to make big shots during the crunch time. While also being a leader on a team that won’t have the most experience in the SMAA.

Gabe Michaud - #14. Senior Captain. Guard.

Gabe’s 3rd year starting for the Rams and his 4th year on the team. Throughout his junior year and some games during his sophomore year, Gabe took on the role of guarding the other teams best guards, sometimes even switching on to the other teams big men. A very shifty and quick guard who likes to get to the rim and isn’t afraid to step out and shoot from long range. Gabe likes to play physical and picks up the other teams point guard usually full court all game. 

Taylor Farr - #33. Senior. Center,.

 Taylor’s 2nd year on Varsity. Taylor played basketball in middle school then decided to take a break freshman year. He came back sophomore year as the manager and after sitting through games on the bench he decided he wanted to help and contribute to the team. A 6 '3 center who will rebound the ball and post up when needed will look to make a strong presence off of the bench this year for the Rams. 

Jesse James - #25. Senior. Forward.

 Jesse’s 2nd year on Varsity. Jesse is a strong shooter which is a must on a team in the SMAA. While not getting in a ton of games last year, Jesse will be someone who gets the bench going and will be ready to prove himself and put in good minutes coming off the bench this year.

Haden Pelletier - #31. Senior. Forward.

 Haden’s 1st year on Varsity. Haden played basketball his first 2 years of high school playing on the 1st team and the JV team. He took a break junior year then decided to lace up the shoes for one more year. Haden is a big man who likes to get physical and do the dirty work. Offensively he is more of a pick and pop big man. Setting a screen popping out for a mid range shot. Haden is another player who will be ready to come off the bench when his number is called.

Izak Young - #11. Senior. Guard. 

Izak’s first year on Varsity. Izak played on the JV squad for 2 years and now as a senior he looks to come off the bench and defend for this Rams squad. A football player who was a captain his senior year, he is a good leader and keeps everyone in check throughout the game. Izak is a scrappy quick guard with a very high defensive IQ. He likes to take it to the rack and is not afraid to play through contact. Izak is coming off a football season where he only got to play in 5 games due to a AC sprain on his right shoulder.

Jack Karlonas - #23, Junior. Forward.

 Jack’s 2nd year on Varsity, 1st year starter. Jack made the Varsity team as a sophomore last year and with only one starter leaving and 5 key bench players leaving, Jack will fill into that starting spot. A physical 6 '2 forward with a filled out frame, Jack looks to take it to the rim first but will also spot up in the corner and knock down shots. Coming off an All-Conference baseball and football season, Jack’s looking to have a breakout season for the Rams.

Griffin Gammon - #45, Junior. Center/Forward.

Griffin’s 2nd varsity season and his 2nd year starting. Griffin is a 6’5 center who is lengthy, helping him block shots and create more chances at the rim. Last year, Griffin came off the bench for the first 7 games then Mark Karter moved him into the starting lineup, and it came with a big impact for the Rams. Being 6'4 with long arms, Griffin looks to have a big season with monstrous dunks on the court and blocked shots, with also a big season on the track as he is an all-state high jumper and a New England Champion.

Jeffery Legere - #43, Junior. Forward/Center.

Jeffrey’s 1st season on varsity, with the last 2 being on the first team and JV. Jeffrey stood around 6’1 last season. Now coming into his junior year he is 6’4 and bouncy. Jeffrey easily throws down now. Jeffrey looks to contribute to the team if they play a team with multiple big men. Jeffrey likes to get physical and look at the rim when he gets the ball in the post. 

Atticus Whitten - #0, Sophomore. Guard.

Atticus is only a sophomore giving him room to grow. It is his first year on the Varsity team but he looks to have a big season being the first guard to come off the bench. A 5’11 guard will do anything it takes for the team. He can knock down a shot, drive to the rim, and will be the first one to step in and take a charge for the team. Atticus is also coming off his second year of Varsity Football and was All-Conference.

Colton Jewett - #2. Freshman. Guard.

This marks the 4th straight season a freshman has made the Varsity team here at Gorham. Colton stands around 6 feet and will be able to bring the ball up for the Rams. He is the only left handed player on the team and likes to drive to his left when he has the ball. He will be one of the smallest on the team and while only being a Freshman he will have to make the adjustment from 8th grade ball to High School ball playing with kids bigger, stronger and faster.

By: Thomas Curtis

Looking to bounce back from a loss Friday, Gorham meets Noble tonight in South Portland.

The Gorham Rams, fresh off a 76–61 loss last night to the Portland Bulldogs, match up with the Noble Knights tonight at 6:45 p.m.

The Knights, who beat Skowhegan by a score of 75–61, enter the year with high hopes mostly driven by a talented junior class. Jamier Rose and Bryce Guitard combine to be one of the state’s premier back courts, both can score with ease and Rose is a first class facilitator at the point guard.

Gorham played Portland hard Friday night, although they faded hard in both halves. That’s most likely attributed to their lack of depth without juniors Griffin Gammon and Jack Karlonas, who sat due to injury.

Ashton Leclerc led the scoring with 17 while Caden Smith and Gabe Michaud trailed him at 14 and 13, respectively.

If Gammon doesn’t play again tonight, Gorham will have to be disciplined in the paint to not foul either Isaiah Conary or Andrew Marzoli too much because Taylor Farr and Jeffrey Legere are the only pure big men behind Gammon.

Tonight will showcase a matchup between two of the top backcourts in Maine, and it should be fun to watch Rose and Guitard go back and forth with Leclerc, Michaud, and Smith.

I’ll have updates from South Portland X at @ThomasCurtisGHS.

By: Thomas Curtis

The 2023 Yankee Ford Tipoff tournament held in South Portland this weekend is a great way for teams to get preseason experience and scout teams that they might see later in the season.

The Gorham Rams take on the Portland Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. This begins the final high school campaign for Gorham seniors Ashton Leclerc, Caden Smith, and Gabe Michaud. Smith and Michaud have started for the varsity team for the last three years, and Leclerc for all four. Their final shot at their goal of a state championship starts tonight.

A new face is at the helm for the Rams, former Gray New-Gloucester head coach Ryan Deschenes. Deschenes replaces Maine Basketball Hall of Famer Mark Karter.

Portland, fresh off a state title appearance, is looking to return to the big stage. They lost Remi Wani and Kennedy Charles in the offseason, but transferred in sophomore guard Cordell Jones from Gorham.

Jones spent his freshman year with the Rams, mostly as a reserve until late in the season where he carved out a role on the bench. He rebounded well and finished around the rim skillfully but never got to be ball dominant in their system, obviously. It will be interesting to see how he plays against his former team.

Otherwise, Portland will rely on guard Pepito Girumugisha and big man Jeissy to score on the offensive side of the ball.

Injury-wise: Junior forward Jack Karlonas will not play tonight after sustaining an ankle injury last night at practice. He’s not in danger of missing the regular season opener, however.

I’ll have updates from the game on Twitter, or “X” at @ThomasCurtisGHS

By: Thomas Curtis

PORTLAND - Coming into the AA South tournament, the Gorham girls (12-9) were seeded 3rd in their region. The first two seeds went to Thornton Academy and Sanford, who the Rams subsequently beat after they blew out Bonny Eagle in the quarterfinal, 48-31. 

"We just had to take it game by game" junior forward Summer Gammon told me, when I asked her what the mindset heading into the tournament was for the young Rams. With only one senior on the whole squad, the juniors were thrust into leadership roles. Ellie Gay has "done so well, she's done well all season" as a leader according to Gammon, when she spoke with Greg Levinsky on WHOU.live after the Rams big win vs Thornton. 

Gammon and Gay both recieved AA South Hoops 8 tournament first team honors after their regional title win. 

Gay enters the matchup with the Vikings (20-1) averaging 18.3 points per game in the playoffs, leading the Rams by a considerable margin. For Oxford Hills, they're led by senior superstar and Dartmouth Women's Basketball commit, Sierra Carson. Averaging 19.3 PPG in the AA North tourney, she boosted her numbers with 29 points in the North regional final vs Cheverus. Her sophomore counterpart Ella Pelletier also shined in the big moment with 17, although she fouled out just before OT in the instant classic. 

The teams met once in the regular season, and the Vikings blew Gorham out of the water 72-47 on their senior night. It was raining from behind the arc in South Paris, with Oxford Hills connecting on 13 threes. Carson and Pelletier combined for 8 of those. Despite the 25 point loss, freshman Zoe Dellinger dropped 16 points with increased playing time. 

The asterisk on that loss for the Rams is due to Gay and sophomore Julia Reed picking up DNPs in the scorebook. Ellie missed the game due to a thumb injury she sustained in a loss vs Brunswick, but she has obviously made a full recovery. Reed was battling an illness and has also come back in a strong way. She's run the offense well, playing a majority of the point guard minutes in a shortened rotation for Laughn Berthiaume.

The goal for Gorham is to keep the lightning in the bottle they found when the regular season ended. The formula is to get each player to continue excecuting their roles and don't let anybody on Oxford Hills get going with a full head of steam.

For Oxford Hills, Carson and Pelletier need to be able to drive to the paint and either convert layups or kick the ball out for Derenberger or Corbett who shoot the absolute lights out of any gym. 

This one shapes up to be a good one, even though we don't know exactly what day it will be played on. With 8 inches of snow forecasted for Saturday, the originally scheduled date is in some doubt. If we recieve any updates, you'll see them on this website. To find out quicker check out @MEBBallRankings, @FunkFlashyRob, or @TLee_WMTW on twitter.  

By: Thomas Curtis

GORHAM - The 3rd seeded Gorham Rams girls’ team (10-9) rolled through the Bonny Eagle Scots last Tuesday night, and with a 41-27 win they advanced to the Class AA South semi-finals, to face the 2nd seeded Sanford Spartans (13-6). Sanford beat winless Noble handily, in order to advance. The teams square off at 7:00 pm on Wednesday at the Portland Cross Insurance Arena.

The two squads met twice in the regular season, and the Spartans took both matchups. The first contest ended 49-47 in overtime with the Rams struggling to shoot all game. The consensus around that game is that Gorham could have won that game to improve to 2-0 on the the season, but instead they dropped to 1-1. The key factor when you look at the box score for that one is Vanessa Walker led the team with 20 points. Since then, she’s been lost to a knee injury so Gorham needs to find that sort of production from somebody else. No other player cracked double digits in the December 13 game. 

The second game wasn’t as close (52-41), with the Rams again struggling to get everyone involved. They also had no answer for Spartans senior Julissa McBarron, who finished the game with 22 points. 

Both games Gorham shot uncharacteristically bad, so they’re looking to get better looks in this upcoming playoff game. When I asked what the goal was on offense, Ellie Gay told me Head coach Laughn Berthiaume “just wants us to play and he’ll call plays if necessary”. The Rams have played the best when they can get into a rhythm in transition, so if they can get players like Gay and Summer Gammon running the floor, they have a good chance at success. 

As mentioned before, Julissa McBarron has given Gorham issues every time she’s matched up against them. This time, Ellie Gay figures to chase her around all night. When I asked what McBarron does to create opportunities for herself, Ellie said “She’s strong, She likes to push the ball up the court herself and take it to the rim”. Gammon chimed in, saying “She makes a lot of shots that most people don’t”. McBarron is definitely not the type to pass up a shot, averaging 16.8 PPG. That’s good for 2nd in AA South per mainebasketballstats.com. 

Gorham’s rotation will stay relatively short at 6 or 7 players, mostly due to the lack of playoff experience on the roster. Sanford only played 6 players in the regular season, so there’s nothing new about playing almost the entire game for Spartans starters.

This one looks to be a good one, so definitely make your way to Portland for their 7:00 pm tip tomorrow night. 

By: Thomas Curtis

As we all know, February is in sight. Both Gorham basketball teams are looking to lock up the number 2 spot in AA South, but what else do these classes have to offer? We break the competitors down into tiers.  

In Tier 1, I have the favorites. For both the boys and girls, Thornton Academy has the 1st seed all but locked up. At 14-1, the girls squad is unbeaten vs AA South opponents, their only loss coming to North powerhouse Cheverus.

On the boys side, Seniors Will Davies and Braden Camire lead the charge. Davies leads AA South with 20.4 points but his playmaking is what stands out when you watch him in person. The two blemishes on their 12-2 record are from losses to AA North Portland and the previously mentioned Rams. Despite these losses, they are the consensus one in the South.

I’m adding a Tier 1.5 because I don’t think the Gorham boys are so far behind TA that they should be grouped in with South Portland, Bonny Eagle, and Noble. Even after beating Thornton Academy last Saturday, the four game losing streak midway through the season worries me a bit. When they get hot, they might be the best team in the state. If they get cold at the wrong time, they could have problems in the playoffs.

Tier 2 is more crowded. The boys half includes South Portland, Bonny Eagle, and Noble. SoPo is looking to repeat as champions but their supporting cast behind Jaelen Jackson isn’t as strong as it was in the 2021-’22 campaign. Bonny Eagle has all the size in the world with Elliot Bouchard and Dom Gordon, unfortunately their lack of shooting has hurt them all season. Noble is underrated because of the abundance of scoring they get. At 64.6 PPG as a team, Jamier Rose and Bryce Guitard lead the charge. The two get buckets from everywhere, but defense might be the Knights’ downfall

For the girls, Gorham, Scarborough, and Sanford are fighting for the two and three seeds. The Rams, who lost Vanessa Walker and Marin Graham to knee injuries, have battled adversity but can battle with most teams. Caroline Hartley’s 20.1 PPG lead AA South and Scarborough, she’s put the team on her back with the lack of scoring for the Red Storm. As for Sanford, their two headed monster of Julissa McBarron and Riley Hebler is one of the most dangerous duos in the South. 

Tier 3 consists of the teams that are struggling but have at least a little going for them. South Portland and Bonny Eagle have had their fair share of struggles and it doesn’t look likely that they will make any noise in the girls bracket. 

Sanford and Scarborough don’t have a number one player and haven’t shown much fight. They’re 5-9 and 3-10, respectively

Tier 4 holds the two bottom seeds (Girls: Noble/Boys: Massabesic). Both teams are winless and haven’t shown any promise. It’s pretty easy to assume that they’ll lose to the one seed come mid February. 

By: Thomas Curtis

SOUTH PORTLAND — The Gorham Rams (6-4) arrived in South Portland (8-2) ready to flip the script. Coming in as underdogs who had lost 4 straight, Gorham fought and scrapped for a 65-55 win over the 2 seeded Red Riots.

“The energy is about to shift,” Gorham junior Caden Smith claimed on Tuesday morning, quoting Celtics star Jaylen Brown’s tweet from last season before Boston went on a historic run en route to the NBA Finals. Suffering from a skid, the Rams needed a spark of their own to make a run in AA South. 

That spark came from Sophomore forward Griffin Gammon. Sliding into the starting lineup at the center position, his presence was felt immediately when he won the tipoff vs 6’6” center Gabe Galarraga.

Both teams went basket for basket with each other early in the first quarter. Senior guard Jaelen Jackson’s craftiness in transition gave the Red Riots an 8-7 lead about halfway into the first. 

Gorham looked like the team the state saw in early December, hitting three pointers and rebounding on the offensive glass. As a team in the first quarter, they had 4 offensive boards. 

With those rebounds after missed shots, Griffin Gammon started to fill up the scorebook. Getting more opportunities than he’s gotten all season, he finished with 16 points, most on the team. 

With 4 minutes to go in the 2nd quarter Gammon caught a pass from Caden Smith on the wing, and went to work. Noticing the mismatch he had with Jaelen Jackson guarding him, he simply rose up over Jackson to drop in a fadeaway from the low block. 

The teams were tied at halftime, 35-35.

With 3 minutes to go in the third, Ashton Leclerc came off a screen into traffic but knocked down a three to give the Rams a two point lead, 43-41.

Jaelen Jackson continued to get his shots up, finishing with 21 points, but junior Jayden Kim and sophomore Nafees Padgett stepped up on offense for South Portland. Kim got downhill towards the basket and got fouled often on those drives. 5 of his 9 points came from the free throw line. Padgett had 11, using his size to get into the paint and finish through contact. 

The 4th quarter went back and forth, but South Portland’s inability to hit free throws late gave Gorham the upper hand. The Red Riots missed 5 of 6 free throw attempts with less than 2 minutes remaining.

South Portland’s downfall on offense came from behind the arc, where they didn’t hit a single shot according to varsitymaine.com.

The Rams had 3 players in double digits behind Gammon. Caden Smith and Gabe Michaud had 13 while Leclerc added 12. 

“We were so balanced on offense,” Leclerc told me, citing the team's willingness to pass up decent shots for great shots. Seven of the eight players to see playing time scored. 

When I asked Leclerc what this win meant for the Rams, he replied with “Everything. We feel like we’re back on track”. 

By: Thomas Curtis

GORHAM —As Ashton Leclerc rose up in front of the Gorham student section with 14.3 seconds to go in regulation, the crowd was quiet. Fans held their breath, anxious to see the outcome of the game-winning attempt. With two defenders in his face the ball rose up, hit the rim, and fell helplessly into the hands of Devin Dobson-Jacques without enough time to put up another good shot and the buzzer sounded. Bonny Eagle prevailed and left the court with a 51-50 victory.

Halfway through the first quarter, the Rams (5-4) were 0-4 shooting the ball from 3 point range. Their only two points by the time head coach Mark Karter called a timeout were from a fast break layup by Caden Smith.

The Scots (5-3) defense suffocated any Gorham attempt to drive to the paint or even find a mid range jump shot. Guards Terrell Edwards, CJ Cooper, Hayden Campbell, Lucas Drinkwater and Brandt Abbott rotated well with each other on the perimeter of the zone scheme, and the five were allowed each other to get rests when needed.

Even if one of the guards for Gorham got past the perimeter defense, they would meet 6’9” senior Elliot Bouchard. The big man blocked two shots in the first half making his presence felt on the inside.

Bonny Eagle started the second half on a 7-0 run to make the score 35-22 before a Gorham timeout with 4:53 to go in the 3rd quarter. The Rams were 0-5 shooting and turned the ball over 3 times during that stretch.

The Rams returned to the floor with Devin Dobson-Jacques, Owen Spera, Jack Karlonas, Taylor Farr, and Griffin Gammon. Spera, Karlonas, and Farr are normally reserves but this squad held their own vs Bonny Eagle’s lineup. They cut the lead to 12 before the starters returned at the beginning of the 4th. 

Gorham’s starters looked rejuvenated and inspired in the 4th. They went on a 7-0 run of their own, using the whole floor to score. A layup, free throw, and three pointer had them within 8 with 2:34 to play. 

After Terrell Edwards scored a transition layup and a free throw with 2:34 left, Bonny Eagle had scored their last point. The Rams buckled down on defense forcing 3 missed shots and got two steals in the back court with full court pressure, and converted on the other end.

After Gabe Michaud stole the ball with help from a backcourt trap, he laid the ball in and the Rams were within 1. Bonny Eagle tried to hold the ball for 45 seconds to run the clock out, but Griffin Gammon jumped in front of a pass, leading to a Gorham timeout.

The ball was inbounded to Leclerc who passed it to Caden Smith and sprinted to the corner off a double screen. He caught the ball and shot it, like he has so many times before. But this time, it didn’t fall. Gorham fought, but couldn’t close it out vs a physical Bonny Eagle squad. 

Knights on the rise

By: Thomas Curtis (Gorham High School ‘24)

UPSET ALERT: The Noble Knights, who went winless in the 2021 season, just fought punch for punch with the formerly 5-1 Gorham Rams and landed a haymaker in overtime to win the AA South matchup 73-69.

Sophomore studs Jamier Rose and Bryce Guitard led Noble into Tuesday night with a record of 2-3. The two combined for 60 of the Knights’ 73 points in the contest, Rose had 38 and Guitard had 22.

Rose, who was handed the keys of the team at point guard last season as a freshman, is an aggressive scorer who gets downhill with a purpose and is shifty once he gets to the basket. He’s always dangerous from behind the arc, and the near-40 point performance will surely put AA South on notice.

Guitard is a sharpshooting 2 guard that also started on the Knights as a freshman. Through his first 5 games he was averaging 17.8 points per game, then he poured in 31 and 22 vs Oxford Hills and Gorham in his last two. 

Coach John Morgan finally has a statement win under their belt, and now the young Knights have to keep the momentum going vs Lewiston, Scarborough, and then Thornton Academy.

Gorham’s shooting woes played a major part in their surprising loss to Noble, dropping their record to 5-2. Junior Caden Smith started the game off cold which is never a good sign for the Rams and it was a good indicator of what was to come for the rest of the squad.

Noble’s 2-3 zone was keeping Gorham off the block, so they were settling for three point jumpers. The lead widened for the Knights when those 3 point shots weren’t falling, so they stayed in the zone defense for the greater part of the 36 minute game. 

These struggles date back to December 28th, 2022 when Gorham fell to Thornton Academy. After a remarkable 20-4 first quarter lead thanks to 3 straight Caden Smith 3 pointers, Mark Karter’s team went cold and allowed the Trojans to come back.

This will become a pattern for the Rams if they can’t figure out a recipe to get their young big man Wyatt Nadeau going down low. Maybe a change is needed in the starting lineup? Maybe the problem comes from the scheme? Both questions that Gorham needs to figure out if they want to be real contenders in AA South.

What does the rest of AA South have to offer? Thornton Academy is still undefeated at 7-0, so teams will travel to Linell Gymnasium with a playoff mentality trying to knock off the kings of the class. South Portland is looking to defend its 2021-22 State Championship, and Bonny Eagle has a matchup nightmare at the center position with 6’9” senior Elliot Bouchard. 

Otherwise, Sanford and Scarborough are having down years at 1-6 and 2-4 respectively. Massabesic is still winless. Their lack of experience has hurt them all season.

If Noble continues to play the way they did last night, the top 5 teams in the class will have some very competitive contests down the stretch. Each team has to play each other at least once more before the playoffs start towards the end of February. 

Thomas Curtis (‘24)

The Gorham girls welcome the Knights of North Berwick into Dean Evans gymnasium on Tuesday evening to kick off the 2023 portion of the 2022-23 season. 

The Rams enter Tuesday’s AA South matchup standing at 3-2, good for 2nd out of 7 teams in the division according to mainebasketballrankings.com.  

Noble, who has begun the season winless, lost on New Year's Eve to Oxford Hills. The Vikings are one of the best teams in the state of Maine, so that wasn’t a surprise. The Knights’ other 4 losses were at the hands of South Portland, Thornton Academy, Sanford, and Bonny Eagle, respectively. 

According to sources close with the team, the Rams will most likely be without sophomore guard Vanessa Walker who according to mainebasketballstats.com leads the team in scoring with 14.8 points per game. She’s dealing with a knee injury.

Without Walker, freshman guard Lauren Dunbar is expected to slide into the starting lineup. Dunbar has been efficient and doesn’t turn the ball over often but almost certainly won’t replace all 14.8 points the team will lose per game.

Noble Senior Paige Santiago is tied for the AA South lead in PPG with 16. The Rams will have to slow her down in order to keep the Knight’s offense in check, and Oxford Hills showed that it can be done. She finished with 4 points vs the Vikings on December 31st. 

Juniors Kalin Curtis and Summer Gammon will have to get involved down low on both sides of the floor in order for the Rams to be successful. 

This game will be up on our YouTube channel! Find the link under the YouTube tab on this website or go to “Thomas Curtis” on YouTube.

Thomas Curtis (‘24)

With 2022 coming to a close, let’s take a look back at the Gorham varsity basketball team’s year in review.

2022 Girls Record - 16-6

Last season’s Seniors contributed to 13 of the wins in this total, but Ellie Gay and company are poised to continue the success into 2023.

2022 Boys Record - 12-7

Being four games under .500 in the ‘21-’22 season brings the 2022 record down but the 2023 ratio of wins to losses looks like it will be worlds better.

Girls end result - Loss in Class AA State Championship to Cheverus

A Class AA South regional title is nothing to be ashamed of, but it seemed like last season would be another state title for Laughn Berthiaume. The team ran into a Maine powerhouse, and Cheverus had their way with the Rams.

Boys end result - Loss in quarterfinals to Bonny Eagle

A tough way to end a tough season, the Rams hung with an athletic Bonny Eagle team but didn’t have the experience to close it out.

Boys leading scorer - Ashton Leclerc

Second to only former South Portland big man JP Estrella, who is committed to the University of Tennessee, Leclerc’s 17 points per game speaks for itself. Excellent with or without the ball, he is one of the state’s best scorers.

Girls leading scorer - Anna Nelson

Anna graduated from Gorham in the spring of 2022 and now plays at Dartmouth. She was the ultimate point guard who set a program record with 43 three pointers in her senior season.

Girls best win - 1/29, 58-43 win over Thornton Academy

Gorham went into Thornton Academy having thumped them earlier in the season, and they kept their foot on the pedal. Behind Anna Nelson’s 29 points, the Rams solidified their dominance over one of the best teams in AA South. 

Boys best win - 1/25, 63-46 win over Bonny Eagle

This one was pretty nice to watch. During a season of tough losses, people were chalking this one up as a loss for the Rams. They showed up and finally got a statement win over a neighboring town rival.

(This score might be wrong, I got it from MaxPreps)

Overall, 2022 was a great year for Gorham Varsity basketball. There was growth on the boys side and success on the girls side. The Boys now have solidified stars all over the floor and the girls have players that have a championship run under their belt. The future is bright and I’m excited to cover it.

Thomas Curtis (‘24)

The Gorham boys basketball team welcomed Greely into Dean Evans gymnasium Tuesday night, probably expecting less of a fight then they got from the now 1-2 Rangers.

The Rams came out flat and were not shooting well from 3 point territory, and they fouled on 3 straight defensive possessions. As a result, Gorham was behind 9-4 early in the first. 

They fought back as they heated up from deep, mostly thanks to Senior Quinn Dillon and Junior Ashton Leclerc who combined for 7 threes and had 17 points each by the end of the matchup. 

On the other side, Senior guard Tyler Pettengill was “having a hard time missing” as Asa Wareham said on the broadcast. He finished with 22 and kept the Rangers ahead for a large portion of the night.

Greely led 32-25 after two quarters and the Rams knew they had to make an adjustment. That change was made at the 5 position, switching sophomores from Wyatt Nadeau to Griffin Gammon. 

When I texted with Junior forward Caden Smith, I asked him what the “X factor” was in order to turn the game around. He responded with “Griffin Friggin Gammon”. “He started off the game hesitant and wasn’t playing his game. Once he got on track, the game was over”. The momentum that came from Gammon’s two corner 3s and skying rebounds in the 4th pushed Gorham over the edge. The sophomore big man finished with a 12 point, 10 rebound double-double. 

Smith talked about how “The atmosphere was fun, it’s always exciting to play for your hometown, especially when it’s a hard fought game”. The student section was large and the crowd was the loudest I’ve heard it all year. 

Gabe Michaud took a nasty fall where his right ankle landed on the basketball in the paint but he finished the game with 8 points. VarsityMaine.com does not track assists but he distributed well and slowed down Pettengill towards the end of the second half. 

After many late timeouts by both Head Coaches, Gorham prevailed 66-59 and improved to 4-0 on the season. They face the Scarborough Red Storm at 1:00 pm on Thursday, December 22nd.

Thomas Curtis (‘24)

The Rams men’s basketball team welcomes the Greely Rangers of Class A South tonight at 7:00pm.

The Rangers are led by Senior forward Seamus Raftice, a sharpshooter who from what I’ve seen is the tallest player that Greely rosters. He’s quick to pull the trigger when debating taking a jump shot but his left handed stroke is pretty pure. 

In Greely’s most recent game last Wednesday vs Brunswick, they stormed back from down 7 late in the 4th quarter to be vaulted to victory by a deep walk off three from Raftice. 

The Rangers didn’t look awesome in the first 3 quarters vs Brunswick but really turned it on in the 4th with the help of Raftice’s 9 final period points.

That’s enough about Raftice, other contributors for Greely include senior Hayden MacArthur with 13 vs the Dragons and well, that’s it. Those two combined for 35, and elsewhere in the scorebook Ethan Michaud/Parker Sasseville had 3 apiece. 

So essentially, Greely needs another big night out of their 2 top seniors or they’re in for a tough night. 

On Gorham’s side, something I’m looking for is how deep Coach Karter goes into the bench. During close games this season it has been about 3 players off the bench after the starters, sophomore Griffin Gammon being the first man on the floor. 

If Mason Finck and Jack Karlonas can get on the court tonight and be effective defensively and show their ability to not make dumb passes or shots, that would be huge for the Rams depth.

Gorham needs to keep up the intensity tonight and coming off a 45 point thrashing of Massabesic last night, I think they will.

Thomas Curtis (‘24)

The Gorham boys basketball team showed up in Waterboro ready to put on a show Monday night, which is exactly what they did.

Strong defense in the paint from sophomore Wyatt Nadeau sparked quick transition buckets early in the game for the Rams, as quick passes from Leclerc and Michaud led to easy layups in the first quarter. It was 18-7 after 8 minutes.

Gorham exploded in the second quarter going on a 21-2 run headed to the half.

Quinn Dillon was on fire from behind the arc, finishing with 4 threes and 12 points. The senior’s aggressive defense in the passing lanes created more opportunities for the Rams.

About 5 minutes into the second half Mark Karter decided to go to the bench and get a few of the reserves acclimated to the speed of a Varsity game. The younger players played well for the rest of the game, as it ended up 74-29 in the end. 

This is Massabesic’s third straight game scoring under 30 points, and they drop to 0-3, which puts them in last place in AA South.

Monday night was a balanced effort on the score sheet for Gorham and everybody got their name into the book. Leclerc led the squad with 13 but Jacques was right behind him with 12. 

Gabe Michaud was all over the place on the boards and facilitated the floor well. When talking to him this morning he said he prides himself on how well he defends and leads the energy on that side of the floor but it takes the squad about a quarter to really pick it up. I’m not sure if that applies to last night because they only allowed 9 points in the entire first half vs the Mustangs, but if they can defend better then they did last night they will be extremely hard to score on.

You could probably have chalked this one up as a W for Gorham prior to the game, but it’s still impressive that the team never took their foot off the pedal and showed their dominance. 

At 3-0, they see a bigger test tonight vs forward Seamus Raftice and 1-1 Greely, the preview article should be above this story.

Thomas Curtis (‘24)

The Gorham Rams girls basketball squad will have to wait another night to get back into action. Their game vs Massabesic was canceled when the Mustangs canceled their girls hoops season due to “numbers”. Athletic Director Brendon Scully and Head Coach Paul Nollette both cited injury and sickness as reasons why they didn’t have many players throughout the program this season. 

Greg Levinsky (@GregLevinsky) broke the news on twitter last Tuesday

Thomas Curtis (‘24)

The Gorham Boys basketball squad takes the near 30 minute bus ride to Massabesic High School Monday. They were scheduled to travel there Friday night, but due to the state of the roads the game was canceled.

The Rams are coming off of a 25 point dismantling of the Sanford Spartans at home and look to play the same way vs the Mustangs. 

Junior guard Ashton Leclerc will lead the squad on the offensive side of the court as always, averaging 19.5 points per game through 2 games this season. He didn’t take the game over vs Sanford but is always a threat to do so like he did vs Bonny Eagle in the ‘21-’22 season.

The Rams get offensive production from just about every player that sees the floor regardless of age or experience, so scoring is often spread around evenly after Leclerc.

The Mustangs have had an ugly start to their ‘22-’23 campaign. Losing to Thornton Academy isn’t all that bad, because everyone in Maine knows TA is a powerhouse. But to do it in the fashion that Massabesic did isn’t pretty at all. In the first home game of the year the Mustangs lost by 61 (90-29) and didn’t score a single point in the third quarter.

It can’t get any worse than that, right? Right? It did. Four days later, Massabesic welcomed an opponent that was not the same caliber as Thornton Academy. To be honest, Noble might be on the opposite end of the spectrum. The Knights hadn’t won a basketball game since December 10th, 2019, but that streak ended on December 13th. The Knights beat the Mustangs by 21, 74-53, and can (for now) claim that they’re not the worst team in AA South.

What is going on with Massabesic? 

Answer: They aren’t getting ANY offensive production. Besides Vigue and Bartlett, who combined for 15 vs Thornton, the rest of the squad scored 14. They lost their leading scorer from last season, Jimmy Succuzzo along with multiple contributors on both ends of the floor. There isn’t a solidified top scorer anymore and the supporting cast doesn’t do its job because there is nobody to support. 

For the Mustangs, this will be a year to get their younger players Varsity experience and playing time, sort of what the Rams went through last year but on a much larger scale.

To be quite honest, this should be an easy win on the road for Gorham but they can’t lose focus. They need to do what they excel at (shooting and disrupting passing lanes) before they completely look ahead to their next test.

Thomas Curtis (‘24)

The Gorham Rams men’s basketball team took home their second consecutive win to start the season Tuesday night vs the Sanford Spartans, 73-48 the final score.

The matchup was fast paced in a highly intense atmosphere. The Spartans were determined to get out and running in transition, mostly due to the incredible half court defense the Rams were playing.

Asa Wareham described the way the teams were playing by saying “Skin has been skun and bodies have been on the floor…”. There was no shortage of hustle on either side as both teams pressed full court for around 75% of the game.

Tanner McCann was anticipated to be Sanford’s number 1 scorer Tuesday and he finished with 9, but he went quiet and didn’t take many shots. Senior guard LJ McFarland led Sanford with 14. He played the game at 100 miles per hour which helped him at some points but hurt him at others

The scoring was not dominated by a single player, as 9 of the 11 players that saw the court scored at least once. 

Leclerc and Smith led all scorers in the game with 17 points a piece, quietly. Neither went on crazy hot streaks or scored specifically from one spot. 

Smith was active on the boards and got second chance opportunities while Leclerc created for himself all over the floor. Both players continue to show why they’re known for their shooting prowess, hitting 5 combined shots from behind the arc.

Sophomore Griffin Gammon hit a buzzer beating corner 3 pointer to end the 3rd quarter and he showed why he deserves to be the first man off the bench each game. The 6’5” forward ended the game with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 monster blocks. His size and athleticism give the Rams a spark that wasn’t there last season.

Quinn Dillon, Gabe Michaud, and Wyatt Nadeau had solid all around games, with 9, 7, and 4 respectively. 

Quinn’s catch and shoot ability is the reason he went 3-4 from 3 point territory.

Michaud rebounded and found the open man well per usual but only ended the game with 7 points because he couldn’t convert on the back end of a few coast to coast trips. I wouldn’t be surprised if this total is the least he turns in all season.

Nadeau’s 6’5” presence was felt all night by Sanford in the paint and he could rebound over anybody. With the size advantage, he got to the basket with ease and had open shots but just couldn’t finish. As the season goes on the close shots within the arc should start dropping with ease.

You expect the Rams to go cold when shooting the ball but I’m not sure if it will ever happen. With 10 3’s last night from 5 different players, they have shooters throughout the squad who can make up for somebody that goes cold.

The Rams travel to Massabesic Friday. The Mustangs just handed Noble their first win since December 2019, according to Lucas McNelly of mainebasketballrankings.com. 

Check out our YouTube to watch this full game! https://www.youtube.com/@thomascurtis5563

Thomas Curtis (‘24)

The Gorham men’s basketball team returns home tonight to host the Spartans from Sanford.

The Rams are coming off a 68-58 win vs Windham last Friday night, thanks to an Ashton Leclerc 21 point performance and a Caden Smith 17 point night. Both Juniors proved that they can score with the best, they hit clutch shots and were on fire behind the arc.

Michaud added 10 points and had a huge “and one” down the stretch to put the Rams up 5 late.

The size from the underclassmen has been a pleasant surprise early this year. Griffin Gammon has been key to the “nobody in the paint” way the Rams play offense. His spot up shooting and size will be an advantage for Gorham tonight.

Leclerc and Smith are excited to play in a home atmosphere for the first time in 2022. When speaking to them they both mentioned how rowdy the student section is expected to be and overall how large the crowd should look like.

As for the Spartans, they’re coming off a home loss to Scarborough where they let up a large sum of paint points and set three point shots. If the Rams can move the ball early in the possession and let Sanford lose track of one of the shooters, they will be successful.

On offense they like to run and get into transition, really speeding the game up. They’re without Senior guard/forward Makai Bougie, who is a large part of the fast paced offense, due to an illness. That could be a factor as to how Sanford gameplans to score.

When they get into the half court offense, they want to get the ball to Junior flame thrower Tanner McCann, who had 19 points vs Scarborough, 15 of which came from three point territory. 

Sanford does not have a solidified big man but senior center Shawn Puffer will most likely be matched up on Nadeau or Gammon, whichever sophomore is on the floor.

Without Bougie Sanford will need to get more scoring out of their supporting cast or this one won’t be close, especially if the Rams shoot the way they are capable of.

Thomas Curtis (‘24)

The Gorham Boys basketball team visits Windham High school to start up the season for the second year in a row.

Last season, the Rams lost a heartbreaker by a layup late in the game to begin a disappointing season, but the year of growth will be huge for this season’s success. Windham had a strong senior class last season which proved to help late in the game last season.

Junior Gabe Michaud, who missed the final 2 preseason games with an ankle injury, told me that he will be ready to go Friday. The starting lineup looks to be Leclerc, Michaud, Smith, Dillon, and Nadeau.

Gorham has lived and died by the 3 point shot so far, and if they want to be successful driving to the basket and dominating the post with 6’6” Wyatt Nadeau will be crucial. The implementation of Michaud back into the starting lineup adds more playmaking and he gets the ball into the paint with purpose. 

If they shoot the ball the way they did vs Biddeford or in the first half vs Westbrook, Gorham should blow the Eagles out of the water Friday night. If they go cold, the way they rebound and defend whichever big man is on the floor for Windham will be the deciding factor. 

This game will not be on the YouTube channel as it is an away game. 

Thomas Curtis (‘24)

The Gorham Girls basketball team opens their 2022-23 campaign by hosting the Sarah Talon-less Windham Eagles on Friday night. 

Talon, a former Miss Basketball candidate, is in Orono playing for the Black Bears and having a good freshman year. That being said, Windham has a big hole to fill. They’ll try to patch it with Senior guards Liz Levesque and Abbey Thornton. 

The rest of the Eagles squad is young, rostering 7 freshmen. 

As for Gorham, they made it to the Class AA State Championship in 2021 but ran into an incredible Cheverus team that had their way. 

In that season, they had 6 seniors who contributed largely including Dartmouth point guard Anna Nelson. The lone returning starter this season is Junior Ellie Gay, who has 3 years of Varsity experience and ended up being a big part of the playoff run in 2021. Summer Gammon and Kalin Curtis, who are also in the class of 2024, both have a good post game but aren’t limited to the block. Sophomore guards Vanessa Walker and Julia Reed both have a year of Varsity run under their belts and will try to fill the shoes of Anna Nelson and Brylee Bishop in the backcourt. 

Both teams are young and will be trying to find an identity with the graduation of their star seniors from a year prior. Friday’s opener won’t be a defining game for either squad, and you can expect them both to grow throughout the year.

Watch this game on our YouTube channel which is linked under the "YouTube" tab. The video should be up by the end of the weekend.

Thomas Curtis ('24)

The Gorham Rams men’s basketball team closed their preseason run with a win vs the Westbrook Blue Blazes Tuesday.

Gorham took an early 11-4 lead in the first quarter prior to a timeout from Blue Blazes head coach Brian Hoy. The Rams came out of the timeout and didn’t look back. They never trailed in the game, thanks to contributions from two upperclass guards, Ashton Leclerc and Devin Dobson-Jacques. Dobson-Jacques led the scoring with 15 points, and Leclerc trailed closely with 13

Transfer guard Keison Custodio was the primary ball handler for Westbrook, and he was the primary scorer as well. A combination of Ashton Leclerc and Owen Spera held him to 9 points, which is encouraging. Defense on the top guards in class AA will be crucial for the Rams this season.

Junior Caden Smith added 9 to the scoreboard with two early 3 pointers that gave Gorham momentum. He didn’t get many opportunities from behind the arc but made the most of the ones that he did get.

Final note: Guard Gabe Michaud was sidelined for this one because he’s dealing with an ankle injury, but I spoke with him this morning (12/7) and he said he felt good to go last night and is confident that he’ll play in the season opener at Windham. He’s officially listed as probable.

Thomas Curtis ('24)

The Gorham Rams boys basketball team is coming off an underwhelming, unimpressive 2021 campaign.

 Finishing 7-11 in the regular season and losing to Bonny Eagle in the quarterfinals, there was much to be desired from Coach Mark Karter’s squad. Luckily, not much was lost in the offseason. 

Former senior captain Elijah Wyatt will be a noticeable absence on the defensive end on the floor and in the locker room, but otherwise the Rams didn’t lose a starter.

 No key scorers graduated either, but Jackson Smith, Dylan Morrell, and Ian Luciano contributed from behind the arc.

 The 2021 team started 1-8 through 9 games but ended the season 6-3, which is promising and can be attributed to the development of the “big 3” (Now-juniors Ashton Leclerc, Caden Smith, and Gabe Michaud).

 Leclerc proved to be a pure scorer from anywhere on the court and it is clear that the Rams want to get him the ball as often as possible.

Smith is a great shooter who isn’t afraid to get physical down on the block, leading the Rams in rebounds as a sophomore last season. When he heats up, he shoots the lights out of any gym, no matter the pressure. 

Michaud gets to the rack well and is known for his acrobatic finishes, but he might be the best passer on the team because his court awareness is second to none. 

If tryouts go to plan, Gorham could be receiving two high-flying underclassmen in the likes of Freshman Cordell Jones and Sophomore Griffin Gammon. Both are known to be able to dunk but Gammon has three point ability and Jones adds some playmaking to his game. Jones is about 6’2” with great athleticism, and Gammon might be as tall as 6’4”. 

Senior Quinn Dillon brings more varsity experience, doesn't turn the ball over, and can knock down open shots. When he catches fire, he won’t miss for whole quarters at a time. 

Finally, the “big” man Wyatt Nadeau. The Sophomore started almost every game of his freshman season on varsity last year and played well. He didn’t light up the points side of the stat sheet but was a reliable rebounder and when asked to guard experienced, upper class bigs he kept their score totals in check. Now standing around 6’6” with a year of Varsity experience, he will play a bigger role in the Rams’ offense. There’s nowhere to go but up after last year, but it won’t be a small climb. 

There’s no doubt that the Boys will have double digits in the win column, and I expect that number to be around 14. A State championship is not out of reach this season especially with South Portland star big man JP Estrella leaving town. 

Record prediction: 14-4

Seed prediction: 2-3 seed

Final result prediction: Class AA State Champions