From the Editor

Tue, 02/12/2013 - 04:36 pm

JOE GELARDEN, Executive Editor

Coach Dana Lawrence, center, works on conditioning with J. D. Souza, left and Austin Haskell, right, at a December 2012 practice. KATHY ONORATO/Wiscasset Newspaper

Dear Readers,

It is time for the high school basketball tournament. It is a time that each high school class will remember for the rest of their lives.

In Wiscasset, the high school boys basketball team scrapped its way into the Western Maine Class C tournament this year with a bit of grit.

Tonight's game will be tough, but not an impossible task. After all, it is high school basketball and anything (and I mean anything) can happen at any time.

Win or lose, this team is a winner. They hustled to a 10 win, 8 loss record. And that is not bad for a team that has two seniors, Zach Ellison and John Rines. Next year, they will also lose Dale Peaslee, a tough rebounder.

This is a team that has spent a long season together. And there are some bright spots, especially in the future, according to their fine coach Dana Lawrence.

Sophomore Travis Padilla shows a lot of promise as he frequently led the team in scoring, assists and steals. The play of freshman J. D. Souza was a pleasant surprise. Point guard Austin Haskell is showing the potential to become a leader.

This year, with Boothbay's 17 win, 1 loss season, has garnered the attention of the experts. But Wiscasset is quietly building a fine squad.

High school basketball is a team sport. In a league where there are no dominant big men, a scrappy, gritty, hard working group of dedicated kids can surprise the experts.

One of the best sports movies of all time, “Hoosiers,” is the story of a tiny Indiana high school with only a few boys. It is the story of a bunch of kids who worked hard, played hard and didn’t quit. In the end, they won the state championship over a highly favored powerhouse squad.

I’ll tell you a secret. It was based on a real school named Milan High School and a real team. The kids had played together for three years before final season. The Milan team had no real big man, no outstanding shooter. It was a team that worked hard and learned to play together and learned how to win together. Sounds to me like a bunch of kids from Wiscasset.

Go Wolverines.