Penquis’ season ends at the hands of Houlton
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
BANGOR — A new state champion in boys Class C will be crowned in 2014 as Houlton High School defeated defending champ Penquis Valley High School, 60-44, in a Class C East semifinal on the afternoon of Feb. 21 at the Cross Insurance Center. The game was a rematch between the two programs who met in the 2013 regional final, and this year’s top-seeded Shiretowners went on to claim the Class C East crown Feb. 22 with a 49-33 victory over No. 3 Lee Academy.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
LAST TWO C EAST CHAMPS — For the second year in a row the boys from Penquis and Houlton met in the Class C East tournament, playing in a semifinal on Feb. 21 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor one year after the Patriots defeated the Shiretowners in the regional final on the way to taking the state championship. The 2014 meeting ended in a 60-44 victory for No. 1 Houlton. Penquis senior Trevor Lyford is pictured going up for two of his game-high 23 points, which came less than 72 hours after he had 39 in the team’s quarterfinal victory.
Houlton (20-0) jumped to a quick 8-0 lead before senior Trevor Lyford got the fifth-seeded Patriots on the scoreboard with a field goal nearly two minutes in. The Shiretowners ended up leading 14-6 after the first, with Lyford accounting for all of his team’s total. Houlton would then increase its advantage with an 18-13 edge in second-quarter points to head to the locker room leading 32-19.
Penquis caught Houlton off guard to start the second half. The two teams traded baskets behind the respective leading scorers, Lyford and Houlton junior Kyle Bouchard, before Patriot sophomore Noah Allen connected from beyond the 3-point line to make the game 34-24.
Twenty seconds later another Lyford basket — he led all players with 23 points three days after tallying 39 in Penquis’ quarterfinal victory over Washington Academy of East Machias — cut the deficit to eight as Houlton head coach Rob Moran called a 60-second timeout to settle his team.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
THREE IS A MAGIC NUMBER — Sophomore Noah Allen connected three times from behind the 3-point line during Penquis’ Class C East semifinal against Houlton on Feb. 21 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
Lyford again found the hoop on the next Patriot possession, and he ended up getting fouled on the shot. The senior sank the free throw for the 3-point play, making the score 34-29 in the opening minutes of the third quarter after the 10-2 Penquis run.
Houlton then had a slight edge in the scoreboard over the rest of the quarter to lead 44-36 heading into the final eight-minute session.
An Allen three, his third of the second half, put Penquis back within five at 44-39 before the next six points came on the Shiretowners’ side of the scoreboard.
Senior Colton Larrabee sank a 3-pointer from the left corner to put the Patriots within eight, 50-42. Penquis head coach Jason Mills immediately called a 60-second timeout at the 3:17-mark to talk with this team, which included setting up a full-court press.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
CRANE ON COBB — Patriot senior Cody Cobb looks to pass while being guarded by Houlton junior Christian Crane. In 2014 Penquis made its fourth consecutive appearance in the Class C East semifinals, and fifth straight trip to Bangor.
The Shiretowners were able to get the ball upcourt and soon the Houlton five set up around the perimeter. The team was able to run about 45 seconds off the clock, after drawing a reach-in foul on a steal attempt. Houlton senior Isaac Cone went to the basket on a back-door cut from the left, where he caught the long overhead pass and put the ball up and in to give his team a double-digit lead at 52-42 with 2:30 to go.
From there Houlton added eight more points, including six by senior Nicholas Guiod on six-of-six shooting from the free throw line with his team in the bonus, to conclude the game.
The Patriots finished 2013-14 with a record of 13-7. The team played in its fourth consecutive Class C East semifinal, and made the trip to Bangor for the fifth year in a row.
The game was last for Penquis seniors Cody Cobb, Cevonte Johnson, Colton Larrabee and Trevor Lyford.
Observer photos/Joseph Cyr
ON TO THE SEMIFINALS — The Penquis Valley High School boys may have had to wait a little longer than most teams in the state for the squad’s Class C quarterfinal contest, held on the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 18 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, but the No. 5 Patriots ended up with a 66-61 double-overtime victory over fourth-seeded Washington Academy of East Machias. Penquis moved on to face top seed Houlton High School in a rematch of last year’s regional final as the program advanced to the Class C East semifinals for the fourth consecutive season (and now have played in Bangor for five years in a row). Above, sophomore Giavani Sibert pulls down a rebound and, bottom, senior Trevor Lyford fights for a loose ball. Lyford led all players in the quarterfinal contest with 39 points.
