Dexter, Piscataquis standouts earn Mr., Miss Basketball semifinalist status
By Ernie Clark, Bangor Daily News Staff
In what may be a first for the region’s Class C basketball programs, two high-scoring playmakers from the area are contending for the state’s annual Mr. and Miss Basketball awards.
Senior guard Peyton Grant of Dexter is one of 10 semifinalists for Miss Basketball honors, while senior guard Kobe Gilbert of Piscataquis Community School is a semifinalist for Mr. Basketball.
Those awards, considered the state’s top individual honors for the sport, will be announced March 19 during a virtual ceremony hosted by the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches and Maine McDonald’s.
SEMIFINAL ACTION — Driving to the basket is Dexter’s Peyton Grant while defended by Central Aroostook’s Maci Beals during a Class C North semifinal at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. The No. 6 Panthers defeated Dexter 35-32.
Three finalists for each award are expected to be announced during the week leading up to the ceremony.
Grant had helped Dexter compile a 60-13 overall record during her four-year varsity career entering this year’s regional pod playoffs, with two trips to the Class C North championship game followed by a semifinal appearance last winter.
She had amassed 1,460 career points despite being the focus of numerous defenses designed to slow her offensive pace such as box-and-one and triangle-and-two sets, according to her coach and father, Jody Grant.
One way the younger Grant has overcome those defenses is through long-range shooting and accuracy from the free-throw line. She entered postseason play this week with 247 career 3-point goals and shooting 88 percent from the line during her four years with the Tigers.
Grant led Dexter to a 12-0 regular-season record this winter by averaging 28.4 points, 4.0 assists and 3.2 steals per game while shooting 56 percent from the field on 2-pointers, 40 percent on 3-pointers and 81 percent from the free-throw line.
“Her ball handling, passing and shooting, plus shooting range, are as good a combination as anyone in Maine in my opinion,” coach Grant said. “She has continued to get better every season through continued work on her skills, conditioning and strength.”
Grant earned Bangor Daily News All-Maine third-team honors last winter and is a three-time Penobscot Valley Conference first-team selection as well as a three-time BDN all-tournament honoree.
She also is a two-time state free-throw shooting champion who will be seeking her third state title in the event during a virtual competition this month.
Grant hasn’t firmed up her plans beyond high school yet.
Gilbert holds the unique distinction of having his yearly scoring average improve by at least 9.3 points per game during each of his final three seasons with the Piscataquis Pirates.
The 5-foot-9-inch guard averaged 2.3 points per game during limited playing time as a freshman, then improved to 12.0 ppg as a sophomore while also earning recognition on the Penobscot Valley Conference all-defensive team.
Last winter he emerged as one of the state’s leading scorers with 22.9 points per game and earned a spot on the All-PVC Class C first team.
Like Grant, Gilbert overcame numerous defensive challenges this winter to finish the regular season with a scoring average of 32.2 points per game, including the 1,000th point of his career late last month during a home game against Central of Corinth.
Gilbert became just the fifth Pirate to eclipse that total, following Fred Blake, Mike Graf, Buddy Leavitt and his older brother Bryce Gilbert, who set the school record with 1,474 points before graduating in 2018, when Kobe was a freshman.
Gilbert and the Pirates took a 7-6 record into Wednesday’s COVID Cup Penquis pod semifinal at top-ranked Dexter (10-2). Those teams split two regular-season meetings.
“[Kobe] works in the offseason on his own, he lifts weights every day and he practices his craft all the time,” Piscataquis coach Alden Gregory said. “It is through these actions that he became the player and person he is today and it is these actions that I believe younger kids should look up to and emulate.
“When one of my fifth-graders in the community looks at Kobe, they see themselves in him. They see what is possible to anyone who puts in the work, and some of them will decide to follow in his footsteps.”
A three-sport athlete at PCHS, Gilbert plans to study and play soccer at Bridgton Academy next year with an eye toward playing that sport collegiately.