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Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom JUST AHEAD OF THE TAG — Washington Academy junior Daniel Gardner slides into third ahead of the tag by Dexter/PCHS junior Kody Kimball in the bottom of the first of the Class C North championship on June 17 at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor. The Raiders got a run home in the first for the only run of the entire game in a 1-0 victory to move on to the state championship.

Washington Academy tops Dexter in Class C North championship

Stuart Hedstrom •June 18, 2025

BANGOR — Second-seeded Washington Academy of East Machias scored the only run of the entire game in the first inning to defeat the No. 8 Dexter Regional High School/Piscataquis Community High School cooperative squad 1-0 in the 2025 Class C North championship on the evening of June 17 at Mansfield Stadium.

The Raiders came out ahead in a pitchers’ duel with the team’s sophomore Trevor Shimabukuro and Dexter freshman Will Simpson both tossing complete games and allowing just one run between the two of them in 13 combined innings over 1 hour, 39 minutes.

Washington Academy (now 17-2 having won five straight and 12 of 13) advanced to the state championship for the first time since winning the Class C title in 2014 while ending a run of upsets for the Tigers (who finished at 13-7 in the first season of the cooperative having won six consecutive games heading into June 17). Dexter knocked off both top-seeded Foxcroft Academy and No. 5 Bucksport on the road in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively to reach the Class C North championship for the first time since 2017. The Tigers last reached a state final in 1972 in the final of three straight appearances in the Class B game.

*Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom*
JUST AHEAD OF THE TAG — Washington Academy junior Daniel Gardner slides into third ahead of the tag by Dexter/PCHS junior Kody Kimball in the bottom of the first of the Class C North championship on June 17 at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor. The Raiders got a run home in the first for the only run of the entire game in a 1-0 victory to move on to the state championship.

With two outs in the bottom of the first, Washington Academy junior Colby Moholland hit a single on the ground through to rightfield. Junior Daniel Gardner followed with a double to leftfield to drive in Moholland for what turned out to be the winning run. These two hits ended up being half of the four the Raiders picked up all game long as no Washington Academy players had multiple hits — two of the four hits were doubles.

Shimabukuro struck out 11 and walked one while allowing six hits and one other Tiger reached base on an error. The Raider defense allowed just two runners to get into scoring position and both were stranded at second. Washington Academy posted its sixth shutout of 2025 and Dexter/PCHS was shut out for the third time this season.

In the top of the fourth, with two outs, Tiger senior Willis Rienhardt dropped a single into shallow centerfield for what turned out to be the first of his game-high two hits (he was 2-for-3 with a pair of singles). A balk by Shimabukuro moved Rienhardt to second but the Washington Academy pitcher then got a strikeout to leave the runner on the base.

*Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom*
CLASS C NORTH RUNNER-UPS — Members of the Dexter/PCHS cooperative baseball team hold the Class C North runner-up plaque following a 1-0 defeat to Washington Academy of East Machias at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor on the evening of June 17. The Tigers reached the regional final as the eighth seed.

Senior Ethan Doherty led off the fifth with a single toward second base. Following two strikeouts senior Chase Farnsworth reached on a single over the head of Raider sophomore shortstop James Welch. Doherty was then lifted for pinch runner freshman Silas Saine.

With two runners on, Shimabukuro got another strikeout to end the inning and keep the score 1-0.

Washington Academy would catch a runner trying to steal in both the sixth and seventh to stop the potential tying run from getting to second base.

*Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom*
IN HIS GLOVE — Tiger junior Caleb Bowman makes the catch in rightfield during the bottom of the second for out No. 2 of the inning.

Simpson pitched all six innings for Dexter, finishing with a pitch count over 100 at 105 as the two starters tossed 194 on the night. He scattered four hits, walked four, hit another batter and struck out nine.

Twice Washington Academy left the bases loaded as the team left eight on base, compared to just four for the Tigers.

In the second Shimabukuro was unable to help his own cause on the mound as he flew out to centerfield to leave three teammates on the bases.

*Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom*
TWO MEN ON — Freshman pinch runner Silas Saine is at second and senior Chase Farnsworth takes a lead at first during the fifth inning after Farnsworth singled with two outs.

With the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the fifth, Simpson recorded back to back strikeouts to get out of the inning with the score remaining 1-0.

Washington Academy is set to face Class C South champion and the region’s third seed Monmouth Academy (15-4) on Saturday at 1 p.m. at St. Joseph’s College in Standish. The Mustangs are in the C finale for the third time in five seasons, winning the championship in 2023 and falling in the 2021 game.

Dexter/PCHS team members are seniors Ethan Doherty, Chase Farnsworth, Tyler Gould, Daniel Hurd, Kayden Millett, Willis Reinhardt, Leonardo Selva and Gaige Tracy; juniors Caleb Bowman, Gabe Cupero, Brady Gaw, Alex Hall, Noah Kain, Kody Kimball and Alex Sutton; sophomores Simon Grenier, Chase Lander and Tanner Tracy; freshmen Adam Brown, Mason Clay, Jerimiah Cobb, Silas Saine and Will Simpson; and coaches Jacob Bickford, Carl Cobb and Brock Kimball and head coach Chad Graffam.