Tracy coaches Poland to B West championship

    PORTLAND — 2003 Piscataquis Community High School graduate and fourth-year Poland Regional High School boys basketball head coach Tyler Tracy guided his team to the Class B West championship, as the sixth-seeded Knights knocked off No. 1 Greely High School of Cumberland, 63-59, on Feb. 22 in the regional final at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

    In the first quarter Poland (13-8) trailed Greely (19-2) by a score of 23-4, but team came back to pull off the upset. The Knights had three victories against higher ranked teams during the B West tournament, as the squad defeated No. 3 Spruce Mountain High School of Jay, 77-69, in the quarterfinals and then second seed Morse High School of Bath, 45-44, in the semifinals.
    The regional title is the first for Poland, which opened its doors in 1999. Tracy and his Knights will face another team that is no stranger to knocking off higher-seeded opponents in Eastern Maine champion Old Town High School (17-5) who won the B East title as the sixth seed. The state championship is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 28 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor at approximately 8:45 p.m.
    After graduating from PCHS, Tracy continued his basketball career at the University of Maine at Farmington. He then began his coaching career on the staff at UMF and later was an assistant at Livermore Falls High School when the team reached the Class C West final in 2010, as well as being the head coach of the baseball team at his alma mater in 2009.
    Tracy teaches physical education at Monmouth Academy. He is the son of Russell and Julie Tracy of Sangerville.