2023/24 MPA Postseason Recap
The MPA season came to an end last month with five new state champions being crowned.
The highest prize in the state went to North regional champions #1-seed Windham, as they knocked off South regional champions #1-seed Gorham 62-58 to take the MPA Class AA State Championship in a thrilling overtime battle, avenging a tough loss to Gorham that ended Windham’s perfect 10-0 record back in January.
This completed an unbelievable turnaround from a 9-16 record in 2022-23 to a 19-2 record in 2023-24. They went from a team who had never made the finals to the reigning champions of Maine’s top high school division. The credit goes to lifetime Windham resident and ‘02 alum Head Coach Chad Pulkkinen.
Senior forward Blake McPherson (committed to Plymouth State for lacrosse) led Windham with 16 in the semifinals (regional finals) against Portland on the way to the state finals, during which sophomore guard Tyrie James really stepped up in a clutch performance, leading the Eagles with 17, six of which came in overtime. Sophomore guard AJ Moody and junior guard Creighty Dickson each contributed 12 to the championship-winning effort, with senior forward Quinton Lindsay also adding 10.
Gorham’s leading scorer senior guard Ashton LeClerc (21 PPG) was held to only 4 points on the night. However, senior guard Gabe Michaud stepped up big-time, leading the game with a whopping 27. While junior forward Griffin Gammon supported the effort with 13, it wouldn’t be enough to answer Windham’s attack. Coincidentally, the two towns neighbor each other, sitting on opposite sides of the dividing line between the north and south regions.
In Class A of the MPA, the title was claimed by South regional champions #1-seed Gray-New Gloucester for the first time in almost 50 years, as they defeated North regional champions #1-seed Hampden Academy 52-41, finishing a 20-2 season that included a 15-0 regular season run.
Senior guard Nate Hebert, who led the Western Maine Conference in scoring at 20.6 PPG, was expectedly the biggest name of the story, as he led the game with 21 points. Junior guard John Patenaude and senior guard Carter Libby each contributed 9 points to the effort. Supporting roles also came from senior wing Noah Hebert, who added 8 points, and senior wing Aidan Hebert, who led the team with 8 rebounds.
The big names on the Hampden side were senior forward J.J. Wolfington (14 points/11 rebounds) and senior wing Zach McLaughlin (10 points/8 rebounds), as was the case throughout the season for Hampden, but it wasn’t enough, as Head Coach Ian McCarthy and Gray-New Gloucester came away with the title.
In Class B, the results were less predictable, as North regional champions #4-seed Orono defeated South regional champions #1-seed Oceanside 56-48 to claim their second consecutive MPA Class B Championship. The Red Riots’ dominant postseason run also included an upset over the North region’s #1-seed Ellsworth by a margin of 15.
Senior guard Pierce Walston and junior guard Will Francis led Orono in the finals with 16 and 15, respectively. Supporting roles came from sophomore guard Bergen Soderberg, who hit some big ones from downtown, as well as senior guard Ben Francis, who finished with 9, despite averaging 15 PPG throughout the season,
However, the biggest story may have been Orono’s defense, as Oceanside’s well-known Galley twins, senior guards Carter and Cohen, who averaged over 50 points per game together throughout the season, were held to only 19 combined points in the finals. Junior guard Zeb Foster stepped up to lead Oceanside with 16, and freshman forward Trevin Ripley added 10, but the effort wouldn’t be enough, as Head Coach Barry Wohler and the Orono Red Riots would ultimately take the trophy.
In Class C of the MPA, things were even more unpredictable, as it was South regional champions #3-seed Monmouth Academy topping North regional champions #7-seed Mount View 52-50, taking the state title for the first time in program history. The thrilling postseason run was characterized by close finishes, as this followed a nail-biting 3-point regional finals victory, as well as an overtime win in the regional semifinals.
Senior guard Sammy Calder was one of the major names of the story, leading the Mustangs with 17. Senior guard Kyle Palleschi also had a big night, scoring 13, and junior wing Bingham Abbott chipped in 8 to the offensive effort.
Senior guard Wyatt Evensen led a balanced Mount View offense with 18. Senior guard Noah Hurd and sophomore forward Wyatt Bennett contributed 16 and 14, respectively, but it wasn’t enough, as Head Coach Wade Morrill and Monmouth Academy emerged as this year’s MPA Class C champions.
Class D was taken by North regional champions #2-seed Bangor Christian, who defeated South regional champions #1-seed Valley by a score of 44-31 in the state finals, claiming the program’s first ever MPA Class D State Championship.
Senior star guard Jalen Reed led the Patriots with a game-high 19 points and 6 rebounds, including 4 threes. Supporting roles came from Jalen’s younger brother freshman guard Rajon Reed, who added 13, as well as sophomore guard Elliot Straubel, who added 7.
Sophomore guard Harry Louis led the offense for Valley with 15 points, also seeing support from sophomore guard Fisher Tewksbury’s 8 points, but it wouldn’t be enough to survive Head Coach Charlie Colson and the Bangor Christian Patriots.
This concludes our state-by-state championship recaps. Another exciting year of high school basketball around New England!
Pierce Walston
Zach McLaughlin
Ashton Leclerc