Welcome to Mt Ararat High School Sports

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HOCKEY VS MASSABESIC MUSTANGS The Eagles lost a tough one in overtime to Massabesic. After the Mustangs grabbed an early 2-0 ... Read More

INDOOR TRACK STATE CHAMPIONSHIP The Boys finished tied for third with two other teams in what was a very close team competition ... Read More

FANS @ GIRLS PLAYOFF BASKETBALL The fans were organized and loud (and mostly well-behaved in support of the Girls Basketball team at the ACC ...

GIRLS PLAYOFF BASKETBALL VS MESSALONSKEE A look at the score sheet doesn't reflect the balance that Eagles offense displayed in the opening ... Read More

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SWIMMING

Celia Ouellette Wins Two State Championship Titles

Celia Ouellette won both the 50 and 100 Yard Freestyle events at the State championship held at Bangor. She won the 50 in 24.33, just off both her school record and the existing State record. She lowered her school record time in the 100 Free by almost one half a second with a time of 53.84. Complete results to follow.

BOYS HOCKEY

Eagles Lose 4-3 in OT to Massabesic

The Eagles lost a tough one in overtime to Massabesic. After the Mustangs grabbed an early 2-0 lead, Zach Pratt scored a power play goal, assisted by Shauna Williams. Ian Pinette scored two third period goals to give the Eagles the lead with 4:17 to play. Thomas Gross and Jeremy Williams picked up assists on the second Pinette goal. But Massabesics's A.J. Gass scored his third goal of the game to tie with 2:36 left and then Nick Vigue scored the winner in OT. Zach O'Connor made 30 saves for the Eagles.

INDOOR TRACK

Eagles Compete at State Championship

BOYS

The Boys finished tied for third with two other teams in what was a very close team competition. The first five teams all finished within 5 points of each other. Makes for an exciting meet.

The Boys 4 x 800 relay started things off with a thrilling first place finish. The team of Seth Bryant, Will Hirnak, Nick Oram, and Ryan Smith started fast and finished faster as they beat their nearest competitior by 8 seconds. They also established a new school record by 4 seconds in the process beating a bunch of familiar track legends named Swan (Matt and Raleigh), Ryan Farrar, and C. Levesque.

MacKenzie Gary held up his end of the bargain for the Eagles with a first place finish in the Long Jump, a 2nd in the 400, and 5th in the 200.

The 400 was another battle between two superb athletes: MacKenzie and Alex Nichols of Brunswick. MacKenzie jumped out to an early lead and led through the half way mark. As in the two other times they have met head-to-head, Brunswick's Alex Nichols, wearing his signature orange kneehighs, took the lead on the back stretch. As they rounded the far corner Alex was a yard ahead. Both runners put it into overdrive, and MacKenzie started closing. Alex's one yard lead turned into a 6 inch lead, but he hung on and won in 51.06. For the second time this year MacKenzie broke his own school record, but each time has come up short against Nichols. But what a treat to watch these athletes compete.

The Boys also put on a show in the 800. And why not? They won the 4 x 800, so why not perform in 800 individual race. Will Hirnak, abondoning his hipster worn out Mt Ararat singlet for a newer version (less wind-drag coefficient), ran a blistering 2:01.64 to finish 2nd and Nick Oram showed he still had plenty in the tank with a 5th finish in 2:02.02. PRs for both. Ryan Smith and Seth Bryant were feeling the effects of their earlier medal-winning effort, but still ran strong races finishing 11th and 19th respectively.

In the mile, Andy Reifman-Packett, who has been out most of the season with an injury, showed his mettle and his talent as he ran a strong 4:38 mile good for 5th place. Nate Bryant didn't have his best race, but still finished 19th overall.

Ever wondered why you hang around for 6+ hours (I know you have - both wondered and stayed) watching a track meet. Well, it's because every so often something electric happens. And there was a magical moment at this meet in the Boys 2 mile. Right from the gun, there was a roar at the first corner as Harlow Ladd started the 2-mile. Apparently Harlow has quite the fan club as well as a lot of talent. Each lap produced an increasing crescendo from the crowd and believe me, Harlow seemed to be enjoying it, as he broke into a smile on a couple of occasions early in the race. But fun turned to focus as Harlow was bearing down on the State record. As the crowd roared, Harlow did not disappoint. He set a new record in the 2 mile. Congrats!

GIRLS

The Girls didn't have the depth they've had in past years, but still several athletes sparkled at the states.

The Girls started with a surprise in the 4 x 800 relay. Seeded in the slower heat, the team of Nicole Ross, Emmie Cox, Alicia Eggelston and Kelly Lynch pulled away early and glided home first. Their time bested two of the higher seeds and they won the number 7 spot on the podium. It was their best time of the season by - alot.

Let me just say this right up front. The Girls times throughout the meet were FAST. And the Jumps were LONG. The 400 ilustrates the point. The top three finisher ran 58's. Nicole Ross ran a 1:01.28 and finished 5th. The top 11 runners were under 1:03. That's fast.

In the 55 Meters, Brunswick's Alexis Dickinson broke the state record that had stood since 1996 (did they still use sun dials then?). She beat Mt Ararat's Maddison Prescott who recorded her season best time and finished 5th. I am still betting that Maddison beats Alexis in a race this spring. Maddison also finished 10th in the Long Jump and Triple Jump. Lizzie O'Neal continued to display excellence in the 55 Hurdles with a 9th place finish in a very fast time of 9.50.

Nicole Ross podiumed again in the 200 and Lizzie O'Neal flashed her speed. They finished 7th and 9th respectively. It was a PR for Lizzie and the first time she has dipped below the 28 second barrier (27.82).

In the Mile, Kelly Lynch ran an intelligent tactical race and engaged in a exciting finish. We all know about Kelly's closing speed and she was displaying it on the homestretch as she narrowed the gap to inches as she approached the finish line. In a photo finish, Kelly came up .05 seconds short to finish 4th. Lauren McNett had a solid race with a 10th place finish. Kelly and Lauren followed that with an 8th and 12th place finish in the 2 Mile.

Alicia Eggleston recovered from a fall and several bruises at the start of the 800, but still fought through the pain to finish 26th. She then ran the closing 4 x 200 with youngsters Alyssa Scannevin, Emma Chase, and Lizzie O'Neal.

In the High Jump, Sydni Clark closed out her track career and gets ready for lacrosse by matching her season's best jump finishing 8th. Newcomer Kathleen Bodmer, KVAC Champion, picked up some valuable experience in statewide competition. She will be heard from in the future.

Click here to view slideshows. Final summaries of season results by athlete and event coming soon.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Watch Carl Johnson and Mikole Patterson call the Messalonskee game on Tuesday, Feb 21 on Channel 14, Harpswell Community TV at 8 PM.

Video Hi-Lites of Girls Playoff Basketball by Greg Emerson

Eagles Advance - Beat Messalonskee 52-46

A look at the score sheet doesn't reflect the balance that Eagles offense displayed in the opening round of the playoffs as they beat #5 seed Messalonskee. It's not how many points each player contributed, but how and when they scored them. Each girl contributed big baskets at key points in the game. And the Eagles played their usual brand of stellar team defense with Molly Estes, Micaela Mitchell, and Leah Hitchcock all submittting outstanding efforts.

As you might expect, playing at the Augusta Civic Center in the opening round of the playoffs produced some tentative play in the early minutes. It was 90 seconds in before Messalonskee tossed in a three. Thirty seconds later Chelsea Crawford was the recipient of a nice pass from Kristi Willey that got the Eagles on the board. Messalonskee scored on an offensive rebound before Caitlyn LaFountain went on a mini rampage. First, she scored on a drive, then converted two free throws, and then bulled her way through traffic for two more. That scoring binge temporarily gave the Eagles an 8-7 lead. But Messalonskee answered with a three and converted a breakaway off a mid-court steal to retake the lead 12-8. Kristi Willey then stepped up and scored on one of her patented reverse inside spin moves to narrow the deficit to one. A Molly Estes stuff at the defensive end set the defensive tone for the Eagles the rest of the way. Molly then showcased her offensive skills at the other end of the court as she worked her way free in the heavily congested paint area and hit a soft turnaround. The quarter ended with Molly and Leah Hitchcock hammering the boards with a flurry of put backs in the closing minute, but none of them would fall. The score after one was 13-12 Messalonskee, but Eagles fans had to feel pretty good because neither of their two top scorers for the season (Mallory Nelson and Leah Hitchcock) had scored yet. And you knew that wouldn't last.

Kristi Willey, who had another solid all around game, opened the second quarter with a turnaround off a Caitlyn LaFountain feed that gave the Eagles a 14-13 lead. It was a lead that they would not relinquish the rest of the game. Mallory Nelson scored her first points off a drive to make it 16-13. After a Messalonskee basket, Caitlyn LaFountain went to the well and drained a three. Messalonskee wasn't going away quietly as they narrowed the score to 19-17 on a sneak away off a steal. The Eagles then went on 10-1 scoring spree. First Chelsea Crawford found Caitlyn underneath for two. Mallory Nelson hit a free throw before Micaela Mitchell hit a 7-foot baseline jumper off a nifty Chelsea Crawford pass. On the next possession, deadeye Chelsea took careful aim and let go with a three - swish! With 29 seconds left, Caitlyn LaFountain executed a beautiful cross-over step en route to the hoop that left her defender's knickers twisted in a knot. The Eagles led 29-18 lead. Messalonskee kept themselves in the game as they hit a three pointer in the closing seconds and the half ended with the Eagles leading 29-21. The Eagles outscored Messalonskee 17-8 in the second quarter with both Leah Hitchcock and Molly Estes sitting on the bench for the majority of the period because of foul woes.

Messalonskee opened the second half with 3 consecutive free throws that forced both Caitlyn LaFountain and Kristi Willey to the sidelines for most of the third period with foul trouble. Micaela Mitchell and Molly Estes stepped in and provided the defense and Mallory Nelson stoked her engine and scored all 8 of the Eagles point in the quarter. Messalonskee hit a buzzer-beating three pointer from neighboring Readfield as time expired to narrow the Eagles lead to 37-34 after three. Was there cause for concern? Nah!

Stage right. Enter Leah Hitchcock and Mallory Nelson with a little help from Kristi Willey and Micaela Mitchell. Leah, who had been scoreless, was fouled and earned a trip to the foul line. She is the girl that I would most like to see at the foul line when it counts - and she delivered. Then Kristi, operating willy-nilly (been wanting to use that phrase all season and am running out of time) in the paint, executed another spin move in close and banked home a shot off the glass. As the defense sagged off Micaela Mitchell, she took advantage and drove toll-free down I-295 for two to give the Eagles a 43-37 lead. But two quick baskets by Messalonskee closed the gap to 43-41. It was time for the Eagles to step up and it was Leah Hitchcock's turn. In a rebounding effort that showed her strength, her agility, and her soft touch all in one move, she grabbed a loose ball from the floor, powered her way straight up through a surrounding forest of bodies and arms, adjusted mid-air, and kissed the backboard with a bank shot that fell. She followed that effort with another bank shot off a Kristi Willey pass to restore the Eagles lead at 6, 47-41. Leah had one of her lowest scoring games for the Eagles, but when they need it most, she was there. Mallory then applied the full Nelson (see willy-nilly reference above) to Messalonskee. First, she did her Leah imitation, grabbing a tough rebound in traffic, adjusting ball in hand mid-air to an open shooting lane, and seemingly effortlessly, making the shot. Mallory then finished her night and Messalonskee with an old fashioned three-point play. It was all over but the shouting, and there was plenty of that.

Coach LaFountain did a great job managing her troops and the players responded in even greater fashion. Foul trouble continues to plague the Eagles, but the super subs Molly Estes and Micaela Mitchell both played outstanding D and contributed offensively. Coach LaFountain did not hesitate to use freshmen and the fresh legs of Lindsey Cornelison and Olivia Swan down the stretch and both played well. Caitlyn LaFountain carried the Eagles early and ended up with 13 points. Mallory Nelson scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half and Leah Hitchcock scored all of her 6 points in the final quarter. So it's on to the semi-finals vs Cony on Wednesday.

Girls and Boys Nordic Ski KVAC Championship by Greg Emerson

A great compilation of Cross Country skiing action at the KVAC Championship

Boys Basketball Senior Night vs Brunswick by Greg Emerson

This video captures all the excitement of one very entertaining basketball game as witnessed by an overflow crowd.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Boys Lose Thriller to Brunswick 59-57

It was senior night and the Eagles were hosting playoff bound Brunswick. This was a thrilling fast-paced game that was exciting for the overflow crowd from both schools to watch. There were some major twists and turns and periods of dominance and subjugation for both teams. The Eagles gave it all they had, but in the end it was Brunswick who escaped with a 59-57 victory. A victory would have been a story re-lived for all its great moments. A loss, as us older folks know, conjures up the same fond memories of a job well-done years down the road.

Tyler Charron, who has become a folk hero, hit a three to open the game. There was an eerie silence as an unconventional fan strategy that was spelled out and distributed on flyers before the game encouraged Eagle fans to sit on their hands and be quiet until the Eagles scored 10 points - and then erupt into bedlam. The strategy didn't seem to fit the circumstances, and after the Eagles trailed 17-5 after the first quarter (a Ben Rogers put back being the only other Eagles basket), it looked even worse.

But someone must have known what they were doing. After Brunswick extended the lead to 14 with a basket to open the 2nd quarter, the Eagles methodically roared back. First, it was Tyler Charron on a cut off a nice JVN pass. Then Brandon Johansen performed in his typical yeoman-like style, grabbed a tough offensive board, and muscled it in for two. An Alex Lapierre basket narrowed the lead to 19-11 Brunswick, but more importantly, it ignited the 10 point rule. The crowd did go crazy and the Eagles fed off their energy. A Josh Wright trey from the top of the key obviated a Brunswick timeout. When play resumed, Brunswick scored, but Tyler Charron added to his legend with another three. A Brett Martin bucket underneath off a nice Josh Wright feed closed the gap to two points, 21-19. At the 3 minute mark, another prototypical Brandon Johansen board and put back tied the game. Needless to say, the crowd now had reason to be going crazy. The Brunswick defense seemed to melt away as Brett Martin powered his way to the hoop to give the Eagles the lead. The crowd was in an euphoric state now, and the Eagles' play kept them there for the rest of the half. Brandon Johansen showed not only does he have power moves, but also finesse, as he floated home a 7 footer. DJ Cole then drove and tossed in a fadeaway jumper and thought it worked so well, he tried it again a minute later with 23 seconds left. Bang! Another two points off the glass and the Eagles led 30-24. The Dragons converted a basket off a steal with one second left in the half. You never like to give those up, but the Eagles had to be feeling pretty good about themselves with a 30-26 lead at half. The Eagles had outscored Brunswick 25-9 in the second quarter.

One would think the Dragons would be breathing fire after a stirring half time speech, and they were. But the Eagles were just as inspired. After an opening Brunswick basket, Josh Wright and Alex Lapierre sandwiched three pointers around a couple of Brunswick free throws and the Eagles maintained a 36-30 lead. A leaping end line save by Alex Lapierre was quickly turned into a basket by DJ Cole. On the next possession, Josh Wright set up Brandon Johansen on a baseline cut with a perfect bounce pass. The Eagles were up 40-32. After a pair of Brunswick free throws, freshman Mason Griffin displayed his ability to make something out of nothing when he threw up a left-handed wrap-around shot that fell. Mason was fouled on the next Eagles possession and converted one and the Eagles were up 43-38 after three.

OK, we are talking serious upset material here now. The Eagles had just out scored and outplayed Brunswick for two consecutive quarters. Although the Eagles were bending a little, they were not breaking. Brandon Johansen, playing arguably his best game ever, pivoted and hit a 8-foot turnaround to maintain the Eagles margin at five. A Tyler Charron 15-foot jumper put the Eagles up 47-41 a minute into the final quarter. The Dragons scratched back and with 5:46 left, they tied the score at 47. The fun was just beginning. DJ Cole calmly hit 2 free throws and Joey Van Note converted a layup off a back door cut. That man Brandon Johansen again teamed up with Josh Wright for a basket off the cut and DJ Cole drained another trey and the Eagles had bounced back to hold a 56-49 lead with 4:14 left. But Brunswick chipped away and took a one point lead on two free throws with 58 seconds left. DJ Cole once again sank a free throw to tie it up with 38 seconds left. Brunswick took the lead with a basket with 10 seconds showing on the clock. The Eagles had two chances to tie in the waning seconds, but neither shot fell and the refs had swallowed their whistles.

DJ Cole led the Eagles with 13 points. Brandon Johansen finished with 12 points and Tyler Charron added 10. It was a very physical game. The Dragons went to the line 29 times while the Eagles made only 8 visits. Just saying.

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Feb 7, 2012 - Four Star Performance by 4 Times as Good singing the National Anthem

WRESTLING

Eagles Compete at KVACs

The Eagles participated in the KVAC Wrestling Championship on Saturday. Several wrestlers were unable to compete due to illness. Nevertheless, the Eagles had two wrestlers who advanced to the Consolation round. Jacob Kenney, all 106 pounds of him, finished 3rd and Corey Allen finished 4th in the 113 lb division. Jared Jensen, who wrestles for Brunswick but practices with the Eagles, won in the 152 lb division and was named the Class A Outstanding Wrestler.

GIRLS HOCKEY

MTA Lady Eagles Tame York Wildcats 9-0

Special report by Ron 'Hutch' Hutchins

Saturday, Rochester, NH - The MTA's girl's ice hockey team let the York Wildcats girls know they came to play today, after driving 2 hours in a snowstorm.

The Eagles wasted no time finding the back of the York net. With only 1:54 off the clock, Brooke Shea (Kayla Pinkham) put in what would be the first of nine unanswered goals. At 9:18 Mikaila Cloutier (unassisted) took the puck coast to coast and snapped one over the shoulder of York 's rookie keeper, Julia Hird. Wildcat's Hird faced 7 shots with 3 saves. MTA's net tender, Keeley Bartolini cleared away 6 shots in the first.

Second period the Eagles were soaring all over York 's defensive end. Nellie Hetherington (Brooke Shea) put in the first goal of the period. Scoring her first goal of her career, Alicia Caterina (Hannah Zimmerman) was just pickin' up the trash! Kayla Pinkham (Mikaila Cloutier) found her way to the back of the net at 8:04 and then again Pinkham from Cloutier at 8:54 . The fifth and final goal for the period came from the quick hands of Renee Rossignol (unassisted) as she Snuck one under the leg pads of keeper Hird at 9:33 . Hird faced 12 shots with 7 saves while Eagle's Bartolini had 5 shots, 5 saves.

MTA was looking confident in third period play. Hard skating, heads up, skilled hockey is what the fans saw all period. Accurate stick to stick cross ice passing was thrilling to watch. Rachel Schoenberg (unassisted) lit the lamp just 33 seconds into the period. Nellie Hetherington (unassisted) fired a shot from just outside the York blueline and whistled it under the stick of Hird at 11:37 . York 's goalie faced a total of 19 shots with 10 saves. MTA coach's got a solid look at their future net tender Keeley Bartolini, as she cleared away 12 shots in the third and a total of 23 shots for a shutout on the day. MTA Coaches Hutchins, Zimmerman and Shea all commented on how relaxed Keeley was in the net, like Tim Thomas is - Her flow from side to side was smooth, she appeared to have confidence in her stick work with the puck and she looked liked she belonged there. Keeley was attentive to where the puck was at all times. All 3 agree that she did a really great job, obviously.

The Mt. Ararat Girl's Ice Hockey Team is now 8-5-1 for the season (51GF/29GA). MTA's next games are 01/29 Sunday, 1:50pm at USM Gorham vs The Huskies and 01/30 Monday, 7:10pm at Kents Hill vs The Kennebec Moose.

Eagles score vs Brunswick

It's actually Annie McIntyre who scored assisted by Devon Hutchins.

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