Bob White All-Star Games Give County Seniors One Last Spotlight

The season got one more curtain call Thursday night in Caribou, and Aroostook County’s seniors made sure it was worth the trip.

The Bob White Aroostook League All-Star Games brought a packed house, with the Caribou gym nearly full throughout the night as the County’s seniors got their final showcase on the hardwood. The format made it even more fun, four 10-minute quarters, with the score resetting after each quarter and substitutions coming halfway through each frame, keeping the pace high and the rosters moving.

Girls Game

The girls game opened the night with Team Yellow Haze, coached by Wisdom’s Kayla Dionne, taking on Team Berry, coached by Central Aroostook’s Cody Tompkins.

It was competitive all the way through. Team Haze took the opening quarter 16-12, but Team Berry answered with the most decisive stretch of the game in the second, rolling to a 25-13 win in the frame. Haze bounced back in the third, taking it 20-17, and the fourth was tight from start to finish, with no lead bigger than three before Haze edged it 26-25.

Central Aroostook’s Maggie Mahan led Team Haze with 26 points, while Presque Isle’s Marion Young and Central Aroostook’s Harleigh Allen each added 13. Team Berry was paced by Wisdom’s Ava Lerman, who poured in a game-high 29, while Katahdin’s Ayanna Lester and Southern Aroostook’s Ally Shields each finished with 14.

Boys Game

The boys game followed with Team Navy, coached by Madawaska’s Shawn Pelletier, facing Team Grey, coached by Caribou’s Kyle Corrigan.

Like the girls game, this one stayed entertaining all night. The first half was a flat-out track meet, with Navy taking the first quarter 22-21 and Grey answering in the second 26-25. Then Grey exploded in the third, dominating the frame 43-27 and looking like it might have the night wrapped up. But Navy had one more push left, taking the fourth 33-27 to force overtime.

In the extra session, Team Grey came out on top 5-3, winning the game on quarters 3-2.

Grey got offense from all over the floor, with six players in double figures. Fort Kent’s Tobias Naranja led the way with 21 points, Easton’s Raiden Cochran added 20, Madawaska’s Isaac Beaulieu had 19, Presque Isle’s Kason Bua scored 19, Presque Isle’s Carter Vigue added 13, and Washburn’s Garrett Plourde chipped in 10.

Team Navy was led by Caribou’s Landon Belanger with a game-high 30 points. Caribou’s Colby Ouellette added 20, Owen Corrigan scored 13, Katahdin’s Calvin Richardson had 11, and Caribou’s Carsen Richards finished with 10.

It was a fitting sendoff, one more night of County basketball, one more packed gym, and one more reminder of just how much talent came through Aroostook County this season.