County Hoops and Wrestling Roundup: Fort Kent, Fort Fairfield Lead Busy Opening Weekend

The winter sports season is officially underway, with County basketball teams tipping off their seasons and local wrestlers already climbing the podium. Fort Kent and Fort Fairfield all turned in standout performances as fans settled back into gym bleachers and wrestling mats for the first full weekend of action.

On the boys hardwood, Fort Kent opened its season with an impressive 68–56 win over John Bapst. The Warriors’ offense came out firing, led by a big night from Mason Pelletier, who scored 22 points, and strong support from Aden Jeffers with 20 points and Tobias Naranja adding 14. John Bapst stayed within striking distance behind Colby Haggerty’s 28-point performance and 12 points from Matt Ruggero, but Fort Kent’s balance and timely scoring proved to be the difference as the Warriors moved to 1–0, while the Crusaders fell to 0–1.

Fort Fairfield’s boys turned in a dominant team effort in a 75–12 victory over Van Buren. In a rare accomplishment, every Tiger found the scoring column, underscoring just how complete the performance was. Graedon King and Cayden Ala led the way with 9 points each, but the story of the night was the Tigers’ depth and unselfish play in a game they controlled from start to finish.

On the girls side, John Bapst opened the season with a strong 79–20 win over Fort Kent. The Lady Crusaders shared the ball well and showed good balance on offense, with Julia Goodine scoring 20 points, Stella Goetz adding 16, Jessie Grant 13, and Maddie Peters 12 as they moved to 1–0. For Fort Kent, Trinity Daigle finished with 7 points and Emlyn Nadeau added 6, as the Lady Warriors look to regroup and respond in their next game after starting 0–1.

It wasn’t just about basketball this weekend. On the mats, County wrestlers also grabbed early-season hardware. Fort Kent’s Joel Desjardins captured the 157-pound title at the Belfast meet, kicking off his campaign with a strong tournament win. At the Ryan Detour Memorial Wrestling Tournament on Saturday, Caribou’s Mason St. Peter claimed the 165-pound championship, and Brock Gagnon brought home the 150-pound title for the Vikings, giving Caribou a pair of champions to highlight a successful opening weekend.

Other Final Scores

Boys Basketball

Presque Isle 67, Old Town 49
Caribou 58, Ellsworth 57

Girls Basketball

Ellsworth 55, Caribou 29
Fort Fairfield 39, Van Buren 28
Old Town 42, Presque Isle 34

With statement wins on the court and individual titles on the mat, the winter sports season is off to a fast start across The County. If this first weekend is any indication, fans can expect plenty more big nights, close finishes, and standout performances in the weeks ahead.

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