Marshwood’s McGee set to defend title
SOUTH BERWICK, Maine (BVM) —Year in and year out, the Marshwood High School girls basketball team has fallen short of a state title. But last spring, that all changed, as the Hawks downed the Hampden Broncos, 42-32, to capture their first state title since 1995. Backed by a strong hybrid zone defense and senior forward Lexi McGee, Marshwood is set to defend their title.
McGee looks back at each part of the championship season fondly, whether it be upsetting the No. 1 seeded Greely Rangers or performing her superstitious pre-game routines in the locker room. She gushes about the feeling of hugging her teammates as the clock hit zero on their final win and the town’s complete support for the team throughout their run.
“We knew we could be good,” McGee said. “We knew we had the potential, but we just never said to each other, ‘We’re going to win a state title.’ All we wanted was to maximize the time we had together.”
The Hawks took this mentality into each game, unhindered by long-term expectations and pre-season rankings. According to McGee, that’s what helped keep the team focused on the game at hand rather than looking ahead to the “gold ball” of the state championship trophy. That game-by-game focus led the team into the history books in the state of Maine.
There’s no surprise that people are still raving about the squad that cut down the nets last year. Everyone has something to say about last year’s team. Whether it’s their chemistry, their “special” hybrid defense, or returning starter Rori Coomey, there is plenty of room for praise when it comes to the defending champs.
As one of the returning starters, McGee sees her role expanding on and off the court.
“There’s definitely a hole to fill in leadership,” McGee said. “I’m going to have to knock down some shots. Casey [Perry] was probably our best distributor. I need to fill those shoes this year in finding the open person. That’s my goal.”
The void left by the three starters leaves plenty of uncertainty for this year’s squad. But McGee is ready for the challenge, and she remains confident that the rest of the team will be too.
“I’ll play where they want me to,” McGee said. “I’ll play the position that they put me in depending on who we’re playing. It’s going to change a lot”.
Even when asked, Marshwood’s next leader has no interest in setting concrete goals for her senior season. This team-first mentality and pragmatic approach to each game is one reason fans can be excited about Hawks’ title defense.
“Last year, this year, every year, it’s always the same answers, ‘Let’s maximize the time we have together,'” McGee concluded. “Let’s focus on one game at a time.”
