Hampden Academy faces hurdles following championship season
HAMPDEN, Maine (BVM) — Last year, Hampden Academy boys basketball capped off its monumental season with a Class A state championship win. Heading into this year, the Broncos face a different challenge when it comes to their competition on the court.
“I think with some of the changes, obviously at this point, there isn’t going to be a tournament at the end,” Hampden Academy head coach Russ Bartlett said when talking about the announced changes to the upcoming basketball season. “I think that is a bummer. It’s fun to have something to play for at the end of the season. I understand why there isn’t one.
“Really and truly, it’s going to be, not glorified scrimmages, but if we do get to play, it’s going to be games that don’t really count for anything other than pride. Now, with that said, obviously, every time we’ve stepped on the floor in the last 18 years, our goal is to win and find a way to do that. I look for us to prepare for games like we typically would. We will still have a scouting report for the players for every game and, obviously, we want to play at the highest level possible with the understanding that… at the end of the season there won’t be a trophy to play for.”
No state championship tournament will be a tough pill to swallow for the Broncos, who were looking forward to the chance to defend their Class A title.
“I would have loved to take this group that we have coming back and see what we could do with them, to see if we could get back to that game,” Bartlett said. “Knowing that the game is in Northern Maine this year makes me happy to think that if we could find a way to the state final again, that we would have a good chance to potentially win it. So, it’s disappointing for the senior group that would have liked to try and lace them up again and see if we could get back to that game.”
Last year’s Broncos team, captained by former seniors Mikey Raye and Maine Gatorade Player of the Year, Bryce Lausier, helped lead Hampden Academy to a 28-1 record. Lausier’s 26.1 points per game piloted the Broncos throughout their 2019-20 season en route to their Class A state championship win over York.
“Night in and night out, for pretty much the entire season, we were really consistent on the offensive end,” Bartlett said of his past Broncos team. “The unfortunate circumstance was we had a four-game stretch in the tournament where offensively, really only Bryce [Lausier] was consistent and we had to really lean on our defense. Luckily our defense got us through those four games, really three games.
“In the state final, we had some other guys finally make shots other than him. I think we got to see a really special season last year for Bryce, being Mr. Basketball and being the Gatorade Player of the Year.”
Heading into this season, the Broncos will return four core players from their championship team if they get the chance to return to the floor. With less of a focus on winning a state championship, teams like Hampden Academy may focus on growing younger players.
“I think there will be two separate approaches depending on your program and where your program is at, at this point,” Bartlett said. “I think some coaches could look at it like, we’ve got a bunch of great seniors and I want to see them play one more time together, or you could look at it like, well, you know what, we could really do some real preparation of younger players here and prep them for the 2021-22 season. So, I think depending on your program, you’re probably going to look at that and try and evaluate what’s best for you program wise this year and next. But, I do think you’ve got to consider the 2021-22 season as something that you are preparing for a little bit, through this pandemic.”
With this thought in mind, the Broncos coach admits their younger players will get a better opportunity to learn and grow this upcoming season, without the consequence of wins and losses.
“I think the thing about growing the younger players that maybe is a thing that will be a positive is, they are going to get to do some of that without the consequences of losing a game being perilous for the season,” Bartlett said. “They are going to get to mature a little bit with less pressure on them with Heal points, and tournament games and where we are in the final standings and all those types of things. So, I think that will take a little pressure off of those younger players along with them maybe getting a few more opportunities than they would have in a normal circumstance.”
The Maine Principals’ Association announced recently their goal to kick off practicing for winter sports on Dec. 14 would be further delayed until Jan. 4, 2021.
