Fewer court games this season due to pandemic, but fun, happiness abounds
THORNDIKE — What a fitting way to finish a pandemic-altered and -shortened high school unified basketball season then to have Waldo County athletic rivals play an inspired, competitive, down-to-the-wire game on Thursday afternoon, March 25.
In the end of the thrilling court affair, Belfast nipped host Mount View 60-58.
According to the Maine Principals' Association website, unified basketball partners students with developmental disabilities (unified student-athlete) with students without developmental disabilities (unified student partners) to train, compete, and represent their school. Unified sports impacts all types of students and helps promote physical activity, teamwork, sportsmanship, and social inclusion, the MPA states.
The rosters for the Waldo County teams include:
Belfast — Summer Flewelling, Billy Bragdon, Brynne Sawyer, Audra Faulkingham, Toby Jones, Olivia Beverage, Izzy Degraff, Jordan Drinkwater, Logan Sheaffe, Jackie Batty, Iris Carpenter, Stellar Collins, Gabe Kelley, Rico Washington, Robert Hicock, Mykaila Willard and Maddie Stevens. The head coach is Sarah McIntire Bryant and assistant coaches Tina Young, Julie Morneault and Mike Savage.
Mount View — Brayden Bartlett, Donovan Queener, Emily Kendall, Jeremy Moulton, Jordan Van Oesen, Kairi Paul, Laurel Huntsburger, Madison Bisson, Nevaeh Parlin, Onna Queener, Samantha Cole, Starr Beaulieu, Shoshanna Dolai and Tamika Henry. The head coach is Vincent Vannah and assistant coaches Susan Beaulieu and Barb Dolloff.
In Thursday's game, Drinkwater led the Lions with 16 points; Bragdon, Sheaffe and Willard, 10; Beverage, eight; and Degraff, six.
For the Mustangs, Huntsburger tossed in 14 points; Bartlett, 12; Parlin and Beaulieu, eight; Moulton and Cole, six; and Kendall, four.
Courier Publications' sports staff can be reached by email at sports@villagesoup.com or by phone at 594-4401.