Tyler McFarland has had a storied basketball career at CamdenHills Regional High School.
A four-year varsity player, McFarland has one state title to hiscredit and now three Eastern Maine Class B championships afterleading the Windjammers to their third straight regional crownduring Tourney Week 2011.
Now the 6-foot-6 senior center has earned a new honor becomingthe first three-time winner of the William C. Warner Award MostValuable Player Award for his play throughout the EM schoolboybasketball tournament.
Bo Leary of Class A runnerup Edward Little of Auburn, A.J. Harrisof Class C champion Lee Academy, and Mike McClung of Class D winnerCentral Aroostook of Mars Hill join McFarland as this yearsrecipients.
The Warner Award, established in 1994 in memory of a formerBangor Daily News sports editor and reporter, and BDN Eastern Maineall-tournament teams were selected by a vote of media, tournamentpersonnel and representatives of the Maine Principals Association.
Class A
Leary was a focus of attention throughout the Eastern Atournament, mixing a crafty inside game with solid mid-range play.He scored 28 points during the quarterfinals and went on to averagedouble figures in both scoring in rebounding while becoming thethird straight Edward Little player following James Philbrook in2009 and Yusef Iman in 2010 to win the Warner Award.
Leary is joined on the BDN Eastern A all-tournament team byJosiah Hartley and Zach Blodgett of EM champion Bangor, Tim Mains ofEdward Little and Graham Safford of Hampden Academy.
Hartley shook off an illness that landed him in a hospitalemergency room the night before the Eastern Maine final to leadBangor to a 41-38 victory over Edward Little, scoring 13 pointswhile limiting Leary to 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Bangorsenior, who returned to basketball this season after competing inindoor track the previous two winters, also had 14 points and eightrebounds during the quarterfinals.
Blodgett also scored 14 points in the quarterfinals while playingbarely more than two quarters before suffering an ankle injury, buthe returned to play a key role in the final scoring the go-aheadbasket with 57 seconds left and adding an insurance score with 13seconds remaining.
Mains was a stabilizing influence in the Edward Little backcourt,though he also emerged as a scorer with back-to-back 14-pointperformances in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Mains waspresented the Al Halliday Award as the tournaments outstandingplayer-sportsman.
Safford showed why he is considered among the states elite guardswith 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists during Hampdensquarterfinal win over Lewiston, followed by a 27-point semifinalperformance against Edward Little that included seven 3-point goalsas he helped the Broncos set an Eastern A single-game record with 123-pointers.
Class B
McFarland showed off his versatility during postseason play,finding success whether working on the perimeter or closer to thebasket where he began his high school career. The leading schoolboybasketball scorer in Camden Hills history, McFarland scored 29 and22 points in his first two tourney games before being slowed by theflu in the regional final, when he was limited to 12 points. He alsoaveraged 7.3 rebounds in three tourney games.
McFarland is one of two repeat choices on this years BDN EasternB all-tourney team, along with Camden Hills teammate Keegan Pieri.Also on the squad are Ellsworth senior forward Andrew Austin, CamdenHills senior point guard Joel Gabriele and Nokomis of Newport juniorguard Chris Braley.
Pieri scored his teams first 11 points of the regional final instaking Camden Hills to an early lead, and finished the first halfwith 20 of his game-high 24 points as he made Ellsworth pay forpacking in its defense in an effort to contain McFarland.
Gabriele not only keyed the Windjammers defensive pressure, heturned that defense into offense, scoring in double figures in eachof his teams three victories.
Austin was a matchup nightmare for opponents, quicker than mostrival big men but able to play bigger than his height would suggestagainst taller foes. He was one of the tournaments most consistentscorers, with games of 23, 17 and 18 points.
The highly-touted Braley made an emphatic tournament debut,scoring 43 points and grabbing 17 rebounds during an overtime lossto Ellsworth in the quarterfinals. Braley shot 18 of 31 from thefield, including 4 of 11 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Class C
A four-year varsity starter, Harris has been the glue on abalanced Lee Academy team that improved steadily throughout theregular season and is peaking at tournament time, if its 24.7-pointaverage margin of victory during the Eastern C regional is anyindication.
Harris, the son of longtime Lee coach Randy Harris, scored a team-high 23 points during the quarterfinals and reached double figuresin all three postseason victories.
Harris is joined on the BDN Eastern C all-tourney team by LeesArtie Makovskis, Gabe OBrien and Tylor Martin of Sumner of EastSullivan, and Joe McCloskey of Penobscot Valley of Howland.
Makovskis, a sophomore from Lithuania, quickly adapted to his newsurroundings as an immediate impact player for Lee. He twice reacheddouble figures in rebounds during the tournament, as well as playinga key role in the Pandas perimeter game.
OBrien was the on-court catalyst for a hard-charging Sumner teamthat reached the Eastern C final for the first time since 1973. Hescored in double figures in each of his three tourney games, andalso sparked fullcourt defensive pressure that proved pivotal to theTigers reaching the title game.
Martin provided much of the inside complement to OBriensperimeter play, averaging six rebounds per tournament contest to gowith a 22-point quarterfinal performance against Calais and an 18-point effort in the regional final against Lee.
McCloskey was a marked man throughout his senior season,typically drawing double- and even triple-teams from opposingdefenses. Tourney time was no different, though the Penobscot Valleycenter still came through with 27 points and 13 rebounds in thequarterfinals and 19 points and 14 rebounds in the semifinals.
Class D
McClung was the primary inside threat in a balanced CentralAroostook attack, both offensively in leading the Panthers inscoring during the regional tournament and also as a rebounder and adefender near the basket for a team that allowed just 33.3 points inthree postseason games.
The 6-6 junior is joined on the BDN Eastern D all-tournament teamby Central Aroostook frontcourt mate Caleb Kelly, Washburn guardMitch Worcester, Jonesport-Beals forward Garet Beal and Machiascenter Brian Getchell.
Kellys work in the high post matched well with McClungs low-postplay, with Kelly finding offense either via mid-range jumpers orslashing drives to the basket. The 1,000-point career scorer had a21-point effort in the Panthers closest tourney test, a 62-45semifinal win over Machias.
Worcester made 13 3-point goals in two games, including anEastern D-record eight during the semifinals against Jonesport-Beals when Washburn made a record 20 shots from beyond the arc as ateam. Worcesters 30 points in that contest was the top single-gametotal of this years Eastern D tournament.
Beal, like Worcester just a sophomore, also had two big offensiveperformances while leading Jonesport-Beals to the final, with 26points and seven rebounds in the quarterfinals followed by a 28-point semifinal.
Getchell displayed a strong, consistent frontcourt game duringMachias breakthrough run to the semifinals, with 20 points and 13rebounds in the quarters and another 20-point effort in the semis.
CLASS A
Bo Leary (MVP), Edward Little: Sr., F, 6-4, 18.0
Josiah Hartley, Bangor: Sr., F, 6-3, 9.7
Graham Safford, Hampden Acad: Sr., G, 6-1, 24.5
Zach Blodgett, Bangor: Sr., F, 6-2, 10.0
Tim Mains, Edward LIttle: Sr., G, 5-9, 12.0
Honorable mention: Eric Berry, Mt. Blue; Christian McCue, HampdenAcad.; Patrick Stewart, Bangor; Quin Leary, Edward Little; JoshWalker, Mount Ararat
CLASS B
Tyler McFarland (MVP), Camden Hills: Sr., C, 6-6, 21.0
Andrew Austin, Ellsworth: Sr., F, 6-2, 19.3
Keegan Pieri, Camden Hills: Sr., G, 6-6, 13.3
Chris Braley, Nokomis: Jr., G, 6-3, 43.0
Joel Gabriele, Camden Hills: Sr., G, 6-1, 13.3
Honorable mention: Mike McCann, Winslow; Cote Card, Ellsworth;Justin Murray, Winslow; John Murray, Medomak Valley; Aaron Toman,Gardiner
CLASS C
A.J. Harris (MVP), Lee Acad.: Sr., G, 6-0, 15.3
Joe McCloskey, Penobscot Valley: Sr., C, 6-7, 23.0
Gabe O'Brien, Sumner: Jr., G, 5-10, 12.0
Artie Makovskis, Lee Acad.: So., G, 6-4, 9.7
Tylor Martin, Sumner, So., F, 6-0, 17.0
Honorable mention: Daniel He, Lee Acad., Bryan James, Lee Acad.,Jacob Jones, Penobscot Valley; Brett Deniger, Sumner; Bryan Russell,Penquis
CLASS D
Mike McClung (MVP), Central Aroostook: Jr., C, 6-6, 14.0
Garet Beal, Jonesport-Beals: So., F, 6-5, 18.7
Caleb Kelly, Central Aroostook: Sr., F, 6-2, 13.0
Mitch Worcester, Washburn: So. G, 6-3, 28.0
Brian Getchell, Machias: Sr., C, 6-4, 20.0
Honorable mention: Matt Alley, Jonesport-Beals; Travis Noyes,Fort Fairfield; Jordan McLaughlin, Washburn; Justin Alley, Jonesport-Beals; Brendan York, Central Aroostook
