The Bates College men's basketball team has developed a fruitfulconnection with Bangor High School in recent years.
Zak Ray, a star guard for the Rams who was named the state's 2003Mr. Basketball, went on to become one of the top players in the NewEngland Small College Athletic Conference during his four years atBates.
And Alex Gallant, a forward who led Bangor to the 2007 Class Astate championship, was part of the Bobcats' regular rotation duringhis first year at the Lewiston school this winter.
Now Ryan Weston, who helped Bangor to a 42-2 record, one statechampionship and two Eastern Maine Class A titles over the last twoseasons, plans to join Gallant on the Bates roster next season.
'I went there for a visit, and I loved the coach and I thought itwas a beautiful campus even though they had a lot of constructiongoing on,' said Weston, a 6-foot-5 center. 'The campus wasabsolutely gorgeous, everybody was really friendly and willing toanswer your questions.'
Weston said his familiarity with two local players on the team,Gallant and sophomore guard Chris Wilson of Brewer, also helped withhis decision, as did the team's style of play.
'I knew a couple of the guys on the team in Chris and Al, and Igot to see them play and see how coach [Joe] Reilly coached,' hesaid. 'I loved the way coach Reilly coached - hard, intense man-to-man defense similar to what we do here at Bangor.'
Weston, a Bangor Daily News third-team All-Maine choice as ajunior, was the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A Northplayer of the year this winter while leading Bangor in scoring (12.7ppg) and rebounding (8 rpg) despite averaging barely 20 minutes ofplaying time per game.
Bates finished the 2007-08 season with a 17-8 record, qualifyingfor the NESCAC playoffs before bowing to Bowdoin of Brunswick in thequarterfinals.
Weston's athletic career at Bates won't be confined tobasketball, as he also plans to join the Bobcats' football team thisfall.
'When I was visiting there I met the football coach [MarkHarriman], who it turns out had been a referee in our quarterfinal[basketball] game last year against Leavitt, and I decided I wantedto play two sports instead of having to give up one,' Weston said.'The coaches supported me 100 percent in doing that, so Bates seemedlike a pretty good option for me.'
Weston, a first-team All-Pine Tree Conference Class A tight endlast fall while helping Bangor reach the Eastern A final, won't bealone among Bangor football players matriculating to Bates. FellowAll-PTC first-team honorees Tyler McDade (linebacker) and KyleVanidestine (running back/defensive back) also are planning to playfor the Bobcats beginning this year, Weston said.
Weston is hopeful the blend of new talent and experiencedveterans will help Bates emerge from a struggling period in itsfootball history. The Bobcats have finished 1-7 each of the last twoyears.
'It's a program on the rise,' he said, 'and there's a lot ofdesire and a lot of passion there.'
Martin wins Gatorade honor
Ryan Martin of Maranacook of Readfield has capped off a cleansweep of the state's top schoolboy basketball honors with hisselection as Maine's Gatorade Player of the Year.
That selection, released Monday, comes in the aftermath of the 5-foot-9 senior guard leading the Black Bears to a 22-0 record and the2008 Class B state championship and being named Mr. Basketball onFriday night during the Maine McDonald's Senior All-Star Banquet.
Martin concluded his high school career with a stellar seniorseason that propelled Maranacook to its second state title in threeyears.
His contribution? Martin averaged 23.1 points and 2.6 assists pergame while shooting 61 percent from the field, 60 percent frombeyond the 3-point arc and 88 percent from the free-throw line.
He scored a school-record 56 points - including eight 3-pointers -in the Black Bears' regular-season finale, a 97-60 victory over OakHill of Sabattus. He then was named Eastern B tournament MVP for thesecond time in three years after averaging 25 points in three games.
Martin followed that effort with a game-high 26 points as theBlack Bears defeated Cape Elizabeth 56-46 in the Class B statefinal.
A three-time Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B playerof the year and a two-time Bangor Daily News All-Maine choice,Martin ended his career with 1,899 points.
Martin was a four-year starter for coach Rob Schmidt's BlackBears but burst onto the scene in a statewide sense as a sophomore.
Martin averaged 34 points in three 2006 Eastern B tournamentgames, including 41 points in a semifinal win against Medomak Valleyof Waldoboro and 35 in Maranacook's championship-game victory overPresque Isle. He also set an Eastern B tournament record with 18made free throws in the semifinals.
Maranacook went on to defeat Mountain Valley of Rumford in thatyear's state final, but the Black Bears were ousted in the 2007regional quarterfinals before regaining the gold ball this winter.
Martin's Maranacook team compiled a 69-13 overall record overfour years, including 59-4 during the last three years.
Martin is expected to announce his college plans by the end ofthis week, with options including Maine, Vermont, Quinnipiac, KeeneState and Franklin Pierce.
Corrigan faces sporting choice
Caribou High School senior Kyle Corrigan has the most importantpart of his college selection process settled.
He's headed to the University of Maine-Presque Isle in the fallto study athletic training.
He's also going to play a sport for the Owls, but he's not yetsure which one - and he has two high-quality options.
'It's either soccer or basketball,' he said. 'I just want to playone, and I don't know which one I'm going to play yet. It's going totake a while.'
Corrigan earned All-New England honors from the Maine SoccerCoaches Association last fall after breaking a 30-year-old schoolsingle-season goal-scoring record with 27 while leading the Vikingsto a 12-3 record. He finished his career with 51 goals and 13assists.
This winter, the 5-9 guard was one of the top basketball playersin Eastern Maine Class B, earning first-team All-Big East Conferencehonors and All-Aroostook accolades while leading Caribou to a 17-3record and a berth in the regional tournament.
Corrigan also was a McDonald's senior all-star.
'It's just where my heart is and which sport I have more funplaying,' said Corrigan of his eventual choice. 'It's not reallyabout all the success, it's about what I feel.'
Corrigan's favorite sport has changed over the years, whichlikely will make his decision all the more difficult.
'When I was little it was baseball, then in the middle-school erait was basketball,' he said. 'Once high school came around, I reallygot into soccer, so it's definitely shifted.'
eclark@bangordailynews.net
990-8045
