Firecracker freshman finish 2nd at GymRat CHALLENGE
Defensive pressure and unselfish play highlight tournament runBy virtue of their margins of victory, the Mainers were rewarded with a bye in the first playoff round and faced the Albany Capitals in round two. The Capitals are one the stronger NY programs and have sent numerous players to Division 1 colleges but the Firecrackers got out of the gate like Secretariat with an 18-0 start in the first 7 minutes thanks to tenacious back court defensive pressure by Eva Mazur, Allie Turner, and Anna DeWolfe. When Emme Poulin and Alex Goodman checked into the game the defense remained intense and the ball rarely touched the floor on offense. Mackenzie Holmes, Faith Blethen, and Sophie Glidden controlled the boards throughout the game while allowing nothing easy in the paint for the Capitals. In an effort to conserve energy for the games to follow, the Firecrackers dialed back the tempo in the second half and the Capitals made a late surge to make the final 43-30. The energy from the Maine girls was special and the performance drew compliments from Gym Rat officials and Capital fans as well. Offense was balanced with “Binky” DeWolfe scoring 10 (5 assists), Allie Turner 8 (3 steals), Mackenzie Holmes 8 (9 rebounds), Mazur 6 (4 assists and 4 steals), Faith Blethen (7 rebounds) and Sophie Glidden (5 rebounds) 4 each, and a long 3 from sharpshooting Emme Poulin (3 assists).
The Final Four match up pitted the Firecrackers against the Bay State Magic, considered by some the top program in Massachusetts. Once again the Firecrackers got out to a fast start and held a 22-12 lead at halftime before extending it to a 16 point lead but 3 late long balls by the Magic made things interesting before the women in orange closed out a 38-26 win. Mackenzie Holmes was a one woman wrecking crew in this one, finishing with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Anna DeWolfe continued her impressive play with 8 points, 4 assists and 4 steals. The long and athletic Sophie Glidden netted 7 points, Turner and Blethen 4 each, while Poulin and Goodman contributed solid play and a long ball each.
In the Championship game the Firecrackers clung to a 14-13 lead over the Maryland Belles midway through the half before costly turnovers and an epic cold spell left them trailing by 12 at the half. In the end Maryland’s depth, speed, and size prevailed with the final 42-29. DeWolfe and Holmes led the team with 12 hard earned points each but nothing came easy, a credit to the Belles defense and athleticism. Playing 6 games in two days with 8 players had taken it’s toll and the Firecrackers accepted the runner up trophy.
Overall the second place finish of 48 teams in a tournament, that includes most of the top teams in the East, proved a great experience. It is rare for Maine teams to advance deep into GymRat playoffs and this is the second Firecracker team to make it to a final. The first was the class of 2014 that included Nina Davenport (Bates), Brianne Maloney (St. Joe’s), Olivia Smith (Dartmouth), Ashley Briggs (St. A’s), Olivia Shaw (Brandeis), Allie Clement (Marist), Alicia Starbird (UNE), Sam Frost (Salve Regina), and Bailey Cote (Babson). The original team lost to the Long Island Lighting, led by Boogie Brozoski, now a star for the Michigan Wolverines.
The current 14u team is a unique combination of talented players with what has the potential to be one of the best AAU teams Maine has produced. Even playing up a year, Anna DeWolfe was as explosive and talented as any guard in the 14u division. Combined with the athleticism and tenacity of Eva Mazur and Allie Turner, and the sharpshooting of Emme Poulin and Alex Goodman, this is an impressive combination of guards and that is without mentioning the gifted and lightning fast Alex Hart, who missed the weekend to compete in the New England Track Championships. As talented as the perimeter play is, the post combination of Mackenzie Holmes, Faith Blethen, and Sophie Glidden is equally as venerable. Holmes (also an 8th grader) was one of the physically strongest and toughest post players in the division. Blethen, the third eighth grader on the team, is already catching the attention of college coaches (including U Albany) because of her unique skillset and size. Sophie Glidden is very athletic and versatile, especially on the defensive end and her upside potential is high.
The common denominators on the team are playing hard and being unselfish. They are tenacious on defense and are explosive on offense with ball movement well beyond their years. The next stop will be AAU Nationals in early July, where the challenges will be even greater.