Firecrackers clinch first place in pool at 8th-grade national tournament

Championship bracket begins Monday, Firecrackers face Team Providence in first round

With the final game of pool play and only contest of the day for the Firecrackers, tipping off at 5:55 PM at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports, the Maine girls spent the day visiting SeaWorld, playing card games, painting nails, and getting shots up at the outdoor court.

After a pregame meal prepared by chefs J Colby, S Blanche, and Warden Hamilton rivaling John Smith’s original Thanksgiving meal (minus slack salted cod), the Firecrackers rolled to the HP Center in the middle of a thunder storm that didn’t deter Will “AJ Foyt” Blanche from slingshotting his rented minivan beyond a 1984 white Coupe DeVille to arrive at the gym on time.

The Firecrackers had yet another slow start with 3 missed easy opportunities before Maggie Whitmore got her team on the board courtesy of a Julz Colby steal.

Avalon (FL) answered with a 3 before Serena Mower banked in a jumper. Avalon responded with a quick 2 and 3 to take a 7-4 lead. The active 1-2-2 zone was a struggle early for the Firecrackers but thanks to late buckets from Whitmore, Brooke Obar, and a bomb from Gabrielle Wener the Firecrackers held a 13-11 lead at the end of one.

The referees were letting the kids play to the point only one foul was called in the first half so the Firecrackers became more aggressive on defense and Julz Colby led the way with 3 consecutive steals leading to six points and a 19-11 lead. Wener, Obar, Mower, and Whitmore all scored in the quarter but Colby showed why she could be one of the top guards in the KVAC as a freshman with an amazing 5 steals in the quarter that changed the entire game. “Silent Julz” was not alone as the team defense was outstanding during the whole quarter, limiting Avalon to one basket as the Firecrackers pulled ahead 28-13.

In the 3rd quarter Madison Blanche continued the intense ball pressure on the defensive end leading to hurried offense for the Lady Warriors and Camille Clement heated up on the offensive end with 2 consecutive 3 balls followed by a short jump shot. Wener had a tremendous left handed finish while getting mauled for an “And One” and Blanche had a highlight worthy Eurostep around traffic with a left hand finish to the delite of the fanatic Firecracker crowd, which included Colby coaching legend Dick Whitmore. With one quarter to go the Mainers were up 44-18.

Hope Olson got the Mainers off to a good start in the 4th quarter with 3 quick points to go with 3 rebounds and a blocked shot. The biggest story was the Firecrackers getting it done on the defensive end, holding Avalon to 6 total points in the second and third quarters and the final score was 56-25. Though they only shot 33% from the field the Mainers attempted 69 shots vs. Florida’s 54 due to a 40-26 rebounding advantage.

Julz Colby let her play do her talking once again and was a joy to watch leading the team with 13 points, 6 steals and 3 assists.

Camille Clement found her groove with 11 points (3 3’s) and 5 rebounds, Wener finished with 7 and showed flashes of brilliance (rare combination of length and athleticism allowing her to play inside and out), Mower knocked in 7 and played with her normal full effort (dove on a loose ball resembling Dave Cowens), Obar had an off shooting night (4 points) but continues to be a critical cog because of everything else she does. Blanche finished with 4 and Olson 3 to round out the 3 and both are providing excellent energy/unselfishness. Jacqui Hamilton pulled down another 5 rebounds and laid some Douglas Fir lumber on a couple of unsuspecting Lady Warriors that sent a message about roaming in the wrong area and Emily Huntington contributed solid minutes against the Avalon pressure and added 2 steals and 2 rebounds to the stat sheet.

With the win the Firecrackers won their pool and will play a formidable Providence team at 8 AM in round one of the playoffs that consist of 16 teams remaining.