State Championships Preview: Maine Principals Association

We've reached the final weeked of February, which means it's officially time to crown state champions in Maine!   The culmination of a season worth of highlights happens this weekend, as state champions will be crowned in each of the MPA's five classes.   Below is a breakdown of each state championship game, from the largest class (Class A) all the way down to the smallest (Class S).   Class A: Camden Hills (20-1) vs. Portland (16-6)   Camden Hills, the #1 seed out of A North, and Portland, the #6 seed out of A South, will battle for the Class A State Championship on Saturday at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland at 7:45pm.   Players to Watch:   Camden Hills: [player_tooltip player_id='2696676' first='Nolan' last='Ames'], the state's top scorer, has been on a tear during the state tournament and is averaging 23.7 points per game during Camden Hills' run to the state final. Beyond his scoring, he's registered back to back double-doubles, with 11 assists in the regional final and 11 rebounds in the regional semifinal. Ames is a bigger guard that has the ability to score the basketball at all three levels and can make some impressive plays around the basket with his athleticism. He's terrific in transition and does a nice job of cleaning up on the defensive glass.   Portland: Lucas Legage, a high scoring guard for most of the season, popped for 17 points in the regional final win after a relatively quiet first two games of the state tournament. The 6'1" guard can really score the basketball from behind the arc and while he's improved as a ball-handler this winter, it's his ability to space the floor as a shooter that opens up the paint for the rest of his teammates. Cordell Jones will also be important for Portland, he's averaged over 10 points per game during the tournament run and will most likely see a lot of time as the primary defender on [player_tooltip player_id='2696676' first='Nolan' last='Ames'].     Class B: Gardiner (18-3) vs. Yarmouth (17-4)   Gardiner, the #3 seed out of B North, and Yarmouth, the #4 seed out of B South, will kick off the title weekend with a matchup on at 7:45pm on Friday night at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.   Players to Watch:   Gardiner: Brady Atwater has scored in double figures in all three playoff games so far, including a team high 27 points in Gardiner's regional final victory over Cony. Atwater has a solid frame, plus athleticism, and the ability to impact a game around the basket and from the perimeter. He scores it in a variety of ways, does a great job of attacking the basket in transition, and is a versatile defender that rebounds the ball at a high rate on that end of the floor.   Yarmouth: Adam Maxwell has paced Yarmouth in scoring during their tournament run and is averaging 18.3 points per game over that three game stretch. Maxwell is a long forward that has been a consistent double-digit scorer for Yarmouth all winter long, while proving to be a playmaker on the defensive end of the floor. He has good instincts in passing lanes, shows the ability to block or alter shots around the rim, and does a nice job of creating with the ball in his hands in transition.     Class C: Fort Kent (15-6) vs. Maranacook (17-4)   Fort Kent, the #3 seed out of C North, and Maranacook, the #3 seed out of C South, will match up in the Class C State Championship at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday at 8:45pm.   Players to Watch:   Fort Kent: [player_tooltip player_id='3298332' first='Aden' last='Jeffers'] was the hero for Fort Kent in their regional semifinal win. His 24 points were huge, but none were bigger than the 2 he scored to beat the buzzer at the end of regulation to send Fort Kent to the state championship. A big time scorer, he had 35 points in Fort Kent's quarterfinal win, Jeffers does a terrific job of getting downhill off the bounce and using his length and athleticism as a scorer around the rim. He's really good in isolation situations, knows how to create his own offense, and makes a ton of plays defensively in passing lanes and as an on-ball defender.   Maranacook: Gage Mattson started the tournament with a bang, scoring 28 points in Marancook's quarterfinal win and following it up with 32 in their semifinal game. Mattson is a good athlete that has shown the ability to play through contact as both a finisher and as a driver. He has some versatility on the defensive end of the floor, does a nice job of handling and making decisions in transition, and gives Maranacook a real presence on the defensive glass. Jack Fontaine gives Maranacook a dynamic scoring duo and has averaged 23.3 points per game during the tournament run.     Class D: Machias (20-1) vs. Monmouth Academy (16-5)   Machias, the #1 seed out of D North, and Monmouth Academy, the #2 seed out of D South, will face off in the Class D State Championship on Saturday at 4:15pm at the Augusta Civic Center.   Players to Watch:   Machias: Mickey Fitzsimmons has been a major contributor to his team's offense all season long, helping Machias to average an impressive 70.5 points per game. The senior guard can fill up a stat sheet, having averaged 18.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game this season.He has long arms, a quick first step off the bounce, and the ability to really create easy scoring opportunities for his teammates. He does a nice job of directing the offense and has proven to be a playmaker on both ends of the floor, getting it done both in the half-court and in transition.   Monmouth Academy: Levi Laverdiere has lead Monmouth Academy in scoring in two of their three playoff games so far, posting 19 points in their quarterfinal win and 18 in the regional final. A first-team all-Mountain Valley Conference selection this winter, Laverdiere is a quality offensive piece for Monmouth Academy. The junior averaged 17.5 points per game this winter and can get it done in a variety of ways on the offensive end of the floor, particularly as a finisher around the rim. Defensively, he provides his team with toughness and rebounding.     Class S: Easton (15-6) vs. Valley (19-2)   Easton, the #2 seed out of S North, and Valley, the #1 seed out of S South, will meet up at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday at 12:45pm in the Class S State Championship.   Players to Watch:   Easton: Mason Pelletier could be the key to the game for Easton, as the sophomore forward just averaged 29.0 points per game during the regional tournament. Pelletier had 42 points in Easton's quarterfinal win and has proven capable of scoring the basketball at all three levels in this tournament. He does a nice job of knocking down shots from the perimeter, can score it around the rim with his length, and is really good at jumping passing lanes to create steals that turn into easy baskets in transition.   Valley: Harry Louis has been Valley's top scorer during their run to the state championship and is averaging 21.7 points per game in their three playoff games. Louis is coming off of a 27-point performance in the regional final and has been one of the state's better scorers since his sophomore year. He does a nice job of making shots from behind the arc, plays with quickness in small spaces, and has good burst off the bounce when attacking the rim. Don't sleep on Fisher Tewksbury either, as he's averaging 13.3 points per game during the playoff run.

We've reached the final weeked of February, which means it's officially time to crown state champions in Maine!