Shead Tigerettes win Class D North title

The new Class D North champions in girls basketball from Shead High School in Eastport will be playing Rangeley for the state championship on Saturday, February 27, at the Augusta Civic Center.
"It was really exiting," says Tigerette Holly Preston of the Class D North championship win on February 20 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. "No one from Shead has done it since 1999, and that was our goal at the beginning of the season."
Preston and teammate Cierra Seeley agree that rookie coach Corey Sullivan has done an excellent job of guiding the team. "Since we've been in high school, this is the best year for us all working together and playing well," points out Preston, while Seeley adds, "We were pretty comfortable playing out there. It was fun."
Seeley was named the Class D most valuable player at the tournament in Bangor and was joined on the all-tourney Class D team by junior teammate Preston.
"It's been a lot of hard work to get to this point," says Shead Principal Paul Theriault of the Tigerettes' success on the basketball court. "Even when you're playing well, that doesn't always result in wins, but after they had a stretch where they struggled a little bit, they peaked at the right time."
"I don't think the girls really realize the magnitude of what they've done and how much for the school and community," he stresses. "Sometimes we put too much emphasis on winning or losing, but, in this case, the excitement has been great for everybody."
The third-seeded Tigerettes' climb to the top during tournament week began with a 34-22 quarterfinal victory over sixth-seeded Deer Isle-Stonington on February 13 in Bangor. "We started rebounding offensively, defensively and pushing the ball," says Preston. "The three-two zone defense limited the Lady Mariners' inside game."
"If we're passing the ball good, we're pretty dangerous," summed up coach Sullivan of the victory.
Preston was the game's top scorer with 17 points. Cierra Seeley scored 10 points and four rebounds. Hannah Lank scored five points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Sophomore forward Cassidy Wilder had eight rebounds.
On February 18 the Shead High School girls squeaked out a 38-35 victory over second-seeded Washburn after losing to them two years ago by 52 points in a preliminary round. Preston made a game-winning lay‑up off a pass from Seeley with 8.6 seconds left on the clock. Seeley had the ball at the top of the key and fed it to Preston. "I saw an open space and started going to the basket," says Preston. "Cierra gave me the ball, and I was hoping for the foul, but the shot was good."
"Originally, I was going to the basket but I knew I couldn't so I saw Holly and got it to her," adds Seeley.
Cassidy Wilder then intercepted a pass and made two free throws with 2.8 seconds left to clinch the win. "I felt I had to go out and get it done like everyone else," Wilder says.
Preston had a game high 11 points with four rebounds. Seeley scored 10 and Wilder had eight. Taylah Kilby had seven rebounds. Brooke Robinson, Seeley and Katelyn Mitchell had five rebounds and two assists each. Wilder and Hannah Lank had six rebounds apiece. "Give Shead credit. We had a hard time scoring against their three-two zone defense," says Washburn coach Diana Trams of the Tigerettes' success.
The Shead Tigerettes earned their Class D North title on February 20 when they dominated the boards and defeated the Central Aroostook girls of Mars Hill 44-37 in Bangor. The 3‑2 zone defense was the key to success for the Tigerettes, and Katelyn Mitchell described the contest as "the best game I've played all year."
The Tigerettes out-rebounded the Panthers 44‑24, and Preston pointed out, "Rebounding wins games, and that's what we did today."
Central Aroostook Panther Karli Levesque said of her opponents, "They're the best team we've played. They were quicker getting to the rebounds. They work hard on defense. You have to give them props."
"Our bigs really showed up today," pointed out coach Sullivan. "Defensively we tried to make it hard for Karli Levesque to catch an easy pass while she was running back and fourth through the paint, and we extended our 3‑2 by a foot beyond the three-point line to make sure we got our hands in the face of their outside shooters."
Seeley says, "The key to every game is defense." In their three tournament games, the Shead Tigerettes held their opponents to an average of 31.3 points.
Valued as the team's biggest fan, the Shead girls honored 85-year-old Sherm Camick of Eastport with a Maine Principals' Association medal at the end of the February 20 championship game. "That took my heart out of me when they did that," says Camick of the honor. "They're all my favorite players."
"I've been chasing the girls' and boys' teams since I graduated in 1948," adds Camick, who is also in the Shead gym for all of the practices. "The only games I've missed were when I'm working."
"This is Corey Sullivan's first year as coach, and he's done a great job," he points out. "I'm going to be there on Saturday in Augusta, and I'll yell, 'Go, Tigers!'"