Morning Sentinel from Waterville, Maine • 16

1 6 Morning Sentinel Tuesday November 9 1993 I want to do is make armington a place quality high school players from throughout the state want to come and play Dick Meader UM barketball coach A return to the sidelines Ernie Clark ia rtWml i ARMINGTON been five years since Dick Meader last paced the sidelines at a college basketball game Oh paced a few high school hallways since then while watching sons Lance and Daren play at Waterville High And he's been a fixture at most of the major basketball events in the state since leaving Thomas College after 17 seasons as the head coach served as a television commentator at the Eastern Maine Class A tournament commissioner of the (Western) Maine Athletic Conference and director of the NAIA District 5 basketball tournament Yet his time away from the rigors of coaching have been a learning experience been able to look at things from afar a little said Meader now the basketball coach at the University of Maine at armington The Beavers open their 1993 1994 season against the University of Maine at Augusta at the Augusta Civic Center Wednesday night gotten to see the game from a parental point of view rom sitting out and watching the game from a different view you learn things a young coach you always think you know it all but experience makes a big Perhaps most significantly Meader understands better how modem basketball is not a game controlled by coaches but by its participants 1 a game more than he said coach has the opportunity to shape certain things but the players who are doing it on the court and as a coach you forget Still Meader is excited about lending his influence to the basketball team at his alma mater where Meader still holds school records for free throws made (20) and attempted (21) in a game marks set during the 1964 1965 season I went out for the first day of practice here it felt like I had coached last winter and was just starting up after having just one summer he said drills that I had used before were coming back to me and some other things drills that I might use in certain situations took a little while longer to come back the first day came and went like the first day of other seasons did It feel like I was a way from coaching for five years it felt more like I had just been on Any vacation Meader he might have taken from the game is long removed now irst there is the 1993 1994 season I and making the most of a team short on i experience and without a significant recruiting class because of the coaching change No matter Meader is concentrating on coaching to his strengths and trying to minimize mistakes need to make the most of every possession because going to struggle at times with he said But the veterans on the team are used to getting out on the break and I want us to be able to take advantage of that or the long term Meader is excited about recruiting student athletes to a campus whose academic reputation has gone national in recent months thanks to recognition in US News and World I Report as one of the top liberal arts schools in the Northeast And compared to his former stomping grounds at Thomas the finandalend of recruiting students to UM is considerably less expensive like I start out with a $7000 said Meader "What I want to do is make armington a place where quality high school players from throughout tne state want to come and play I think we need to be able to recruit some of the best players in Maine and I think UM is an attractive place for them to Ernie Clark is the Sentinel's sports editor MEADER hT Sentinel Sports Editor The 1993 1904 University of Marne at armingion The schedule ARMINGTON If the University of Maine at armington was looking for a source of stability in its basketball program it went to the right place New coach Dick Meader brings to the Beavers a long history of involvement in the Maine small college basketball scene or 17 years he was head coach at Thomas College and more recently he has served as commissioner of the Maine Athletic Conference and director of the NAIA District 5 basketball tournament It is that resume he brings to a program that will be led by its third coach in as many years Meader replaces Rich Marshall who left after one 11 13 season The Beavers are young just three seniors strong and are without the benefit of a strong incoming recruiting class So there are smaller goals the Beavers are focusing on at the outset of the 1993 1994 season got to make sure we show signs of improvement in every said Meader himself a UM graduate if we play solid defgense and give people easy opportunities on offense be UM averaged 957 points per game last winter but 725 points per game have left with the seven players who graduated from the program The returning players are led by senior co captain Tim Stinson and junior co captain Dan Legage Stinson a 6 foot 5 inch forward from Georges Valley High in Newcastle averaged 69 points per game last season got a pretty good outside shot and have to score a lot for said Meader Legage a 5 9 guard from Portland averaged 69 points and 44 assists per game a year ago He saw considerable action at point guard last season but figures to play both guard positions this winter Backcourt help will come primarily from sophomore Jamie Beaudoin of Orono and junior Rob Morin of armingdale Beaudoin is a transfer from St Anselm College in Manchester NH while Morin was a member of junior varsity as a turn the ball over when we have it and work freshman to get good open shots be is going to help us at the point guard Meader said is exceptionally quick and he should be an offensive threat who is going to be a key for us really feel comfortable with our Working up front with Stinson will be 6 4 senior Sean Callahan of Brunswick 6 3 sophomore Troy Hanson of Dixfield and Dirigo High and 6 2 sophomore Troy Norton of armington and Mt Blue High Callahan and Hanson are expected to carry much of the load in the low post while Norton is targeted for small forward duties after averaging 39 points in 23 games last season Also expected to make! contributions are 6 3 freshman swingman Don Hebert of Dixfield an All Mountain Valley Conference choice at Dirigo High last winter and 6 3 freshman power forward Darren MacDonald of Lexington Mass Two sophomores who will make their UM debuts are 6 2 forward Troy Chase of Penquis Valley High in Milo and 6 1 guard Matt Cousins of Lincoln Academy will be a struggle for us at said Meader if we can hold pur own there and if we can take care not to Beavers seek stability success By ERNIE CLARK man's bartirtbal schedule Op Me Ttes HUMaine Augusta Nov 10 Ip MManficlMon Nov 18 7 pin McDonrifsM Nov 20 I pa McDcnrtfslnvt Nov 21 TBA UWsribraok Nov 23 730 Nov 29 730 ThomM Doc1 730 Hem Dec 8 TM'' UNa England Dec 11 730( UMneMachiw Dec 13 4jv UlUneAugusta Jan 15 730 at Daniti Webster Jan 16 2 pm at Thomae Jan 18 730 at Us Martine Jan20 7 pm StJoMptti Jan 22 730 atHiaon Jan 25 730 Utahs MacNa Jan 27 4pA MUNwEngM Jan29 730 Mee eb1 730 rt Southam Maine eb 3 7pA MUMainePnoquelsie eb 5 4pA JohsonSMa eb 7 730 Lyndon SW eb 9 730 Wertnok eb 12 730 MBomMi eb 15 730 UUakwPmoque teie eb 18 730 Sentinel photo by David Learning 'Si xw tfe 7 fh1 I Ar ME' a lx wxj 4 New Thomas College basketball coach Chris Young talks with his troops during a practice session Monday afternoon Young outlook New coach offers fresh perspective By ERNIE CLARK Sentinel Sports Editor His first EMTC team qualified for the National Small College Athletic Association national tournament in Dallas WATERVILLE Just when you think the reputation Aroostook County has gained as a basketball hotbed is a myth along comes someone like Chris Young As a relative of the wife of then University of Maine coacn oKip cnappeiie he spent many an afternoon and evening of his youth straining to hear the static filled broadcasts of Black Bear games on his AM radio were a lot of days when be standing next to the window trying to get WABI on the radio so I could hear the he said As a player for Limestone High he made his share of pilgrimages to the Bangor Auditorium As a senior he was part of an eighth ranked Limestone team that upset No 1 John Bapst in the Eastern Maine Class quarterfinals was a great win for said the 27 year old Young the new coach at Thomas College we had to play Woodland in the semifinals and they beat Young went on to the University of Maine where he aligned himself closely with Chappelle He was involved with the booster club performed duties and went with assistant coaches on recruiting trips definitely knew at that point that I wanted to be a he said EMTC is now one of the perennial top contenders in the Maine Small College Conference and it is contending status Young now hopes to bring to Thomas is a great opportunity for said Young of all I can sell a quality education and a good record of job He also can sell the opportunity the play against some of the best small college programs in the country such is the nature of the NAIA and NCAA Division III ranks jn Maine And he plans on making those sales without straying too far from familiar territory look for kids who are hungry and at the high school level you can really see it on the said Young us to be successful at Thomas I've got to recruit those kinds of kids as well as find those diamonds in the rough "or the most part I think those kids are from been a while since the Terriers have brought a winning season to campus and with a rugged schedule and a mix of veterans and newcomers the growth of the program under Young this fall might not be indicated by the final record But no looking back here putting everything that happened here last year behind said Young were some big expectations for the team last year but that has nothing to do with this team As a sophomore at Maine he coached junior varsity basketball under Ron Brown at John Bapst He returned to serve as a student assistant with Maine and later coached junior high basketball at Central Middle School in East Corinth A member of the 1990 Young hoped to catch on as a graduate assistant with staff upon his graduation But Chappelle stepped down and Young moved on to Eastern Maine of the things stressed with this team is not to be afraid to lose We want to lose but we play like afraid of losing because one game will not make or break a season That is one of several modest goals Young and his troops have established for the coming season Not because they're afraid of harboring loftier aspirations only because it is an accumulation of small goals reached that will enable the Terriers to achieve Techincal College broader ends Terriers eye improvement By ERNIE CLARK Sentinel Sports Editor The 1993 1994 Thomas College men's Theschedule played for winning programs before at Westbrook and Southern Maine Tech and he has the total work Two other veterans who will see considerable playing time are junior guard forward Chris Pearce of Boston and sophomore forward Wade Plummer of South China and Erskine Academy Pearce who has battled health problems since arriving at Thomas finally is in good shape and should help the Terriers on the perimeter Plummer at 6 2 is considered the top defensive player Added to this veteran corps will be the considerable skills of 6 2 freshman point guard Steve St Martin of Boston and Catholic Memorial High a freshman but he Has the chance to be very very said Young has got a goal package of skills Veiy few people in the league will be able to match his combination of size for the point guard position and his speed and St Martin will be backed up by 5 9 senior arausl Cherry of New York City Other reserves for the Terriers are freshman guards Matt Pearce brother) Matt Hultgren and Doug Simmons of Rangelev 6 4 freshman center Todd Schectef and 6 5 senior center forward Sean Seely who will play bench is a question mark but it has the potential to make a big said Young coming along quicker than I thought we WATERVILLE It is a mix of old and new that will attempt to elevate the Thomas College basketball program to status in the Maine Athletic Conference this winter The old is the returning presence of the veteran frontcourt tandem of Mike Adams and Mike Gillespie a duo that combines strength and finesse in a complementaiy manner The new begins with 27 year old coach Chris Young who enters the Maine Athletic Conference wars after four years at Eastern Maine Technical College in Bangor where he led the program to the National Small College Athletic Association national tournament during his first season Add to that some intriguing newcomers and changes in local and NAIA playoff structures that allow all six MAC members to qualify for postseason play and provides an automatic bid to the NAJA Division II national tournament for the postseason champion and the opportunities are exciting for the Terriers to consider really looking forward to the said Young a Limestone native got some seniors who really look at this as an opportunity to achieve something here before they Those seniors are led by Adams and Gillespie who combined to average more than 30 points hnd 15 rebounds a game for a Thomas team that finished the 1992 1993 season with a 10 14 record Adams a 6 foot 5 inch forward from armington has been a focal point of the Thomas attack since arriving on campus after being named Mr Maine Basketball for his senior year at Mt Blue High come a long way in his four years said Young really become a leader on the court a coach on the floor also got some great moves to the basket he can hit the 15 or 16 footer and he can put the ball on the Gillespie a 6 3 forward from Everett Mass counters play at the high post with some strong moves down near the baseline kind of the Charles Barkley tnat would go witn a Robert said Young has a verv different style of play from Adams be eligible for second semester uui uiey leauy worn weu iugeuier The other tri captain is senior guard Chris Aube of Westbrook is going to take on a lot of different roles for said Young basketball schedule: Op MM nw MlAWne Madiiai No 13 2pjn RMer Tourney Nov 20 5 fun MRMet Tourney Nov 21 TBA al Southern Maine Nov 23 730 Daniel Webster Nov 29 730 al UMaine annington Dec 1 7:30 New England Dec 4 3 Bowdoki Dec 7 7 pm UMalne Preaqua IHe Dec 10 730 MSLJoeeph'e Dec 13 730 Mane MarNne Dec 15 7 pm Husson Jan 10 730 atUMaine PrasquoNe Jan 15 3 pm UMateaimlngton Jan 18 730 atWeMbrook Jan20 730 at Maine Maritime Jan 24 7 pm al New England Jan 27 730 UMaine MacNas Jan29 2pm RMer Jan 30 2 pm Westtxook eb 2 730 Mama ort Kart eb 5 3pm at Husson eb 7 730 tllirty eb 9 7pm SLJooeph's eb 14 730 Youth is served oh White grid squad By ERNIE CLARK Sentinel Sports Editor WATERVILLE On a team with considerable experience at most positions some youngsters are beginning to make their marks Two first year players for the Colby College tootball team sophomore free safety Jason Jabar and freshman tailback Lawaun Curry have been honored by the New England Small College Athletic Conference for their contributions to the White 23 13 victoty against Tufts University at Seaverns ield Saturday Cuny shared NESCAC co reshman of the Week honors for the second straight with his second consecutive 100 yard rushing effort The 5 foot 8 inch 160 pounder tailback from Roxbury Mass gained 112 yards on 15 rushes and scored the key insurance touchdown a 33 yard run in the fourth quarter to give coach Tom club a 10 point cushion Cuny who had gained 152 yards on 21 tries a week earlier when Colby defeated Bates 53 14 now ranks eighth among NESCAC rushers for the seson with 407 yards on an average of 46 yards per cany Jabar the 6 foot 4 inch 210 pound transfer from the University of Maine recorded two interceptions for the second straight Saturday He turned one of his pickoffs against Tufts into a big play returning it 95 yards for a touchdown that gave the White Mules a 14 0 second quarter lead Jabar a former itzpatrick Trophy finalist during his playing days at Waterville High also was in on seven tackles in helping Colby improve its record to 5 2 with its fourth straight victory really settled in the last three or four said Colby coach Tom Austin we forget a first year player in our program and with all the things we asked him to do from the outset of the season it stifled his spontaneity in the first few games in the last few weeks gotten better with each game He understands the concepts of the defense and now he can just relax and The Colby defense now ranks third among team in fewest points allowed (82) and fewest total yards allowed (1888) Jabar has played a leading role in the secondary in recent weeks but the White defensive effort has been one of balance Against Tufts senior defensive end Jon Granoff was in on 21 tackles to lead the charge Leading the pressure against quarterback Greg Peters was junior defensive tackle Jim Zadrozny who now has a team high 10 sacks Bowdoin did its part to set up a season ending showdown for the CBB title at Whittier ield in Brunswick next Saturday with a 34 6 romp against Bates last Saturday Cdach Howard Vandersea's Polar Bears used the running game to great advantage against the winless Bobcats as Mark McCormick gained 102 yards and Anthony Molinaiy added 78 yards on the ground Colby will enter game riding an 11 game winning streak in CBB play a streak dating back to a 16 10 loss to Bowdoin on Nov 14 1987 Colby will be seeking a unprecedented sixth straight CBB title Saturday not to mention its best record since the White Mules went 7 1 in 1982 Williams College ended Wesleyan flirtation with an undefeated season whipping the Cardinals 54 16 at Middletown Ct on Saturday Senior wideout Todd Ducharme earned NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts in the 6 1 fifth straight win making six catches for 160 yards with touchdown catches of 78 15 and 23 yards all within an 8:33 span Trinity will try to complete an unbeaten season next Saturday when the 7 0 Bantams host Wesleyan at Hartford Ct Trinity whipped 3 4 Amherst 36 19 at Amherst Mass last Saturday by scoring 22 unanswered points in the fourth quarter Junior free safety Greg Schramm shared Defensive Player of the Week honors with Jabar and defensive back Roy McKinnon of Middlebury by recording seven tackles and three of the six interceptions of Amherst quarterback Rob DeVries The schedule Theschedule.