Wolverine Basketball

BA Overtakes Winchendon

2012-02-13T05:59:00.000-08:00

Bridgton used a balanced scoring attack and solid effort on both ends of the court to defeat Winchendon 81-54 on Sunday afternoon at the Wolverdome. BA led 42-29 at the half and quickly expanded the lead in the first few minutes of the second half in earning their 19th victory of the season. It was a solid effort from each member of the team, all who saw time in the game.

BA is off until Saturday when they travel north to play non-league foe Lee Academy.

Crider on Cox Network

2012-02-10T06:17:00.000-08:00

This past weekend at the National Prep School Invitational, Bridgton Academy found great success on the court. They came together as a team to win all three games, and people noticed. Not only did the team do well, but it was a chance for individuals to be noticed by colleges, scouts, and more. Cox Network's Adam Finkelstein took the time to speak with Markus Crider (Dayton, OH) after the big win over Northfield Mount Hermon about his success, his performance, and his plans for college next year. Click here to view the video.

BA Wins 3 at Weekend NPSI

2012-02-07T05:43:00.000-08:00

Bridgton Academy had a very successful weekend on the campus of Rhode Island College coming away with several victories including a hard fought contest with league rival NMH on Saturday afternoon. BA defeated New Hope Academy (MD) on Friday evening 75-69. The
Wolverines jumped out to a 42-29 halftime lead and held off the efforts of New Hope for a second half comeback. On Saturday, BA persevered in a NEPSAC contest that was featured on Cox television. NMH sprinted to a significant early lead but BA rallied to keep the game close at half. BA played a strong second half to take the lead and held off the potential game tying shot with a good defensive stop and well earned 72-69 win. Sunday morning Bridgton started a little
slow again but played perhaps their best overall game of the showcase in defeating the Canarius Basketball Club (Spain) 56-40. Congratulations to the team!

A special thank you to the McDonnell, Green, and Stebbins families' for their hospitality over the weekend in supporting the guys!!

Basketball Falls to New Hampton

2012-02-02T06:20:00.000-08:00

The basketball team took the court against New Hampton last night in what turned out to be close competition. For the first half of the game, the score was back and forth, with only a two point difference. However, towards the end of the first half, New Hampton capitalized on some three point opportunities, while BA had a number of missed shots. Going into the half, New Hampton led 34 to 20.

For the second half, New Hampton was able to keep their lead. With Bridgton down by 10 with 4 minutes left, they were looking for a comeback. Both teams had opportunities, but Bridgton was still not able to capitalize. With a final score of 75-59, Bridgton fell to New Hampton.

They will be back on the court as they travel to Kingston, RI this weekend for the NPSI Showcase.

BA Falls In Championship Game

2012-01-30T05:52:00.000-08:00

In the Championship Game, Bridgton Academy faced off against St. Thomas Moore in what promised to be a competitive match up. Right away, Bridgton took the lead and held it for most of the first half. St. Thomas Moore took advantage of Bridgton's lead and made a few baskets to take a 34-33 lead going into the second half. Once Bridgton lost their lead, it was anyone's game. As the teams traveled up and down the court, the score went back and forth. With 2:36 left in the game Jarryn Skeete (Toronto, ONT) lessened St. Thomas Moore's lead to 55-51. Bridgton continued the fight until the end, but St. Thomas Moore was able to hang onto their lead for a 58-53 win in the 2012 Wolverine Winter Classic- Coaches vs. Caner.

Thank you to all fans who came out to support not only the Wolverines, but the American Cancer Society as well!

BA Advances to the Winter Classic Final

2012-01-30T05:44:00.000-08:00

In the first round of the Wolverine Winter Classic- Coaches vs. Cancer- MCI took the court against St. Thomas Moore and fell in a tough fought battle. With St. Thomas Moore already advancing to the Championship game, Bridgton took the court against Leadership Prep to see who would join them. Right away Bridgton came out strong on their home court. It didn't take long to secure a lead, and hold it throughout the game. In the end, Bridgton dominated with a 84-46 win.

Basketball Splits Pair at Prides Corner Tournament

2012-01-23T06:31:00.000-08:00

BA traveled to Connecticut to participate in the St. Thomas Moore Prides Corner tournament this weekend and split a pair of games. The host Chancellor's proved too much for Bridgton on Friday night in a 94-63 victory. On Saturday BA bounced back with a better effort and defeated Phelps School (PA) 73-53. St. Thomas Moore earned the tournament championship by defeating Maine
Central Institute on Saturday 83-62. The Wolverine record stands at 14-6 on the season . BA travels to Brewster Academy Wednesday to play at 6:00 P.M.

Coaches vs. Cancer UPDATE

2012-01-19T08:22:00.001-08:00

There has been a change to the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament. The times and dates will remain the same, but Notre Dame Prep will not be in attendance. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Wolverines defeat Holderness 55-42

2012-01-19T08:21:00.000-08:00

Bridgton Academy traveled to Holderness (NH) and came away with a 55-42 double-digit victory. BA started strong and built a comfortable lead but also showed visible signs of a very long semester break. The victory improves the Wolverine record to 13-5 on the season. BA travels to the Prides Corner Tournament this weekend and plays host St. Thomas More on Friday evening in a AAA league contest.

2012 Coaches Vs. Cancer Wolverine Winter Classic

2012-01-13T11:51:00.001-08:00

This year Bridgton Academy is hosting the Wolverine Winter Classic for a cause- "Coaches Vs. Cancer". Bridgton will charge a small admission fee (Adults: $5, Children & Students: $3) and all proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society.

There is a impressive line up this year, with very talented players. Notre Dame Prep is bringing some of the top players from around the globe. On their roster you will find Steven Adams from New Zeland who is viewed as one of the top players in the world. They also have Sam Cassell, Jr. who's father had an NBA career and Myles Davis who is a major prospect this year.

Athletic Director Joe Sawicki commented, "Notre Dame is looking good this year, but the talent is high across the board. We will definitely see some pretty good battles."

The schedule has been announced and is as follows:

Friday, January 27th:
6:00 P.M. -St. Thomas Moore vs. Maine Central Institute
8:00 P.M. -Notre Dame Prep vs. Bridgton Academy

Saturday, January 28th:
12:00 P.M. Consolation Game
2:00 P.M. Championship Game

We hope to see you there!

Winter Classic Coming Soon- More Info To Follow

2012-01-13T10:21:00.001-08:00

This years Wolverine Winter Classic is quickly approaching! The Classic will be played Friday the 27th and Saturday the 28th of January. We will post additional information as it comes in.

BA Advances to Final Round of Sun Youth Tournament

2011-12-19T06:58:00.000-08:00

The basketball team traveled to Montreal this past weekend to participate in the Sun Youth Tournament. Upon arrival the team won their initial games to advance to the Championship round against Lee Academy. Bridgton led by 2 points with under one minute in play. They had battled back from trailing most of the game, behind 44-36 at the half. In the end, BA lost then game to Lee Academy 78-73. In advancing to the final round, BA defeated Dawson College, Sun Youth, and Algonquin College. BA heads into break with a 12-5 record. They will be back in action January 9th, 2012.

BA Tops South Kent 68-63

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

The Wolverines came together Saturday afternoon to defeat the Cardinal of South Kent 68-63 in North Bridgton. BA Trailed for the final ten minutes of the first half, and ended with a score of 31-25 at the half. Bridgton then fell behind by double digits before mounting a stead come from behind effort. It was a big win for Bridgton Academy as they improve to 2-1 in the league and 9-4 overall.

BA Drops Close Game to MCI 84-75

2011-12-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

Bridgton failed to protect a lead in their home game against MCI in the late stages in the second half and as a result dropped their first league game of the season. BA took an early lead in the double digits and stayed strong for the better part of the first half. However, MCI was able to fight back and take the lead before BA used a late run to lead 45-42 at the half. Heading into the final minutes of the game, BA still held a 72-64 lead. Both teams put up a good fight, but MCI was able to overtake the Wolverines and secure the 84-75 victory.

BA Steals OT Win From New Hampton

2011-12-06T05:45:00.000-08:00

The Wolverines picked up an exciting win on the road defeating New Hampton 88-86 in overtime. At the half, BA lead 37-36 after building and early lead to start the game. In the second half, the plat was tightly contested with BA unable to seal a victory with a missed free throw late in the game. Not to mention some clutch buckets made by the home squad, setting up the dramatic finish. In the league, BA is now 1-0 and 8-3 overall.

The Wolverines will host MCI at home on Wednesday at 6:00 P.M.

Wolverines Split in Hoop Mt. Classic

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

The basketball team traveled to Connecticut this past weekend to participate in the Hoop Mountain Classic. BA started out with a close 96-95 overtime loss to Mont Clare Academy (PA). After halftime Bridgton was down by 13, but rallied back to tie up them game. With less then a minute left, BA took a five point lead. With a tie at end of regulation time, Bridgton was not able to capitalize in the overtime and dropped the first game.

In the second game, Bridgton took on Marianapolis and won this game with a score of 88-78. Going into the second half, Bridgton had a commanding 10 point lead. By the end, they had increased their lead to 17 points before Marianapolis attempted a last minute comeback. With this win, Bridgton has a winning record of 7-3.

Monday night the team will travel to New Hampton to open the regular AAA season.

BA Defeats St. Johns Military Academy (WI) 74-7

2011-11-20T12:03:00.001-08:00

The Wolverines mounted a spirited second half rally to overtake St.
Johns Military in a close game down to the wire on Friday afternoon at
the National Prep School Showcase (CT) on the campus of Albertus
Magnus College. BA trailed at the half 41-30 before pulling things
together midway through the second half and winning the tight game in
the final minutes. Bridgton is now 5-1 on the season and faces
Hargrave Military Academy (vA) on Saturday morning before heading to
Thanksgiving break. Look for online links to this showcase in the
coming days.

BA Wins Home Opener 93-77

2011-11-17T06:26:00.000-08:00

Bridgton Academy tightened up its play at both ends of the court in the second half to defeat the visitors for their first home victory of the early season. The first half was back and forth with Lee earning a 44-43 advantage at the half. BA played perhaps its finest twenty minutes of the year taking the lead midway through the second half and extending on the advantage in the final minutes. The victory improves the BA record to 4-1 on the season. The Wolverines travel to New Haven CT this weekend to participate in the annual National Prep School Showcase.

BA Makes it to Final Round in Kiski Prep Classic

2011-11-17T06:24:00.000-08:00

Bridgton Academy made the long journey this past weekend to participate in the Kiski Prep Classic. They put up a good performance, making it to the Championship game. Read below to see Coach Lesure's recaps of the games.

BA HOOPS WINS OPENER AT KISKI PREP CLASSIC

Bridgton Academy defeated TCBA Prep 80-41 in the first game of the Kiski Prep Classic to begin the 2011-2012 season. BA jumped out to a big first half lead and never let up to overmatch their first opponent of the new year.

WOLVERINES GAIN 2^ND WIN

BA simply had too much fire-power for the Kiski “B” team in game two of the pre-season tournament and advanced in the tournament with a convincing 75-29 victory setting up a semi-final round game vs. NIA Prep on Saturday night.

BRIDGTON ACADEMY DEFEATS NIA 82-44 TO ADVANCE TO FINAL

In a game that figured to be much closer, BA played two good halves and simply overwhelmed rival NIA Prep (NJ) on Saturday evening. The Wolverines led by twenty at the break and extended on their lead throughout the second half.

KISKI OVERTAKES BA IN OVERTIME OF PRE-SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP 106-93

BA received an early season lesson in humble road pie as the host Cougars roared back from a twenty point deficit in the first half to defeat the Wolverines in what can only be described as a wild affair. Bridgton Academy seemed to have the game well in hand in both halves but the tough minded hosts proved no easy mark and seized the momentum of a valiant comeback to force overtime late in the contest and outlast the visiting Wolverines who suffered their first loss of the season in a disappointing and dramatic fashion.

2011-2012 Season Preview

2011-10-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

Are you getting excited for the upcoming season?? So are we! Here is a quick pre-season write up by New England Basketball Recruiting Report for what to expect from the 2011-2012 season, make sure to check it out. Schedules, rosters, player profiles, photos, and much more to come!

BA Enters Final Weeks

2011-03-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

With the season over Bridgton Academy has entered the final quarter of the year. With the team focusing on academics, everyone is making big decisions for next year.

BRIDGTON BLITZED IN NEPSAC PLAYOFF

2011-03-03T07:54:00.001-08:00

Bridgton Academy traveled down to Endicott College MA on Wednesday afternoon and was defeated by New Hampton 106-78 in a NEPSAC AAA Quarter-Final playoff game. Both teams started the game a bit slowly but New Hampton gained energy, built a comfortable double digit lead, and things got only worse for the Wolverines as the bottom fell out in a first half that couldn’t end soon enough facing a huge deficit 50-20.

BA mounted an intriguing comeback effort in the first ten minutes of the second half, cutting the lead to 18 with more than fourteen minutes to play in the contest. With a couple chances to pull closer, missed shots and clutch 3’s by New Hampton ended the desperate hopes and ultimately the season for Bridgton Academy. The team’s final twenty minutes was certainly a small bit of consolation but larger dose of personal pride for the young men who scrapped through a roller coaster season.

Coach Lesure was disappointed in the overall performance but offered praise for his team. “It doesn’t always go the way you hope, and while I wouldn’t anticipate the start to this game, it happens, and our guys re-grouped at halftime and showed commendable intelligence and courage in the second half. We approached it like a special situation, a crisis, and we tried to manage it the best we could”.

In the NEPSAC AAA Semi-finals on Friday night, New Hampton will face St. Thomas More, while MCI will take on Brewster.

BRIDGTON DEFEATS WINCHENDON 91-75

2011-02-27T18:17:00.001-08:00

Bridgton Academy completed its regular season by playing one of its best games of the year in defeating Winchendon 91-75 on Saturday afternoon. BA took advantage of a fast start and led throughout the first twenty minutes enjoying a double digit advantage at the half 44-32. Winchendon rallied several times in the second half but the Wolverines responded each time and used a 25-28 performance at the free throw line to seal the victory. Donnie Hale’s season high 35 points paced the offense, with Ryan Martin (24 points) and Nebby Exantus (17 points) adding balance to the attack.

Coach Lesure was complimentary of both teams afterwards in the locker room. “We have a ton of respect for how those guys have competed all year, and we certainly did not want to drop our last home game. Our guys played hard and executed pretty well for most of the game", said Lesure.

One Wendesday the team will travel to Endicott College for the first round of their league tournament to play at 5:00 P.M.

Wolverines Fall to Lee Academy 80-61

2011-02-21T08:33:00.000-08:00

Bridgton Academy traveled up to in-state prep rival Lee Academy on Saturday afternoon and lost 80-61. The Wolverines started the game falling behind by ten mid-way through the half but kept within striking distance at the break trailing 39-31. BA trimmed the deficit to four immediately to begin the second half but was never able to gain the lead in the game. The Wolverines made several efforts in the second half to tighten the game but were thwarted by missed opportunities, and timely shooting by the home squad.

Coach Lesure was disappointed with the way the second half played out in the contest. “I can manage the losing, I just don’t like the way we lost, especially after working hard enough to make it a game…But give Lee and Andrew (Coach P.) a lot of the credit….They have improved themselves, and I don’t see too many teams beating them in their gym...I know we haven’t a lot”.

The Wolverines have two games remaining in the regular season with a road game at Brewster Academy on Wednesday and a final home contest with Winchendon on Saturday afternoon.

Bridgton Academy 84 - Harvard University J.V. 82

2011-02-18T07:32:00.000-08:00

The Wolverine Basketball Team traveled to Harvard University Wednesday to play their J.V. squad. Coach Lesure went with a different approach to the game playing all 14 players and leaving it up to Tommy McDonnell (Durham, NH) and Kareem Canty (New York, NY) to lead the team.

Bridgton took a three point lead at halftime, as Donnie Hale (New Albany, IN), Ryan Rogers (Falmouth, ME), and Nebru Exantus (Apopka, FL) played extremely well. The Wolverines came out to start the second half in a full court press. BA fell behind and later came back to tie the game to go to overtime.

In OT, baskets were exchanged as the score remained tied. The Wolverine's had the ball for the last possession of overtime. Rogers took two dribbles into the lane, hopped, and threw up a floater to fall through the cylinder to win the game at the buzzer. Rogers finished the game with a season high 12 points.

After the game, Coach Lesure was happy with the way the team came together. "We had guys step up and take a more leadership role," Lesure states, "I'm happy for Rogers (Ryan). He hasn't had a lot of opportunities, but our guys know what he can do, and he knows how to win."

Bridgton Starts The Weekend Off Strong

2011-02-14T09:47:00.000-08:00

Bridgton Academy started the weekend off at South Kent in a NEPSAC conference game. Bridgton had a slow start as they were down 5-0 and battled back to have a 3 point lead at halftime. Donnie Hale (New Albany, IN) had his best performance of the year so far shooting better than 80% from the field.

The game came down to the final minute where Bridgton had the lead and struggled from the free throw line to keep South Kent in the game. Kareem Canty (New York, NY) hit the final two free throws of the game to give the Wolverines a three point lead and the win. Hale and Canty combined for 54 points for the Wolverine's 81-78 win.

Coach Whit Lesure states, "I am proud of the way we competed. Our execution was much better. We brought good energy and communication on the road."

Bridgton then headed to Winchendon to play their final contest of the weekend. After a great win just a day before, the Wolverine's jumped out to a great start, taking a 25-8 lead over the Green Wave. Bridgton then got a little too comfortable allowing Winchendon to take a one point lead at halftime.

The team was upset that they allowed the Green Wave back into the game and came out cold to start the second half. Poor decision making and effort cost the Wolverine's at the end which lead to a Bridgton Academy loss 73-66. Hale had the team high 22 points followed by Canty's 16.

"We were beat by a more determined team. Our start was terrific but we became complacent, missed shots, and played tired. Missing shots is okay but the rest is not," commented Coach Lesure.

Up next the team will travel to Massachusetts to take on Harvard University’s J.V. squad on Wednesday the 16^th at 8:15 P.M.

Bridgton Academy 81 - South Kent 78

2011-02-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

The basketball team started off their weekend road trip with a nice 81-78 win over South Kent. Check back later for the full story.

MCI 92 BRIDGTON 61

2011-02-11T05:29:00.000-08:00

Bridgton traveled to MCI on Wednesday night and got beaten 92-61. A slow start to the first half and poor finish to the half contributed to the whole on the road. It was a thirteen point game with a few minutes left in the first half but an MCI run extended their lead to more than twenty at the break. Bridgton was unable to mount a significant comeback in the second half. Coach Lesure saw his team face another NEPSAC rival playing very good basketball. “They are a good club. The pieces fit together well. And everyone knows that the coaches do an excellent job with them every year”.

Up next the basketball team will travel to South Kent on Saturday to play at 4:00 PM and continue their travels to the Winchendon School to play at 2:00 PM on Sunday.

New Hampton Tops Bridgton Academy 86-70

2011-02-08T07:03:00.000-08:00

New Hampton outlasted Bridgton 86-70 at New Hampton on Wednesday night. New Hampton jumped on top early building a 17-2 lead before the visiting Wolverines responded to narrow the gap 36-28 at halftime. The home team extended their lead again in the second half, with BA closing to ten but never closer during the game’s final minutes. Kareem Canty (New York, NY) led the Bridgton attack with 20 points. BA Coach Lesure credited New Hampton’s team play with the victory. “They have improved significantly during the last month, while our team is struggling right now to regain our swagger. Losing in any competitive conference compounds things a bit, and our league is no different. We’ve been a bit snake-bitten with injuries and illness, but those are usually the kinds of feelings that go a long with losing. Somehow we need to create a break for ourselves that sparks some positive momentum,” said Lesure.

Up next the team will travel to MCI to play on Wednesday at 6:00 PM.

New Hampton makeup game today

2011-02-07T07:03:00.000-08:00

Bridgton Academy will take to the road today to square off with New Hampton in a game rescheduled from last Wednesday. Game time is 6:00 PM.

BA Drops 79-49 Contest in URI Showcase

2011-02-07T05:50:00.000-08:00

Bad weather and difficult playing conditions were evident this weekend at the NPSI Event in Rhode Island. On Friday a talented Princeton Day Prep team coached by ex-Patterson and prep legend Chris Cheney took a part the Wolverines who seemed to take the game a bit lightly. The Wolverines led early in the contest but relinquished the lead and never made a serious game of it. All BA players saw the floor for equal minutes in the contest.

Coach Lesure discussed the unique rotations afterwords saying, “we have many players making college decisions and this was an opportunity to let them showcase their skills in front of the college coaches and talent evaluators on hand as the spring approaches”.

Wolverines Drop OT Thriller to Northfield Mount Hermon 72-66

2011-02-07T05:47:00.001-08:00

Down by 16 at the half 36-20, Bridgton Academy mounted a spirited comeback tying the game with five seconds remaining and forcing the overtime with a Corey Spence (Baltimore, MD) driving layup. Kareem Canty (New York, NY) led all scorers with 28 points and Donnie Hale (New Albany, IN) chipped in 17 points with 11 rebounds. Joe Sharkey led the NMH squad with 18 points.

Coach Lesure was complimentary of the victors afterwords saying “they played well throughout the game, shot it especially well, and hung in there in overtime to beat us, when it looked like things were turning our way. I also think we can be pretty good if we play as hard as we did in the second half.”

BA plays Monday evening at New Hampton in a make up game from last weeks’ weather postponement. New Hampton beat Bridgton in North Bridgton for the first time in eight years earlier this January and seeks to sweep the series for the first time in Lesure’s tenure. “I told our players flat out, championships and all, this game is the biggest of my career, and I’m confident they’ve got my back,” said Lesure.

NOTRE DAME PREP 86 BRIDGTON ACADEMY 75

2011-01-29T18:58:00.000-08:00

Notre Dame Prep broke open a very tight game with five minutes remaining in the contest to capture the 2^nd Bridgton Winter Classic tournament. In the first half, it was a similar story as the visiting Crusaders edged out to a 38-30 lead at the half with a couple key buckets in the final minute. The Wolverines stayed close throughout most of the second half reducing the deficit to one on several occasions but some costly errors with the ball and hot shooting by Notre Dame Prep allowed the margin to widen in the final minutes. Todd Mayo led Notre Dame with a game high 22 points and virtually willed his team to victory. Donnie Hale (New Albany, IN) was again solid for the Wolverines on both ends and paced the scoring attack with twenty and he had plenty of help from guards Corey Spence (Baltimore, MD), Kareem Canty (New York, NY), and the front court tandem of Ryan Martin (London, England) and Daniel Franca (Sao Paulo, Brazil).

Coach Lesure pointed out the plays that Notre Dame made to close the game out as the difference on the afternoon. “ They finished some plays extremely well, and showed their mettle down the stretch. I was comfortable with the position we put ourselves in but there is no question we have to learn from this and close games with better execution. I really don’t fault our effort too much. We can play harder, but our team concept is better right now than it has been in a while. Hats off to Athletic Director Joe Sawicki for the development of the Winter Classic, and to the many people behind the scenes for helping to showcase Bridgton Academy and the Lakes Region to the participating teams and spectators. And congratulations to ND Prep for winning their second consecutive Winter Classic tournament," said Lesure.

In the consolation game, St. Thomas More broke open a tight game at halftime to defeat NEPSAC rival MCI.

BRIDGTON ACADEMY 63 ST. THOMAS MORE 60

2011-01-28T20:33:00.000-08:00

Dust off the clichés. “What a difference a day makes" or ”wins and losses come in different sizes." The Wolverines defeated one of the very best teams in New England with an all around team effort and significantly improved execution on Friday night to advance to the championship game of the Winter Classic played in honor of Martha Flint '52. The two teams battled evenly throughout the first half and St. Thomas More held a slim 29-28 advantage at the break.

It was close throughout the second half with neither team able to build a lead bigger than five points. Donnie Hale (New Albany, IN) played his best game of the year in leading the BA effort, finishing with a game high 20 points on a variety of inside and outside moves. He was not alone in putting up his best effort. Kareem Canty (New York, NY) (13 pts) and Corey Spence (Baltimore, MD) led a much more balanced attack in the backcourt with heady decision making throughout critical stretches of the game. The "Brazilian Beast" Daniel Franca (Sao Paulo, Brazil) was strong inside on both ends of the court proving that you do not need to score to play a vital role in a basketball game.

Coach Lesure was elated with the outcome in his comments afterwards. "First off, all the credit goes to the guys in our locker room. They know what went into this one. Our focus is always on getting better, but that is not an even or always pretty path. We certainly played better tonight,” Lesure said.

The Wolverines will face Notre Dame Prep in the championship game on Saturday afternoon at 2pm with St. Thomas More facing off against MCI at noon.

BRIDGTON SUFFERS 73-38 LOSS TO BREWSTER

2011-01-26T19:29:00.000-08:00

This one wasn’t in the cards from the start. A sluggish beginning to the game for both teams opened the floodgates for the top-ranked visitors from New Hampshire who took full advantage of the Wolverine problems to coast to an easy victory in North Bridgton. Several timeouts and multiple substitutions had little effect as Brewster rolled to a 31-8 halftime lead. The eight points in a half is the wrong kind of record to be setting against a superior opponent. Bridgton held Brewster at bay for much of the second half before letting the game get completely out of hand. Coach Lesure came away impressed with the top ranked Bobcats and was matter of fact after the game in his comments. “Give all the credit to Brewster. They are playing very well. We struggled mightily on offense to do anything. I feel for our players who have not been through this sort of humbling defeat before, but on the other hand, the only thing that really matters is how each of us responds," said Lesure.

Later this week BA hosts the Winter Classic and takes on St. Thomas More Friday night at 8pm. MCI plays Notre Dame Prep at 6pm in the opening game.

SECOND HALF COLLAPSE SPELLS 80-62 DEFEAT FOR WOLVERINES

2011-01-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

When Bridgton Academy executed perfectly on the first possession of the second half to take a 35-34 lead against host St. Thomas More in the Prides Corner Championship it appeared like the Wolverines had turned an important corner in the season. Some solid play on both ends of the court including a game opening steal by Brendan Allen (Windsor, CT) off some pressure defense locked the two NEPSAC foes in a virtual deadlock at halftime. Unfortunately for the visiting Wolverines, the host Chancellors had a different agenda and played smart and aggressive basketball to soundly defeat BA highlighted by a 10-0 run five minutes into a second half that looked like it might head for a second day of fantastic finishes. BA shot itself in the foot with poor execution, mental mistakes, and shoddy defense, a deadly combination for winning on the road on any level.

BA Coach Lesure was complimentary of the opponents efforts in putting away his team, while less than impressed with the overall mental and physical approach of the Wolverine team in the second half. “ St. Thomas More is good. Very good. They have a lot of pieces including a coach who knows something about success. That being said, in my heart I don’t believe we really put up too much of a fight, and that is certainly disappointing. You know in prep ball you don’t have forever to grow up and right now we have some serious growing up to do on our team. If you want to say that we look poorly coached at times, that would be an accurate statement too. I probably need to make some calls to some coaches who know something about Motion offenses because we’re playing without one right now," said Lesure.

The road doesn’t get any easier for Bridgton as the #1 team in the country, NEPSAC powerhouse Brewster Academy visits North Bridgton on Wednesday evening for a AAA North division matchup followed by a return game with St. Thomas More in the first round of the Bridgton Winter Classic on Friday night at the Wolverdome. This coming week’s games will be among the final chances to see the 2011 Wolverines in action at home as the schedule turns nasty and features a slew of road contests to highlight the late season.

“HALE-MARY” ANSWERS PRAYER FOR BA AT STM TOURNAMENT

2011-01-23T11:58:00.000-08:00

Bridgton Academy forward Donnie Hale (New Albany, IN) swished a sixty-five foot shot as time expired Friday night to force overtime and ultimately spur the Wolverines to a thrilling 87-80 victory over Phelps Academy PA in the first round of the Prides Corner Tournament at the St. Thomas More School CT.

Hale’s heroics came after Phelps missed a free throw with a chance to ice the game with only seconds remaining. The late game excitement was not the only desperate comeback made by Bridgton Academy in the game. Seemingly showing some effects of a more than six hour bus ride begun in the snow of Central Maine, Phelps Academy raced to a 30-11 lead midway through the first half. Remarkably, the Wolverines were able to reduce the deficit to four by half at 40-36, and took their first lead in the game with eleven minutes to play in the second half. Bridgton Academy had several chances of their own to put the game away in the final minutes but ultimately a total of 12 missed free throws in the second half alone set up the game’s biggest drama. Five Wolverines scored in double figures, led by Hale’s 18, to reflect a balanced offensive output.

BA Coach Lesure credited his team’s determination in the uplifting win. “The shot was incredible, but you could see Donnie line it up and shoot it like he was going to make it. My hat’s off to him for the mental toughness to play to the final second. I think our team showed great poise in the first half getting to halftime with a life…We talk about 40 minutes and how long a game is all the time and tonight it really showed," said Lesure.

St. Thomas More beat MCI in the early game of the tournament setting up the championship contest for Saturday afternoon.

Wolverine Winter Classic Preview

2011-01-20T08:21:00.000-08:00

The Wolverine Winter Classic is only a week away, and the Wolverines are getting ready. The schedule has been announced and is listed below.

Friday 1/28:

6:00 P.M. - MCI vs. Notre Dame Prep

8:00 P.M. - BA vs. St. Thomas More

Saturday 1/29:

12:00 P.M. - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2

2:00 P.M. - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

This tournament promises some great competition. Notre Dame Prep has a roster loaded with college commits. Khem Birch was named the #9 prospect in 2011 by ESPN and has committed to Pittsburgh. Ricardo Ledo is the #13 prospect for 2012 according to ESPN and after transferring from South Kent, has committed to Providence. ND Prep also has Angel Nunez who has committed to Louisville and Todd Mayo, who is a highly regarded prospect for 2012 and the brother of OJ Mayo, an NBA player.

St. Thomas More is also bringing the competition. With a current record of 14-2, they will be looking to dominate. Some of their star players include Andre Drummond, who is the #1 prospect for 2012 by ESPN. Check out this link to see a highlight video of Drummond. Their roster also contains Indiana Faithful who is a former Cheverus player whose team was previous Maine State Champions.

Maine Central Institute is bringing several ranked prospects to the tournament. With a loss to BA early in the season, MCI will surely come out ready to play.

Wolverines Push Past Holderness

2011-01-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

Bridgton Academy returned to playing winning basketball with a team oriented 77-45 victory against Holderness School NH. BA started strong with several baskets but the visitors rallied to even the game 17-17 at the ten minute mark of the first half. The Wolverines capitalized on the cold shooting of the visitors to mount a game breaking run to lead 41-17 at the half.

Corey Spence (Baltimore, MD) paced a balanced BA attack with 16 points but Coach Lesure was quick to point out the contributions of several players off the bench to spark the Wolverines. “I thought no one played a better overall game than Nebby Exantus (Apopka, FL). He is finally getting healthy and ready to contribute on both ends,” said Lesure.

Lesure also thought the focus was better on Wednesday in their second game back saying, “we are still very much a work in progress as a team. I think the sting of defeat was a good thing for everybody including me.”

The Wolverines return to action Friday evening at the Prides Corner tournament hosted by St. Thomas More. BA squares off against Phelps Academy PA in a first ever meeting for the two schools.

BA DROPS TIGHT 76-72 CONTEST TO NEW HAMPTON

2011-01-16T07:05:00.000-08:00

Bridgton Academy could not hold on to the leads they held throughout the game and lost a game in the final minute at home on Saturday night. BA started fast, jumping out to a 10-2 advantage and managed the first half well on both ends of the court to build a 41-28 advantage.

In the second half, the visitors mounted a spirited comeback behind some solid team play and timely shooting to even the game with five minutes remaining. The Wolverines responded by taking the lead back but could not make it stand up. New Hampton playmaker Jordan Laguerre converted a midrange jumpshot with less than thirty seconds left to give the Huskies their third lead of the night and then stole the inbounds pass off a Bridgton timeout to seal the road victory.

It was a rough way to start the second semester for the Wolverines who seemed poised to return to action with a more positive outcome and the upbeat mood on campus during the closed winter weekend. Coach Lesure credited the visitors following the game. “We understood that they would battle us for the full forty minutes. I was surprised we did not meet that challenge in the second half. It seems like I’ve been talking a lot about halves all year and not complete games. We’ll get it straightened out.”

Bridgton returns to action on Wednesday afternoon taking on Holderness School from New Hampshire at 3:30 P.M.

Finishing Touches Put on Basketball Locker Room Renovations

2011-01-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

Coach Lesure, along with the help of the Development Office, has spent several months reaching out to basketball alumni, parents, and fans, to help cover the costs of renovating the team's locker room. The much improved space will be a welcome sight to the basketball team and coaching staff as they return to the Wolverdome later this month to begin 2011 portion of their season. A special thank you to all of the donors who made this project a reality - we wouldn't have succeeded in this effort without your support.

Fall Academic Awards

2011-01-12T10:52:00.000-08:00

Last evening the Fall Academic Award Ceremony took place honoring those who went above and beyond in their classes this semester. There were recipients of these awards from several of the teams of campus. On top of the Academic Awards, a number of students were recognized for making High Honors. On the basketball team, there were several players recognized.

High Honors:

Josh Atlman

Tom McDonnell

Academic Awards:

Brendan Allen- English Composition

Donnie Hale- (CAP) Pre-Calculus

Corey Shaw- Nutrition

Alex Dobrovic- History of Conflict

The Boston Blitz Is Almost Here!

2010-12-30T12:23:00.000-08:00

To start off the New Year, coaches and admissions counselors will be traveling around Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine to meet with high school students interested in a year at Bridgton Academy. If you are would like to set up a meeting, call or email a coach today!

Here is the list of head coaches with phone numbers and email addresses:

Lacrosse- Garrett Bamann, 207-647-3322 ext. 211, gbamann@bridgtonacademy.org

Hockey- Jon Lounsbury, 207-647-3322 ext. 232, jlounsbury@bridgtonacademy.org

Baseball- Aaron Izaryk, 207-647-3322 ext. 236, aizaryk@bridgtonacademy.org

Football- Rick Marcella, 207-647-3322 ext. 235, marcella@bridgtonacademy.org

Basketball- Whit Lesure, 207-647-3322 ext. 233, wlesure@bridgtonacademy.org

Soccer- Alan Ashenfelter, 207-647-3322 ext. 231, aashenfelter@bridgtonacademy.org

Admissions Counselors in Mass and Maine!

2010-12-17T06:41:00.000-08:00

On January 4-6 the admissions office will have various counselors and coaches around Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine. They will be visiting various schools over the few days to talk with any students who are interested in a year at BA.

Coach Lesure will be visiting Acton Boxboro, Westford Academy, Concord, Lincold-Sudbury, Waltham, Bedford, Wayland, Newton South, and Boston Latin. Meanwhile Coach Atwood will be in ME visiting Scarboro, Gorham, Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth, Yarmouth, Greely, South Portland, Windham, Deering, and Westbrook. If you or someone you might know is interested in meeting with a coach, you can contact Coach Lesure via email at wlesure@bridgtonacademy.org or by phone at 207-647-3322 x233.

WOLVERINES OUTLAST LEE ACADEMY 76-60

2010-12-13T07:53:00.001-08:00

Cory Spence (Baltimore, MD) fueled a 16-2 explosion out of the gate for Bridgton Academy as the Wolverines erased the disappointment of the night before and held off a competitive Lee Academy squad 76-60 on Sunday afternoon. The Wolverines had trouble putting the Panda’s of Lee away for good as the hosts missed many easy opportunities around the bucket and were sloppy with the ball in the second half. Spence led Bridgton Academy all afternoon with a 17 points and Aleks Dobrovic (Podgorica, Montenegro) continued his fine play with a game high 18 points for the afternoon. Texas A&M recruit Keith Coleman led the visitors with 12. Bridgton coach Whit Lesure complimented Spence’s play specifically following the game. “I am glad he was on our side today. He stood out in the gym with his readiness to compete. College bound players have to learn how to play hard every day and I thought he set the best example for us in putting the last 24 hours behind,” Lesure commented.

Lee had beaten Bridgton in the two previous meetings a year ago and continues to field a highly competitive team with the best in New England. The state of Maine has three quality teams at the highest level reflective of the growing prep landscape in New England that once was dominated by a small group of a few schools.

BA Drops Tough Game to South Kent 95-83

2010-12-13T07:50:00.000-08:00

The visiting South Kent Cardinal roared back from a 12 point halftime deficit to spoil a game Wolverine effort 95-83 on Saturday afternoon. BA jumped out early to a 9-0 lead and remained in control of much of the first half settling for a 35-23 lead at the break. Aleks Dobrovic (Podgorica, Montenegro) led a solid attack on both ends of the floor with ten points and several defensive steals. South Kent cut the Bridgton lead to five at 67-62 with ten minutes remaining and the two teams were tied with five minutes remaining.

South Kent utilized a balanced inside-outside offense to secure the victory in the final minutes. Coach Lesure saw some good and bad play in his comments following the contest. “The first half was indicative of how our team is capable of playing, a lot like we played against MCI the other night”, Lesure said. “I must have had a brain-cramp at halftime, because the only team making positive adjustments in the second half was our opponent. I did not do our players any favors in the second half”, Lesure finished. The loss will not be counted in NEPSAC AAA league standings as new guidelines calculate the divisional rankings.

BA faces Lee Academy (ME) in a quick turn-around game Sunday afternoon in North Bridgton to conclude the first semester schedule of play. Bridgton Academy returns to action January 15^th vs. New Hampton in a Saturday evening contest.

BA Bounces Back 74-64 Over MCI

2010-12-08T16:42:00.001-08:00

Bridgton Academy played with visible passion and urgency on the defensive end of the court and rode the team effort to their first league win of the young season. The two in-state rivals played an even first half with the Wolverines earning a 29-23 over MCI advantage at the break. Kareem Canty and Donnie Hale led the first half offensive attack as they would all evening with ten points a piece. In the second half Bridgton Academy continued to play a solid game at both ends of the floor and built a twenty point lead before the visitors mounted a rally in the late stages of the game that came up short. Canty finished with a game high twenty-six points and Hale added twenty-three of his own, with guard Cory Spence contributing fourteen second half points. Coach Lesure was emphatic about the team’s play at the defensive end of the floor and the overall chemistry that was on display for much of the basketball game. “ I thought we established a good posture in the first ten minutes with our effort. After that, we received some terrific contributions off the bench and did not skip a beat on either end of the floor”, Lesure said. The victory raises the Wolverine record to 5-2 on the season, and 1-0 in NEPSAC AAA league play.

On another note, Shavar Bernier BA '06 and standout captain at Conn College was in attendance in his new role as assistant coach at St. Michaels College

Photos on Facebook

2010-12-06T10:34:00.001-08:00

Check out pictures of the teams last second win over NIA Prep on Bridgton Academy's facebook page.

Wolverines Lose 74-67 at Marianapolis Prep

2010-12-06T05:20:00.000-08:00

Bridgton Academy traveled to the nutmeg state (CT) to participate in the Hoop Mountain Classic and lost to host Marianapolis Prep Sunday afternoon. The Wolverines fell behind early and never caught up in the first half trailing 42-26 at intermission. In the second half the visitors competed better, threatening to make it a close game in the final minutes, but were not able to find enough answers to the execution problems that plagued their play throughout the afternoon.

Coach Lesure was complimentary of the effort put in by the host school of this event saying, “we certainly were not looking past this one, and quite the opposite, felt like we were going to have to play awfully well to pull it out on the road against a school with a great tradition. They were good in my estimation, and we were not. I think sometimes early in the season you learn more in a loss, so in that sense, while I am not happy, I think our team should be looking straight ahead as we take our lumps from this”.

Bridgton Academy (4-2) hosts MCI on Wednesday evening at 6:00 P.M. in a NEPSAC AAA league contest.

Wolverines Win In Final Second

2010-12-03T05:28:00.001-08:00

Kareem Canty (New York, NY) found Aleks Dobrovic (Prodgorica, Montenegro) alone directly in front of the rim with less than a second remaining in the contest to cap a dramatic late game rally giving Bridgton Academy a hard earned 82-81 victory over NIA Prep (NJ) Thursday evening at the Wolverdome. BA trailed for much of the second half, falling behind by as many as eleven, before a Corey Spence (Baltimore, MD) three point bucket ignited the emotional comeback with less than five minutes to play. Earlier in the first half the home Wolverines led by as many as nine before a NIA run gave the visitors a 37-36 halftime advantage. Donnie Hale (New Albany, IN) paced the offense for Bridgton Academy with a game high 29 points, including nineteen in the critical stages of the second half. Canty added 20 with Daniel Franca (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Spence contributing 10 each. U-Cincinnati bound forward Shaquille Thomas led the visitors with 28 points.

Coach Lesure spoke about the resilient effort of the team following the game saying, “I told the guys that I had been watching the Jimmy V. Foundation speech last night, and that the signature line was don’t ever give up.” Lesure added, “my father passed away from cancer at a young age and I just learned that a good friend has it, so for our guys to compete to the end like that against a quality team and for our students to react so positively gave it extra meaning for me. From a basketball perspective, we did a good enough job maintaining a pace we like for stretches, but I expect that we will improve some too,” Lesure closed.

The victory raises the Bridgton Academy record to 4-1 for the season. BA travels to Mariannapolis Prep (CT) Sunday afternoon to play the host school in the Hoop Mountain Classic that will feature many of the best prep teams in the Northeast. It will be the first meeting between Mariannapolis and Bridgton Academy.

Southern Miss Snags Kyle Benner

2010-11-29T12:34:00.000-08:00

Former Sports Information Director and assistant basketball coach Kyle Benner recently accepted a position working for the University of Southern Mississippi (Div. I) basketball program as the Director of Video Operations/Camp Director.

Fall Preview

2010-11-29T12:30:00.000-08:00

With the season underway the Basketball E-News has released a fall preview. Check out this link to see what is going on with BA Basketball.

Showcase Recap

2010-11-22T13:57:00.000-08:00

ESPN wrote a piece on the basketball showcase this weekend. Check out this link to read what they have to say!

Jack Houpt '09

2010-11-22T06:56:00.000-08:00

Jack Houpt '09 played a strong 21 minutes for Western Illinois in a hard fought 66-61 loss at #14 Missouri. He started, scored 6 points, grabbed 6 boards and dished out 2 assists in about 21 minutes of play before fouling out.

Wolverines Scrap Their Way to Comeback Victory

2010-11-21T17:07:00.002-08:00

In a 9:00 A.M. matchup with the storied program of Fork Union Military Academy, and eerily resembling the recent ESPN Basketball Marathon, Bridgton Academy fought back from a 20 point halftime deficit to defeat FUMA 73-72 to pick up their third win of the young season.
Kareem Canty (New York, NY) and the twin frontcourt combination of Donnie Hale (New Albany, IN) and Ryan Martin (London, UK) came alive in the second half to help BA erase a 26 point FUMA lead and win the game on two free throws by Canty who had driven to the basket with 15 seconds remaining. It was a complete turnaround for the Wolverines who had been outplayed, out-hustled, out-executed, and out-coached in the first twenty minutes.

In the second half it was Bridgton who exhibited the determination and purposeful play while Fork Union (VA) was probably guilty of getting a little tentative with the lead. Coach Lesure was pleased with the second half performance of his club but quick to point out the realities of the forty minute effort. “I think if there was justice, it would go down as a tie,” Lesure said. “They won the first half, and we won the second. This morning was two teams practicing the skills they need to compete properly. It’s November but games like this make you grow up in a hurry.”

Lesure used the bench extensively in the contest with all thirteen players seeing action and was quick to point out the contributions of several Wolverines. “Tommy McDonnell might not jump out a you in the box score, but go ask our team how important his effort was today and everyday. And I could say the same thing about Josh Altman and Brendan Allen (who started the game)”, Lesure commented. “That’s a good victory for us. I feel bad for my friend (FUMA mentor Fletcher Arritt), but we’ve had a few of these games over the years I’ve learned an awful lot of what I know to be prep ball from the time together we have spent discussing the game. He is family to me,” Lesure finished. BA improves their record to 3-1.

Here is NERR's recap from the second game.

BA Drops 1st Game at National Prep Showcase

2010-11-21T17:07:00.001-08:00

Bridgton Academy was defeated by Westwind Prep (AZ) 93-88 on Friday at day one of the National Prep Showcase event in New Haven CT. The Wolverines played some solid basketball in both halves but ultimately were done in by their own errors and some outstanding play by their highly regarded opponent from the southwest. The 1st half was played evenly with BA trailing by a single point and possession of the ball with 30 seconds remaining when some costly mistakes put the Wolverines at a 45-38 disadvantage at halftime.

Bridgton battled back in the second half taking a one point lead before giving up the lead midway through the period. Some timely shooting and defense gave BA one more crack at the game trailing by three but a missed block out on a free throw gave Westwind the separation they needed to secure the victory.

Coach Lesure was complimentary of the opponents in the first ever match up between the two teams. “We understood that this would be a good early season test for us. If you’re a Bridgton supporter you recognize that Westwind has played a dozen competitive games already in the season. If you’re a basketball person, you understand that there is never any excuse for shoddy defense or poor ballhandling”, Lesure remarked. BA drops to 2-1 in the season with the first defeat.

Check out this link to see the writeup on NERR.

Alex Harris '10

2010-11-17T07:10:00.000-08:00

Alex Harris '10 was named the CAA Rookie of the Week this past week after scoring 12 points in his collegiate debut at Northeastern University. Check out this link to see the full story.

Pictures on Facebook

2010-11-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

Check out this link to see another album of the Wolverines from the 81-60 win over Leadership Prep on BA's Facebook Page!

Wolverines Gain Second Victory 81-60

2010-11-13T12:54:00.000-08:00

In a much different ballgame, Bridgton utilized decisive runs in both halves to defeat Leadership Academy 81-60 on Saturday afternoon in North Bridgton. Once again Ryan Martin (London, UK) led the Bridgton Academy offensive attack with a game high 22 points and was joined in double figures by Donnie Hale (New Albany, IN) (13) and Josh Altman (Rockport, MA) (10). BA sprinted to an 11-2 lead before getting stuck on fifteen and allowing the visitors to keep it a game for much of the first half. Bridgton Academy closed the first half well and took care of business to begin the second half by building a sizeable advantage and comfortably completing the game.

All players contributed significant minutes and each individual found their way into the scoring column for the well balanced offensive attack. Coach Lesure was satisfied with the outcome but less than thrilled with the overall performance of the Wolverines who were coming off an emotional and well played season opening victory on Thursday evening. “You cannot play as sloppily as we did and feel too good about it”, Lesure remarked. “ I am glad to see some individuals step up for us who will need to but as far as team play goes we have an endless amount of work to do."

Bridgton Academy returns to action next Friday afternoon and Saturday at the National Prep School Showcase (CT) facing Westwind Prep (AZ) and Fork Union Military Academy (VA). “Adam Finklestein has steadily built on the legacy of Bobby Jacobs and Jeff Goodman to unselfishly promote the best that prep school basketball has to offer in one pre-season weekend event”, Lesure said.

WOLVERINES WIN SEASON OPENING THRILLER

2010-11-12T08:21:00.000-08:00

It took five extra minutes of overtime to do it, but Bridgton Academy earned a hard fought 93-85 victory over Robinson Academy (NJ) Thursday evening at the Wolverdome. Robinson Academy forced overtime with a late three point bucket, as a last second play out of a time-out by the Wolverines rimmed out at the end of regulation buzzer.

The first half saw Bridgton Academy extend a lead to 16 points (30-14) before the visitors dug in and forged a 38-38 deadlock at the intermission. Center Daniel Franca led the first half attack with ten points. In the second half the game went back and forth with Robinson taking a five point lead with just under five minutes remaining. BA guard Tommy McDonnell ignited the home rally with a deep three point basket and the two teams went back and forth in the final minutes.

In overtime BA seized the lead behind some stellar play from guard Kareem Canty, and the front court tandem of Donnie Hale and Ryan Martin. Five Wolverines scored in double figures for the evening to pace a balanced attack led by Ryan Martin’s game high 22. Donnie Hale added 17 and Canty 16 for the 1-0 Wolverines. BA coach Whit Lesure was pleased with the overall play of team. ..”I’m not sure it was technically pretty, but we showed some guts down the stretch and that is something positive to build on”, Lesure said.

Photos On Facebook

2010-11-12T08:20:00.000-08:00

Check out some pictures from BA's big win over Robinson Academy on our facebook page!

Bridgton Academy on NERR

2010-11-10T07:07:00.000-08:00

Check out this link which talks about Bridgton in the NEPSAC AAA Preview.

Here is another that NERR did which is a Prep Profile for BA.

Wolverines Open Competitive Season With Scrimmage Win

2010-11-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Bridgton Academy opened its winter basketball season with a successful 89-85 victory over the Class Acts, a Portland ME based Mens’ Club team. BA started the contest with good energy and solid team play on both ends of the court and quickly built a lead in the first half. The Wolverines pushed their advantage to 18 points at one point, before settling for a 49-40 halftime lead.

The Class Acts battled back immediately to begin the second half and with just over ten minutes to go took their first lead of the game at 64-63. The two teams played evenly down the stretch with BA breaking a 75-75 deadlock with three minutes remaining. The home team held off several late game attempts by the visitors with key stops and intelligent offensive possessions.

The backcourt play was led by guards Kareem Canty (New York, NY), Cory Spence (Baltimore, MD), Tommy McDonnell (Durham, NH), and Nebby Exantus (Apopka, FL) while the front court was anchored by Donnie Hale (New Albany,IN), Ryan Martin (London, UK), Alex Dobrovic (Podgorica, Montenegro), and Daniel Franca (Sao Paulo, Brazil). Brendan Allen (Windsor, CT), Josh Altman (Rockport, MA), Corey Shaw (Gainsville, FL), and Marko Varaklic (Milton, CA) made contributions as well. Soccer-basketball standout Ryan Rogers (Falmouth, ME) was in uniform but did not see time in the contest.

BA Coach Whit Lesure was pleased with the overall effort. “It’s a start…I thought our conditioning was good…We have discussed the importance of roles; that it’s a long season, and we need every guy to be improving…The fact is that all these guys were the best players on their high school teams and now face a very different landscape”, Lesure added.

With a change in scheduling the home game this weekend against Edison Job Corps has been cancelled. The Next contest the Wolverines will face is on November 11^th at 6:00 P.M. as they take on Robinson Academy at home.

Changes in schedule

2010-11-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

Fans of BA basketball, the beginning is near! The Wolverine hoopsters will practice what they have learned to this point tonight in an exhibition game against the Maine Class Acts. A longtime visitor to BA, the Class Acts feature several former collegiate basketball players and have been giving the Wolverines a hard time for years.

The official season opener, however, will be put on hold. Official word came today that Edison Job Corps (NJ) will not be fielding a team this season. Hungry Wolverine fans will have to wait until next Thursday (11/11) when the team will square off against Robinson Academy at 6 PM.

Good Story on Brian Rudolph '07

2010-08-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

Bill Reynolds of The Providence Journal recently wrote a nice piece on Brian Rudolph '07. Click here for the story.

Bridgton Academy Basketball

2010-07-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

A video produced by BA Alum Dan Egan '83.

Alex Harris To Play for Northeastern

2010-05-26T05:54:00.000-07:00

Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) is committed to Northeastern for the upcoming season, as reported by both CAA Insider and New England Recruiting Report.

Wolverine Strength hits the web

2010-03-30T12:18:00.001-07:00

Bridgton Academy is proud to announce the start of the Bridgton Academy Strength & Conditioning Blog. You can find up to the minute information regarding all that is going on in the world of Wolverine Strength. You can click on the link at the lower right of this page or check it out here.

Ruben Kanya named Co-Athlete of The Month

2010-03-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

Coach Sawicki stood up at chapel on Tuesday and said, "This month's award is going to two players who are examples of how not all athletic success is gauged on the stat sheet". The Late Winter Co-Athletes of The Month were awarded to basketball's Ruben Kanya (Hamilton, ONT) and hockey's Tad Gold (Oak Bluffs, MA).

Ruben was the perfect example of how doing the little things can impact the success of a team. This was evident in what was arguably his best game of the month in the NEPSAC playoff game vs. Worcester Academy. He only hit for 12 points, but every shot was a momentum crusher for Worcester.

Read the complete writeup here:
http://www.bridgtonacademy.org/athmonth.cfm

Bobcats Run Away From Wolverines

2010-03-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

Bridgton Academy traveled to Endicott College for a quarterfinal match up in the NEPSAC Tournament with Brewster Academy. The Wolverines were looking for their second upset of the top ranked Bobcats within the last week. In the early going the two teams were closely matched, but Brewster soon pulled away for a convincing 94-59 victory, to end the season for Bridgton.

Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) came out hot and kept the Wolverines in the ball game early on. The two teams were tied 9-9 with 15:48 to play, all of the Wolverines points coming from Harris. Brewster then took over, going on a 21-2 run, with 11 of those points coming from Will Barton. The Bobcats closed the half up 18 with a 47-29 lead.

In the second half the Bobcats continued to use their athleticism and depth to put the Wolverines away. The Brewster lead ballooned to 30 with over six minutes to play and reached its largest margin at 36 with three minutes to play. It would end with Brewster running away 94-59.

Coach Lesure made the final analysis of the game by saying, "Brewster played very well. Sometimes in these situations one team overwhelms the other. In this case, we had no answers for their attack, to no fault of our players."

The tournament will continue Friday, with the championship being held on Sunday, of the remaining games Lesure said, "All top four seeds advanced so the semi-finals should be extremely competitive to say the least. I think there is a lot of excellent coaching in our league and more quality teams than ever. I would have to rate Brewster a slight edge if for no other reason than they beat us."

Bridgton concludes its season with an overall record of 11-17, but Coach Lesure looks to the remaining quarter of the school year saying, "We have always emphasized the value of the postgraduate year, not the basketball season per se. We take great pride in getting our guys to graduation May 8 and expect to see growth in the classroom, weightroom, and gymnasium during the next two months that typically pass by as quickly as any time period in prep school."

The basketball team would like to extend a special thank you to Wes Perkins, the team bus driver, for making the trips this winter safe and enjoyable.

Bridgton Rallies To Down Worcester

2010-02-28T16:05:00.000-08:00

Bridgton Academy began its NEPSAC Tournament Title defense Sunday afternoon as they traveled to Phillips Exeter Academy, to take on Worcester Academy in a play-in game. The Wolverines are the #8 seed in the tournament, with Worcester being the #9. Bridgton was able to rally late and earn a 69-64 victory.

#24 Kevin Anthony goes up for the tip off against Worcester Academy Sunday at Phillips Exeter, in the NEPSAC play in game.

The first half was a back and forth battle, which saw three ties and seven lead changes. Bridgton had the biggest lead of the half when Ruben Kanya's (Hamilton, Ontario) three capped off an 8-0 run to make it 27-19. Worcester responded with a 9-0 run of their own to go up 28-27. From that point on it was back and forth with the lead changing with the changing of possession. Worcester took a slight 33-32 advantage into the break.

#23 Chance Jones knocks down a three late in the game.

To start the second half Worcester was hot and stretched the lead to six, but Bridgton kept battling and Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) hit a three with 13:00 to play and even the score at 41-41. The game was still knotted with 8:28 to play following a Kanya bucket, making it 49-49. Worcester from that point went on an 8-0 run, thanks in large part to the shooting of Billy Barron to build a 57-49 lead, with 7:00 remaining.
#24 Kevin Anthony goes to the basket against Worcester

Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) scored five straight for the Wolverines, and a three by Jones, with 5:18 to play, tied the game at 57. Jones knocked down another three on the next BA possession, and Dick added another bucket to bring the Black and Gray roaring back with a 13-0 run and lead 62-57 with 3:42 to play. Worcester would cut the lead to just three with 1:47 to play, but Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) knocked down a jumper and forced a turnover with 40 seconds to play, and secure the win. Barron kept it exciting by knocking down a deep three, but there was not enough time as Jones converted foul shots to make the final 69-64.
#00 Thierno Niang talks with #24 Kevin Anthony during the game Sunday vs. Worcester.

Following the game Lesure commented on the play of his team, "What a great win for our team. Out of the timeout down seven late we were tough and good. I like the fact we're still getting better." Lesure was complimentary of Worcester saying, "I have a lot of respect for how Worcester competes, and Billy Barron is my favorite player in our league." Barron finished with a game high 24 points. Harris lead BA with 21, Dick added 20 and Jones had 15.

Bridgton will now play Brewster Academy on Wednesday at Endicott College. Speaking of the upcoming match up Lesure said, "I am excited to play Brewster again. Jason (Smith) and I have become good friends. I think Brewster vs. Bridgton has become the best rivalry, and some of the big games have been in the tournament. This will be another," he went on to say, "We're underdogs, but that's fine."

The team would like to thank students Dave Roberson, Jamie White, Jerrell Green, Ethan Barnes, and John Despres for making the trip to Exeter to support the team, as well as thanks to Athletic Director Brad Smith for running the score clock.

Bridgton will take on Brewster at 4:00 PM at Endicott College in Beverly, MA, Wednesday.

NEPSAC Playoffs

2010-02-27T19:04:00.000-08:00

Bridgton Academy will play Sunday, February 28th at 1:00 PM against Worcester Academy in the play-in round of the NEPSAC Playoffs. The game will be played at a neutral site, Phillips Exeter Academy. The Wolverines are the #8 seed for the NEPSAC Tournament, while Worcester is #9. The winner will take on #1 seed Brewster Academy on Wednesday at Endicott College.

Bridgton Stumbles at Winchendon

2010-02-26T18:02:00.000-08:00

Bridgton traveled to Winchedon for the final regular season game of the season. BA was poised to beat another top league rival, leading at the half 32-26 but got out played over the games final ten minutes to lose a hard fought contest 70-58.

After trailing 9-4 the Wolverines dug in on the defensive end and executed their motion offense with confidence. Good play on both ends propelled Bridgton to a 32-20 lead before Winchendon countered with six unanswered points, cutting the BA lead to six at half.

The Wapiti made a run to even the game immediately at the start of the second half. Bridgton responded and the two teams remained deadlocked with 12 minutes left. Winchendon was able to break the game open a bit, yet BA was still able to get a clean look out of a timeout that would have brought it back to six points with three minutes remaining.

Coach Lesure was complimentary of his teams play, but cited the missed oppertunity before half, "We were playing well no doubt, but you have to stay in the trance, you can't lose your focus or let up for a possession." Lesure continued with, "They grabbed some momentum, pushed on us pretty good in the second half and I thought maybe we lost our legs. We didn't sustain our defensive position nor run as effective movement offensively. Which was the stronger team in the second half."

Alex Harris (Richomnd, CA) had 18 points, Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) had 14 and Addison Williams (Boulder, CO) added 11 for BA.

As the Wolverines wait for word on the upcoming playoffs Lesure sees an improved team in the locker room, "Our chemistry is a lot better. We are getting valuable individual efforts from ten guys. I understand we are a long shot in Las Vegas to advance too far in the tournament, but the games aren't played on paper, they're on wood, I might have to ask these guys if they're ever heard the story of NC State."

Bridgton awaits its playoff seeding, which will begin over the weekend.

Harris Sparks Wolverines to Upset Over Brewster

2010-02-24T18:15:00.000-08:00

A season long journey of putting a complete game together carried the Wolverines to an exciting upset of NEPSAC #1 ranked Brewster Academy, 70-67 Wednesday night at the Wolverdome.

After a sluggish start which saw the visitors bolt to a 13-4 lead within the first five minutes, the home squad played some inspired basketball to get even at the half on a 3 pt bucket by Ruben Kanya (Hamilton, Ontario). The teams went into the locker rooms deadlocked at 28. Kanya scored the last 5 points of the half to bring BA even after trailing throughout the half.

Bridgton started fast in the second half to take their first lead at 33-28 but the two teams traded leads throughout much of the first ten minutes of the second half. The last ten minutes saw more back and forth play with the Wolverines responding to each Brewster run. During one stretch the two teams traded several long range bombs that had the overflowing ancient hoop hall rocking.

BA secured the lead for the last time in the final two minutes and withstood the full court pressure of the Bobcats with Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) hitting four clutch free throws to seal the upset victory. Harris was outstanding all night leading all scorers with 29 points but also handling the ball and setting up his teammates for big shots of their own. One of those shots was an athletic put-back by Jeff Smeltz (Pascoag, RI) off a Harris miss with 23 seconds to go that gave the Wolverines a 4 point cushion. Kevin Anthony (Columbus, OH) chipped in with 9 points of his own in his first start late in the regular season and added 6 rebounds to the hustling Bridgton defense.

The Bridgton effort was markedly improved over many performances to date and Coach Lesure had a hard time pin-pointing any specific area of play in his comments afterward. "We played very well, as consistently as we have against any team this year, for us the turnovers are huge (11 for the game)." Lesure went on to say, "We have to be able to run our offense and get good looks at the basket and I thought our guys made a lot of smart decisions tonight. What can I say about (Alex) Harris? He was special out there. But he had a team behind him, and perhaps the biggest contribution was (Athletic Trainer Joe) Sawicki, working some magic late in the game to get him back on the floor after suffering some leg problems."

With the win the Wolverines enter their final regular season contest, against Winchendon on Friday, with a bit of momentum and perhaps better feel for themselves. Lesure said afterward that "you always want to earn your way into the playoffs and prove you belong at the dance. That Brewster team is number two in the country for a reason and will have the opportunity to rebound," Lesure remarked. The question now is how the Wolverines handle their new found success.

Harris Selected as Co-Athlete of the Month

2010-02-23T11:15:00.000-08:00

Though it was up down for the basketball team for the early winter, one player has been a model of consistency and leadership. Our Co-Athlete of The Month was the go-to guy and the key that drove the Wolverine basketball team.

His importance to the team was never more evident than the home game versus MCI in December. Alex was out of the game as he served a suspension due to an altercation during the previous game against Winchendon. Without him in the game, BA never really got on track and suffered a defeat at home. He is arguably the most complete player on the team and his offensive prowess was on display during the month. He led the team with 20 points per game during the month and when he was on, it usually meant a win for BA. He scored 30 in a double-overtime win against South Kent and 25 in a win over MCI in the BA Winter Classic. His best game of the month, however, was in a tough loss to a strong St. Thomas More program in which he led all scorers with 36 points.

For all Alex has done for the Wolverine basketball program, he is awarded the Co-Athlete of The Month for Early Winter 2009-2010. Not only has he been an offensive force for the Wolverines, but he is a rabid defender and his leadership on and off the floor has been the stabilizing factor during the game. He has been the driving force to the success of the basketball team and we look forward to see what the rest of the winter holds.

Pandas Survive Wolverines' Late Flurry Again

2010-02-21T15:05:00.000-08:00

Bridgton traveled to Lee Academy for a non conference match up, before entering their final week of NEPSAC regular season play. The Wolverines were looking to pick up consecutive victories for just the third time this season. Final analysis of the game, was Bridgton spotted the host Pandas a few too many point, and were unable to come up with an improbable victory, losing 75-69.

Lee jumped on the visitors, who appeared not to have gotten off the bus, early and kept pouring it on, extending their lead to 35-5 late in the first half. Bridgton closed the half with better play to cut the deficit to 41-26 at halftime.

Lee kept the lead in double digits until the eight minute mark when Bridgton broke through and hung tough until making their final run with less than three minutes to go. Several defensive stops and more efficient offense cut the lead to three with 32 seconds left, but a careless defensive foul and a questionable no call on the other end, ended the hopes of a valiant road win.

Coach Lesure credited Lee afterward saying, "They played really well on both ends of the floor during stretches of this game. We stopped turning the ball over and competed on the defensive end and made it a tight game. There were a lot of situations out there today that we can learn from, but our primary focus is preparing to play our next game. We're not going to beat ourselves up over the loss, nor feel too good about the comeback effort."

Bridgton will now turn to focus on their two remaining NEPSAC games. Wednesday Brewster will come to North Bridgton at 5:30 PM, and Friday the Wolverines will travel to Winchendon for the regular season finale.

Wolverines Snap Streak, Earn Win Over Exeter

2010-02-17T16:56:00.000-08:00

Taking a page out of the University of Connecticut's playbook, where an assistant coach replaces the Hall of Fame head coach do to illness, the Wolverines took on Phillips Exeter with assistant Bob Holden at the helm. Bridgton, slumping of late, was looking for a much needed NEPSAC victory. The Wolverdome had a different feel early Wednesday evening, without the animated Lesure patrolling the sidelines. Holden used his calm demeanor to guide the Wolverines to an 80-69 victory.
Assistant Coach Bob Holden stepped in to lead Bridgton to a victory over Exeter

Exeter scored the first basket of the game, but Bridgton used a 12-0 run to pull away early, but a determined Exeter squad would not allow Bridgton to run away with it as they came back to make it 24-23 with 11:26 to play. BA then went on a 6-0 run including four straight points from Justin Miller (Agawam, MA) to lead 30-23. Once again Exeter would not let BA break it open, as James Herring hit one of his four first half three pointers to tie the game at 34-34 with 4:01 remaining. Alex Harris (Richmond, CA) hit a three to end the half and send the Wolverines into the locker room up, 45-38.
#34 Justin Miller puts up two of his four straight points in a win over Exeter

The hot shooting of Herring continued early in the second half as his three pointer with 13:12 brought the Lions within one, 53-52, with 13:12 to play. Bridgton answered right back with a three from Harris, and the teams exchanged buckets for the majority of the half. It was a three point game with 6:12 to play before the Wolverines were able to get some breathing room. Kevin Anthony (Columbus, OH) sealed the victory by slamming home an alley-oop with 1:20 to play, and the Wolverines went on to win by a score of 80-69.
#33 Paul Dick knocks down three of his 17 points against Exeter

In a game that was closer than the final score indicated, the Wolverines were able to snap a three game losing streak, and in doing so Holden picked up his first career win. Following the game the assistant coach said, "I got the call about 10am this morning, but thought I was being set up. When I showed up for shoot around and Whit (Lesure) and Tim (Atwood) weren't here I was looking around for them hiding somewhere."

Eight players got on the board for BA, including six with five points or more. Harris finished with a game high 26, Paul Dick (Belfast, Ireland) added 17, Chance Jones (Knoxville, TN) had 15, with 12 coming in the first half by way of 4 three pointers. For Phillips Exeter James Herring finished with 18, coming off of six threes.

Holden kept it simple with the players telling them before the game, "It's your team, go out there and play like one. Bring it from practice to the game, and we will make adjustments when we need to." Holden's second half adjustment of matching Addison Williams (Boulder, CO) up with Herring paid off as Herring only hit two shots in the second half, "Addison was big for us in the second half, shutting down a hot shooter." Holden went on to say, "Every year Exeter comes here and they are a tough team to beat, the have a disciplined and well executed offense."

With the win Bridgton improves to 9-14, with two NEPSAC games remaining, but first a rematch with Lee Academy, who beat the Wolverines earlier in the year, on Sunday, on the road.

Alumni Update: Shavar Bernier '06

2010-02-15T11:48:00.000-08:00

Recently Head Basketball Coach Whit Lesure, school counselor Bob Katz, and first year assistant basketball coach Tim Atwood traveled to Colby College in Waterville, ME to watch Shavar Bernier '06 and Connecticut College take on the Mules. Bob Katz had the following to say after the game;

"Shavar, co-captain for the last three years, scored 17 points in a 65-60 upset victory. The next night at Bowdoin College, Shavar hit six three point shots while scoring 24 points in a losing effort. This turned out to be his last game as the loss put Connecticut College out of the NESCAC playoffs. Shavar ended his career with a school record of 202 career three point shots scored."

Whit Lesure and Bob Katz met up with Shavar Bernier '06 after his game against Colby College in Waterville, ME. The Camels won 65-60, Bernier scored 17.

"Shavar was the Spooner Award winner of the Class of '06. He is on track to graduate this spring in four years. He has hopes of continuing to play basketball after graduation and is interested in pursuing a career in coaching."