Wolverines Head Coach Whit Lesure Interview

Fork Union In the Paint Interview with Wolverines Head Coach Whit Lesure

Legendary Fork Union Prep Basketball Coach Fletcher Arritt and In The Paint host Jerry Nelson sit down and talk basketball with Bridgton Academy Coach Whit Lesure!

Wolverines Win Sun Youth Basketball Tournament, Improve to 11-2

The Bridgton Academy Basketball Team spent the weekend in Montreal, Canada for the annual Sun Youth Basketball tournament. The Wolverines faced John Abbott College, Sun Youth Organization, Dawson College, and Champlain St. Lambert en route to capturing the tournament championship.

Even before making the trip up Head Coach Whit Lesure had some kind words for those responsible for putting on the Sun Youth Tournament saying, "I'm just happy to be a welcomed guest of such a great organization that reaches so many lives in the community in significant ways..This trip goes way beyond basketball and I think our guys are able to get a sense of that."

The Wolverines got started Friday as they faced John Abbott College in the final game of the night to open up their first of two games in pool play. Dwayne Smith (Toronto, Ontario) and Malik Stith (Long Island, NY) led a strong offensive charge that saw Bridgton open up a 45-29 halftime lead before going on to win by a final score of 79-57. Smith led three players in double figures with 20 points, followed by Justin Rake (Mandeville, LA) with 12, while Stith added 10.

Game 2 of pool play saw the Wolverines take on Sun Youth Organization Saturday evening. Bridgton came out firing making a season high 9 3-point field goals in the first half alone (12 in the game). With the score 54-21 heading into halftime, minutes were spread around rather evenly over the course of the game resulting in all 13 Wolverines getting significant minutes. Justin Rake led all scorers with 17 points, followed by Dwayne Smith with 13, while Garrison Gross (Buffalo, NY), Carl Blair (Katy, TX), and Jerrel Harris (Grand Prarie, TX) scored 8 apiece.

With pool play over the Wolverines headed into the semi-finals 2-0 and squared off against Dawson College in a Sunday morning showdown. A highly contested game throughout, Bridgton was able to build up a slim 39-35 lead to start the second half, however Dawson College would just not go away. After exchanging baskets throughout the second half the Wolverines were able to hold on for a 69-61 win and punch their ticket to the Championship game. Dwayne Smith again led the team scoring 18 points, followed by Jamal Crook (Louisville, KY) with 10, Jack Houpt (Chesterton, IN) 10, Malik Stith 9, and Kauri Black (Rialto, CA) 8.

Just 6 hours after defeating Dawson College in the semi-finals, Bridgton Academy found themselves taking the court once again, this time against Champlain St. Lambert in the Championship game. The two teams had met earlier this season at the National Prep Showcase, a game that Bridgton Academy won by a score of 65-46.

Knowing all well that Champlain would be looking to avenge the early season loss the Wolverines came out strong playing patented Bridgton basketball that starts on the defensive end. After forcing 10 first half turnovers and converting on virtually every free throw opportunity, the Wolverines built up a 13 point, 42-29 halftime lead. Leading after halftime is a position the Wolverines have found themselves in a number of times this season, however the opening minutes of the second half has sometimes given their opposition hope. Wolverines Head Coach Whit Lesure made the point to say, "It comes down to guarding. We relax a bit when we get a lead, I made sure to remind the guys that their efforts today would determine the types of practices we had when they returned from vacation." With that in mind the team was able to sustain and even expand their lead at times throughout the second half before going on to win by a final score of 81-71. Dwayne Smith again led the team in scoring with 20 points, followed by Justin Rake with 15, Kauri Black 13, and Jamal Crook 10.

When asked for some final thoughts on the weekends games Lesure responded by saying, "I think we made some progress as a team over the last week. Our offense was really good at times this weekend, we shot the ball about as well as we have all season, and we did it consistently. It's always a great trip for our teams, we had a great time again this year."

It is important to mention that the trip wouldn't have been made possible without Bridgton Academy bus driver Scotty Brown. Mother nature threw everything it had at him over the course of the weekend but he more then prevailed earning weekend MVP honors from Coach Lesure for his performance on the drive back saying, "No one performed any better than Scotty did coming across Franconia Notch Sunday night...I loved it but then again I'm a little nuts too.

The four wins on the weekend put the Wolverines record at 11 wins and 2 losses heading into the break as the team will be off until January 7th when they head back up to Canada for a pair of games in Ste. Foye.

Wolverines Currently Ranked 4th In Latest Prep School Poll

The Bridgton Academy Basketball Team is currently ranked 4th in the nation in the latest Prep School Basketball Poll. The Wolverines had been ranked 5th in the preseason poll which came out over earlier this year. The entire poll is as follows.

www.GameWornUniforms.com 2009 National Boy's Prep School Basketball Poll December 16, 2008

1 The Patterson School (Lenoir, NC) 20-0
2 Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, VA) 11-1
3 Notre Dame Prep (Fitchburg, MA) 12-2
4 Bridgton Academy (Bridgton, ME) 7-2
5 South Kent School (South Kent, CT) 6-2
6 Winchendon (Winchendon, MA) 6-3
7 Tilton (Tilton, NH) 3-0
8 Northfield Mount Herman (Northfield, MA) 6-1
9 Fork Union Military (Fork Union, VA) 6-3
10 Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, NH) 7-5
11 Worcester Academy (Worcester, MA) 3-2
12 Charis Prep (Wilson, NC) 23-1
13 Martinsville Heat (Martinsville, VA) 15-3
14 Blair Academy (Blairstown, NJ) 7-1
15 North Carolina Tech (Charlotte, NC) 16-2

Wolverines Lose One, Win One At Fork Union Tournament

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines Basketball team traveled down to Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia this past weekend for the annual Fork Union Basketball Tournament. The team played two games, losing to Fork Union, and beating NEPSAC opponent New Hampton.

On Friday night Bridgton took on tournament host Fork Union, a game which was tightly contested throughout, however the Wolverines came up short suffering their second loss of the season 70-59. It was a two point game with 2 minutes remaining but the Wolverines were never able to grab the lead from that point forward.

When asked for his thoughts on the game, Bridgton Head Coach Whit Lesure had this to say, "We've been going pretty god, but we were a bit complacent tonight. We got outplayed and outcoached, outcoached in the sense that their execution of transition, defensive, and offensive play was a direct result of the way they practice everyday. I have a ton of respect for that guy (FUMA Head Coach Fletcher Arritt). We need to get better."

Justin Rake (Mandeville, LA) led the Wolverines offense scoring a team high 10 points.

Less then 24 hours later the Wolverines found themselves back in action hoping to come away from the trip 1-1 after suffering a tough loss the night before. Bridgton was able to open up a 33-24 halftime lead on the strength of some strong defensive play before going on to defeat New Hampton Prep by a final score of 72-71. The final minutes saw the Wolverines make some big plays, Justin Rake was able to steal an inbounds pass and convert on the offensive end moments before Dwayne Smith hit a big 3-pointer that ultimately gave Bridgton Academy the lead for good.

Head Coach Whit Lesure had this to say after the game, "To beat New Hampton in Virginia is an accomplishment. They have a long history of playing especially well in this tournament. I give Rake and Smith full marks for having the courage to make the game changing plays at the end. And I give all our guys credit for not allowing last nights outcome to interfere with tonight's game."

Malik Stith (Long Island, NY) led three Wolverines in double figures versus New Hampton scoring 15 points, followed by Dwayne Smith (Toronto, Ontario) with 13, and Chad July (Gainesville, FL)10.

When asked for some thoughts on the weekends games Chad July responded by saying,
"I think we played hard both games, we never gave up at any point. We rebounded the ball pretty well, we finished strong, and most importantly we had some guys step up and make some big plays when we needed them most, especially in the final minutes of the New Hampton game."

Teammate Justin Rake added, "We lost to a team we could have beaten on Friday (FUMA), they just played better then we did. But we were able to come back and get a big win which I think is a sign of a good team, being able to find ways to win even when things aren't going great. Overall it was a good weekend for us, but we know we have some work to do to be great."

The Wolverines will return to action this weekend when they travel up to Montreal, Canada for the Sun Youth Tournament starting Friday, December 19th.


#24 Justin Rake lets it fly from long range.


#1 Carl Blair (Katy, TX) looks to turn the corner.


#3 Malik Stith setting up the offense.


#00 Dwayne Smith goes up for the dunk.


#32 Kauri Black (Rialto, CA) driving around a New Hampton defender.


#4 Jamal Crook (Louisville, KY) pulls things back at the top of the key.

Bridgton Academy Downs Lee Academy 93-67

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines improved to 6-1 on the season as they defeated Lee Academy Prep on Tuesday night at the Wolverdome 93-67.

The game started off highly contested until the Wolverines were able to make a run midway through the first half and build up a 53-35 lead heading into halftime. The second half saw the Wolverines add to their lead stretching it to as many as 35 points with just under 8 minutes to go at 90-55. The Wolverines looked to control the clock throughout the remainder of the game, showing a great deal of patience while often times battling the shot clock in the final seconds before the final horn sounded finalizing a 93-67 Bridgton Academy Victory.

When asked about his thoughts on the game Wolverines forward Jack Houpt (Chesterton, IN) said, "I thought our defense is what put us ahead, our energy was great, we had a lof of guys step up for us. I also think the crowd was a was a factor tonight, they were great from start to finish."

Head Coach Whit Lesure echoed Houpt's comments saying, "It was one of the best crowds I've seen here, especially that group of student's, they were clever, loud, and really provided us with a big boost. It was a terrific basketball atmosphere."

The Bridgton Academy fans had plenty to cheer about and plenty of Wolverines to cheer for as all 13 players saw extended minutes with 12 reaching the scoring column. Kauri Black (Rialto, CA) and Justin Rake (Mandeville, LA) led five players in double figures with 14 points apiece, Carl Blair (Katy, TX) followed with 13, Bryant Avent (Phoenix, AZ) 11, and Dwayne Smith (Toronto, Ontario) 10.

Lesure went on to say, "We got a number of positive contributions tonight from several individuals, I think Bryant's particularly really stands out to me, his energy and productivity was significant for us."... He went on to add, "We have a lot of respect for that team, we know they've been winning quite a few games against some New England Prep teams. I think we were able to handle their initial run in the first half, break the game open a little bit, and then come back out in the second half and continue our strong play, we had more good offensive and defensive possessions and ultimately wound up playing probably twenty minutes of the best basketball we have played all season over the course of the game."

41 of the Wolverines 93 points came from their non starters demonstrating the depth and unselfishness of this years team. Bryant Avent touched on the teams unselfishness saying, "I think we had great energy tonight, we shared the ball well, got a lot of different guys involved which in turn enabled us to get some really good looks at the basket."

The Wolverines are hoping they will have similar success this weekend as they did tonight when they head down to Fork Union, Virginia for the Fork Union Military Academy Tournament this Friday and Saturday. Bridgton Academy will face off against host Fork Union Friday night in the tournament semi-final before finding out if they will play in the consolation or championship game on Saturday.


#3 Malik Stith (Long Island, NY) sets up the offense.


#32 Kauri Black (Rialto, CA) goes up for 2 of his team high 14 points.


#14 Chad July (Gainesville, FL) comes down with a rebound in traffic.

Student Photo by Joe Robichaud of Kauri dunking at the end of the first half.

Wolverines Improve to 5-1 With Home Win Over Winchendon 81-67

The Bridgton Academy Basketball team returned to action for the first time in over two weeks on Sunday and had a successful showing in a 81-67 win over the Winchdenon School. After shaking off some rust in the early going the Wolverines were able to jump out to a lead and maintain it throughout the first half taking a 31-29 lead into halftime.

The Wolverines often times found themselves as their own worst enemy as turnovers were an issue for both teams throughout the game. Bridgton Academy however was able to establish an advantage at the free throw line making 29-35 attempts to Winchendon's 10-17. Wolverines Head Coach Whit Lesure noted that "We really shot the heck outta the ball at the free throw line, making 29 outta 35 is certainly one of the better days we've had from the line."

When asked about some thoughts on the game Wolverines guard Carl Blair (Katy, TX) had this to say, "We played hard, we knew they were gonna come right at us so we knew we were gonna have to fight back, we were gonna get some runs, they were gonna try and get theirs so we just had to try and contain them when they started putting something together, which I think we were able to do. Plus I think we did a good job of making our free throws and rebounding the basketball, just playing unselfish basketball like we've been doing all season."

Blair was one of four Wolverines in double figures as he scored 15, Dwayne Smith led all scorers with 22, Jamal Crook 14, and Kauri Black finished with 10 points.

It remained a highly contested game throughout the first and second halves where a big play here and there really proved to be the difference. Coach Lesure pointed out that, "I think we made big plays down the stretch, none bigger then the play late in the game when Malik came away from a crowd of Winchendon players with the ball and really prevented an easy basket for them, it was only about a 3 point game at the time so that was certainly a pretty big moment in the game."

The Wolverines will look to build off of tonight's win when they host Lee Academy Prep on Tuesday at the Wolverdome, tip off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

2008 National Prep Showcase Recap

Following this years National Prep Showcase, New England Recruiting report (www.newenglandrecruitingreport.com) did a full recap of the weekends games and some final thoughts on the weekend including our very own Wolverine basketball team...

Bridgton is Back

Last year was the first time in four years that Bridgton Academy didn’t win the class A title. If this weekend was any indication, Whit Lesure’s team certainly has to be considered an early favorite in 2009. Hargrave Military Academy, the nation’s top ranked team, needed an 18 foot buzzer beater to narrowly escape defeat, while Champlain St. Lambert was simply no match for the New England prep school. With significantly more talent than last year as well as their trademark discipline on both ends of the floor, Bridgton has the recipe for what could potentially be their fourth title in five years.

for the full write up click here National Prep Showcase Final Thoughts

A Nice Piece On Bridgton Basketball

A great piece on Bridgton Academy Basketball, part of the bicentennial DVD with comments from Head Coach Whit Lesure and former Wolverine standout and current St. John's basketball player Justin Burrell '07.

Wolverines Fall To #1 Ranked Hargrave, Bounce Back With Big Win At National Prep Showcase

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines suffered their first loss of the season on Friday against #1 ranked Hargrave Military Academy 76-74 on a buzzer beating 25 foot 3 pointer. The game had been close throughout the contest with Hargrave maintaining a slight edge most of the game including taking a 41-36 lead into halftime. Head Coach Whit Lesure said, "I was happy with the way we played the end of the first half and the start of the second, Dwayne Smith's effort stood out to me."

The Wolverines made some adjustments in the second half and after a big three pointer late from Malik Stith the Wolverines found themselves with a two point lead. With 3.5 seconds remaining Hargrave in bounded the ball from just over half court and connected on a contested 3 point attempt from about 25 feet out. Lesure noted, "It's a tough loss. But we don't have the time to analyze it now. Give their kid Riley credit for making a terrific clutch shot."

Malik Stith who lead the Wolverines in scoring with 19 points looked at the game as a good measuring stick for his team early in the season, "We realize we can play with anyone when we play our game but it's going to take two strong halves to do it. Even tonight I think we are just beginning to realize our potential, we just need to keep working hard and getting better as a team."

Rounding out the scoring for the Wolverines was Dwayne Smith with 18 points, Chad July 10, Kauri Black 8, Jamal Crook 7, Justin Rake, Carl Blair 4, and Jack Houpt 3.

Bridgton Academy found themselves back in action on Saturday when they faced Champlain, a team from the Montreal area in Canada. It was clear early on that the Wolverines were eager to get back to their winning ways as they were able to establish a lead early and never look back winning by a final score of 65-46.

Coach Lesure described the game as, "A good win for us" adding "I felt like when Malik (Stith) finished our shootaround in the morning with a made free throw, our team got past yesterdays defeat."

The Wolverines built up an 11 point half time lead (36-25) and held Champlain to just 21 points in the second half. "We expected Champlain's competitiveness. Our bench played their butts off in the 2nd half. Crook and Gross gave us a huge lift, and Blair settled us down at the point."

Wolverines Guard Jamal Crook commented on the game saying, "We rebounded from last nights game strong, we got off to a little bit of a slow start in the first half but we picked things up pretty quick. We just made sure to stick to what we know can help win us basketball games and thats our team defense."

Teammate Garrison Gross followed by saying, "I think we're coming together as a team. We showed we can rebound from a tough game and make the adjustments we need to make to get better. It's still early in the season so we just want to work on getting better and better."

Crook led the Wolverines in a balanced scoring attack with 12 points, followed by Carl Blair with 9, Justin Rake, Chad July, and Dwayne Smith with 8 apiece, Kauri Black 7, Malik Stith 6, Jack Houpt 5, and Bryant Avent 2.

The Wolverines will head into the break with a 4-1 record and are off until December 7th when they will face Winchendon School at the Wolverdome, tip off is at 1 p.m.

Bridgton Academy Ranked 5th In Pre-Season National Prep Basketball Poll

The Bridgton Academy Wolverines find themselves ranked 5th in the Pre-Season National Prep Basketball Poll.

The Top 10 are as follows...

1. Hargrave Military Academy- 48 points, (3)
2. Brewster Academy- 44 points, (2)
3. Patterson School- 43 points
4. Notre Dame Prep- 31 points
5. Bridgton Academy- 25 points
6. South Kent School- 22 points
7. Winchendon School- 15 points
8. Stoneridge Prep- 11 points
9. St. Mark's School- 8 points
10. St. Thomas More- 7 points

For the entire story see the New England Recruiting Report website Pre-Season National Prep Poll

Wolverines Improve to 3-0, Down Harvard JV 79-49

The Bridgton Academy Basketball team traveled down to Harvard University to face the Crimson JV squad Monday night and came away with an impressive 79-49 win to improve their early season record to 3-0.

The game got off to a slow start with both teams struggling to put the ball in the hoop, however it was just a matter of time before the Wolverines offense started to come alive. Dwayne Smith (Toronto, Ontario) pointed to his teams defense as a big reason they were able to build a lead even with some offensive struggles early, "We take a lot of pride in our defense and even on nights like tonight when we might struggle with our offense early on, we know we'll have our defense there for us. Even tonight as the game progressed we started capitalizing on their mistakes and got our offense going that way."

It was the Wolverines first road trip of the season something Head Coach Whit Lesure was happy to put behind them, "It's always an adventure the first time we get on a bus and travel a couple of hours to play, but I was happy we packed our defense with us for the trip." The Wolverines defense was certainly evident throughout the game, particularly in the first half holding Harvard to just 16 points while building up a 21 point lead at the break (37-16).

The second half saw a bit more scoring action from both sides early on then did the first, however, the Wolverines were able to maintain a double digit lead throughout the game thanks in large part to the Wolverines bench, "Every time Harvard made a run and tried to cut into the lead, our bench was there to step up and put an end to any sort of comeback bid they were trying to make" said Lesure.

Dwayne Smith and Justin Rake (Mandeville, LA) both came off the bench to lead the Wolverines offensively scoring 16 and 14 points respectively, Jamal Crook (Louisville, KY) followed with 11, and Malik Stith (Long Island, NY) 9. In all eleven different Wolverines got into the scoring column.

Bridgton Academy will return to action this weekend as they head down to Bryant University in Rhode Island for the National Prep Showcase beginning Friday, November 21st when the Wolverines meet National powerhouse Hargrave Military Academy with tip off scheduled for 4:00 p.m.

Wolverines Dominate Edison, Win 99-60

The Bridgton Academy Basketball team came through with another impressive outing Sunday afternoon, defeating Edison Job Corps Academy (NJ) 99-60 at the Wolverdome.

Fresh off their season opening win over Maine Central Institute just four days ago, the Wolverines came out ready to go, playing a much faster up-tempo game then against MCI. The speed of the game was hardly a concern for Head Coach Whit Lesure or his players with Lesure stating, "We ain't never been afraid of runnin', and we were rippin' and runnin' pretty good today."

After struggling some offensively in the season opener, the Wolverines had no problem scoring the ball on Sunday, posting an early season high of 99 points. Forward Kauri Black (Rialto, CA) noted that, "It was really our defense that got our offense going, we played pretty good defense throughout the game and we really capitalized on our opportunities to turn our defense into offense."

Bridgton Academy again used a very balanced scoring attack as 12 different players got into the mix scoring wise. Jamal Crook (Louisville, KY) led four Wolverines in double figures with 22 points, followed by Dwayne Smithh (Toronto, Ontario) with 12, Kauri Black 11, and Chad July (Fort White, FL) 10.

With everyone on the Wolverines roster getting some run this afternoon Coach Lesure was quick to note that, "Our second unit really gave us a big lift today, and guys like Justin Rake (Mandeville, LA) worked their butts off to keep us playing with some enthusiasm." Balanced production will continue to be a key for this years team as on any given night it could be someone different leading the Wolverines to victory.

The team will look to continue their winning ways when they travel down to Cambridge, MA for a showdown with Harvard University's JV squad tomorrow night (11/17), with tip off currently scheduled for 8:00 p.m.

Wolverines Down Huskies 71-51, Open Up NEPSAC Play With A Win

After a pair of successful scrimmages last week against Lee Academy Prep and the "Class Acts" (ME) the Bridgton Academy Wolverines kicked off their 2008-09 NEPSAC home opener with a hard fought 71-51 victory over visiting Maine Central Institute Wednesday night at the Wolverdome.

MCI jumped out to an early lead in the opening minutes of the game, but the Wolverines quickly erased it and began to build a lead of their own, relying primarily on their intense defensive pressure to do so. That defensive pressure enabled the Wolverines to force 26 turnovers, including 19 in the first half, resulting in some easy transition opportunities that saw Bridgton Academy ultimately take a 43-26 lead heading into halftime. Carl Blair (Katy, TX) led the Wolverines offensively scoring 13 of his game high 19 points in the first half, drawing praise from Wolverines Head Coach Whit Lesure: "We have a number of guys who can step it up for us on any given night and lead our team, tonight I think Carl gave us a big boost, particularly in the first half, both offensively and defensively."

The second half proved to be a good challenge early in the season for the Wolverines in working to protect a lead, a challenge they were able to rise up for as they maintained a double digit lead throughout the entire second half. Bridgton Academy point guard Malik Stith (Mathews, NC) was quick to point to his team's unselfishness and work ethic as reasons to why the Wolverines were so successful tonight: "We've got so many unselfish guys on the team that our offense will come naturally, we work hard on our defense everyday in practice and we know that our hard work in practice will transcend into our games and we'll be able to use our defense to create a lot of offensive opportunities for us like we did tonight."

That unselfishness led to a very balanced scoring attack from the Wolverines with Blair's 19 points leading a quartet of players in double figures, as Malik Stith followed with 14 points, Dwayne Smith (Toronto, Ontario) 13, and Kauri Black(Rialto, CA) 11.

When asked about some final thoughts on his teams NEPSAC opener Coach Lesure had this to say: "I think we gave a strong defensive effort tonight, and we were able to avoid any major breakdowns, plus it's always a good feeling when you can win at home."

The Wolverines will look to experience that same feeling again this Sunday, November 16th at 1 p.m. when they play host to Edison Prep (NJ) right here at the Wolverdome.


Jamal Crook (Louisville, KY) takes a jumpshot.


Carl Blair (Katy, TX) penetrates into the lane.

Wolverines Complete Pre-Season With Scrimmage Victory

Bridgton Academy took on the Class Acts (ME) featuring former University of Maine standout Andy Bedard among many other recent college graduates and came away with a hard earned 86-73 win on Sunday morning at the Wolverdome. Stan Jones College Prep (PA) had cancelled the day before setting up a last minute arrangement between the two clubs that have a history of competitive contests in the last decade. BA worked for a double digit advantage in the first half only to see the visitors whittle it down to three at half (41-38). In the second half the Wolverines again built a lead and protected it more successfully in the last five minutes of the game. Coach Lesure was pleased with the way the Wolverines competed against the older players. "I think we're looking for more consistency at both ends, but that comes with time playing together", Lesure said. "If we continue to practice well, we'll be all right", Lesure finished. Maine Central Institute (ME) visits North Bridgton Wednesday night to begin the NEPSAC season.

Wolverines Open With Successful Scrimmage

Bridgton Academy began the 2008-2009 basketball season with a successful scrimmage with in-state rival Lee Academy at the Wolverdome in North Bridgton, ME on Tuesday afternoon. BA began the scrimmage with an aggressive defensive attack to take control early in the first twenty minutes. Both teams settled down a bit as the second and third halves played out. The Wolverines utilized their full line-up in each of the 20 minute segments. The scrimmage with another prep school was a first for Bridgton Academy and Coach Lesure commented on this scheduling afterwards…”I have a lot of respect for Jim (Graffam-Head Coach) and the people at Lee…We thought it could be good for both clubs”. Coach Lesure was also upbeat with regard to his teams’ play…” Our guys have a better idea of what this is all about after today…And it gets me going some too”. The Wolverines sported brand new uniforms in the scrimmage and clearly embraced the “look good to play good” mantra. BA returns to action Saturday afternoon at 1 pm in a home game contest against the Stan Jones Basketball Club (PA).

Season Preview

In a few short weeks the 2008-2009 Bridgton Academy basketball season will be underway with a full slate of November games against some of the best competition in the country. The Wolverines aim to rebound from a season a year ago that fell short of the NEPSAC Championship accomplishments of 2005, 2006, and 2007. Thirteen players have spent much of the fall in conditioning exercises preparing for the long winter months on the basketball floor. The BA roster includes a backcourt led by Malik Stith, Jamal Crook, Carl Blair, and Delonte Mason. Wings include Justin Rake, Garrison Gross, Kauri Black, Bryant Avent, and Dwayne Smith. The frontcourt is paced by Jerrell Harris, Jack Houpt, Chad July, and Jake Canty. Although the squad would appear a bit physically smaller than some past season BA teams, Coach Whit Lesure isn’t buying into that concern. “Tough kids come in every package, and frankly, there’s something to that old adage about the size of the dog…”, Lesure quipped.

It’s too early to determine much of the New England landscape that these Wolverines will encounter this winter but Lesure is certain that the league will be stronger than ever. “I think a lot of the reverberation from the NCAA scrutiny has quieted down and prep school remains an attractive option for many 5th year students”, Lesure remarked. “You also have many more schools now playing at an extremely competitive level, nothing like the old days where only a handful of schools supported successful teams”, Lesure finished.

For more information on the program and a complete set of results and other informational links stay connected to Bridgtonacademy.org

Bridgton Academy In the News

A good piece on Wolverine basketball.

In addition Bridgton Academy received a great story in the Maine Sunday Telegram, read it here.

With October almost over, it's time to look for some exciting action in the Wolverdome.

Good Story on Bridgton Academy

This ran this past Sunday in the Maine Sunday Telegram. Give it a read.

Welcome to Wolverine Basketball

The 2008-2009 team will be arriving on campus by the end of this week and fans of Wolverine basketball will get to find out how the team looks.

Check back for player bios, schedule and updates from Coach Lesure and Coach Lewis.