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