Unified: Where Sports Gets It Right
A Season Recap on the Hermon High School Unified Basketball Team
By: Makena Nevells
Unified: to make or become united, uniform or whole.
A team is a group of players forming one side in a competitive game or sport.
A team that is unified, with the best result possible being having fun. A sports team that shows what the true meaning is all about. Having fun.
“They’ve taken all the negative conventions of sports, and eliminated them.” Explains Coach Barry.
When looking at other sports, you can see that there are always issues with playing time, when in Unified, everyone including the helpers gets a fair shot of getting a bucket in the sport that’s “all about buckets.”
Instead of this constant worry about playing time and parents being protective of their children, there is a “cooperative nature of the helpers and the players all trying to get buckets, primarily the players.” Coach Barry explains how the helpers need to “chip their ego away” to not be only about themselves, and be able to enjoy the joy that comes with the players feeling like any other kid.
“Why do we even have a scoreboard?” Asks Coach Barry.
The score is not what the kids take out of it. Of course, they look at the score and it is a negative or positive reaction for the first couple minutes after the game, but then the teams high-five each other and get to enjoy meeting new people and they all get to feel proud of how well they have done in the game.
“We had a four-game winning streak, I think the kids thought that was pretty cool, but I don’t think that is going to be their major takeaway from the season, I think it’s going to be that they had fun playing basketball”
It’s emotional to experience the joy that comes with Unified Basketball, regardless of the score.
During halftime, when the Cotton Eye Joe plays over the loudspeaker and both teams, along with fans join in on the dances, you can see what really matters. When the other team’s helpers continuously give the ball to a player that is trying so hard to make that three-pointer, you can see what it’s all about.
It’s about a group of players that feel like every other kid playing a sport and helpers that need to put their egos and selfishness aside and learn to enjoy the pure happiness that comes with doing something that seems so simple to them, but not the players. This sport is special and it matters to the players and everyone that comes to support them.
In shorter terms, make sure you look at the bigger picture of sports or even events, because when watching Unified Basketball, you can see how we take the idea of sports way too seriously.
Be There Or Be Square
The Importance of a Student Section
By Josh Sullivan
There are 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter and the score is 46-47. The home team made a stupid foul and now the away team has a chance to tie it up. The player bounces the ball on the line and the crowd goes silent. They start to make the shooting motion. Suddenly, a barrage of voices ranging from screaming to someone yelling “STROKE THAT THING, CUZZO”. The player’s release is just off and the ball bounces off the rim. The crowd goes wild.
This is the impact a full student section can have. Student sections win games. Just last week the Hermon Girls Varsity faced off against MDI. They had played earlier this season and it didn’t go well. Hermon lost by a margin with the final score being 33-52. However, this time was different. Mr. Murray sent out an email to the student body to pack the student section. The football coach required his players to be there and the band was scheduled to play. It is fair to say that the Hermon gymnasium hasn’t seen that much excitement since 2020. The football team led the chants and got inside the player’s heads. It became less of a competition between teams and more of an attempt at psychological warfare. Every three-pointer got people going, and every foul was a chance to boo the other team.
At the end of the game, Hermon had made the upset. The final was 50-43. Everyone could tell that the student section had affected the game. MDI players were getting frustrated and making mistakes, all while the student section rubbed it in.
According to Jacob Glidden the student section “makes it a lot more fun” and it’s fair to say it makes it less fun for the opposing team. So as the season goes on, show up to the games. The girls could make a playoff run this year and your support could be the difference between going to the Cross Center or going home. Unified Basketball starts soon and VJ Burgos is guaranteed to ball out. Even though the Boy’s team isn’t great this year, it’s our duty to still show up. It’s what it means to be a Hermon Hawk.
(Photo Credit: Hermon High School Girls Basketball Facebook)
Hermon is Getting an Upgrade! Hawk Yeah!
By: Makena Nevells, Nick Fullerton, Derek Smith, & Sophie Lindsay
Hermon High School, a Class B Northern Maine School with 523 students, is soon moving towards Class A. Hermon has been known to be a sports powerhouse, with 2 State Championship Awards, 8 Northern Maine Championships, 6 State Championship Runner Up Awards, and 3 Northern Maine Championship Runner Up Awards within the last 4 years. With the success in sports and the continuous interest in them, Hermon plans on installing a turf field and a new track.
The idea of a track and turf field was first brought up in March of 2021 and was recently passed on November 8th, 2022. The plan is to install a turf field, and a track, and to have a multipurpose practice field close by. The turf and track feedback were not all positive, as some people were worried about the usage and price that it would bring to the upcoming years. We recently sent out a survey to teachers and students, asking them about their thoughts. Out of 96 responses, 92.6% (88 people) think having a turf field is a good idea, with only 7.4% (7 people) of the responses not supporting the idea.
Rick Sinclair, Athletic Director for Hermon High, is anticipating success in the upcoming installation of the turf and track. Even going so far as thinking about the community, saying “The fact that the community has this as an option to exercise on, will be the biggest benefit to the community”. He is anticipating the installation to be done before fall sports, with the plan “to be able to play fall sports on the turf next school year. [The] track will hopefully be ready for at least practices next spring”. The wait is over and “The plan is to get started as soon as possible”.
Other schools in the area, including Hampden Academy, and Bangor High School, have recently installed a track and turf field on their respective campuses. The Athletic Director of Hampden Academy, Fred Lower has nothing but great things to say about the benefits a turf field and track have provided for both the community and school. He explains that the field gives flexibility for back-to-back practices and games, with the damage being little to none. When asked about comparing a grass field to a turf field, Lower stated, “In the State of Maine, with the unpredictable weather we have, I think every school should have turf if they can afford it”.
Additionally, Hampden students also enjoy the benefits of a track and turf field. Senior at Hampden Benjamin Kristal prefers to play soccer on turf fields because “the game of soccer is at a faster pace”. He expresses his likeness of the turf explaining “the ball moves faster on the turf.” He states another advantage of having turf is that “turf is also flat and has no bumps, like a regular grass field.” Kristal also believes that having a track is a “privilege.” He says that having such easy access to a track right in his hometown is super beneficial for Hampden’s sports program.
The plan for the track is to install an 8-lane rubber track behind the field hockey field. Additionally, the existing field hockey field is turning into a practice field and is the location of track and field events. The turf will be installed into the existing Pottle Field, being used for all fall sports.
Now that the proposal was passed, the track and turf will be installed in the near future. With thanks to the Pottle family, donating $400,000 to the turf, the taxes required for the Hermon Community will be lowered. With this being said, the cost was and still is one of the main things that cause people to be against the track and turf. The estimated cost was around 2 million dollars, including labor and materials. Fred Lower explained thoroughly that the turf is worth it, stating “… the upfront cost of Turf is more expensive, but the maintenance savings vs. a grass field (mowing, seeding, irrigation, painting, labor, etc.) pay for it over its lifespan”.
The Decision: Hermon Residents and the Choice to Build a New Track and Turf at HHS
By Sharon Arabambi, Xavier Jelks, Maddox Sawyer, and Josh Sullivan
The town of Hermon has been growing a lot in the last 10 years. Over 1000 people have moved and been born in Hermon since 2010. This growth requires growth in infrastructures. The schools, roads, housing, and community facilities need an expansion. Some of this is being solved with the recent approval of a new track and turf.
On November 8th, Hermon voters approved borrowing the funds required for the project 2100 votes to 1109 votes, and voted to use the money toward the track and turf. This is a huge step forward for Hermon Athletics and the community as a whole, but what will it cost?
(Photo Credit: News Center Maine)
The vote on the 8th approved borrowing $400,000 from the American Rescue Plan, $295,000 from Hermon Elementary Rec., $300,000 from the School Repair and Maintenance Reserve, and a 2.7 million dollar loan with a 3.9% interest rate. Along with a $400,000 donation from the Pottle family of Pottle Transportation, and a tax hike, this should cover the bill. According to Hermon Athletic Director Rick Sinclair, the bill should be less than 5 million.
This is a point where this upgrade loses some people. According to a 2020 poll, there would be a property tax increase, of approximately $70 per $200,000 in property value. In this day and age where most mid-sized homes are worth almost double that, people don’t want to spend $140 on a track they might not even use.
Some people are fine with the money and feel that the project will be an investment in the future of the town, but feel that there are better ways to spend it. In an interview with Bangor Daily News, a voter said “We have a teacher shortage and crowded schools that need to be addressed”.
Regardless of all that, the track and turf are being built. Officials say that the project should be done by spring and ready for use by the summer of 2023. The project went up for bid before the vote and it will be the contractor’s main focus during construction. Once the project is finished teams will be able to play their season on the new turf field and practice in the multi-sport practice field located on the inside of the new 8-lane track. Teams will no longer have to ration the life of the main field in the fall. Coaches are ready for it too. Coach Kyle Gallant, the Hawks Football head coach said the team would use the field for Thursday walkthroughs before games.
The track in turf is also a sign of status. It shows that the town and school care about the community and players. It puts the town up with the likes of Hamden and Bangor, who also have new, state-of-the-art facilities. According to Brett Danforth, the vice president of Danforth’s Down Home Supermarket, the project is “an asset and opportunity for the entire town that will continue to strengthen our local economy.”
Overall, the vote on November 8th seemed to accurately reflect the community’s feelings. People are excited to use the facilities, whether that be going to games or a walk on the track. At an end-of-season Hawks Football banquet parents and players were thrilled with the future of the program with the new upgrades. Coach Gallant joined in the sentiment and proudly gave credit for the project to his 7 seniors and the rest of the 2022 team, saying it was their hard work and importance to the Hermon community that got the vote through.
After years of hard work by the town and school, the track and turf are being built. For now, we can only speculate on the pros and cons of the project, but once it is built we will see if the decision was the right one.
Football is like a Pet
By Johnny Kokoska, Hermon Press
“Football is like life – it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard-work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority,” said Vince Lombardi, a legendary coach for the Green Bay Packers. I started playing this great game in second grade participating in flag football. Playing this sport with my friends seemed like the greatest thing of all time. Little did I know it was going to get way better than second grade flag football. Fast forward a couple years to sixth grade. I was really on the fence about playing this year. Fifth grade was an eye opener to what football really was, being it my first year playing tackle. I ended up playing and I was very glad I did. This is where the Johnny, Gary connection started. Three more years of fun and excitement went by and we got to high school.
Something drastically changed when I got to high school. We were ranked number 1 in class C North for the preseason rankings. There was a lot of buzz around the team. Coming off a Northern Maine runner-up in ‘18, that brought even more around the state. This was kind of a letdown year. We went 4-4 and lost in the semifinal game to Winslow. In the locker room after the game, all of the seniors were crying and I didn’t really know what to make of this because football in the past had never been this serious. Before high school you would just show up an hour early and start getting ready. Seeing them cry really opened my eyes to how much football really meant to everyone. As a freshman, seeing grown men that you’ve always looked up to be so upset over a loss was eye opening. Sophomore year for me was tremendously different. It was the “Covid” year so we weren’t allowed to play tackle football. We played a 7v7 passing league. I couldn’t imagine playing all your life and having your senior season cut short due to something you can’t control.
Now we are in my junior year. Hermon was the last team in the state to play a football game. We got our first three games canceled because of Covid. We ended the regular season 2-3 and we went into the postseason fifth. We were scheduled to make the drive to Oceanside until they called and had to cancel because their varsity team all had to quarantine. This is where “Hermon vs. the World” started. Everyone in our conference and the state, for that matter, thought we got handed our season’s success.
“You had three canceled games.” “They gave you a first round bye.” All this fueled the drive to prove everyone wrong. We played #1 seed Medomak Valley in the semifinal game on a beautiful Saturday. We never really had a running game all year. It seemed like we were missing a key piece on the offensive line. All year we had 6-foot-7 Jaykob Dow at tight end, but this game we moved him to right tackle and we never looked back. This was by far the team’s best rushing performance. He was the missing piece that we needed. We won this game 16-12.
We proved a lot of people wrong winning that game but there were still a lot of doubters. We were set to play Winslow at Hampden for the second Northern Maine championship in three years. Going into this game, all the buzz was that Winslow was going to wipe the floor with us. This made everyone mad. Hermon vs. the World was in full swing. We would read articles asking how we were going to keep up with Winslow.
Saturday, Northern Maine championship day, everyone was fired up for the game. We knew going in we were the clear underdogs so we played and acted like we had nothing to lose. The fans filled the stadium. The game was back and forth throughout the entire 48 minutes. We were going score for score with them for a while until I threw a slant route to Chasen and the middle linebacker jumped the route and picked it off. They ended up going down the field and eventually scoring. I still get mad at myself for throwing that but the more I watch it the more credit I give to the linebacker who caught it. We ended up losing the game 38-30.
In the locker room after the game, I looked over and saw our senior captain Chris Gage, who was immensely respected by all, in tears. I remember going up to him and hugging him and hearing him say, “This is your guys team now. Get everyone on board and do what I couldn’t.” Those words stuck with me all offseason. Even though we lost, this shocked a lot of people and put Hermon on the map. At this time we had nine juniors playing in that game and most of them started and played a huge role in our success. This scared a lot of teams for the upcoming season. From December to August we all worked to get bigger, stronger and faster.
Coming in for the first day of double sessions, we added two seniors who happened to be soccer players. There was really no expectation for them besides maybe being able to kick the football. That quickly diminished when they were constantly finishing in the top 5 in running, catching all the balls thrown their way and truly showing a love in the game that some kids who play all their life never show. It seemed like we had all the pieces to go win a gold ball.
We ended the regular season with a record of 5-3 losing our last game of the regular season to the #1 seed Medomak Panthers. We won our quarterfinal game against Hampden. Now it’s Semifinal Week. We were set to play Oceanside. Granted we beat them in Week 3, but it was only by two points. We were so amped and ready to win. Coach preached to us to “Remember, we can either have four more quarters of football or we can have 12.” The answer was simple, right?
This season was becoming not so much about winning a gold ball but more about being able to spend more time with our family. We loved each other. All of us had love for the football team that was deeper than the game. The Tuesday practice before our huge game against Oceanside, Coach Gallant had an eye opening message for us seniors. “Football is like a pet and unfortunately pets die. So what do you do? You want to make the most out of the time you have left with that pet,” Gallant said. “Time will eventually run out for you seniors to play this great game and how soon that is controlled by you.”
We took that to heart and got a huge win against a really good Oceanside team, 49-28. There was a lot of confidence.
This win propelled us into our third Northern Maine title game in four years. We knew what we had to do to win. We played Medomak once before in the regular season and lost. We wanted eight more quarters and not four. We had a phenomenal week of preparation with a bunch of the Hermon alumni coming in to talk to us at our weekly Thursday team dinner. Game time comes and they get the ball first. They score quick and the rest is history.
We lost the game 40-20. Back to back Northern Maine championship losses. This one really hurt. I feel as a team we not only let ourselves down but we let Coach Gallant down. He loved us like his sons and only wanted the best for us. “It felt like there was some untapped potential that quite frankly most of us will never be able to find,” said Hunter Kenna.
I didn’t fully understand why all my football career, coaches would preach to not take it for granted, because I was fortunate enough to be able to play this great sport every fall. It was like clockwork. Summer would come around and we would start getting ready to play football. It’s been that way for 11 years now.
Now that football is over for good, it’s setting in on how good life was every fall.
Football is like a pet, and pets, unfortunately, always end up dying.
Be a Man. Run the Ball
By Hunter Kenna, Hermon Press
Los Angeles, CA, 1984: The stage had been set. Not by anybody but himself. Maybe by his line, who boasted 2 Pro Bowl players. Maybe by his quarterback, Jeff Kemp, a career backup who had been thrust into the LA spotlight and produced a serviceable season. Maybe by his coach, John Robinson, who up until that afternoon was a respectable 28-13 in his first 3 seasons. But at the end of the day, that day was Eric Dickerson’s and Eric Dickerson’s alone. Dickerson walked into Anaheim Stadium on December 9th with 1,792 rushing yards, a great mark that would’ve put him right alongside his rookie season total. Dickerson left Anaheim Stadium that day with 2,007 rushing yards and sole possession of the single season rushing record.
The Rams finished that season with a 10-6 record and were eliminated from the playoffs in the wildcard round, an extremely lackluster end to the historic performance from Dickerson. This finish was no outlier in NFL history. Often, having one of these single season rushing leaders has no correlation to playoff success. These are the playoff performances of teams that featured a top ten single season rushing yard player:
| Single Season Rushing Leaders | Playoff Finish |
| Wildcard Loss |
| Wildcard Loss |
| Wildcard Loss |
| Wildcard Loss |
| Wildcard Loss |
| Superbowl Win |
| Missed Playoffs |
| Missed Playoffs |
| Wildcard Loss |
| Divisional Game Loss |
As NFL offenses realized that the run wasn’t going to lead them where they needed to go, the shape of the league changed. Think of the founding fathers of the game. Players like Jim Brown, Marcus Allen and Emmitt Smith represented the infant stages of the league. Compare this to the names we associate with the 2000’s. Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning. Field generals, dink and dunk maestros, guys that were so cerebral and so accurate that it made more sense to have the ball in their hands and, most importantly, in the air, as much as possible. Running the ball simply became an inconvenience that was necessary to keep the defense honest.
There was only one place left to go. The NFL had grown, and with it the area of the field being attacked kept expanding. The 80’s and 90’s were about winning at the line of scrimmage. The 2000’s saw offenses attack the 5-10 yard range with the short passing game. The 2010’s saw the entire field attacked. The field had been fully unlocked.
Something strange was happening. There was no field left to discover. There was no new, uncharted place to explore on the field. Defenses caught up. They began putting a cap on the high flying offenses that defined the late 2010’s and early 2020’s. Joe Burrow, fresh off a Super Bowl trip that was only possible due to explosive downfield plays, had this to say about the team’s plan heading into the season,“They were playing a lot of two-high coverage, just like we expect to happen all year. “When the time calls for it and the defense structure dictates it, we have to be able to put together a 10-, 12-play drive without really feeling the heat and being able to move the ball right down the field the same way.” (Per Ben Baby, ESPN) Then the draft came, with teams investing serious capital in their lines and, strangely enough, running backs. Three of the worst teams from the previous season (The Jets, Texans, and Seahawks) invested precious picks on running backs. What was going on? Teams that needed every single player they could get were acquiring a position that had lost its value. The clues were all there. The run was coming back, baby.
In the ever expanding game that is the NFL, the key to the 22-23 season has been the run. Think about it as a cycle. Defenses started with a stacked box, so offenses threw it right over the top of them. Defenses backed up to cover the short pass so offenses took the top off and attacked the entire field. When the defenses backed up to cover the deep parts of the field, it left a soft spot at the line of scrimmage. Through the run, bad teams have become serviceable and good teams have become super bowl contenders. Through the ever changing expanse that is NFL offense, the only advantage left was to return to its roots.
Dear PGA Tour – Embrace the Change
10/29/22
By:Matthew Murray
When Sam Walton sought to build his retail store empire in 1962, he had one philosophy in mind: there is only one boss; the customer. 60 years later, his market share of the retail and grocery store market continues to dwindle, as new and exciting chain stores continue to evolve. Needless to say, that market is ultra competitive…
…and it is time for the world of golf to embrace that competition!
For the longest time, the PGA and European Tours (known today as the DP World Tour) have utterly dominated the golf market. Aspiring pros sought their dream of competing for prize pools that seemed to grow during the age of Tiger Woods, into excess of $15,000,000. It became regular practice for tour winners to receive a cool million dollars for a win, life-changing money and fame by any mortal’s consideration.
But that didn’t tell the entire story.
Golf has predominantly been a sport of excess, with clubs, clothes, and gear all being outrageously priced for the common person. PGA Tour professionals tend to receive all of these things, and more, as part of their perceived package for making it to the big times. Once you’ve made the tour, the free stuff cometh.
However, tour pros claimed poverty, as they watched the PGA Tour rake in over $250 million dollars in profits in 2019, and with reserves in excess of $225 million, according to golf.com writers. Needless to say, the money that PGA tour players were making didn’t add up to the grossly large amounts of money made by the tour.
Enter Phil Mickelson.
“They would rather throw $25 million here and $40 million there than give back the roughly $20 billion in digital assets they control,” Mickelson said at the time. “Or give up access to the $50-plus million they make every year on their own media channel. There are many issues, but that is one of the biggest” (golf.com).
Phil, and many of his compatriots, sought to hold the PGA Tour accountable, as it was continuing to monopolize the golf world. More money, more control, more power for the players was clearly not possible without any sort of leverage for the players.
Then, in the spring of 2022, Phil Mickelson left the PGA Tour for the upstart LIV Golf Tour, a move he said has “made some major disruption to the sport of golf.” One of those major disruptions has come in the form of a number of player appearance fees, ranging from Phil’s $130 million signing bonus, to Dustin Johnson’s $90 million.
The other major disruption is the general competitiveness of the LIV tour’s popularity. As players continue to defect from the PGA tour, LIV grows in strength. Competitive changes have become more and more intriguing, including 54 hole competitions, more fan access to players, larger prize payouts, and a European club team feel for each golfer.
LIV tour has challenged the status quo of the golf world, for the better.
You only need to look back a few weeks, to the LIV tour event at the International Coountry Club in Boston, to see the impact the tour is having on golf fans. A raucous crowd watched a three-way playoff, and a Dustin Johnson eagle-winning putt worth $4 million. It was electric, entertaining, and exactly what golf needs.
However, traditionalists continue to harp on the “blood money” that is being spent by the Saudi-backed LIV tour. Brandel Chamblee, a Golf Channel analysts and former tour pro, tweeted, “The shills for LIV golf: Greg Norman, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson etc. etc., keep saying they are growing the game and that it has to “evolve” well, I’d argue what they are involved in is not evolution, but evil-ution.”
And I imagine some of that is true; that the people who are supporting this new endeavor are the same people who shake hands after a shady deal, support a lack of women’s rights, and continue to ostracize the lesser-than-fortunate people. But if we are choosing to accept that we know where every dime & penny we make comes from, we are naive. Hell, I sold a book on ebay to man yesterday: could’ve been a stand-up guy, could’ve been a drug dealer. I’ll never know.
In the end, Competition amongst tours isn’t a bad thing. Look at the WWE, who back in the early 2000’s had the likes of WCW and ECW to compete against. Instead of trying to figure out how to out-perform the competition, the wrestling businesses collaborated to create one of the greatest era’s of modern sports entertainment.
Golf has that opportunity.
The players speak of having events with which they can participate in, that don’t require the Monday thru Wednesday obligations. That they can just show up and play.
LIV offers that.
The players speak of wanting more money in their prize pools. It’s like the NFL, where part of the players contract comes with guaranteed money for the player, to protect them from injury.
LIV offers that.
But most importantly, LIV does what Sam Walton said all those years ago: it reaches the customer on a broader base. The PGA tour hasn’t had an event in Boston in almost 5 years; they haven’t played in the state of Washington since Chambers Bay and the 2015 US Open; and neither the PGA Tour, nor the DP tour explore places like the Middle East, Bankok, and Australia.
LIV offers all of that, to the untouched golf markets that go unnoticed by the other tours.
Those fans in Boston have spoken, and they have spoken directly to the PGA Tour and it’s members alike: it’s time for golf to figure out a way to collaborate with each other and embrace a new era.
It’s what Sam Walton would’ve wanted.
Overview: Hermon Boys Basketball
By Isaac Varney, Ethan Rudnicki, Wyatt Butler, Staff Writers / 01/27/2020
HERMON ME – The Hermon boys basketball team has had their fair share of tests to challenge the leadership of the five returning players and also has tested the new and inexperienced players stepping into big roles getting big minutes. So far, the team has done a good job building an 11-2 start only losing to Winslow by 2 points and Ellsworth by 1 point.
Hermon has fought to win games by playing excellent defense. Only allowing teams to score 37.2 points per game on average makes it hard for teams to beat them. Saturday night, the boys snapped Caribou’s 26 game win streak by holding Caribou who averages 75 points per game to only 42 points.
Hermon’s offense consists of many scorers, starting with junior point guard Wyatt Gogan. Gogan is debatably the most athletic kid on the floor every night and has stepped into his new role as point guard very well creating scoring opportunities for others and scoring big shots when need be. Next is Eli Reed. Reed is a knockdown three point shooter who also has size that makes him hard to guard off the dribble. Then we have five man Zach Tubbs. Tubbs is a force to be reckoned with in the paint using his size and quick agility for a big man to score at will. Dangerous player for teams to guard because he can also step outside and hit the three ball. Also we have Isaac Parent. Parent is a workhorse who uses his speed and quickness to his advantage and is also a high percentage free throw shooter. To go along with them we have the combination of Trey Brown and Jaeden Henderson who are both new to the team as of this year who were forced to quickly learn and follow the expectations of the program. They have done a good job of adjusting and are both very capable of shooting the ball. Finally we have Captain Isaac Varney. Varney has just reached his 1000 point milestone and has been a varsity starter all four years who has stepped up his game this year becoming a scorer and relentless rebounder. Varney said, “I am proud of what the team has accomplished so far this year. We’re taking steps in the right direction. We’ll be a force to be reckoned with come tourney time.”
Over the course of the season the team has learned that it takes commitment, discipline, leadership, accountability, and pride to get the job done game in and game out.
Now the program is looking to find consistency to take this team to another level. Like Michael Jordan says, “Practice like you’ve never won, play like you’ve never lost.”
Hawk Sport Corner: LEBRON JAMES – TOP 10 PLAYS OF HIS CAREER
By Ethan Rudnicki, Isaac Varney, Wyatt Butler, Staff Writers / 01/18/2020
Welcome to Hermon Hawk’s top ten plays of Lebron Jame’s crazy career.
#10:
2010 playoffs first round vs Chicago in Cleveland – With Game 1 of the 2010 playoffs bringing tons of hype to the 1 v 8 match up, it was bound to be a good game in the east between young Derrick Rose and young Lebron. Cleveland had it going on early up 6 with 2 minutes to go in the first when Lebron completely took control, he got the ball in his hands and had his eyes set on the hoop. He drove by everyone and laid down a ferocious dunk to put his team up 8 and really get the momentum swinging the Cav’s way. The Cav’s went out to dominate this game and most of their points came while the fans were hyped about Lebron’s dunk.
#9:
2011 season vs Knicks – With the Knicks and Heat colliding in the regular season it was bound to be a good regular season conference match up. The Knicks were fighting for a playoff spot while Miami easily had a spot in the bag, but this meant the Knicks would play hard and were actually favored in this game. Early on, the Heat put up a layup that was blocked and the Knicks had a chance for an easy fast break basket. When they went to pass it down the floor Lebron jumped up and intercepted the pass. While still in the air, Lebron threw the ball behind his head directly to his wide open teammate for a momentum changing basket. Which eventually led to Miami crushing the Knicks’ playoff dreams.
#8:
2011 regular season vs New Orleans Pelicans – With this game being looked upon as a semi possible finals match up all eyes were on this regular season match up, Chris Paul vs Lebron. It was kind of leaning New Orleans way towards the end and Miami was down 1 with a minute left in the third when Lebron dribbled around everyone and with the shot clock winding down turned around and pulled up on a deep fade away from behind the backboard up and over and in to give Miami the lead going into the fourth quarter…They would keep this lead and go on to win the game.
#7:
2010 regular season vs the Wizards – With this game not being looked upon as a huge game in Lebron’s career or even a huge game in that season it was a big play and a big turn around for the Cavaliers. With the Cavs down 1 with 10 seconds to go they needed to inbound and get it to their star player…Lebron. They got it to him and he literally took all the Wizards on 1v5 drove to the hoop and layed it up behind his head to beat the buzzer and send Cleveland home with a 1 in the win column.
#6:
2010 regular season against the Mavericks – Lebron started this regular season game off slow against the Mavericks. But with the scored all tied up at 19 with 3 minutes to go in the first, Lebron knew it was time for him to step up and actually do something. He got the ball in the corner, faked one man, drove to the basket on the baseline where he was met by another big man, and jumped up and while in the air switched his ball hand and dunked on the big man. This takes so much skill and concentration and really shows how much Lebron wanted this one basket.
#5:
Regular season vs. Bulls 2012 – This game was highly praised for its intensity and back and forth between star Lebron and reigning league MVP Derrick Rose. But there was one specific play that was replayed over and over and is still replayed over and over. Lebron James was already hot and needed something to get the fans pumped up. His teammate Dwayne Wade gave Lebron a look and Lebron knew to go to the hoop, Wade threw a perfect alley oop for Lebron, but Lebron had a little company under the hoop, in the backup Bulls point guard, John Lucas. So what did Lebron do? Oh you know he just literally jumped over him and caught and dunked the alley oop. A crazy play that will always be looked at and replayed around the world.
#4:
2014 NBA finals game 2 – The finals was here and San Antonio easily took game 1 on the road vs Miami, now it was Miami’s turn to answer or they could be down 2-0 going to San Antonio. The Heat were up by 20 points with 8 minutes left and were not trying to let the Spurs back into the game. So, when Tony Parker passed the ball to Matt Bonner in the paint and Bonner went for a momentum changing block over Lebron James, Lebron was not having it and jumped up as high as he could and his hand met the ball and sent the ball flying back. The Heat did win this game, but it would be the only game of the series they would win and would lose the finals.
#3:
Regular season vs Celtics 2013 – Celtics vs Heat was the match up of the East that everyone wanted to see for a solid three years. Every time they played it was nationally televised and everyone watched. Well, in this specific game, Lebron saw it as a chance to shine at the garden and caught a high alley oop from Dwyane Wade, but Jason Terry was under the hoop trying to contest it, but this was a minor problem for Lebron who completely posterized and bodied Terry making this one of Lebron’s most known plays of all time.
#2:
Eastern Conference Finals 2007 – A decisive game 7 was held in Detroit for the Eastern Conference Finals. The stage was set, winner punched their ticket to the finals. The Pistons led all game and were up four with 30 seconds left. It was Cav’s ball, Lebron quickly got two under the hoop to cut it to a 2 point game. Then with no time to give Lebron got a quick steal and got another quick 2 to tie the game with 10 seconds left. The pistons in-bounded the ball for the win but Lebron saved the day again and stole the ball and scored again with 4 seconds left to give the Cav’s the lead, the win, and the ticket to the finals. Even though the Cav’s did lose in the finals seeing Lebron show his heart and love for the game in the last 30 seconds was fun for anyone and will forever go down in history as one of the most clutch plays ever.
#1:
2017 NBA Finals Game 7 – With the time winding down in game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Warriors has a chance to get the go ahead bucket and win the finals and it seemed like destiny, a wide open layup for NBA veteran Andre Igoudala. It was for certain this layup would go in but out of nowhere came Lebron to block the snot out of Igoudala off the backboard and sealed the championship for the Cav’s. When asking Mr. Woodside about this play, he said, “I think the Lebron block was the most iconic thing that ever happened in Lebron’s career, because everyone and anyone can remember and recall this moment in Lebron’s career.”
Overall these are the top 10 plays in Lebron’s career. Some people might put other plays above these and are entitled to their opinion. But Lebron has many iconic plays and this list only had room for 10.
Hermon High School Concessions Season in Full Swing
By Halie Jackson, Lexi Meeker, and Grace Page, staff writers / 01/02/2020
Looking for community service hours while helping the school and the community? Concessions is for you!
What?
Every year a concessions table is a set up, where snacks such as popcorn, hotdogs, chips, pretzels, candy, and drinks are sold. Concession snack prices range from $.50 to $2.00. The students who volunteer will be selling these items to local friends and family as well as supporters of the other team. The concession business is run by each class, all students are encouraged to help out and support a good cause. Basketball fans also look forward to the reliable treats!
When?
Varsity basketball home games are where concessions take place, see future dates below:
| Girls | Boys | ||
| JAN 4 | 3:00 PM | JAN 4 | 4:30 PM |
| JAN 16 | 7:00 PM | JAN 9 | 7:00 PM |
| JAN 18 | 1:30 PM | JAN 18 | 4:30 PM |
| JAN 24 | 7:00 PM | JAN 25 | 7:00 PM |
| JAN 31 | 7:00 PM | FEB 1 | 2:30 PM |
| FEB 3 | 7:00 PM | FEB 4 | 7:00 PM |
| FEB 5 | 7:00 PM | FEB 6 | 7:00 PM |
Where?
Hermon High School lobby, located between the school store book closet and the JROTC room.
Why?
Students will earn community service hours while having time to communicate and bond with other classmates! These events are important to the Hermon community, therefore it is a beneficial way to show your support. The senior class oversees the production of the concession season and each class take turns operating the concessions table at home games. The money made is then divided between classes to help pay for class activities, prom, and graduation. It is important to help to support your class and those other classes!
Extras!
Students can earn up to 4 hours of community service per game for participating in concessions.
If you are looking to sign up to participate in concessions, contact Mrs. Garbe in room 110, Mrs. Biehn, OR your class advisors. (Freshman: Mr. Garbe & Mr. Adams, Sophomores: Mrs. Parent and Ms. Shapiro, Juniors: Ms. Trenckmann & Mr. Stahl, and Seniors: Mrs. Garbe & Mrs. Biehn).
By participating in concessions it’s beneficial to the volunteers and the community! It is helpful for everyone coming to the games for the convenience of food and drinks, and getting hours for doing this act is worth it.
Hermon Hawks Football: Senior Night Recap
By Travis Spell, Staff Writer / 12/05/2019
Senior night is a very special moment in high school sports because it takes time to recognize those seniors who devoted so much time and effort into their respective sports. All of those hours spent preparing and getting better do not go unnoticed, and they bring teammates together by working out together in the off season.
“As an athlete walking out onto the field and looking into the stands, seeing your family and friends there to support you, can be an emotional roller coaster, ” said senior football player Ian Facella.
This night is bittersweet because everything seems to flash before the player’s eyes, and they can reflect on all the years they have been playing this sport; it marks the end of a long road that they and their brothers started together.
Seniors Gabe Diaz, Marco Vera, and Ian Facella all agreed that through the past 3-4 years they have become very close because they have been through so much together and accomplished great things as a team.
After finishing this game there will obviously be things athletes miss, and when asked about this Gabe Diaz and Marco Vera said that they miss, “Coach Gallant, spending time with teammates, and the team atmosphere.”
Football is such a special sport that is unique from others with the fact that you can tackle people without getting in trouble, but the bond is like no other. Every sports team is a family, but being a part of a football team and spending all of those hours together makes senior night that much more special.
Hermon Hawks Football Finds their Identity this Season
By Travis Spell, Staff Writer / 10/15/2019
The 2019 Hermon Hawks varsity team is currently 4-2. After a tough season opener loss to the Hornets of Leavitt in a very hostile environment that had parents and fans screaming all night long the Hawks returned back to Pottle field to prepare for their home opener against Waterville. The team put on an impressive showing in what was an easy victory to go 1-1 on the season, the following week they were back on the road to Rockland to face Oceanside.
Head coach, Kyle Gallant said, “The season started out rough, but we are getting better and better each week.”
The team has a mix of experienced and inexperienced guys on the field and the team is trying to find their identity. Gallant highlighted that some freshman have made big plays but also make freshman mistakes such as not being able to defend the pass very well or making tackles.
When we compared the differences between this year’s team and last year’s team Gallant said, “last year’s team was very experienced and had guys in positions that they have already played in. This year, there are new guys in new spots and others that haven’t played at the varsity level yet are now stepping up to the challenge to try and help out as much as they can.”
The seniors on the team do a good job at giving their time back to the community, and the team is willing to lend a helping hand to each other. On the field the offensive shows spurts of what they are capable of doing but hasn’t been very consistent yet. Along with that, Gallant said, “We take our capability for granted and we don’t play to our fullest potential every game.”
Some goals Gallant had for the team at the beginning of the season were, Win a state championship, be committed to the cause, and play Hermon Hawk football. Things have definitely changed since then, because the goals are now, continue to get better, learn how to be gritty and fight for what you want, learn that not everything is handed to you and to obtain what you want you have to fight. Gallant added, “We have to start with the goals now to make it to the goals we started with.”
The Hawks traveled to Rockland to face Oceanside and barely escaped with a triple overtime win. After that nail biter the Hawks returned home once again to face the Nokomis Warriors in what was a fairly easy home win but the following week was a struggle when Bucksport came into town for homecoming and gave the Hawks some struggle and handed them their second loss of the season.
Coach Gallant preached to the boys all week that they were going to find their identity and finally start playing real football and that is exactly what they did with a very impressive road win against Mademok.
The 4-2 Hawks will travel to the 5-1 Winslow Black Raiders for the battle of 1 and 2 in the conference this Saturday.
The Hermon Press 