The Eastgate Christian Eagles set their sights on Augusta – again.
By Kevin Mills
Staff Writer

NEW GLOUCESTER – Ron Giasson knew the challenge ahead.

Eastgate Christian girls’ basketball team had a number of starters returning, but he was also aware that the 6-foot presence he’s had in the middle of his lineup was no longer there.

Giasson suggested his team strive for a playoff berth, but that wasn’t good enough for his Eagles.

“Our goal every year is to get to Augusta and win,” said senior forward Haley Veilleux.

So despite the fact that Eastgate didn’t have Annie McIntosh, their all-time leading scorer, the Eagles weren’t wavering in their goals.

“I knew that we could do it,” said junior guard/forward Angie Elvin. “People didn’t think we’d do that great, but we’re doing just fine.”

Eastgate is currently 9-1 and were ranked sixth in the latest Western D Heal Points. While losing a player the caliber of McIntosh might hinder lesser teams, the Eagles are relishing their success.

“It’s almost like we weren’t given enough credit,” said Veilleux. “It made us want to prove it more to ourselves.”

Eastgate still had the slight problem of finding out who was going to pick up the slack offensively.

“I knew it would be hard without her, but we definitely work better as a team,” said senior guard Brittany Legare. “We pass it around and depend more on each other than just Annie like we did last year.”

There was even a little bit of doubt that lingered when the season began, but that was overcome by the players’ determination and confidence in themselves.

“I wasn’t sure,” said Veilleux. “I was wondering how we were going to take them. Even last year, we smoked teams, and they were losing people too. So naturally we just had to adjust.”

“We thought it would be a little harder, but we knew we could do it,” said Legare.

Giasson figured his team would need a different offensive style. With McIntosh, it was easy for the offense to revolve around her, getting some outside scoring from Veilleux, a 1,000-point scorer and the second-leading producer last year.

“We were going to have to be more of a controlled offense, with more variations” said Giasson. “We were going to have more cutting to the basket, more picks, more movement and control because you can’t depend on your former strength.”

Veilleux has continued her regular production while players like Legare and Elvin have increased their output. Elizabeth Tillson and Amy Turgeon have also helped chip in.

“I knew if I worked hard enough that I could step up and make that gap not so big,” said Elvin.

Collectively, the Eagles have managed to continue winning. They’re not scoring as many points, but there’s much more balance and teamwork.

“Personally, I think it’s a little more fun,” said Elvin. “Everyone seems to be enjoying it. We’re coming together as a team, and we’re working awesome together.”

While one player literally became the team’s center of attention, the Eagles are winning as a group now and seem to thrive with the opportunity to work and produce together.

“We’re getting used to playing with each other so we can read each other well,” said Veilleux. “We used to rely on her so much that this year, it’s been adjusting to everything and trying to work on everything as a team.”

The offense, the rebounding, even the leadership hasn’t been taken over by one player.

“There is no leader,” said Veilleux. “It’s a team. We don’t look up to each other. We help each other.”

It is the kind of result Giasson was hoping for. With Veilleux, Elvin, Legare and Tillson all returning as starters, there was a core to work with. He knew their experience would be critical. It was a matter of adjusting to new roles and finding ways to succeed.

“I said: ‘We can push each other,'” he explained.

“‘If you work hard individually, you’re going to make your teammates work that much harder. If you can do it with a good attitude and have fun out there, it’s going to rub off.”’

It is still a work in progress for Eastgate. Their only loss was to Greater Portland Christian, a team they play again. The Eagles seem within reach of their goal of getting to Augusta. In the meantime, the Eagles continue to develop a formidable team.

“We still need to work on the whole aspect of our offense and defense,” said Giasson. “Every person needs to step it up. You can’t rely on one person. It’s a team effort. You’ve got to have all the spokes going, all the wheels turning.”