AUGUSTA – It hasn’t been the easiest road to the Western Maine final that the Dirigo girls’ basketball team has had.

Ultimately, it may be the best preparation, however, for tonight’s showdown with Hall-Dale.

Dirigo faced a strong and healed Wiscasset team in the quarterfinals, a team many expected to challenge for the regional title. The Cougars then had to overcome a relentless Jay team that nearly ended Dirigo’s nine-year reign in Western Maine. They’ve been challenged. They’ve been tested, and they’ve still won.

“I think our kids should feel good about persevering through that ballgame,” said Dirigo coach Gavin Kane about Thursday’s nailbiter. “Seeing a different type of defense thrown at them and that was frustrating for us, but in the long run, they handled that and were able to come out with a win.”

The last six games have not been easy. Dirigo had a late-season battle of unbeatens with Hall-Dale. They had two playoff teams in Mt. Abram and Telstar to end the regular season. The Cougars then faced Hall-Dale again in the Mountain Valley Conference championship game. That’s six games against quality opponents with plenty on the line.

“I’m hoping that will help us, those close ballgames we’ve been in recently,” said Kane, whose team has just one senior and two players back from last year’s championship team.

Getting two games at the Augusta Civic Center this week certainly helps the team feel more comfortable there. Only Alexa Kaubris and Brooke Weston had played significant minutes there. The ability to relax and feel comfortable will be crucial in tonight’s championship game. Dirigo has typically played with composure and discipline. Though the Cougars were plenty poised when they had to be Thursday, early foul trouble and tensing up on the offensive end were uncharacteristic.

“We can’t be so nervous,” said Weston. “We just have to go out and play the game that we’ve been playing since we were little kids.”

The fact that Dirigo (20-0) had to play for nearly a quarter without Kaubris Thursday because of foul trouble, the Cougars showed that others can get the job done. Weston did an excellent job showing leadership and tenacity while Jennifer Harvey, Holly Knight and Michelle Holmquist all came up with critical plays.

“I think we learned that we can do it, when Alexa was out,” said Weston. “She’s our key player, but we still need to play and when she’s out, we still have to step up.”

In the two previous meetings with Hall-Dale (18-2), Dirigo won both. Dirigo’s defense has frustrated the Bulldogs top players, Caitlyn Laflin and Chelsey Dionne, while Hall-Dale has been plagued by foul trouble in both games. Dirigo can expect Hall-Dale to try and frustrate the Cougars offense like Jay did, but Dirigo knows it just needs to relax and execute.

“I think it’s a mental issue with us,” said Weston. “We have to feel like we can play with them. We can beat them. We’ve done it twice, and we can’t get so nervous and excited for this game.”

While Jay’s effort Thursday gave the Cougars quite the scare, it may only benefit the Cougars against a Bulldog team that has shown its youth at times this season.

“We just have to play them hard, and we can’t take them lightly,” said Holmquist. “I think we’ll come out strong and just play a lot harder.”

Copy the Story Link