The guard has emerged as a leader for the Rangeley girls’ basketball team.
By Kevin Mills
Staff Writer

AUGUSTA — Not many people probably even remember.

They may recall the free throws that Valley’s Kristin Baker sank to stun Rangeley in last year’s playoffs, but they’ve long forgotten who put her there.

Sarah Schrader remembers.

“I was the one who committed that last foul and sent Baker to the line,” said the Rangeley guard. “I just knew I was not going to do that again. I knew I had to lead my team. Everyone knows that didn’t feel good at all.”

It is a tough burden to carry for any player. Schrader felt she let herself and her team down that day and has vowed ever since to not let it happen again. She’s made good on the assertion. The Laker guard has been a driving force among many for Rangeley and been a key ingredient in getting the Lakers back to the state championship.

“She wants to be a leader,” said Rangeley coach Heidi Deery. “I’ve talked to her the last two years about being a leader because she is athletically a leader. There’s no textbook to it. You have to figure out what we need and what the other team can’t handle and do it. In the Valley game and the Vinalhaven game, she did it. Now I think she understands. She’s obviously the leader off the court as much as she is on the court.”

Schrader, who averaged 15 points during the season, helped spark a second half that left the Vikings in the dust in their quarterfinal win last week. She finished the game with a career-high 30 points while producing a superb defensive game. Against Valley, she provided a steady hand against a game Cavalier team.

In Saturday’s regional championship game against Waynflete, she led all scorers with 21 points. She did a fine defensive job on one of the Flyers’ top players while also slicing and dicing up the defense.

She ended up being honored as the tournament’s most outstanding player.

“I wasn’t expecting it, but it’s great,” said Schrader. “Props to my team. They inspired me. We all work together. It’s no one person. We all deserve it.”

As individually skilled as she is, she’s the consummate team player. Teaming up with fellow junior Krysteen Romero, she has helped formed one of the most dominant tandems in Class D. She can be a take-charge player and just as easily dish it off for someone else when needed.

“She’s an all-around player,” said Deery. “She can score. She can shoot. She always has the top offensive player to defend. She does it all. She can come from nowhere and be standing underneath the hoop and be hit with the basketball and score. She understands the game.”

With the graduation of Sarah Drosdik, the Lakers were without that integral presence on the floor and in the lockerroom. Schrader knew she had to help fill that void.

“She was our role model,” said Schrader. “I felt like I had to step up in a leadership position. We all wanted to step up, and we knew we had to fill her role. We knew we could all fill it and not have it be just one person.”

Schrader has shown a great maturity and poise this season. Her presence now on the floor for the Lakers is obvious. As balanced and experienced as Rangeley is, Schrader is clearly its catalyst.

“I focus more on getting my team pumped up,” said Schrader. “I focus on my defense because our offense will come. It’s all a team effort, and we all do it together.”

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