RUMFORD – The mere mention of his name triggers a flood of fond memories.

Three decades ago, Doug Roberts established himself as one of the best basketball players to ever play in the state. He learned early the importance of hard work and dedication, and those lessons have remained with him throughout life.

The Rumford native will receive a well deserved honor when he is inducted in to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame on Sept. 24 at the University of Rhode Island.

“I was surprised to say the least,” Roberts said. “I never thought that I’d be elected. But, I can’t remember any individual game statistics. We won a lot of games, but that wasn’t the most important thing that I remember. (Basketball) is a team sport and I was fortunate enough to play beside some talented players.”

During his high school career, Rumford was the king pin in Class A basketball throughout the state. The maroon and white developed a winning attitude and the team was quite capable of backing up its actions.

Roberts was a 6-foot-5 forward who scored over 1,000 career points and earned a solid reputation for being relentless in the paint. When he received the ball in the low post, he had two options: Roberts would fake inside, rotate and hit a fade away jump shot or take the ball to the basket.

“Doug was a real presence in the low post,” former teammate Matt Kaubris said. “His greatest asset was his ability to use his body to seal off his opponent. It opened up a passing lane, so that the guards could get him the ball down low. Then it was pretty automatic.”

Roberts developed his skills early in life while playing pickup games at Stephens High School between Penobscot and York streets. The building has been torn down since, but there was a basketball court nestled in the trees. The area attracted a large following and became the center of attention.

“Every one played,” Roberts said. “It was really some fun times during the summer. The games would start at 5:30 and we wouldn’t finish playing until dark.”

Roberts began his varsity career by playing on the on the unbeaten 1974 state championship team. In those days, freshmen were not allowed to play on high school teams. The seniors included Stan Kaubris, Jim Mooney, Steve Pepin, Ray McKenna and Joe Ziko.

“I was just a sophomore,” Roberts said. “But I learned from the seniors; they showed me the ropes. Those seniors were committed and didn’t want to lose a game.”

Exactly one year later, Rumford also felt heartbreak first hand, but the players turned it in to a motivation. The team breezed through the regular season, but was upset by Deering in the 1975 semifinals at the Augusta Civic Center. The players vowed not to lose another game and it held true for the next two seasons.

The 1976 squad cruised to a state crown and then rewrote the history books by winning the New England championship.

The team members included Chris Gorham, Bob Reid, Jack Kaubris, Tim Ziko, Andy Shorey, Matt Kaubris, Tim Shea, John Zinck, Mike Arsenault and Dave Gerrish.

“That was a real team,” Roberts said. “I can’t recall any bickering or bad attitudes on the team. Every one knew their role and did it. But having John Shaw as a coach really helped us. He put the time in and took us places to compete, like Greely and the North Shore in Massachusetts, and that was before summer hoop was popular.”

Fellow Rumford native Bob Fallon, who will also be inducted, is a perfect example of have been in the right time. The longtime coach put in the time and influenced numerous athletes.

The then State Principal’s Association tried increasing the interest by setting up a game between the Class A and B state champions. Rumford beat Lake Region easily and the championship format game was never attempted again.

“Lake Region was a good Class B team,” Matt Kaubris said. “We beat them by about 50 points, but their problem was that their big man was about 5-11 tall. Doug just killed him in the low post – just powered the ball over him, never giving him the chance to use his leaping ability.”

Roberts also flourished on the collegiate level, beginning by winning a national championship at Acadia University in Canada. He transferred to Clark in Massachusetts and advanced to the Division III quarterfinals two years.

For the last 17 years, he has been the varsity coach at Sanford and has compiled over 220 wins. The Redskins have qualified for the tournament every year, but one. Still, he has a way to go before reaching the 330 wins by his father-in law Ed Gurski at Dexter. Roberts and his wife have daughters, Mary Louise 13 and Jennifer 12.

“My fondest memories are just being lucky,” Roberts said. “I grew up in a community that loved sports. My teammates were quality people, but there were some other quality athletes. In the winter of 1974, Rumford won state titles in basketball, skiing and wrestling. That says a lot for a Class A school with 700 students.”