There could be an unfamiliar team in the Western C tournament next month.

With three wins in four recent games, Lisbon has risen in the standings. The Greyhounds were in the eighth spot entering Wednesday’s game at Mountain Valley.

Lisbon has never been in the Western C tourney field and its last playoff appearance came in Western B in 2009, finishing 14-5 and losing in the quarterfinals.

A key part of the recent surge was a 48-47 win over Hall-Dale last Friday. Alexa Harmon led the Greyounds (5-6) with 18 while Jessica Campbell and Bailey Madore added 13 and 12 points, respectively. Down 25-22 at the half, Lisbon outscored the defending Class C state champs in the final two quarters.

“The win over Hall-Dale for us was huge,” said Lisbon coach Julie Wescott. “Not only was it a reflection of our hard work, but it was nice to see our team put together an entire game. “

Lisbon was a young club coming into the season, coming off a 6-12 season last year. Campbell was the team’s most experienced player. The Greyhounds were expecting some growing pains, especially with a new coach. But with seven upperclassmen, Lisbon was a team with great potential.

The Greyhounds started the season 2-2 and played many teams tough in the early going. Their average margin of defeat has been just 12 points, that included a two-point loss to Monmouth and a six-point loss to Madison.

“We have had close games with some of the top teams in Western C, but haven’t put it all together for the big W we had been wanting,” said Wescott, whose team has won its five games by an average of nine points. “We hung around with Boothbay and were down by three in the third to play poorly in the fourth, which resulted in a loss by 14. We played very well against a talented Madison team but came up short losing by six. We lost to Monmouth in our opener by two.”

With wins over Winthrop, Wiscasset and Hall-Dale, the Greyhounds have put themselves in position to earn a playoff spot. Right now, in the eighth seed, they’d host a prelim game with a chance to earn a trip to Augusta.

“The girls know that we have to continue to work hard and win as many games as possible to put us in a playoff position, but a big win has definitely ignited the fire even more,” said Wescott. “We need to continue to do the little things that make the outcome of a game positive for us. Hall-Dale was huge, but we have to put that in the past, and we are now focused on what lies ahead.”

Lisbon has some winable games down the stretch. The Greyhounds play possible playoff teams like St. Dom’s, Mt. Abram, Monmouth and Boothbay as well as Carrabec and Winthrop.

Substitute

Spruce Mountain is currently 12-1 and has moved into the second spot in Western B.

One of the key factors for the Phoenix success this season is the young talent coming off the bench. Coach Gavin Kane has five freshmen on the roster and all have helped make an impact.

“It’s very pleasing to see the freshmen step up for us,” said Kane.

Spruce Mountain has a solid core of seniors with varsity experience. Kathryn Ventrella, Alexi Deering, Micaela Barron and Ashley Quirrion are all senior starters. Ashley Dorey and Kristy Macomber have chipped in off the bench. Also factoring in as substitutes has been the underclassmen, especially after losing senior Kourtney Brennick to a knee injury before the season began. Though Emily Keene is a freshman starter, sophomore Victoria Ouellette and freshmen Samantha Richards, Nicole Hamblin, Vanese Barnes and Kailee Newcomb have all been sparks off the bench.

Whether it has been contributing stellar defense or some timely baskets, the Phoenix bench has played a vital role.

“For us to be effective, we really have to have a number of kids have some production for us,” said Kane. “We’ve talked about this and that we don’t have a star on the team. Everybody just has to do their part. We look for 10 or 11 kids to help us out.”

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