BANGOR — It wasn’t the perfect game by Forest Hills. Just the perfect end to a perfect season.

With its four senior starters each contributing at least one bucket down the stretch, the Jackman school took control early in the fourth quarter and put away Fort Fairfield, 51-45, for its second Class D championship in three years.

Forest Hills (22-0) was the only undefeated boys’ team in any class this winter.

“I can’t get over my kids. What a storybook ending,” Forest Hills coach Anthony Amero said. “We have two baskets in the gym, limited facilities, but they’re all heart, these kids. I’m just in awe of my own kids. I’m just along for the ride.”

Ryan Petrin led the Tigers with 16 points and 18 rebounds.

He fouled out with 1:33 remaining in regulation and Forest Hills nursing a 45-42 lead. Tanner Daigle’s layup at the minute mark provided breathing room. Brandon Ouellette and Matt Turner combined for four free throws to ice it.

“I wasn’t impressed, but what are you going to do? I had faith in them,” Petrin said. “Our sixth man, Aaron Moffitt, came off the bench and did what I told him to do. I said, ‘Go in and box out. I don’t care what you do, don’t turn the ball over and box out,’ and that’s what he did.”

Daigle delivered 14 points and seven rebounds for Forest Hills. Turner tacked on 11 points and five assists. Ouellette scored four of his eight points in the fourth quarter.

Chris Giberson led Fort Fairfield, which knocked off the top two seeds in the East to reach its first state final in 27 years, with 15 points. Isaac Cyr added 11 off the bench.

“All through the tournament we kept our composure, and today we seemed a little nervous, a little tight. We didn’t take care of the ball. We were tight shooting the ball, everything we did,” Fort Fairfield coach Logan McLaughlin said. “It’s probably hats off to them, because they play physical defense. They’re big, they’re tough, and they’re aggressive. They’re probably the most aggressive team we’ve seen all year.”

Forest Hills jumped out to leads of 7-0, 11-4 and 20-14 before Cyr, Johnny Theriault, Hunter Beaulieu and Robbie Watson scored eight consecutive points to wrestle away the lead. Ouellette slashed to the hoop and beat the halftime horn to tie it at 22.

Giberson scored 13 of his 15 in the middle quarters, most of them on drives and short jump shots.

“It was a dogfight. We tried to make adjustments at halftime. I tried to sound like I knew what I was talking about,” Amero said. “We were trading baskets. That Giberson kid, we weren’t going to stop him. I said if we’re going to trade baskets, we’ll trade baskets and hope we get the last one.”

Turner’s 3-pointer gave Forest Hills the lead for good to start the fourth. Dawson Daigle added two free throws to cap a 9-2 run.

Tanner Daigle chalked up three layups in the fourth, one via Petrin after Ouellette hustled past half-court to secure a defensive rebound.

“I never thought that would happen, but with hard work and determination, we made it our goal of 22-0,” Daigle said. “I’ve been playing with the three others since my eighth-grade year. We play together. We read each other, we know each other, and it’s what helps us pull through.”

koakes@sunjournal.com

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