When I was in high school, I tried out for the basketball team and — much to everyone’s clear surprise — made the roster.

I scored exactly one basket during the entire season, which was chalked up to a lucky shot because I truly lacked any skill for the game. I remember being relieved when the season ended because it meant I didn’t have to put on the uniform ever again and embarrass myself.

Even though I couldn’t play the game, I admired those who could. Simply because they could.

Anyone who can play this game, who has the stamina and skill to maneuver downcourt while not losing control of the ball, or who has the strength and determination to defend their basket, deserves every bit of praise we can muster.

That’s why the series of mistakes that appeared in Friday’s celebratory advertisement in the Sun Journal congratulating the Red Eddies for their work to get to the state championship game was so awful.

What was intended to be congratulations was, instead, crushing.

We recognize that and, on behalf of everyone here at the Sun Journal, apologize for the errors. What happened?

First, the wrong roster was sent by the school to the advertising department. Instead of the Red Eddies, we received the Blue Devils’ roster. The person who sent it later told us he scanned the wrong roster in error.

The second mistake happened during the design process by our failure to match the number of girls named in the roster against the number of girls in the photo. The roster listed 13 names; the photo contained 12 images. We missed that, and in retrospect it was a big miss because the roster numbers and jersey numbers are clearly mismatched, with only seven numbers in common.

The third mistake was essentially the same as the second, not noticing the discrepancies when the page was checked before printing.

There was human error throughout the process, which our department managers dissected and discussed most of Friday morning.

The Sun Journal creates congratulatory advertising on a regular basis to support the community — in this case the players, parents and advertisers who back the Red Eddies boys and girls basketball teams. In the future, we will have our Sports staff verify rosters against images before the advertisements are designed, and will also ask athletic directors to proof the ads before they run.

Our deepest apologies to EL players Grace Beaudet, Taylor Depot, Lauren Jutras, Julia Milks, Piper Norcross, Grace Fontaine, Jade Perry, Mikaela Scott, Hannah Chaput, Caroline Hammond, Chantel Ouellette and Emily Piper. And, to Head Coach Chris Cifelli, Assistant Coaches Dawna Daigle and Emily Hartnett, and to Athletic Trainer Nicole Spencer.

Apologies also to Principal Scott Annear and Athletic Director Jeff Benson, and to the entire student body of Edward Little High School and to the parents of those students.

And, lastly, apologies to our advertisers who so generously support our community and who demonstrate that support through advertising, including Hammond Lumber Company, Healthy Beauty Wellness Spa, Langlois Auto Body & Auto Sales, Ben Alpren Machine Tool & Supply, Budget Document Technology, WD Matthews Machinery Company, Ouellette & Associates, NAPA Auto Parts, Emerson Chevrolet*Buick, Sam’s Italian Foods, Waterman Farm Machinery, Gippers and Central Maine Orthopaedics.

As a company of people who pride ourselves on supporting our community we sincerely regret the errors, and equally sincerely congratulate both Red Eddies teams on memorable seasons.

— Judith Meyer, Executive Editor

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