By Kalle Oakes,Staff Writer

AUGUSTA – Probably you’ve never heard of Jerod Verrill, and probably it’s his fault.

Verrill, a 6-foot-2 senior from Bryant Pond, has spent his high school career playing varsity basketball in the miniature spotlight of Class D for Pine Tree Academy.

The Seventh-Day Adventist school in Freeport sits about a mile from L.L. Bean, as the crow flies. In retail terms, Pine Tree basketball is more of a mom-and-pop store, playing a hodgepodge schedule against other parochial teams and independent public high schools along the coast.

Why not stay in his neighborhood and enjoy the limelight with Telstar, the hometown program that’s made a recent habit of reaching the Western Class C quarterfinals? Or maybe skip down the road as a tuition student at Class A Oxford Hills?

“Pretty much religious reasons,” Verrill said. “This school is a great fit for me. Everyone is like one, big family.”

Verrill’s life is about something bigger than making a name for himself. His approach to basketball is no different.

Sharing the stage

Wayne Goodall is the only head coach Pine Tree Academy has known in its 18-year history. He’s overseen Verrill’s career since eighth grade. The next year, Goodall wrote No. 24’s name in the varsity starting lineup from the get-go.

He believes that if Verrill was born with one selfish bone in his body, you might already recognize his name from the short list of Maine’s all-time leading scorers that includes Raymond Alley, Cindy Blodgett and T.J. Caouette, to name three.

Verrill is probably in the top two dozen, anyhow.

“He will finish his career with around 1,700 points,” Goodall said, “and I’m pretty confident he would have close to 2,500 if he wasn’t always looking out for what is best for his teammates.”

Being the big fish while doing his best to broaden the size of the pond has brought Verrill to the ultimate, final reward.

Saturday night, Verrill and the top-seeded Breakers will face seven-time defending Western D champion Valley High of Bingham in the regional final at 8:45 p.m.

Ranking aside, Pine Tree will be everyone’s underdog. This is the program’s first-ever push past the semifinals. Valley hasn’t lost to a Western Maine opponent on the civic center court since 1997.

Valley has broken the hearts of numerous private schools in its near-decade of dominance. North Yarmouth Academy, Hyde School and Elan School all have entered final and semifinal games with grand expectations, only to feel a chill from the Cavaliers.

“I’m excited,” Verrill said. “Everyone’s always talking about Valley. They’re the team you want to play. I can’t wait to play them. We’ve never played them before.”

The completeness of Verrill’s game gives Pine Tree a counterpuncher’s chance against anyone.

Verrill is a dangerous 3-point shooter, although he’s often content to yield those perimeter looks to sophomore Ben Goodall, the coach’s son.

A complete package

In Pine Tree’s 59-53 victory over Hyde, Verrill led the Breakers with 22 points while dishing out five assists, yanking down five rebounds and snagging four steals.

He nailed all eight of his free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter. One miss, and Pine Tree probably wouldn’t have reclaimed momentum after wasting most of an 18-point lead.

“Jerod does everything well,” coach Goodall said. “You see it in his defense, in his rebounding. I believe that he could play (NCAA) Division II, easily.”

Verrill has been accepted at Division III University of Southern Maine, where he’ll essentially be a walk-on.

See? Word doesn’t always get around when you follow your convictions and play Class D. But Verrill believes he’ll get the Huskies’ attention.

“I’ll work out on my own and get ready to try out in the fall. I play outdoors most of the year,” he said.

If the USM staff wants to check Verrill’s references, it can start with Goodall.

“I’ve coached 18 years, and I’ve never had a player who does all the things Jerod does, as well as Jerod does,” Goodall said. “I think he’ll make it.”

And people might even start to recognize his name. Then again, Saturday night’s opportunity might take care of that.

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