SACO — Practicing late into the evening on Wednesday, the Thornton Academy boys basketball team finished their session with a simple shootaround.

The players took turns making shots with ease, looking unphased to the daunting task set in front of them when they take the floor tonight against Portland, defending their Maine Class A basketball title.

Over nine months have past since the Golden Trojans hoisted the gold ball over their heads, and a large contingent of seniors have since graduated. But for Andrew Shaw, Tom Littlefield and Keegan Sullivan, Thornton’s tri-captains, getting back to the promised land is taking it one game at a time.

“We’re just trying to work hard and get ready for the season,” Shaw said. “We’ve got a lot of stuff to work on, but if everybody works hard we should come out with a win Friday night.”

The Trojans will have to defend the title without some key players on last year’s squad, specifically guard James Morse, the Maine State Tournament Most Valuable Player who averaged 17.3 points per game and was the runner up for the Mr. Maine Basketball Award at the end of last season.

However, Thornton Academy will still have a veteran group of basketball players. The team enters the season with six seniors and seven juniors.

“We lost some key players and we need more people to step up,” Shaw said. “We’ve got some young guys, but I think guys like Corbett Smith, Colby Parker and Justin Pollard and James Ek can all step up for us and take the place of James, Keegan will take the place of [John] Trull and hopefully we’ll be able to replace all those guys and get back to where we were.”

Littlefield said the Trojans expect Westbrook, Cheverus and South Portland to be the key teams that will come after them this season.

“They’re gonna be after us,” he said.

To prepare, Sullivan said the Trojans have been working hard on their defense during the preseason.

“Defense, all about defense,” Sullivan said. “Boxing out, rebounding, running.”

Littlefied said the key to win this year will be Thornton Academy working as a unit.

“Trusting each other, making the rotations and working as a team. Being able to trust that the other guy is there without even seeing him.”

Littlefield said it also helps to have the experience of last year, as well as the teaching of head coach Bob Davies.

“Coach Davies pushes us to full potential and we all work hard to get stuff done and he pushes us to get the most out of each other,” Littlefield said.

It all starts this evening. Let the title defense begin.

— Contact Dave Dyer at 282-1535, Ext. 315.