PORTLAND – For the third time in four years, Cape Elizabeth will be in the Class B state title game as the Western Maine champion. Cape Head Coach Jim Ray just hopes that the third time’s the charm.

Cape made the big game for the first time since the Capers won the state championship in 1988 back in 2008, only to have their dreams dashed by Maranacook, 56-46. The following year, the Capers returned vowing vengeance, only to be sent packing again, this time by Camden Hills, 62-49.

Fast-forward to Saturday’s 61-47 victory over York, and the Capers are once again back in familiar territory, and tasked with taking down an old foe. Camden Hills, undefeated at 21-0, raring to avenge their own 2010 defeat to Falmouth in the title game and flush with victory after smashing Ellsworth 74-55 in the Eastern finals, will be waiting.

Cape entered this season looking to improve on a 2010 campaign that saw the team reach the Class B West finals, only to fall short. According to Ray, while the Capers have succeeded in surpassing last season, that isn’t what motivates him to win.

“That didn’t drive me,” he said. “We had a new team this year, and a new opponent, so that isn’t what drives me. Certain things do motivate me, though, like when somebody tells me we can’t accomplish something. These kids have come a long way. They are tremendous. They work hard. But a good friend of mine told me (last summer) that ‘I don’t think there’s much of an upside for you guys.’ Well (we have a) pretty good upside now.”

The run up to the state championship game has been almost magical for the Capers. At 17-4, Cape Elizabeth has rarely tasted defeat this season. The team’s last loss was at the hands of the York Clippers back on Feb. 4 by a score of 49-45. After that, Cape plowed through Yarmouth and Falmouth, before handling Wells in the quarterfinals, redeeming themselves against York in the semis, and finally taking down Yarmouth in the finals 61-47.

“This feels great,” said senior guard Joey Doane after beating the Clippers at the Cumberland County Civic Center on Saturday. “The people in this town are so passionate about this. Ever since (2008), people are really following us play basketball. We’ve just been working very hard, year in and year out, with our goal of trying to get back there. After today, I definitely think things are clicking. When we are in rhythm, Theo (Bowe), Cam (Brown) and I are very comfortable. We have a little swagger, but I still think we’re the underdogs. A few years back, Camden beat us pretty good.”

Obviously, the knowledge of Cape’s immediate history in this game is on the minds of the players. Only one senior – Bowe – was on the 2009 team that lost to Camden Hills, so in many ways the team can shrug off that legacy, at least to an extent. They are mindful their past, but looking to prove that they deserve to play at this level, and can send the Windjammers home losers for a second straight year.

“It feels amazing (to know that we are going back),” said sophomore guard Chris Robicheaw, who hit the game clinching shot against Yarmouth. “Cape has had some great players in the past, but we (as a group) have earned this chance. The experience (of the senior class) has definitely been invaluable. The energy they produce is just unbelievable. The support they give to this team is just astounding.”

And the Capers will need all the support they can get against the Windjammers, who have been beating all comers this winter. Camden Hills, the East’s No. 1 seed, opened the Eastern playoffs with a big 79-44 win over No. 8 Caribou in the Eastern quarterfinals and had a close call with a 55-44 win over No. 5 Winslow before blowing past Ellsworth in the Eastern final.

In the regular season, the Windjammers’ offense has been putting up some huge numbers, beating Belfast 94-50 back in December, destroying Oak Hill 92-41 later that same month, hitting triple digits with a 106-64 win over Mt. View in January and obliterating Rockland 97-36 on February 10.

To bring home the first basketball state championship in 23 years, the Capers are going to have to find a way to slow down the Windjammers’ Keegan Pieri, who lit up Ellsworth with 24 points, including five 3-pointers in the championship game. The Windjammers will also look to senior center Tyler McFarland for offense. McFarland, who had 11 points in the Eastern title game, exploded for 23 points in the Eastern semifinals against Winslow and 30 points in the Windjammers’ quarterfinal game against Caribou.

Ray said he knew his team would have a tough test against Camden Hills, but looking at the Capers’ recent opponents in state title games, that’s to be expected.

“Life isn’t fair,” Ray laughed. “We get to this spot in our season and it seems like we’re always going up against an undefeated team. They don’t lose! I don’t have an awful lot of tricks up my sleeve, but I told the boys that we’ll see what we can figure out. It’s a nice feeling to have the opportunity, though.”

Additional material by Sports Editor Mike Higgins

Cape Elizabeth’s Cam Brown smiles while his teammates cheer him on as he cuts down the net after the Capers’ win over Yarmouth in the Class B Western regional final on Saturday afternoon. Staff photo by Mike Higgins