Hall-Dale High School girls basketball coach Brandon Terrill doesn’t see a typical underdog when he sees Washington Academy.
True, the Raiders won the Eastern Class C tournament out of the No. 6 seed, but they’ve also won 14 games in a row. Plus, the sixth seed out of the East has some history on its side.
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“Calais was the sixth seed last year, and they won states out of the East. I think it’s just a Heal points thing, where they don’t get as many Heal point-worthy games in that Downeast Conference,” Terrill said. “I think it’s a bit deceptive that (Washington is) a six seed.”
Terrill’s Bulldogs, 20-1 and the top-ranked team in Western Maine, will face the 17-4 Raiders at 7 tonight at the Bangor Auditorium. Hall-Dale last played in the state game in 2006 and last won the championship in 1986.
This is the first title game appearance for Washington Academy, which was regional runner-up in 2009 and 2010.
Washington Academy’s last loss came on Jan. 3, to Class B opponent Mt. Desert Island. During the tournament, the Raiders had a knack for come-from-behind wins, including their 41-39 victory against Orono in the regional final.
“They were behind in each of their last two games in the fourth quarter, and came back and won both of them. That shows mental toughness and discipline. They’re never going to give up,” Terrill said.
The Raiders don’t have any players who match up with Hall-Dale’s size, which includes 6-foot-1 center Taylor Massey. The Raiders do present a challenge in that they have a number of players who are multitalented, Terrill said.
“They don’t have anybody over 5-foot-9, but they have a lot of guards they can throw at you,” Terrill said. “Everybody on the floor can dribble. Everybody can shoot. Everybody can play.”
Taylor Seeley, one of the scoring leaders for the Raiders, scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the regional championship game.
“(Seeley) finds a way to get baskets,” Hall-Dale senior forward Wendy Goldman said.
Kayleigh Bridges and Christy Smith are also scoring threats for Washington.
“They all switch around and they can all play anywhere in their offense,” Kristina Buck, a junior guard at Hall-Dale, said.
As it has all season, Hall-Dale’s success hinges on its defense. The Bulldogs have given up more than 50 points just once this season, and they allowed 32 points per game in the regional tournament.
“We just know we have to come out and play our hardest,” Goldman said.
Massey (15.2 ppg) and Carylanne Wolfington (13.2 ppg) lead the Hall-Dale offense.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com
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