BIDDEFORD — Biddeford boys basketball coach Mike Fecteau doesn’t sugarcoat the importance of Bobby Cote.

“He’s our go-to guy,” Fecteau said. “He’s our scorer, he’s our leader.”

Cote, a 6-foot-1 guard for the Tigers, is one of the top scorers in the Southwestern Maine Activities Association (SMAA). The 10th-leading scorer in the conference a year ago at 14.3 points per game, Cote has scored 23.1 points per game in the first eight games of the 2011-2012 season. Only once this season has Cote, a senior, scored less than 20 points in a game, which came in a 52-24 loss to Scarborough on Dec. 31.

“I pretty much play basketball every day, so it really wasn’t that different from last year to this year, Cote said. “Just trying to get bigger and stronger and I think this year we have more offensive players than last year. We’re a streaky team and when we get on those rolls we start to transition the ball and it’s hard to focus on just one player.”

Recently, Cote put together his best output on one of Maine’s best stages, scoring 29 points in a 61-52 loss to Portland on Jan. 3 at the Portland Expo. Even a stiff lower back couldn’t keep Cote away from playing in the legendary building.

“Me and the (junior varsity) coach were telling him, ”˜Hey, you’re out today, you’re not playing?’ And he said ”˜I’m playing.’ If he can walk on the court, crawl or whatever, he’s playing,” Fecteau said.

He hasn’t shrunk in big moments. A year ago, Cote and the Tigers faced off in the season finale against rival Thornton Academy at Linnell Gym in Saco.

Down six points with four seconds remaining in the game, teammate Patrick Wilson knocked down a 3-pointer to bring the Tigers within three with 1.3 seconds to play. After Thornton made an errant pass, Biddeford had its chance.

Cote, standing in the corner, took the inbounds pass and, with a hand in his face, coolly knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the game at 52-52, a moment that almost sent students from both schools running onto the court.

“In the biggest moments, he wants the ball,” Fecteau said. “He wants to take that last shot. He has confidence, he knows he’s going to get it done. He’s hit two shots from halfcourt, and he knew they were both going in. He’s playing with that confidence, and he’s playing like he’s the man.”

The Tigers eventually fell to the Golden Trojans 72-70 after two overtimes.

But it’s moments like those that have inspired Cote to play basketball in the first place, watching games from the stands growing up, seeing former Biddeford players living the same dream he had.

“My Dad would always take me to the high school games,” Cote said. “I was excited coming here to see the varsity games, the big crowds, and I always wanted to be a part of that. (The Thornton game) was a fun game, it was the last game of the season. It was a lot of the seniors’ last game on that team. Even though we lost, it felt good making that game memorable for everybody.”

Cote’s coolness under pressure is not lost on opponents, either. Massabesic head coach Matt Ouellette has also noticed Cote’s calm demeanor when the Tigers and Mustangs played on Dec. 20. The Tigers beat the Mustangs 74-41, with Cote scoring 20 points.

“The thing that impresses me the most about Bobby Cote is his confidence and his ability to remain composed in adverse conditions,” Ouellette said. “I’ve seen him play since he was a sophomore in high school, and I can’t recall a time I’ve seen him rattled. When a player of that caliber can also remain composed mentally and not get rattled, it creates problems, big problems for opposing schools. He’s certainly tough to defend against.”

Cote has studied players, not only for Biddeford, but in the NBA growing up. A die-hard Boston Celtics fan, Cote said he can’t help but notice the play of Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, perhaps one of the most vilified players in Boston sports history.

“He’s not my favorite player at all,” Cote said. “I just love watching him play. Every aspect offensively he has in his repertoire. He can post up, he can hit mid-range, 3-point (shots). He gets to the line. He’s the most complete player I’ve ever seen growing up.”

Cote’s greatest strength is his outside shooting. Cote nailed 45 3-pointers last season, and is well on his way of duplicating the process again this season as he’s made 18 3-pointers.

But if you ask Cote, he said he has improved his overall game.

“I think this year, I’m more confident in my game in other aspects that I may not have been last year, improved on my inside and mid-range game, getting to the (foul) line more,” Cote said. “I don’t think it’s just shooting, it’s being a better all-around player than last year and the year before.”

Midway through the season, the Tigers are 4-4, 9th-best in Western Maine Class A. The biggest win of Biddeford’s season thus far was a 67-53 victory over Westbrook on Dec. 23, a game in which Cote scored 27 points.

A notoriously small team, the Tigers rely on mid-range and outside shooting to score. Cote has provided scoring in spades, but has also received help from Wilson, Nick Leblond and fellow guard Cam Nadeau, who’s come on as of late, scoring 27 total points in the past two games.

Cote is beginning to look toward his post-Biddeford career, days he said he hopes are full of both basketball and chemical engineering.

Both are possibilities. Cote has looked at both Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Worcester Polytechnic Institute as possible choices.

“I’ve always been a math and science guy growing up,” Cote said. “I’m looking at different schools to play basketball, probably a Division III school. Obviously different aspects will come down to it, financially, academically. Not too sure yet, but if it’s the right school and opportunity, I’d like to play basketball.”

Fecteau said he is hoping Cote will have an opportunity to showcase his talents once again at the Expo this year, during the Western Maine Class A playoffs in February.

“Hopefully, this being his last year, we can carry on this season, get a lot more wins and get the opportunity to really take over and showcase to the league that he’s a player,” Fecteau said.

If it happens, expect Cote not to shy away from the spotlight.

— Contact Dave Dyer at 282-1535, Ext. 323 or follow on Twitter @Dave_Dyer.