POLAND

Bill Ridge typically has a certain look on his face during a sports season.

Whether leading the Freeport High School baseball team or boys basketball squad, Ridge has that serious gaze, contemplating that next move for his Falcons.

On Tuesday in a Unified basketball game, the middle school special education teacher coached his squad of Freeport players against Poland. The broad, relaxing smile on his face never left as he watched his Falcons pull out a come-from-behind 37-33 win over the Knights.

“This is a ton of fun, really cool, seeing these kids working on the court together.

It is an experience for me, things you don’t see in varsity sports,” said Ridge, whose Falcons improved to 4-1 and hosts Edward Little in their regular-season finale today. “This is relaxing, a blast out here. We work an hour three days a week and just play hoops. We have some really good partners and the coaches have done a really good job.”

On the court, two Freeport players wear No. 30 — Kenny Brewer-Frazee and Isaac Porter. The duo combined for 33 points on Tuesday, with Brewer-Frazee accounting for 21 and Porter 12 points and a game-high 20 rebounds.

“I know Isaac, many of these guys who came up through middle school with me,” said Ridge.

“I was able to just get some rebounds,” said Porter, who talked about the work he put in with partner, Jordan Randall, at halftime. “I practiced. She wanted me to get more rebounds, shooting, getting right up in the corner.”

The first half featured a stout Poland team forcing turnovers and getting to loose balls. Brandon Bearor had four points, Austin Wing banked in a 3-pointer, and David Ellington, Tristan Sanborn, Justin Dumas and Tate Ray helped the Knights to a 15-10 halftime lead.

“This is too much fun,” said Sanborn, a Knights soccer player and track athlete who stepped away from indoor track this season to work with the Unified program. “Just knowing that this is not about us, it is about making a difference in these players’ lives every day, and having fun while doing it.”

“I was just going with the flow,” said Ellington, who had six points, 12 rebounds and three steals. “Playing this gets me excited.”

“We are having a great time, and the nice thing about Unified basketball is it is not just on the court, but in the school that next day and the entire community wanting to know how well the kids did,” said Poland first-year coach Jo St. Peter- Scott, whose 3-4 Knights visit Oxford Hills on Thursday. “We have seen a lot of nice friendships made here.”

Brewer-Frazee

After a fun halftime performance by the Poland Unified cheerleaders, Freeport opened with an 8-0 run, with junior Brewer-Frazee, who until this year played for two-time defending Unified state champion Hampden Academy, leading the run.

“Kenny is a good player and I have faith in him,” said Porter, who entered the game and kept the Freeport run going with 10 tough inside points, with Randall assisting four times.

Poland hung in, with Wing scoring eight of his team-high 11 points in the second half.

Tied at 31, Freeport claimed the lead for good when Leo Li swished a short jumper, followed by a bucket each from Brewer- Frazee and Porter.

Bearor finished with six points and four steals for Poland, with Dumas adding four points, five steals and two assists. Maddy Tiner had seven rebounds.

Freeport 37, Poland 33

At Poland

Freeport — Emma Carter 0-0-0, Liam Holt 0-0-0, Kenny Brewer- Frazee 10-0-21, Katelyn Rioux 0-0-0, Adam Leavitt 0-0-0, Leo Li 1-0-2, Isaac Porter 6-0-12, Wei Zhang 1-0- 2, Jordan Randall 0-0-0, Elizabeth Soule 0-0-0, Abby Aruda 0-0-0, Anthony Bookataub 0-0-0. Totals — 18-0-37. Poland — David Ellington 3-0-6, Sarah Edwards 0-0-0, Tristan Sanborn 1-0-2, Austin Wing 5-0-11, Justin Dumas 2-0-4, Brandon Bearor 3-0-6, Ivan Sheloske 1-0-2, Tate Ray 1-0-2, Colby Bell 0-0-0, Maddy Tiner 0-0-0, Brawn Young 0-0-0. Totals — 16-0-33. 3-point field goals — (F) Brewer- Frazee; (P) Wing. Records — Freeport 4-1; Poland 3-4. Up next for the Falcons — Today at home vs. Edward Little, 3:30 p.m.