PORTLAND—Cape Elizabeth’s boys basketball program aspires to become what the York Wildcats already are.

A championship contender.

And Friday evening in a Class B South quarterfinal at the Portland Exposition Building, the Capers got a first-hand lesson as to what they need to do to join the upper echelon.

Tenth-ranked Cape Elizabeth was very much in the game in the first quarter and was within a possession when junior Robbie Hanscom buried a 3 just before the horn to make it 18-12 in favor of second-seeded York.

With Capers junior Tim Fredericks sidelined with foul trouble, the Wildcats made their move in the second period, as after a 3-ball from senior Eli Smith cut the deficit back to six, York closed on a 9-0 run to take a 34-19 advantage to the half.

The Wildcats ended any remaining doubt in the third quarter, opening on a 19-6 run, taking a 57-30 lead to the final period and there, slamming the door on a most emphatic 76-37 decision.

York got a balanced attack to the tune of 11 different scorers as improved to 19-0, advanced to take on No. 3 Spruce Mountain (15-4) in the semifinals Tuesday at 6 p.m., at the Expo and in the process, ended Cape Elizabeth’s season at 7-13.

“I think the goal is always to get here,” said Capers coach Jeff Mitchell. “We went through so many ups-and-downs throughout the year. We got knocked on the floor constantly. We had a tough schedule, but the thing I’m most proud about with these guys is they kept getting up and working. It’s an unfortunate result, but (York) played their best ball tonight.”

Learning opportunity

While York has been transcendent from the jump this year, Cape Elizabeth didn’t round into playoff form until the very end.

The Capers started with setbacks at Lake Region (49-38) and Yarmouth (71-49), then fell at home to Lincoln Academy (50-32). After rallying for a dramatic 63-58 home win over Freeport, Cape Elizabeth rolled at Mountain Valley (70-19), then lost to Leavitt (66-49) and at home to York (69-51) and Yarmouth (71-49). After a 72-61 win at Waynflete, the Capers were beaten by visiting Lake Region (50-36) and Poland (70-64) and host Greely (75-46). Cape Elizabeth then downed visiting Fryeburg Academy (65-57) and host Wells (65-61) and after falling at York (71-49) and at Kennebunk (61-38), the Capers beat visiting Wells (58-45) before suffering a 78-71 setback at Poland in the regular season finale.

Tuesday, Cape Elizabeth went to No. 7 Leavitt and sprung a preliminary round upset, 57-48, to advance.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, started with a 74-47 win at Yarmouth to set the tone and went on to win all 18 regular season games by an average of nearly 19 points. On four occasions, the opposition played York within single digits, but the Wildcats still managed to defeat reigning Class A champion Gray-New Gloucester (70-64), Lake Region (63-54), Kennebunk (48-39) and Marshwood (49-45)..

In the teams’ first meeting, Jan. 2 in Cape Elizabeth, junior Reece MacDonald had 21 points and senior Lukas Bouchard added 18 in York’s 69-51 victory. In the rematch, Jan. 30, the host Wildcats won again, 71-49, as seniors Lucas Ketchum and Jack Joyce scored 14 points apiece.

The Capers and Wildcats had met 11 previous times in the tournament, dating to 1968, with York’s 67-51 in in the 2022 semifinals the most recent.

Friday, Cape Elizabeth did it all could to hang tough, but ultimately, the Wildcats reminded everyone why they’re undefeated.

The Capers struck first, as Fredericks took a pass from freshman Carter Mitchell and made a layup 15 seconds in, but that would be their lone lead.

After senior Ryan Cummins drove and made a layup, MacDonald got an offensive rebound and set up  Bouchard for a layup to put York in front to stay.

After Ketchum added a putback, Smith sank his first 3, but Cummins finished after a nice spin move in the lane.

After driving layup from Fredericks cut the deficit to 8-7, but MacDonald drained a jumper, then Joyce converted an old-fashioned three-point play (layup, foul, free throw).

After Fredericks answered with a 3 up top, MacDonald was fouled and made two free two throws, but with 55 seconds to go in the frame, Smith set up freshman Finn Connolly for a layup and it appeared the Capers would be within three at quarter’s end.

Instead, Hanscom’s late 3 made it 18-12.

Fredericks had seven points in the first quarter, but in less than a minute in the second period, he was whistled for foul numbers two and three and that helped York get some breathing room.

Bouchard started the frame with a free throw, then Cummins set up Ketchum for a layup.

After Smith made two foul shots for Cape Elizabeth, MacDonald answered with two of his own, then he drove for a layup and a 25-14 advantage.

After Smith found sophomore Josh Rosen for a reverse layup, Smith hit a long 3 with 5:17 left in the half, cutting the deficit to 25-19, but the Capers wouldn’t score again before the break.

After MacDonald scored on a runner, Bouchard put home a miss, Cummins fed Ketchum for a layup, senior Alex Taylor made a layup after a steal and a free throw from MacDonald produced a 34-19 halftime advantage.

“A problem for Tim is defensive discipline,” Jeff Mitchell said. “He’s a great defender, but he can get in foul trouble and he did tonight and I had to take him out and when he comes out, we’re not as good defensively.”

MacDonald led all first half scorers with 11 points. Smith paced Cape Elizabeth with eight, but the Capers were hindered by Fredericks’ unavailability and 10 turnovers.

York then pulled away in the third quarter.

After Smith opened the second half with a driving bank shot, ending a 5 minute, 45 second scoring drought in the process, Ketchum set up Bouchard for a layup, Bouchard fed MacDonald for a layup and after Carter Mitchell scored on a floater, twice in a 26-second span, MacDonald found Bouchard for easy layups and a 42-23 lead.

The onslaught continued with a 3 from Cummings and after Mitchell put home a miss for Cape Elizabeth, Joyce drove for a layup, then Ketchum scored on a reverse layup, MacDonald converted a leaner, then MacDonald’s putback made the score 53-25.

A pair of Smith free throws were countered by a layup after a steal from MacDonald and the same thing from Hanscom, giving the Wildcats a 30-point advantage.

A late 3 from Rosen only pulled the Capers within 57-30 with eight minutes to go.

The final stanza began with Bouchard sinking a free throw, junior Parker Beauchesne adding a pair of foul shots, Taylor setting up sophomore Callan Forbes for a layup, Beauchesne sinking a 3 and senior Trey Fogg getting a jumper to drop for a 68-30 advantage.

Cape Elizabeth countered with a spinner from Connolly and a driving layup from sophomore Owen Beaureguard, but Forbes made a hook shot after a steal, Forbes set up Beauchesne for a layup, then Forbes put home a miss to stretch the lead to 40.

Down the stretch, Smith took a pass from senior Henry Moore and made a layup for the final points of his career and Connolly added a foul shot.

With 51 seconds remaining, a layup from freshman Henry Mirick brought the curtain down on York’s 76-37 victory.

“We want to play fast,” MacDonald said. “That’s what I thought we did that game. That’s why we got the result we did so that’s a good win for us.”

“We focus on trying to play with pace,” said York coach Matt Regan. “We know we have good athletes and we want to keep putting pressure on the other team. We really emphasize push the ball down the floor and get the easy buckets, especially in the Expo where it can be a tough shooting place.”

The Wildcats scored in abundance and a lot of players got in on the fun.

MacDonald led all scorers with 19 points. He also had seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Bouchard also wound up in double figures with 12 points (to go with eight rebounds and two blocked shots).

Ketchum added eight points, Beauchesne and Cummins (six rebounds, three steals and two assists) had seven apiece, Forbes contributed six, Hanscom and Joyce (four rebounds) each had five, Fogg three and Mirick and Taylor two apiece.

York had a slim 42-38 rebound advantage, only turned the ball over eight times (with six coming in the fourth quarter, long after the game was out of reach) and sank 10-of-14 foul shots.

Looking ahead, the Wildcats and Spruce Mountain did not meet during the regular season.

Building block

Cape Elizabeth was paced, fittingly by Smith, its heart-and-soul, who had 14 points, two assists and two steals in his swan song.

“Eli has carried a lot on his shoulders this season,” said Jeff Mitchell. “He’s been asked to do a lot defensively and offensively. He’s a three-year varsity player and a two-year captain. He will be missed.”

Fredericks added seven points, four rebounds and three assists, Connolly had five points and nine rebounds, Rosen also finished with five points, Carter Mitchell had four (to go with six rebounds) and Beaureguard tallied two.

The Capers made 5-of-8 free throws, but were doomed in part by 22 costly turnovers.

“All season it’s been turnovers that have plagued us,” Jeff Mitchell lamented. “A lot of that is youth and inexperience and they took advantage. You can’t do that against a team as good as York.”

While Smith will depart, along with Moore, Eli Halter, Will Vaine and Charlie Wannemacher, several players who played big minutes this winter, a group which is led by Beaureguard, Connolly, Fredericks, Carter Mitchell and Rosen, return and they will look to take the Capers to the next level.

“We started two freshmen most of the year and two sophomores saw plenty of playing time, so there’s a lot to look forward to,” Jeff Mitchell said. “The thing I’m most proud of in my five years is what’s coming up. We have a lot of youth teams that are playing well. The freshman team was undefeated. It takes time for that stuff to bubble up, but it’s exciting to see. The future is bright.”

BOX SCORE

York 76 Cape Elizabeth 37

CE- 12 7 11 7- 37
Y- 18 16 23 19- 76

CE- Smith 4-4-14, Fredericks 3-0-7, Connolly 2-1-5, Rosen 2-0-5, Mitchell 2-0-4, Beaureguard 1-0-2

Y- MacDonald 7-5-19, Bouchard 5-2-12, Ketchum 4-0-8, Beauchesne 2-2-7, Cummins 3-0-7, Forbes 3-0-6, Hanscom 2-0-5, Joyce 2-1-5, Fogg 1-0-3, Mirick 1-0-2, Taylor 1-0-2

3-pointers
CE (4) Smith 2, Fredericks, Rosen
Y (4) Beauchesne, Cummins, Fogg, Hanscom

Turnovers:
CE- 22
Y- 8

Free throws
CE: 5-8
Y: 10-14

Press Herald staff writer Steve Craig contributed to this story.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.