North Country claims 3C Championship

In its inaugural season, the Junior High version of the North Country Mavericks came up big winning the 3C Championship last Friday night in Saco. The team won the game defeating the Nashua Porcupines 43-28. Earlier in the 3C Tournament the team defeated Dodson and lost to Nashua in the three-team Round Robin event.

"These kids just pass so well and they work the ball so well," Mavericks Head Coach Duane Walker told the PCN. "They never quit. I've been coaching junior high for 18 years and this is one of the best passing teams I've ever seen. They never say never and just keep coming."

The team was lead by Jon Taylor and Loden Idler who scored 11 points apiece.

"It feels pretty good," Idler said. "To win three years in a row is pretty awesome. This year's win feels a lot better."

Idler, a seventh grader at Hinsdale school and several other Mavericks players were a part of the Saco-Hinsdale co-op that won the 3C Championship from Idler's fifth and sixth grade jamboree team.

"It's getting more competitive," Idler said.

Wes Leatherberry shared the sentiment.

"It's feels a lot better," fellow three-peat winner, Leatherberry said. "We started little and then grew up."

Taylor hit three treys in the win and Idler had one trey. Taylor's outside jumper was spot-on no matter what position he was able to shoot.

"I watch a lot of Steph Curry and games on T.V.," Taylor said. "It feels pretty good to win because even though we've gotten older we know that we're not going to lose our competitiveness. As the older we get, we get more confidence."

Taylor was another part of the three-peat group and he shared his thoughts on playing Nashua over the years.

"They're a pretty good team, they have a really good post and that's who they rely on most of the game," Taylor said.

Other scorers in the team's win included Ty Murphy, who scored seven points, Leatherberry who scored six, Ryder Jones who scored three points, Sam Malmend who scored two and Cordell Younkin, Jack Boone, and Beau Simonson who added one point a piece.

The team's defensive outing was stout not allowing Nashua to post over eight points in any of the first three quarters of the game.

"It feels pretty good because I played junior high last year and this team that we just beat went undefeated and it feels pretty good that we