Asked to describe Madison boys basketball coach Jason Furbush, senior guard Chase Malloy didn’t hesitate.
“Intense,” Malloy said. “He has a very intense practice style. We do a lot of running and conditioning and that’s translated to a lot of wins for us.”
In two seasons as Bulldogs head coach, Furbush’s style has worked. Blending a group of veterans with a few newcomers, Madison built on the success of the previous season. The Bulldogs went 15-4 this season, giving Furbush a 31-8 record in his two seasons on the Madison bench. For his work in making Madison one of the top teams in the Mountain Valley Conference, Furbush is the Morning Sentinel Boys Basketball Coach of the Year. Luke Hartwell, who led a strong Valley team to the Class D state championship, and Tom Nadeau, who coached Skowhegan to the Class A regional tournament for the first time since 2010, were also considered.
“I’m hard on the boys in practice. I demand a lot out of them, probably too much at times,” Furbush said. “Off the court, I’m probably the easiest going guy. The guys understand there’s a time to work and a time to goof off.”
Madison won 12 of its final 13 regular season games, earning the No. 3 seed in Class C South. The Bulldogs lost a close game to Boothbay in the regional quarterfinals. Early in the season, Furbush knew he had a good team, but it was a 66-57 loss at Dirigo on Jan. 15 that justified his opinion.
“We lost by nine (points), but I was happy with how we played. At that point, I realized we could compete with anybody in (Southern) C,” Furbush said.
The Bulldogs followed the loss at Dirigo with five straight wins, including victories over Winthrop, Monmouth, Wiscasset and Boothbay that vaulted them forward in the Heal Point standings.
Malloy, Chris Beaman, Mitch Jarvais and Ty Greene were experienced leaders, and sophomores Sean Whalen and Evan Bess became key players for the Bulldogs as the season progressed.
“Some of the sophomores really stepped up,” Furbush said.
Malloy pointed to a close win over rival Carrabec in which the Bulldogs didn’t play well as a turning point in the season.
“(Furbush) wasn’t happy,” Malloy said. “He holds everyone accountable. He makes sure everyone is doing what they should be doing.”
Furbush was a junior on Skowhegan’s Class A state champion basketball team in 1998. He counts his high school coach, Mike Nelson, among his coaching influences. He also credits former Maine Central Institute and Nokomis coach Bill Brooks and Mike Packard, whom Furbush succeeded at Madison.
“(Nelson) wanted us to strive for perfection. I coached with Billy and Mike,” Furbush said. “Even our girls coach, Al Veneziano, helps me from time to time.”
Madison loses six seniors to graduation, but will have the talent to contend again next season. Furbush is looking forward to it.
“It was a good year. The ending wasn’t how we wanted it to be, but I’m proud of the way we conducted ourselves,” Furbush said.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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