BANGOR, MAINE – FEBRUARY 28, 2020 Caribou High School’s Parker Deprey (22) kisses the trophy after defeating Maranacoook High School 73-71 in the boys Class B state championship game at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor on Friday, February 28, 2020. (Morning Sentinel photo by Michael G. Seamans/Staff Photographer) (Morning Sentinel photo by Michael G. Seamans
BANGOR – Good luck to the basketball teams from Edward Little, Thornton Academy, Oxford Hills, South Portland, Hampden, York, Marshwood, Dexter, Winthrop, Central Aroostook, Machias, Forest Hills, Southern Aroostook, and Greenville.
The Maranacook and Caribou boys basketball teams just set the bar for championship game greatness high.
How high can you imagine? Go higher. Now go higher.
The only thing keeping this game from going triple overtime was a beautiful pass from Caribou’s Mr. Basketball candidate, Parker Deprey, to his brother, Sawyer, in the closing seconds of the second overtime. Sawyer hit the layup just before time expired, and the Vikings had a 73-71 win.
This was Caribou’s second straight double overtime state championship game win, after beating Cape Elizabeth in double OT a year ago. You’d think the Vikings would be used to this by now, but when every possession feels like the most important one of your life, and every made basket feels like 20 points instead of two or three, you don’t get used to it. It never gets easy.
“I didn’t want to come back to double overtime. Last year was so stressful. This year was so stressful,” Parker said.
“It hurts my heart. I’m not going to lie. It’s very stressful. We were never down in the second half until the second overtime,” Caribou coach Kyle Corrigan said “That’s a stressful situation, because it’s like we had the game in our hands. A couple free throws at the end of the fourth and I think we win it.”
It felt like with each second the game went on, the decibel level in the Cross Insurance Center went up.
To Maranacook, which trailed by 12 points late in the second quarter, by 11 at halftime, and by eight with just under two minutes left in regulation, the longer the game went, the more it justified the hard work it took to not fold and roll over meekly for the Vikings.
“I’m just really proud of our guys,” Maranacook coach Travis Magnusson said. “It doesn’t matter the class. It arguably could’ve been the two best teams in the whole state of Maine playing tonight. That’s how good we think they are.”
Maranacook junior guard Cash McClure scored 26 of his game-high 33 points in the second half and overtime. McClure was at the front of the Black Bears rally from behind, but he certainly didn’t do it alone. Tim Worster hit the bucket that sent the game to double OT. Casey Cormier’s three in double OT gave the Black Bears a lead.
“That’s Cash all year. Other guys hit some big shots, too. Tim hit some big ones. Casey hit a big three to get us the lead at the end,” Magnusson said.
While Sawyer Deprey will rightfully get credit for hitting the game-winning shot, Parker should be remembered for making the game-winning block. Ahead by two points with around 20 seconds left in double overtime, Maranacook broke Caribou’s pressure, and Worster had a chance for a layup that would have made it a two possession game. Parker hustled back to block the shot.
“I had to put everything I had into getting back. I said, he’s going to ball fake because there’s a guy in front of him. So I’ve just got to block the second one. He doesn’t know I’m behind him,” Parker said.
What does one think about when grinding through ones second double overtime state championship game in as many years?
“It seems like it always happens to us. No matter how well we play, we always end up being close in the end,” Parker Deprey said. “I think it kept us more composed. We prepare for situations like this all year long.”
“Everyone’s talking about keeping calm and getting ready for the next play. Just breathe in,” Sawyer Deprey added.
McClure, Worster and Cormier will be back next season for Maranacook. Sawyer Deprey and a few of his teammates will be back for Caribou. There is already talk of a rematch, although Sawyer is not ready to up the ante.
“I’m not looking at three OT. One OT will be too much for me,” Sawyer said.
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