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AUGUSTA — Shocking, unforgettable, a play that will long live in the lore of this more-than-half-century old building.

Just let the man who made it describe it.

Known as a glue guy and the defensive presence on a team of shooters, Ethan Chilton was possibly the last guy who would be expected to make a game-winning shot. Yet there he was, in a mob with Maranacook’s student section after his buzzer-beating shot gave the Black Bears a 49-47 victory over Spruce Mountain in the Class C South final Saturday night at the Augusta Civic Center.

“It was a play not even for me — I was probably the last person to get the ball — but they left me open,” Chilton said. “(Grady Hreben) swung it to Elijah (Freeman), and he saw me open and got it to me. I saw that we only had three seconds left, so I put it up, and it went in.”

Chilton’s runner off the glass as time expired sends Maranacook to the state final next Saturday in Augusta against North champ Fort Kent (15-6), which also won on a buzzer-beater against Caribou moments after the Maranacook game ended.

“I was like, ‘Did Ethan Chilton actually just hit a game-winner?’” said Maranacook coach Travis Magnusson. “He’s our defensive stopper; he averages probably two points a game. I think that’s one reason we all got so excited, because the one who did it for us was Ethan.”

Third-seeded Maranacook (17-4), which trailed for much of the game and by as many as nine midway through the third quarter, got 21 points from Hreben, all on 3-pointers. Jack Fontaine added 16 points.

Caden Frazier led No. 1 Spruce Mountain (18-3) with 13 points.

Both teams launched 3-point barrages, Maranacook making 11 and Spruce Mountain hitting seven (five in the first half). That outside shooting was necessary, as both teams were relentless in the paint, denying entry passes and contesting the few shots that were attempted.

Maranacook, in fact, made just two two-point baskets over the first three quarters, as Spruce Mountain keyed in on Black Bears freshman Gage Mattson following his 32-point effort in Thursday’s semifinal win over Hall-Dale. That forced someone else to step up for Maranacook, and that player was Hreben.

“They left me open, and my teammates found me,” Hreben said. “I still can’t believe (the win); it’s insane. … Our community loves basketball, and they came out and were really loud and supported us. It just feels great.”

Three of Hreben’s 3-pointers came in the third quarter to help Maranacook claw back from the nine-point deficit. The Black Bears took a 38-37 lead into the fourth, but after they scored the opening basket of the final quarter, Spruce hit back with an 8-0 run to take a 45-40 lead.

Maranacook scored the next five points, then Cai Dougher made a layup to put the Phoenix back on top. On Spruce Mountain’s next possession, Jack Fontaine made a steal and converted a breakaway layup to tie the game at 47.

Maranacook got a stop at the other end, as Fontaine rebounded a missed 3-pointer by Dougher. After a couple stoppages, the Black Bears inbounded with 3.5 seconds left, and Chilton wound up with the ball in his hands.

“He keeps practicing those for some reason, so I had a feeling it was going to go in at some point,” Hreben said of Chilton’s shot. “I’m so happy for him because he’s a senior who just works so hard; he puts all of his heart and soul into the game.”

The loss snapped an 18-game winning streak for Spruce Mountain. The Phoenix had won all 13 games in 2026 by double digits. Their last win by single digits was a 37-34 victory over Maranacook on the Civic Center floor on New Year’s Eve.

A junior-heavy team, Spruce Mountain has a chance to be back on this stage next year. Yet that was of little comfort to Scott Bessey, who coached seniors Dougher and Austin Armandi for the last time and said a replay of a play leading up to Maranacook’s final possession showed the Black Bears tipping the ball out-of-bounds.

“It’s hard,” said Bessey. “I’ve been coaching Austin and Cai since they were in fourth grade all the way up until now, so it’s difficult to have that type of talk about next year right now, but you’re right: If that doesn’t get you motivated to get going and get back to this game, I don’t know what would.”

A win next weekend against Fort Kent would give the Black Bears their first state championship since 2008, the year many of their juniors and seniors were born.

“They have one of the best players in the state (Aden Jeffers), so they’re tough to beat,” Magnusson said. “We’ll enjoy this tonight, and then we’ll be ready to go again next Saturday.”