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Nolan Ames apologized. He couldn’t call back until after 8 p.m. because he was doing basketball work.

The Camden Hills High senior has spent countless hours fine-tuning his all-around game, which was evident in his superior senior season. But on this night, he was preparing to help the next generation of Windjammers excel on the court. He and his friend and former teammate, Will Duke, a 2024 Camden Hills grad, were working out dates and pricing for year two of the Coastal Grind Academy, a youth skills and drills clinic for grades 3-8.

“Me and Will have grown up in the Camden Hills program since third grade, and we wanted to give back to the community, and we didn’t think there was any better way than to give back to the youth in our community,” Ames said.

The kids — there were 30 last year, and Ames expects many more this summer — will be learning from the Varsity Maine Boys Basketball Player of the Year, an honor he adds to Mr. Maine Basketball and the Maine Gatorade Player of the Year.

The only returning player from the 2025 Varsity Maine All-State team, Ames came back an improved player for his senior season. A starter since his freshman year, the 6-foot-2 guard added strength and improved his 3-point shot.

“This year was just about showing the state, fans and other teams the work he’s put in,” said Camden Hills coach Joel Gabrielle.

In the Windjammers’ first season in the large-school division, Ames led Class A in scoring at 26.4 points per game. He also averaged 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.2 steals. He shot 37% on 3-pointers and powered through contact to make 57.4% of his two-point attempts. Camden Hills went 17-1 in the regular season and won the North championship. The Windjammers fell short against a powerful Portland team in the state championship game, but Ames shined.

He took the ball right at Portland’s defense from the opening tip and finished with 30 points. With his team down 14 late in the fourth quarter, Ames was still going hard, slashing from the left wing to throw down a one-hand dunk between two rim protectors.

Those were his final two points playing for Camden Hills. He finished with 1,585 career points, breaking the school record of 1,534 set by Jordan (Knowlton) Jones in her four-year career.

“I definitely knew they were going to depend on me for scoring and I was ready to take on that responsibility. That’s what I’d been working on my whole life,” Ames said. “But I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. They trusted me and believed in me, and that helped me do it.”

His next basketball stop, after he helps train future stars, will be Colby College. Waterville’s close proximity and the New England Small College Athletic Conference’s competitive level were part of the allure from a basketball perspective. The campus and academic reputation also mattered. Ames plans to study economics.

“I really like the fit and I love the basketball program,” Ames said.

Based on what Maine high school basketball fans saw this season, Colby will like Ames, too.

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