It’s about to be a big celebration in Aroostook County! Aden Jeffers had a team-high 27 points on Saturday night, as Fort Kent got off to a quick start and then held off Maranacook 70-63 to win the Class C boys basketball state championship at the Augusta Civic Center. It was the first appearance in the state final for the Warriors.
Fort Kent went on a 20-0 first quarter run and built an 18 point lead, which was 35-23 at halftime. Maranacook started the third period on a run of 11-2 to cut it to 37-34, but the Warriors got 18 combined points from Aden Jeffers, Jaden Jeffers, Tobias Naranja, and Wil Morneault to extend it back to 53-42 headed to the final eight minutes. Another strong run by the Black Bears sliced it all the way down to 63-62 with 1:50 left on a three-pointer by Jack Fontaine, but Fort Kent was too much down the stretch getting a pair of big layups from Fin Kelly to help put it away. Jeffers added 10 rebounds to his team-high point total to lead the way. Morneault who made his first three shots of the night (all 3-pointers) would hit four of them for 12 points, while Naranja would put in 10. The Warriors finish up at 16-6 with a gold ball headed back North. Fontaine had a game-high 28 points (18 in the second half) for Maranacook, while also adding seven steals, five rebounds, and two assists. Gage Mattson contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds. The Black Bears, who were seeking their third state title and first since 2008, finish with a record of 17-5.
