The Dirigo boys basketball team showcased the mettle that it takes to be champions Tuesday evening.
The Cougars from Dixfield withstood every punch Calais threw at them to win their second consecutive Class C state championship 65-58 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
Coach Cody St. Germain’s club finishes the season 21-1 while Calais concludes the campaign 18-4.
It was a blend of defensive physicality that provided the Cougars with the winning edge, as they limited Calais senior Jace Cook to three field goals and 10 points.
Charlie Houghton, who poured in a game-high 24 points, along with Trenton Hutchinson (13 points), made all the big plays down the stretch for Dirigo, which kept Calais off the board for the final 1:42.
The Cougars led by as many as seven in the fourth quarter before Jeremy Turner’s backdoor layup with 1:42 to play cut it to 59-58, but Houghton’s one-hander from the foul line on the subsequent possession restored control back to Dirigo.
The first half featured a back-and-forth slugfest that saw the Cougars lead by as many as eight and Dirigo use its physicality to bother the Blue Devils inside.
Dirigo held Cook to two first-half points and no field goals.
But the Blue Devils were able to close the first half on an 8-2 run, spearheaded by Jacob Sockabasin’s six points.
Trent Holden’s one-handed putback just before the halftime buzzer restored Dirigo’s lead to 32-30 at the break, and Houghton spent much of the second quarter on the bench with two fouls.
Sockabasin had 12 points and 11 rebounds for Calais and Turner 11 points.
