Led by Mr. Basketball Chance Mercier and Gatorade Player of the Year Pierce Walston, the 68th annual Bangor Daily News All-Maine Schoolboy basketball teams boast more speed than size, and more brains than brawn.
Featuring a dozen guards and 10 players listed at 6-foot-1 or under, fans found this year’s most electric stars in the backcourt, splashing threes, dicing up defenses, distributing the ball and flying to the rim.
The All-Maine first team includes the three best players from a historically competitive Class B — Walston of Orono, Mercier of Ellsworth and Carter Galley of Oceanside — as well as Class A postseason heroes Jamier Rose of Noble and Zach McLaughlin of Hampden Academy.
The second team features do-it-all point guard Evans Sterling of Mt. Blue, Class A state champion leader Nate Hebert of Gray-New Gloucester, Messalonskee’s 6-foot-10 center Merrick Smith, Carter Galley’s twin brother Cohen and Gorham sharpshooter Ashton LeClerc.
Rounding out the third team is LeClerc’s dynamic backcourt partner Gabe Michaud, Falmouth’s smooth big man Chris Simonds, powerful Portland center Jeissey Khamis, and crafty scorers Wyatt Benoit of Thornton Academy and Leo McNabb of Cheverus.
The players were chosen by members of the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches and the BDN Sports staff.
First team
Mr. Maine Basketball and two-time BDN All-Maine first-teamer Chance Mercier was a force to be reckoned with during his time as an Ellsworth Eagle, racking up 1,727 career points in one pandemic-shortened season and three full seasons.
Channeling his unrivaled speed and incredible vertical ability, Mercier averaged 22.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.1 threes this season, and guided Ellsworth to two undefeated regular seasons and one Class B North regional title the past three years.
“He was a one-man fast break,” Orono head coach Ed Kohtala said. “He would get on you so quickly. If you weren’t early, often times it was just too late — most teams didn’t even have anyone that could stick with him.”
In the half court offense, Mercier was also capable of knocking down spot-up threes, and could even post up when necessary. Over time, he developed a fearsome reputation for himself, which wasn’t just by virtue of his raw athleticism, either.
“He had all the tangibles, and the intangibles,” Kohtala said. “He was a tremendous competitor that played with heart. There were a lot of things about him that made him — and Ellsworth — a difficult matchup.”
When describing Mercier’s rival and back-to-back Class B state champion Pierce Walston, superlatives such as “gamer” and “mastermind” come to mind.
The 6-foot Orono point guard could speed the game up to a track meet, or slow it down to a chess match, commanding a versatile Red Riot offense that always seemed to find a way to win.
“Pierce can control a game in so many different ways,” Ellsworth head coach Peter Austin said. “He has something about him — he does what he wants when he needs to, and always turns it up a notch in a one-and-done.”
Walston’s senior season was his coup de grace, winning Maine Player of the Year honors from Gatorade and MaxPreps, winning Class B North tournament MVP, crossing the 1,000-point threshold, and averaging 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 3.4 steals per game.
In the playoffs, Walston marshaled Orono (15-3) through a gauntlet of Caribou (14-4), Ellsworth (15-3), Old Town (15-3) and finally Oceanside (18-0), dropping 29 points and five assists on the rival Coyotes, and 16 points and seven assists on the undefeated Mariners.
Junior Noble point guard Jamier Rose also turned heads this postseason, exploding for 24 points and 13 assists against Greely in the Class A South quarterfinals, and 22 points, nine assists and eight steals against Westbrook in the semifinals.
The Knights ultimately fell to state champion Gray-New Gloucester in the regional finals, but were proud to finish with their first quarterfinal win since 1988, and just their second winning season (14-4) since 1985.
“Jamier was singularly the most impactful two-way player I saw in the tournament, in terms of volume of plays made,” XLPortland Basketball coach Matt McCluskey said. “His acceleration is second to none, he can quickly and accurately deliver the ball over the top, and he can shoot the three. He’s also a crafty finisher, [with] a combination of deft touch and skilled footwork.”
In the regular season, the 5-foot-11 Rose averaged 21.6 points, 2.4 threes and 7.8 rebounds per game. He also led all of Class A in assists (7.1) and steals (4.1) per game.
“He has uncanny court vision, and sees the play before it happens,” Gorham head coach Ryan Deschenes said. “He’s a great slasher, and a ball hawk on defense. He’s going to be arguably the best player in the state next year.”
Muscling through a bone bruise in his right heel, Zach McLaughlin propelled Hampden Academy to the Class A state final this postseason, averaging 22.2 points per game in the tournament and overcoming a double-digit deficit to Messalonskee late in the regional finals.
A three-level scorer with ridiculous bounce, the 6-foot-2 Mr. Maine Basketball finalist could knock down pull-up jumpers with ease, weave his way through traffic, and convert on wild plays at the rim on a consistent basis.
“He’s so talented — he elevates really high and made a lot of tough shots against us,” Messalonskee head coach Sam Smith said. “He never got too high or too low, and his team could look at him and know everything would be OK. He wanted that moment, was ready for it, and he took it.”
Working best in tandem with senior forward JJ Wolfington, McLaughlin averaged 23.2 points on 53 percent shooting, 3.5 assists, 3.2 steals and 1.8 blocks this regular season. He is committed to play at UMaine-Farmington next season.
The third Mr. Maine Basketball finalist on this list, Oceanside shooting guard Carter Galley was the state’s most lethal scorer on the state’s most high-profile team, averaging 30.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.8 steals and 3.7 threes per game.
Standing at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Galley was an expert at moving on or off the ball, and knocked down an impressive 45.9 percent of his 3-point attempts this year — helping Oceanside score north of 90 points per game in the regular season, and finishing as the Mariners’ all-time leading scorer with 1,484 points.
“Carter’s got a beautiful shot, and can get to his spots easier than anyone we played against,” Medomak Valley head coach Nick DePatsy said. “He can also get downhill, and can finish well. We just couldn’t run with them.”
“He was a dynamic perimeter scorer that was a constant threat from across half court,” Kohtala added. “He had Stephen Curry range, and could shoot it almost as effortlessly. He [and twin brother Cohen] were both so physically strong, and put so much pressure on your defense.”
Second team
Mt. Blue’s 6-foot-3 senior point guard Evans Sterling did it all for the Cougars this year, leading the team in points (25), assists (2.9), steals (2.8) and blocks (1.3) per game, en route to a 15-3 record and the No. 2 seed in Class A North.
Polled to finish sixth preseason, the Cougars rallied around their Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A MVP, who could guard all five positions, escape double teams, find his teammates, drive to the hoop with ease and make magic in the paint. He is committed to play at the University of Southern Maine.
“Evans was so good that all their guys knew their roles, and excelled within those roles,” Lawrence head coach Jason Pellerin said. “He’s a very vertical player with a fantastic second jump — he’s smooth, and then has a burst at the end. He was really, really nice to watch.”
Nate Hebert led Gray-New Gloucester to its first Class A state title since 1975 this March, scoring 21 points (four 3-pointers) against McLaughlin’s Hampden Broncos in the state finals and 17 points against Rose’s Noble Knights in the A South regional finals.
The centerpiece of a fast, long and versatile Patriot squad, the 6-foot-1 senior was equally as effective playing point guard or shooting guard, and could score at all three levels. Hebert averaged 22.4 points, four rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this regular season.
“He was a star scorer on a state championship team,” Deschenes said. “Nate could bring the ball up, initiate sets, make the right read and score at ease. He really took a big step this year.”
Messalonskee’s 6-foot-10 junior Merrick Smith also made massive strides this year, honing his skill package and learning how and when to be dominant for the upstart Eagles.
An equally imposing threat on both sides of the floor, Smith poured in 25.6 points per game and led the KVAC in rebounds (14.4) and blocks (3.8) per game, across all three classes. Smith was also a fantastic passer (3.2 apg) and free throw shooter (78.1 percent), making him immune to traditional defensive strategies employed against bigs.
“As a team, they found their identity pounding the ball inside to Merrick, [because] he’s a great player and passer. He literally improved weekly — the sky’s the limit for that kid,” Mt. Blue head coach Troy Norton said. “On defense, he could control the entire paint by himself.”
A star quarterback on the gridiron, and Oceanside’s salutatorian in the classroom, Cohen Galley’s capabilities as a facilitator perfectly complemented twin brother Carter’s scoring tenacity.
Willing and able to put his head down and drive to the basket with physicality, Cohen could also distribute the ball and defend with purpose, racking up 23 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 3.4 steals (led KVAC) and 1.4 threes per game. He finished his career as a 1,000-point scorer and 2024 Class B South tournament MVP.
“Cohen set the offense up — the brains were there,” DePatsy said. “[He and Carter] were both such good all-around players. When you prepare against them, it’s a two-headed monster.”
Gorham senior Ashton LeClerc was arguably the best shooter in Class AA this year, averaging 21.7 points per game (3.8 threes) on 82.7 percent shooting from the stripe and 38.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
The Class AA South tournament MVP had an elite shot fake and could create separation on or off the ball, scoring 26 against Deering in the regional semifinals and 17 against Scarborough in the regional finals. LeClerc will be playing basketball at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island next year.
“He’s a pure shooter that can hit you from anywhere at any time,” South Portland head coach Kevin Millington said. “He really expanded his game to all three levels this year — you had to pick your poison guarding him.”
Third team
Accompanying LeClerc in Gorham’s stacked backcourt was 6-foot-1 senior point guard Gabe Michaud, an elite playmaker who stole the show in the Rams’ Class AA state final loss to Windham, tallying 27 points and four assists.
With a remarkably quick first step and high IQ, Michaud could get things going on both ends for Gorham, averaging 12.6 points, five rebounds, 5.6 assists (most in AA South) and 1.8 steals per game. The UMaine-Farmington signee was also a member of AA South’s All-Defensive team.
“Gabe’s a winner, and the engine of that team,” Millington said. “He’s tough going to the basket, is a great passer, and made his teammates better — his decision-making was off the charts. He’s a complete player, no question.”
Falmouth’s Chris Simonds was an incredibly skilled 6-foot-8 senior with great touch, shooting ability and court sense, guiding the Navigators to 14-plus regular season wins the past three years.
Simonds made his presence known on both ends of the floor, averaging 18.1 points, 10.9 rebounds 2.4 assists and 1.7 blocks this year. He is committed to play at Bowdoin College next fall.
“You could make the case that he’s the best player in Maine,” Millington said. “He has unreal hands, shoots it from the perimeter and always finishes around the rim — you can play good defense and he still scores. He can impact the game in a multitude of ways.”
Wyatt Benoit of Thornton Academy was Class AA’s leading scorer this year, averaging 22.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.9 threes per game — shooting 50.9 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from beyond the arc and 83.2 percent from the stripe.
The 6-foot-1 junior guard relied on his IQ first and athleticism second, scoring in a very efficient and composed manner.
“He isn’t a highlight reel kid that jumps over you, but he always makes you pay,” Millington said. “He takes what’s coming to him, doesn’t force the issue, and has really soft hands. If he gets in the paint, he finishes.”
Standing at 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Portland center Jeissey Khamis was a menace around the rim all year long, helping lead the Bulldogs to their second consecutive appearance in the Class AA North regional final.
A hard worker, terrific offensive rebounder and reliable passer, Khamis fit perfectly into Portland’s physical style of play, and averaged 13.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game this year.
“Jeissey was a mobile big guy that was a load to handle,” Windham head coach Chad Pulkkinen said. “He was always looking up the floor, could easily pass it 90 feet, and was good on the glass.”
Elsewhere in Portland, Cheverus’ 6-foot junior Leo McNabb was comfortable playing both point guard and shooting guard for the Stags, finishing as Class AA North’s leading scorer (16.4 ppg) and his team’s leading ball-stealer (2.1 spg) — also tacking 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
Skilled with both hands, McNabb is a three-level scorer that played on Cooper Flagg’s Maine United AAU team, and helped guide Cheverus to a 15-3 regular season record this year.
“He was Cheverus’ go-to guy, and played with passion and energy,” Pulkkinen said. “He’s just a crafty, dynamic guard that’s aggressive on his drives and has a great midrange game.”
