The Sanford High School basketball programs are peaking at the perfect time. Both teams wrapped up exceptional regular seasons and now turn their attention to playoff runs with championship aspirations.
The girls' team finished as the No. 2 seed in Class A South with a 16-2 record, riding an eight-game winning streak heading into the playoffs. For head coach Rossie Kearson and his players, this year’s playoff run carries extra motivation after falling short in the regional semifinals three consecutive years.
“We’ve gotten to that point where we have been denied,” Kearson said. “I always tell the girls, you have to take advantage of the opportunities when they come. And this is our opportunity now.”
The Spartans tested themselves against top competition during the regular season. While matchups against ranked opponents like Cheverus and South Portland resulted in losses, they proved Sanford belongs among Maine’s best in one of the state’s most competitive regions.
Senior Mollie Puffer is eager to return to the tournament where the team fell short last year. “Everyone walked away knowing we could have won,” she said. “Being able to go back and have a second chance, it’s amazing.”
Junior Paige Sevigny pointed to the team’s chemistry as a strength. “I would say just working on our defense and also just staying together as a team,” Sevigny said.
The girls open their playoff run on Tuesday, February 17, at 2:45 pm at the Portland Expo, while the boys tip off Saturday, February 14, at the same time and location.
The boys' team has been equally successful under first-year head coach John Morgan, a Sanford graduate. After finishing 6-13 last year, the Spartans went 17-1 in the regular season, with their only loss a two-point home defeat to South Portland. Like the girls, the boys' team earned the No. 2 seed in Class A South.
The Spartans' high-powered offense averages 77 points per game, fueled by Morgan's up-tempo philosophy. "I think for us, even if we're not shooting well, the volume of shots we get up and the pace we play really helps us out," he said. "It's been pretty successful for us."
Like the girls, the boys navigated one of Maine’s toughest regions, with regular season opponents Windham, South Portland and Thornton Academy having all ranked among the top 10 teams statewide at various points this season.
Senior Dylan Gendron watched the turnaround firsthand. “Last year we were 6-13, so converting from under .500 to only one loss… We’ve been together for a while, so just a lot of good guys. We’ve got good chemistry,” he said.
Fellow senior Ryan Alexander echoed that sentiment. “We’ve been together since like third grade, so all of it coming together in the final stretch is all you could ask for.”
For Morgan, success carries special meaning. The program’s last playoff victory came in 2014, when Morgan was a senior on that team. Now he has a chance to end that drought in his first year back at his alma mater.
“I’ve known this group of guys for a while so it’s been pretty cool to see where they are now,” Morgan said. “The guys have been believing in each other and manifesting this. It’s been great to see it pan out for them.”