NEWCASTLE, Maine — While many Maine students are patiently waiting for February vacation, high school basketball teams are ready for the annual postseason tournament.
Lincoln Academy is one of many teams looking to make a run for a gold ball this winter. The Eagles are the No. 2 seed in the boy's Class 'B' south bracket, the best position any current player has been in, thanks in part to the team's new 1,000th career point scorer, Gabe Hagar.
“It was something I’ve been striving for, for quite a while and I kind of put my mind to it around sophomore year and I wanted to accomplish it and it’s just been amazing. It was pretty cool to experience it with all my friends [who] I've grown up with,” Hagar said.
He was also able to experience that moment with his parents, who, he said, have sacrificed a lot for him over the years to get him to practices and games and have always supported his basketball goals.
Safe to say, the senior had a great send-off after playing his last games at his home gym at Lincoln Academy in Newcastle.
Hagar helped lead the Eagles to a 15-3 mark this season and Lincoln Academy will play Lake Region High School Friday at 5:30 p.m.
“I think that we’ve really been trusting each other," he said. “I think overall we just have a lot of experience and it’s just coming together really well.”
The Eagles, Hagar said, have spent years building up their on-court chemistry. Despite going to different middle schools, a lot of the team's top players spent time on the same travel teams during the winter and rekindled when they got to Lincoln Academy as freshmen.
While Hagar and his teammates have found a lot of success this season, they also go out of their way to inspire the next generation.
Hagar said on weekends he and other players will volunteer at the local YMCA and referee youth basketball games.
"We try to interact with the younger kids as much as possible and support them, and say hi to them...just acknowledge that they’re there so they can experience what we experience," he added.
Hagar said he and his teammates are treated like local celebrates by younger kids in the Mid-Coast and hopes other high school teams in the area continue to connect with them in the future.
“It really shows the type of program that we’re building," he added.
Off the court, and the baseball diamond where Hagar spends his springs, the Mid-Coast native spends a lot of time on his academics. He said focusing on studying can bring him further in life than being a really good athlete.
While he hasn't made his final decision on where he'll attend college in the fall, Hagar said he wants to pursue a business and sports management career.
When he does graduate, Hagar said he hopes to be remembered for his work in the community and his character. Being remembered as a basketball player is cool, he said, but noted it's more important to be remembered for the type of person you are.
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