MBHOF 18 Presser
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No name is more synonymous with basketball in Maine than the name Cindy Blodgett. In her first year of eligiblity, Blodgett will be inducted into the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame as part of a 16 member Class of 2018.

At press conferences in Bangor and Portland today, MBHOF selection chairman Tony Hamlin unveiled the 5th class of basketball greats.

Blodgett scored 2,596 points in high school and led the Lawrence Buldogs to four straight state championships. She was an All-America guard at UMaine, scoring 3.005 points. Blodgett was drafted #6 in the WNBA draft and played from Cleveland and Sacramento. She is currently the associate head coach at Boston University.

Check out the complete MBHOF '18 Class, along with the Legends of the Game nominees and special Team nominee...

 

2018 MBHOF Inductees

Brenda Beckwith — In 1977, Brenda Beckwith became the first player at Lawrence High School to score 1,000 points. She averaged 30 points and 15 rebounds per game her senior year and was named to the Bangor Daily News All-State team. At William Penn College, Beckwith’s team placed third in the 1980 AIAW National Championship and won the 1981 AIAW National Championship while compiling a 43-3 record. She’s been a successful girls’ high school coach at Winslow and Messalonskee and now coaches the frosh boys’ team at Winslow.

Paul Belanger —Paul Belanger was a standout multi-sport athlete at Sanford High School and Colby College. In 1976, he earned the Fitzpatrick Award for being the state’s best football player and in 1977, he was a Bangor Daily News second team All-State basketball player. At Colby College, playing for Maine Basketball Hall of Fame coach Dick Whitmore, Belanger amassed 1,154 points in four years as a starter, placing him 20th on the all-time list of Mule greats. He earned 11 varsity letters on Mayflower Hill — in football, basketball and baseball.

Jim Bessey — Jim Bessey, an Oakland native, graduated from Williams High School, where he starred in basketball and football. He also played at Farmington State College, now the University of Maine at Farmington. In 38 years as a varsity high school coach, Bessey compiled a record of 479-293 — a 421-267 mark in 34 seasons at Mt. Blue and a 58-26 record in four at Madison. His 1997 Mt. Blue boys’ team won the Eastern Maine Class A title and his 1985 Madison squad the Western Maine Class C crown. The multi-time Coach of the Year assists Dick Meader with the UMF men’s hoop team.

Cindy Blodgett  — Cindy Blodgett’s name is synonymous with Maine basketball. The Clinton native propelled Lawrence High School to four straight Class A gold balls and became the state’s all-time high school scoring leader with 2,596 points. She was named Miss Basketball in 1994 and was a three-time Gatorade Player of the Year. At the University of Maine, the All-America guard led the Black Bears to four consecutive NCAA appearances, poured in 3,005 points, led the nation in scoring two seasons, broke 20 school records and inspired thousands of youth. Blodgett was the sixth pick in the WNBA draft and played for Cleveland and Sacramento. She’s the associate head coach of the Boston University women’s basketball team.

Sandi Carver — In 1993, Sandi Carver was the Maine Sunday Telegram Female Athlete of the Year. She was a dominating volleyball player, often unhittable softball pitcher and led Jonesport-Beals to its first girls’ state basketball title. Carver elevated the University of Maine women’s basketball program to national heights, including four consecutive NCAA tournament bids. In 1998, her senior season, Carver captained the 21-9 Black Bears. She is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist at Eastern Maine Medical Center. Her father Dwight was named a Legend of the Hall last year.

Dean Erickson — Dean Erickson was a standout point guard for coach Art Dyer at Medomak Valley, leading the squad to the 1975 and 1977 Class B state finals, and winning the gold ball in 1977. In four years, he scored 594 points and handed out 375 assists for the 65-7 Panthers. Erickson, a first-team 1977 BDN All-Maine basketball selection, played three years at Brown University. He lives in Los Angeles and owns an investment advisory firm. Erickson has published several books and had a recurring role on Frazier.

Peter Hamlin — This Milo High School graduate averaged 36 points per game his senior year in 1968, and finished with more than 1,000 points. At Ricker College in Houlton, Peter Hamlin poured in more than 2,000 points and was named to the All-Maine College team four consecutive years. During his senior season in college, Hamlin averaged more than 24 points and 10 rebounds a game — a full season of double-doubles.

 

Jeff Hart Camden Hills BBall
Sports Radio 92.9 The Ticket Photo / MBHOF '18 Inductee Jeff Hart
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Jeff Hart — Jeff Hart, a Farmington native, has coached the Camden-Rockport/Camden Hills Windjammers for more than 30 years. En route to nearly 500 wins, his teams have won five gold balls and nine regional titles. Hart’s 2010 team went undefeated on its way to a state crown. Hart, who played for fellow incoming Hall of Famer Jim Bessey, has been Class B Coach of the Year twice and has coached numerous All-Star games in Maine and nationally. Hart is a New England Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.

Barbara Krause — Barbara Krause led Freeport High School to a state championship her senior year and averaged 22.3 points and 14.9 rebounds as a first-year player at Bowdoin College. Krause transferred to Duke University, where the two-time captain set (and holds) the record for rebounds in a game (24). Her average of 9.9 rebounds per contest is the second-best in school history and tied for seventh-best in ACC history. Krause graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1981 and played professionally for two years in Germany. She earned her J.D. from Cornell University Law School. In 2000, Sports Illustrated named Krause one of the state’s 50 best athletes. The member of the Maine Sports Hall of Fame is deputy general counsel at Appalachian State University.

Bill McAvoy — Bill McAvoy, a Sherman native, was a tremendous high school player under Hall of Fame coach Ron Marks. He played on an undefeated Class S state championship team at Sherman High School in 1967, before that school was part of a consolidation that formed Katahdin High School. McAvoy then played under Marks on the first Katahdin team, helping the Cougars to an undefeated regular-season finish. At Unity College, McAvoy was a Maine College All-Star for three years and ended his career as Unity’s all-time leading scorer. As a coach — at Central Aroostook, Katahdin and Southern Aroostook, McAvoy has won more than 400 games, including a 2000 Eastern Maine Championship at Katahdin.

Delmont “Del” Merrill — The Ellsworth native was the epitome of class as a player, coach, official and administrator. Before becoming president of Husson College, he was a professor, athletic director, administrator and coach (baseball and basketball) there. His Husson hoop teams won 197 games and lost 86. His squads earned seven league championships and two state small college crowns. Including his high school coaching, Merrill’s overall record was 548-224. Merrill, who also was the state basketball commissioner, was inducted in 1997 into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame. He died in 2011.

Bill Obermeyer — Bill Obermeyer represents excellence as a player and a coach. As a coach, Obermeyer guided the Kennebunk High School program for 27 years (1967-94), amassing 316 victories. Obermeyer, who graduated in 1958 from Gorham State Teachers College (now University of Southern Maine), was inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame in 1999 for his talents in baseball and basketball. On the hardwood, he scored 884 points. He was team captain and most valuable player his senior season for coach Richard “Doc” Costello.

 

MBHOF Keith Ogden
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Keith Ogden — Keith Ogden, a 6’ 8” power forward with a soft shooting touch, led the Bucksport Golden Bucks to State Class B championships in 1978 and ’79. He was named to the Bangor Daily News’ All-Maine team each time — third team in 1978 and second team in 1979. At Husson, Ogden played three years, scoring 1,149 points and snagging 732 rebounds (9.4 rebounds per game.) Ogden was inducted into Husson’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. Ogden also achieved success race car driving at Speedway 95 in Hermon.

Leroy Patterson — Leroy Patterson was one of Maine’s greatest athletes. He led the Bangor Rams in basketball under legendary coach Red Barry. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound forward scored more than 1,000 points and earned second-team all-state honors as a junior and first-team recognition as a senior, when he led Bangor to the 1962 Eastern Maine Class LL championship. Patterson, a two-time high school All-American football player, earned a football scholarship at the University of Cincinnati, and was named Most Valuable Player on the frosh team. He worked with the University of Maine police department for 33 years. Patterson died in 2012.

Joe Russo — The most successful coach in Portland High School history, Joe Russo has led the Bulldogs for nearly three decades. Russo was a three-year player for Portland High School, including an undefeated season in 1974. The Munjoy Hill native played four seasons of basketball at the University of Maine at Presque Isle and was inducted into the UMPI Hall of Fame in 1996. In his 27 years at Portland High School, he’s amassed more than 400 wins. His Portland teams have won five state titles and seven regional crowns.

Rick Woods — Rick Woods led the 1963 Morse High School boys’ basketball team to an LL state title win — 61-60 in two overtimes — over Stearns. Then Morse lost to the Minutemen 56-54 in the New England Championship. As a senior, Woods was named to the first team All-State squad with teammate Joe Harrington. Woods’ outstanding play at the Boston Garden in the New England Championship earned him a spot on the All-New England first team. At the University of Maine, Woods was a three-year starter for the Black Bears.

Legends of the Hall 

Jim Beaudry  — Jim Beaudry was director of athletics for 21 years at St. Francis College/University of New England. In 2011, UNE dedicated its Campus Center gymnasium as the James A. Beaudry Gymnasium. During his more than two decades at the school, Beaudry coached baseball, basketball, soccer, cross country and golf. Beaudry, who was UNE’s charter inductee into its Athletics Hall of Fame, also was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.

Bill Fletcher — Milo native Bill Fletcher was a longtime high school teacher, coach and administrator at Mattanawcook Academy, Falmouth, Penobscot Valley, Dexter and Brewer. And for decades, Fletcher was a fixture and familiar face to thousands of fans who attended tourney games at the Bangor Auditorium. He directed the Eastern Maine high school tournament from 1986 to 2012.

Dwight Hunter — Dwight Hunter has a rich legacy of involvement in sports, particularly basketball. He is perhaps best known as the 41-year athletic administrator at Caribou High School. Hunter, younger brother of Hall of Fame coach Gene Hunter, graduated in 1955 from Presque Isle High School, where he excelled at basketball.

Elwood “Bimbo” Pinkham — Bimbo Pinkham is one of the iconic names in Maine basketball. In 1973, he scored 38 points to lead the Sumner Memorial High School Tigers to the 1973 State Championship. Pinkham, who later coached at his alma mater and at Narraguagus, was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.

Thaxter Trafton — Thaxter Trafton was an outstanding player at Morse High School and Husson College and coached at John Bapst. Trafton also was executive director of Bass Park, team president of the Cleveland Cavaliers and president of the International Basketball League. Most recently, Trafton served as executive director of the Maine Sports Hall of Fame.

Arthur “Artie” Warren — “Artie” Warren graduated from Brunswick High School in 1959 after a stellar playing career. At the University of Maine, he played basketball for Brian McCall, captaining the squad his senior year and setting a rebounding record that lasted for nearly two decades. He had an exceptional 45-year career as an administrator, educator and coach at Winthrop High School and Gardiner Area High School. Warren died in 2013.

Honored Team

The 1960 Lewiston boys’ basketball team capped its undefeated 1959-60 season with a Class A state title, topping Brewer, 81-64. The Blue Devils, who advanced to the New England Championship, were led by Paul Fortin, John Doyle and Richard Therriault, who all made the Bangor Daily News All-State team.

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