Coffin,Reed Among MBHOF Inductees

The Maine Basketball Hall of Fame's second induction class will include 29 greats of the game, including 7 coaches, 20 players, a referee and a commissioner.

The list includes Liz Coffin, Emily Ellis, Maureen Burchill Cooper, Marcie Lane Schulenburg, Bob Warner, Gary Towle, Wayne Champeon, Dan Drinon, Bo McFarland, Ted Shiro, Peter Kelley, Denis Clark, Nick Scaccia, Steve Condon, Ray Bishop, Paul Fortin, Keith Mahaney, John Norris, John Edes, Ed Marchetti, Peter Webb and Jack Coyne.

Coaches include Roger Reed, Bruce MacGregor, Art Dyer, Dwight Littlefield, Gene Hunter, Dick Barstow, Dick Meader.

Inductees

Roger Reed won over 500 games in his three decades of coaching. In his 27 years as Bangor High’s coach, Roger’s teams won 8 State Championships and over 75% of their games at Bangor Christian and Bangor High Schools. A graduate of the Univ. of Maine Farmington, Roger played baseball for UMF, graduating in 1965. He belongs to the UMF and Maine Sports Hall of Fames.

Bruce MacGregor is the long time coach of Husson College, now Husson University. Bruce coached at Husson from 1969-1994 and amassed 526 wins in 26 years while building a tradition of winning basketball and academic excellence. His Husson teams made 7 National tournament appearances and won 6 Regional titles. He was named District Coach of the Year 12 times.

Art Dyer set the standard for excellence everywhere he coached. At Medomak Valley in the 1970’s Art’s teams won two state championships and four regional crowns while winning over 80% of their games. His 1980 team wend undefeated enroute to the state Championship.

After leaving Medomak, he resurrected the Westbook High School basketball program and won a state championship in 1984 against Lawrence High School. His teams were known for their hard- nosed man- to -man defense and disciplined offense. He won over 300 games as a high school coach. Art left Westbrook to coach at Fairfield University as an assistant coach under Paul Cormier. Coach Dyer also helped establish Gold Star Basketball Camp and the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches.

Dwight Littlefield led his Valley High School teams to 8 consecutive Western Maine titles and 6 consecutive State Championships starting in 1997. This unprecedented run of success included a record 101 straight wins. Dwight won 471 games in his 31 year career as a high school coach.

Gene Hunter is the only coach in Maine history to have won state titles in two different states. This coaching legend and Colby grad won State Championships at Morse and South Portland High Schools and Portsmouth High School in New Hampshire. His teams won 417 games in 26 years of coaching. After retiring from coaching, Gene was Athletic Director at South Portland for 10 years. He rejoined the coaching ranks in his seventies as middle school coach at Lincoln Middle School in Portland.

Dick Barstow won over 500 games in his illustrious 46 year coaching career. His teams have won four Gold Balls ( three at Central Aroostook of Mars Hills, and one at Presque Isle ). His teams once won 84 straight wins, loss one game, and then ran off 24 more wins.

Dick Meader has coached for forty years, 17 at Thomas College and the last 23 at the University of Maine at Farmington. His teams have amassed nearly 450 wins and he has been named Coach of the Year 5 times. Dick played his high school ball at Solon High School where he set the school scoring record. He was a small college All-star selection while playing for UMF and earned the reputation as one of the best players in Maine history. Dick is co-owner and founder of Pine Tree Basketball Camp in Waterville and ran it with Dick Whitmore for 38 years.

Bob Warner was a dominant player at Thornton Academy earning first team All-State honors his senior season. One of the first players to see the benefits of weight training, Bob’s 6’7” frame intimidated opponents an brought him a scholarship to the University of Maine where he started four seasons for the Black Bears. While at Maine, Bob set career rebounding records and became a 1000- point scorer. Bob had his uniform retired at the university and was an assistant coach at Boston University under Rick Pitino following his playing days.

Gary Towle led Cony to the State Championship in 1978 when his team went 22-0. Towle scored 101 points in the Eastern Maine tournament, finishing with 38 points against Presque Isle in the finals. In this tournament, Towle shot 63% from the floor; and scored 54 points against Bangor in a regular season game. He was a first team All-State selection. After high school, this prolific scorer took his skills to Providence and Assumption Colleges.

Wayne Champeon was a 5’7” wiz on the hardwood. The Greenville native led Greenville to the state championship in 1956. Wayne played at the University of Maine on what many consider its greatest teams with Skip Chappelle, Don Sturgeon, and Laddy Demer. Wayne was the sparkplug point guard who’s quickness and guile with the ball drove opponents crazy. After his playing days were over, Wayne coached at Greenville High School and Foxcroft Academy.

Dan Drinon was a member of the 1955 Bangor Rams, which won the State Championship. A All State selection, Dan had an uncanny shooting touch and unmatched court awareness. His team played in the original New England Tournament where he was chosen first team All-New England after scoring 72 points in three games. After high school, Dan attended Ventura Junior College before earning his degree from the University of San Francisco where he captained the team his senior year.

Edward “Bo” McFarland, the son of a legendary coach Packy McFarland,  is a native of Scarborough, Maine, McFarland was the first Bowdoin College to score 1,300 points, graduating with 1,356, and still holds the career scoring average record, 21.9 points per game. A two-time Division III All-East and All-New England performer, McFarland still holds the all-time season-scoring average among Polar Bears for his 1968-69 season, even without the help of the three-point shot. That season, under head basketball coach Ray Bicknell, McFarland led Bowdoin to a school-record 16 wins against just five losses. That magical 1968-69 season saw McFarland average an unprecedented 25.1 points per game - a program mark that still stands more than 30 years later. He was honored by United Press International as New England Player of the Year.McFarland's records have stood the test of time, as he still holds Bowdoin records in single-season and career scoring, career field goals (474) and career free throws (469).

Maureen Burchill Cooper was one of the great scorers in Maine basketball history. While playing for Deering High School she established herself as the best pure shooter in the SMAA. She was an all –Maine selection at Deering and after high school she played at USM ( 1981-1985) where many of her scoring records still stand today, some 35 years later. She once scored 47 points in a single game. Her career scoring mark of 2201 points and most field goals scored in a game (18) have stood the test of time. Maureen is a member of the Maine Sports Hall of Fame.

Ted Shiro played on the legendary 1944 Waterville High School team that won the New England Championship. The little dynamo with an uncanny shooting touch was so talented he got a try out with the Boston Celtics after a stellar career at Colby College where he scored 1212 points in three seasons. He led all colleges in scoring his senior season and was an All-New England selection by writers and coaches.  In addition, he was the first team guard on the NCAA District 1 All-American team. Ted was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Peter Kelley played his high school basketball at Caribou where the 6’3” center established himself as one of Maine’s best players.  Peter completed his school days at Phillips Exeter Academy where he also starred on the hardwood. Kelley graduated from Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1963 where he was a member of the Varsity Basketball team for three years earning all Ivy Honors for two years. Kelley was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.

Denis Clark is one of Winthrop High School’s greatest players. He led his Ramblers to the State title with an undefeated season in 1964 and was a first team All-State selection. However, after high school Denis continued his domination at Springfield College where he was named All-American and scored 27.8 ppg his senior year. Denis Clark is considered one of Springfield’s greatest players in their storied history.

Nick Scaccia played his high school basketball at Sanford High School. Nick was a first team All–State selection his senior year as he led his team to the 1967 Western Maine Championship and scored 42 in a losing effort to Old Town in the State Championship game. Nick played college ball at Colgate where he averaged 17.5 ppg his junior year and 19 ppg his senior season. After college, Nick was drafted by Denver of the old ABA and played professionally in Italy.

Emily Ellis was a member of the University of Maine team from 1981-85; she came to the university after enjoying a stellar career at Mt. View High School in Thorndike, Maine. The 5'10" center led the Black Bears in rebounding two of her four years and ended her career with 1,637 points and 623 rebounds. Ellis' 1,637 points rank her sixth all-time in school history, averaging double-figures in her last three seasons. Ellis captained her senior year squad in 1985, leading the team to a 21-9 record, the first 20-plus win season in program history. Following her career at Maine, Ellis played pro ball in both Finland and Austria. Ellis' No. 40 jersey was the first to be retired by the Black Bears.

Marcie Lane Schulenburg of Augusta is one of the most renowned high school basketball players in Maine. The 1989 Cony High School graduate starred on two Class A state championship basketball teams and set the foundation for the most successful women’s program in Maine history. Marcie was a scholarship basketball player at Boston University and the University of New Hampshire. She holds records for 3-point shooting and assists at UNH.

Steve Condon played basketball and baseball for the Presque Isle High School and was a two-time All-Maine choice in basketball. He was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior. After two years at Leicester Junior College in Massachusetts, Condon started for two years in basketball at the University of Maine. He was a double-figure scorer for the Black Bears both years and captained the team as a senior. He set the school record for single-game field-goal percentage by making 18 of 20 shots (90 percent) during an upset of nationally ranked Virginia Commonwealth. He was a two-time All-Yankee Conference selection, earning first-team honors as a senior.

Ray Bishop was an all-state selection in 1957 and 1958 while playing at Morse High School. An outstanding player, Ray and his brother Dick helped established Morse’s basketball tradition of excellence. After high school Ray played his basketball at USM where his career 21 points per game still stands in the record books. Ray was inducted to the USM Hall of Fame in 1988.

Paul Fortin of Lewiston led his 1960 team to an undefeated season. The Lewiston Blue Devils lost only 1 game in two seasons and played in the New England championship his senior year. After high school, Paul attended Hardin-Simmons University in Texas where his soft shooting touch and ambidextrous skills made him a fan favorite. Their coach was quoted as saying Paul is the best 6-foot-5 player in college basketball. Paul passed away at 47 years of age in 1989.

Keith Mahaney led the Yankee Conference in scoring his junior year, averaging 21.8 points per game. During the 1956-57 campaign, he was second in the conference (22.6) and tops in the Maine State Series (23.7) in scoring average. As a senior, he broke nine individual Black Bear records and tied his own single-game scoring mark, recording 39 points against Massachusetts. At the time of his graduation, Mahaney owned 11 Maine basketball records. Over the course of his career, he received numerous accolades, including All-Maine (two times), All-Yankee Conference (two times) and All-New England All-Star.  Mahaney was inducted into the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and the State of Maine Sports Hall of Fame the following year.

Liz Coffin from Portage Lake, Maine established herself as one of the greatest female athletes in the state’s history while leading the University of Maine to new heights in the early 1980s. She once scored 53 points in a single game in high school but it wasn’t until she played in college that her game went to a new level. She holds records for most rebounds in a season ( 380) and in a career ( 1351) and her 2153 career points ranks fourth in team history. In 1988 she was named Player of the Year for the Seaboard Conference and is the only player ever to score more than 2000 points and bring down more than 1000 rebounds in a career. Her uniform number was retired by the University of Maine in 1988 and she belongs to the UMO Hall of Fame.

John Norris was a dominating big man in the late 1940’s. Standing 6’5” tall this Bangor High player was an intimidating presence on the court. After leaving Bangor High, John attended Georgetown University for two years, playing on their basketball teams. He transferred back to the University of Maine where he played two seasons and set records for scoring average in a season ( 23.2 ), and a career      (20.3). John was a two time All-Yankee Conference pick and All-American honorable mention. He went on to coach basketball and golf for 30 years after graduating from college.

John Edes is a graduate of Ellsworth High School where he led his Eagles to the finals of the New England Championships in front of 13000 fans at the Boston Gardens. While his team lost to Hillhouse 54-53, John scored 27 points and finished with a career point total of 1227. He was an All-Maine selection in 1952,’53,’54 and an All-New England selection in 1954. John continued his basketball career at Colby College where he established himself as one of the Mules greatest players.

Jack Coyne was one of the greatest referees in Maine history. A player for Cheverus High School and later the Univ. of Maine at Gorham, after his college playing days, Jack began a career officiating that covered over twenty years and was on the verge of doing a complete schedule of big time Division One games when his career was cut short by a strange accident that resulted in knee replacement. Jack was an imposing figure on the basketball court, but his sense of humor and ability to control any game he was assigned were hallmarks of his career. Jack Coyne was the prototype official; he was the total package.

Peter Webb, a Houlton native, served as a teacher and school administrator for more than 25 years until retiring from education in 1985, but he is better known for a long and storied officiating career during which he worked more than 800 regular-season baseball games; more than 100 regular-season softball games and more than 1,500 varsity basketball games. Webb recently exceeded 50 years as a basketball official. He served as the state’s assistant basketball commissioner for 13 years before becoming commissioner, a position he has held for the last 25 years. Webb’s work with the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials has included serving on its executive committee for 13 years — with a stint as president in 2002.

Ed Marchetti was a first team All – Maine selection in 1956 as he led them to a State championship over Bangor 52-33. A prolific scorer, Marchetti also controlled the backboards for the Shipbuilders as they blazed their way through the Western Maine competition. After high school, Ed took his considerable skills to Colby College where for legendary coach Lee Williams as he led the Mules to record seasons over the next four years. Ed set rebounding and scoring records that stood for decades at Colby.