One thing has been consistent all season long with the Gorham girls’ basketball team, they are a resilient group of young ladies who never give up. However, last Friday night at the Cross Insurance Arena with 0.3 seconds left, fate turned and ended the Lady Rams’ season when Grace Fontaine of Edward Little sank one of two frees to give the Eddies a gut wrenching 50-49 victory in the Class AA State title game. While unlike the past two years, which left the Gorham girls holding the Gold Ball, this will still be a season remembered for a long time by this close knit group of young ladies.
The 2017/18 season for Gorham got off to great start with the team winning their first five games. However, things changed and for the first time in three years, they lost a game and the losing continued for the next three games as well. During this stretch Coach Berthiaume and his staff never wavered in their belief that this team would be able to make some noise come tournament time if they just chose to stick together. The team bought in and continued to work every day, getting better, knowing the season is judged by how you do in the Tournament not in the Regular Season.
The Tournament began with a match up against Maine Girls Academy. The game was almost over before it started, as the Rams led 15-0 at the end of the 1st quarter and and cruised to a 63-37 victory. Next up was the #1 and State Champion favorite South Portland. Again the improbable occurred as the Lady Rams raced out to a 16-0 lead. South Portland tried to no avail to climb out of the hole they had dug for themselves, however, Gorham was victorious 53-42.
The South Regional Championship pitted Gorham against the Scarborough Red Storm. Although the game didn’t start quite as well as the previous two, after trailing 8-6 the Rams went on a 26-5 run to end the half leading 32-13 and for all purposes ending the Red Storm’s season. Gorham prevailed 47-28 and Mackenzie Holmes was awarded the Edward “Red” McMann Award presented to the Outstanding Performer in the Regional Tournament.
In the State Championship game the ball simply didn’t bounce Gorham’s way. All season they had a “never get down, support each other and fight to the end” attitude, which they displayed in the finale. In the 4th quarter Holmes went out with a knee subluxation (kneecap slides over to the side). When she she ran out from the tunnel and returned to the court with seven minutes to play and her team down by 11, the electricity in the building was palpable. The re-energized Rams fought their way back to tie the game late, with Holmes providing a “Rocky” like moment scoring 16 points in the final frame. The Ladies fell one point short but as they had done all year, they battled to the end.
The 2017/18 Gorham Lady Rams lived by the motto, “The best teams play FOR each other, not with each other!” The tears, hugs and support they showed for their teammates after a heart wrenching loss is something they will all remember for the rest of their lives. They have left a lasting impact on the culture for Gorham Girls’ Basketball for years to come. The entire Gorham community couldn’t be prouder of these young ladies and the coaching staff.