’17 Maine Basketball Hall Of Fame Class Announced
The Maine Basketball Hall of Fame announce on Wednesday morning 19 players, six legends, and two teams into the list of 2017 inductees.
At a press conference held at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine Basketball Hall of Fame President Tony Hamlin unveiled the list of inductees that included current Husson University Women's basketball coach Kissy Walker, longtime head coach Bob Cimbollek, and former player Dick Giroux, among the honorees.
Walker, Cimbollek, Giroux, were joined by Paul Cook and Wally Russell as inductees that were present at the event on Wednesday.
The ceremony honoring the Class of 2017 will be held on August 20 at the Cross Insurance Center and the public is invited to attend. It will be the fourth-annual induction ceremony for the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame.
Below is a full list of inductees, legends, and honored teams going into the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2017.
Following are the inductees in alphabetical order:
Tim Bonsant was a highly decorated player at the University of Southern Maine — he was named to the Little East Conference 25th Anniversary Team and was LEC Player of the Year in 1991. He led the Huskies to the DII Final Four in 1989. At Erskine, he was an All-State Player. And as coach, he led the Eagles to a Class B state title in 2004.
Cameron Brown was the Division III scoring leader in 1978 at the University of Maine at Farmington and he was named NAIA All-American Honorable Mention. He set 18 records for the Beavers and was All-Conference three times. Brown is in the New England Basketball and UMF halls of fame.
Kelly Butterfield scored 1,123 points for Gorham and led the Rams to four straight state titles, from 1978 to 81. The two-time All-State player played for the University of New Hampshire, scoring 1,030 points and snaring 678 boards before embarking on a professional career in Ireland and Australia.
All-State and All-New England player Terry Carr led Stearns to the New England Championship at the Boston Garden in 1963. The Minutemen bested Morse, 56-54. Carr went on to star at the University of Maine, scoring 1,042 points and captaining the squad.
As a coach, Bob Cimbollek's teams won five state titles and six Eastern Maine crowns. As a player at Husson, Cimbollek set 11 records, scored 1,152 points and led team to two Northeast College Conference titles. Cimbollek, also a former official, is in the Husson Sports Hall of Fame and the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.
Rick Clark won 509 games as coach of the York girls' basketball squad. He won four state crowns, the last coming in 2016 during an undefeated season just before he retired. Clark's squads also won six regional titles. He was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Midway through 1979, Paul Cook was scoring 32 points and pulling down 25 rebounds a contest for Class D Lubec. After earning All-State honors, he played a postgraduate year at Maine Central Institute then captained the University of Maine team, pulling down 6.7 rebounds a contest in 83-84.
Derek Counts of New York City led Oak Grove-Coburn to three Western Maine crowns while pouring in more than 2,000 points and twice earning All-State status. At the University of New Hampshire, the 5-10 guard scored 1,026 points, which is tied for 22nd all-time.
Gary Fifield's women's teams at the University of Southern Maine won 660 games. Fifield led the Huskies to 21 Little East championships, 26 NCAA tournaments, 16 Sweet Sixteens, 10 Elite Eights, five Finals Fours and three National Championships. He was the 2005 DIII National Coach of the Year and is numerous halls of fames.
Dick Giroux of Lewiston scored 1,510 points and snagged 964 rebounds at Husson College from 1967-70. Giroux, a two-time MECBCWA player, was inducted into the Husson Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. At Lewiston, Giroux was a two-time All-State player.
Derrick Hodge scored 1,206 points at the University of Maine and led the Black Bears in scoring in 1989-90 with 13.9 points a contest. Hodge also tallied more than 1,000 points at Morse High School and was a three-time Bangor Daily News All-State selection.
Point guard Cathy Iaconeta was an All-Conference player at the University of Maine, where she led the Black Bears to a 23-7 record and NIT appearance in 1990. The two-time UMaine captain dished out 412 assists. At Portland High School, “Ike” was an All-State player.
Tom Maines won 369 games as a coach during a 30-plus year career, including three straight Class A titles with the Morse boys, from 1987 through 1989. Maines earned the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year Award and is in the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.
Diane Nagle was a two-time first team All-State selection for Houlton in 1985 and 1986. Nagle scored 1,000 points for the Shiretowners, who won state crowns in 1985 and 1986 and Eastern Maine titles in 1983 and 1984. Nagle played at the University of Maine, including the 1986-87 squad that finished 24-4.
The gymnasium at Mount Desert High School is named in honor of Bernard “Bunny” Parady, a coach and administrator for 33 years. His hoop teams went to the tournament 23 times, winning four state titles. The outstanding athlete at Old Town and UMaine is being inducted posthumously. He's in the Maine Sports Hall of Fame and Maine Sports Legends Hall of Fame.
Wally Russell had an illustrious career at Penquis High School and was named first team All-State in 1973. At the University of Maine, the magician point guard led the Black Bears in assists during the 76-77 and 77-78 campaigns. In more than 20 years coaching the Penquis girls' and boys' teams and the PCHS boys' squad, he won more than 200 games.
Terry Spurling, an All-State player for Ellsworth, led the Eagles to the Class L State Championships in 1953 and 1954 and to the New England Championship in 1954. The '54 team was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. Spurling played at the University of Maine and coached at Aroostook Central Institute and Houlton.
Jim Stephenson set the University of Maine record for most points in a game in 1969 with 54. He also holds the record for highest scoring average for a career with 22.7. The member of the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame coached basketball at Nasson College and was a consultant for UMaine's Sports Done Right initiative.
Kissy Walker has guided the Husson University women's team to more than 425 wins in 26 years, as well as multiple conference titles and a trip to the NAIA Fab Four. The New England Basketball Hall of Fame member has earned numerous coach of the year honors. She was a four-year letter winner at UMaine and starred for Cony High School.
The following people are being inducted in the Legends category:
Red Barry amassed 272 wins in nearly three decades at the helm of the Bangor High School boys' basketball team. The high school gym is named in his honor and generations of athletes are reminded of his accomplishments when they enter the facility.
Dwight Carver was an All-State player in 1972 and 1973 at Class D Jonesport-Beals, which won five straight Class D boys' titles from 1970 to 1974. Carver set a tourney record in 1970, making 17 free throws in a game. His daughters — Sandi, Kristi and Tricia — also all starred for the Royals.
Gary Hawkins coached junior high basketball at St. Mary's/St. Michael School in Augusta for 43 years. Many all-state players played for "Hawk." He was a sports reporter for the Kennebec Journal for more than three decades.
Chick Marchetti of Bath is a basketball enthusiast and has officiated in Southern Maine for more than 40 years. He was a standout player for Morse High School in the 1950s and he has devoted his life to help improve the game of basketball.
Tom Pelletier was a great player from “The County.” At Fort Kent, he was a first team All-State player in 1973 and 1974. The tremendous all-around athlete excelled on the men's soccer team at Dartmouth College.
Bob Woodbury is known in the Waterville area as “Ringmaster Bob,” as he was the voice of basketball in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Woodbury's voice was welcomed into the homes of Central Maine families who couldn't make it to away games. He also hosted a radio show and wrote guest columns for the Morning Sentinel.
Teams being inducted are:
1979 South Portland Red Riots
The South Portland boys' team in 1979 ran roughshod over opponents en route to a 22-0 record and a Class A state championship. Brett Brown, Ken Lynch, Paul Gorham, Paul Burnell, Chris Bolduc and Paul McFarland paced the Red Riots. Area coaches agreed that South Portland's second five also could beat most Class A teams. This immortal team topped Presque Isle 102-58 to win the state crown. The 44-point margin of victory is still a Maine schoolboy record.
1980 Westbrook Blue Blazes
The Westbrook High School girls' team won four-straight Class A state titles from 1978 to 1981, and it would be appropriate to recognize any of those squads. The committee chose the 1980 group, which was led by All-State first team players Lisa Blais and Gail Jackson. The Blue Blazes cruised through the season and earned the Gold Ball with an 88-66 victory over Old Town High School.
More From
