AUGUSTA — This past season was a golden winter for central Maine boys basketball. Three teams that were expected to be strong — Gardiner, Monmouth Academy and Valley — won state championships.
There’s still a way to go until the 2026-27 high school season, but the G&E Roofing Summer League often gives a glimpse at early contenders. This year, three teams from central Maine were among the best.
Erskine Academy, Maranacook and Mt. Blue all reached the semifinals, and Erskine won the championship Wednesday at Cony High by defeating Maranacook 72-59 in the title game.
“There’s so many good teams here, and that’s why we come and play in this league,” said Erskine coach Mitch Donar. “It could have gone a million different ways, if you ask me, and that’s a real sign of the challenge it provides, which is what you’re looking for in the summer.
Erskine was in elite form Wednesday. The Eagles followed a 50-39 semifinal victory over Mt. Blue with a thoroughly impressive showing against Maranacook, pulling away in the second half after leading by nine at the break.
The Eagles’ success shouldn’t come as a surprise. Erskine, after all, had its best season in two decades this past winter, going 14-5 with a Class B North quarterfinal loss to eventual state champ Gardiner. Only one player, Cam Coutts, graduated.
“It’s Gold Ball or bust for us; that’s our goal, to win it all, and I think we have the team and the coaches,” said rising senior Gavin Fanjoy. “We want to be that team, and finally winning (a summer tournament) after losing in the finals in a bunch of others is a big motivation boost.”
Maranacook beat Erskine twice previously in Cony League play. Yet the Eagles were superior this time, matching the Black Bears’ intensity and breaking down Maranacook’s zone defense.
“The last time (we played Maranacook), they gave us a lot of pressure and made us turn it over,” Fanjoy said. “We were able to stay a lot more composed (today), which is what we talked about, and even though we were tired, we got up and down the floor.”
Maranacook, meanwhile, had the bulk of the team that won the Class C South title this past winter. Standouts Jack Fontaine, Gage Mattson and Grady Hreben were joined by one of the state’s top incoming freshmen, Connor Labrie.
Maranacook reached the final by posting a 70-59 victory over a strong Medomak Valley team (albeit one missing its best player, Kollin Donlin). There’ll be big dreams for the Black Bears this winter, but after the loss to Erskine, coach Travis Magnusson knows there’s work to do.
“There’s a lot of good teams in our league so we’ve got to get better, for sure,” Magnusson said. “We’ve got to improve defensively in a bunch of different areas. It was a great summer, but we’ve got so far to go to even think about being a team that can win it.”
It also was no surprise for Mt. Blue to reach the semifinals. The Cougars went 10-9 in 2025-26 despite a roster that included no seniors, setting the foundation for what they hope will be a successful 2026-27 season. A deep Cony League run will only bolster those hopes.
On Wednesday, Mt. Blue was missing its top scorer from last season, Oliver Cormier. Yet the Cougars battled Erskine in what was a single-digit game until very late and, in the process, helped build some of the depth that Coach Troy Norton has longed to see.
“A big goal for us this year was developing some depth over the summer because it’s such a long, grueling season,” Norton said. “I think we really have done that; some of our bench players have played well with the opportunities they’ve had with other guys out.”
Last summer’s Cony League winner, Camden Hills, went 21-1 this past season and won the Class A North championship, while runner-up Gardiner won the Class B championship. So could a deep Cony League run have some predictive value again?
“I hope so,” Donar said. “If that’s the case, I’ll pay (Cony Athletic Director) T.J. (Maines) double next summer, and we’ll get back in it.”