2026 Baseball State Champs - Gorham High School

The Rams won their first state title in 21 years back on June 20 and in the aftermath, Coach Ed Smith, as well as players Miles Brenner, Hunter Finck, Wyatt Washburn and Izak Stevens, discussed the championship game, the road to the title and what it all meant to the Gorham community.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:02

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SPEAKER_00 0:31

Well, we are back with uh a much more uh rested and uh colorful uh Michael Hoffer. Not that you're not normally colorful, but you are physically colorful because you've been sitting on a beach.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

Yeah, that that helps a little bit, and that helps with the resting part too.

SPEAKER_02 0:45

And yeah, it's been uh quite an end of the spring sports season. It was it was awesome. You know, I got a chance to go back and tally up all the games I covered this spring, and it was about 25% more than last year, which I really don't even know how that happened, honestly. I just think there were so many more double headers I was able to cover.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:02

And you know, I got to so many games here in the postseason, but uh it was it was an it was an awesome playoff. And you know, we we talked about it when we did the playoff preview. Yeah, we talked about it when we did the state games preview that you know there are gonna there's gonna be some memorable stuff, and and there most certainly was. So it's it's got some great reaction to to some uh some uh therapeutic championships expected, but maybe harder than it would many people anticipated championships. So it was uh yeah, just uh just just a great end to the season, a great end of the school year. And you know, speaking selfishly from the website's perspective, you know, I'm incredibly thankful that we have the growth we did. Basically, you know, the site doubled in paid subscribers from the start of the school year until the end. So that's awesome. Gotta love that. Hopefully, some people will stick around over the summer and then we'll make another run at it next fall. But no, it's it's been so far so good, it's been wonderful. And I can't thank the uh the public and the subscribers enough.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

Well, they they the it's a testament to how good a job you do, because people talk about your articles and they talk about you know, every kid wants to see their name in the paper, you know, in in print, and uh you know they can cut and paste it and do the whole thing anyway. But your your your coverage is is that good that that people are you know, nobody else is trying to do that. But you yeah, you do such a wonderful job. We've I'm not gonna say it again. Uh I think your head's getting too fat.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

I know, I know. You're you're you're my hype man. I I I I I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

I know it's it's it like people c come up to me and and say you should stop talking and lose that and talk, and I'm like, I I know. I was like, I can't I cannot keep up with your memory at all. And I I learned a ton from you when you're in a couple years we'll be even because I'm getting older.

SPEAKER_01 2:36

I can I can barely remember what I had for breakfast most days. But no, I come over here, you hype me up, I go home, my wife, my wife brings me back to Earth real quick.

SPEAKER_00 2:43

So you write some rewrite some stories.

SPEAKER_01 2:46

The middle is the truth, I think.

SPEAKER_00 2:48

Well that uh the the I mean the story of the playoffs really was uh probably started at the Falmouth game for for Gorham, right? Exactly. This is um you know, I I always say and I've said it on this podcast, you gotta get every call. You gotta get every everything has to go your way. It has to be so perfect that you know sometimes that's all it takes. And you know, a thunderstorm in the fourth inning, you know, it it changed their stars. You know, bad for Falmouth, but and Gorham took advantage of it, right?

SPEAKER_02 3:18

Right. I mean, you need breaks. You usually don't expect one of those breaks to be from Mother Nature. I mean, it's just if I mean if you could have seen how dead in the water that Gorham team seemed to be in the bottom of that fourth inning against Falmouth down six-nothing. They did just hit a triple, so maybe they they would have sparked something. They had 10 outs to go, uh, but it was a big six-run deficit to make up, and you know, it's Preston Brown's at rounding second, heading to third with a triple you hear this rumble of thunder, and you're like, all right, it's just gonna be, you know, we'll stop for 30 minutes and and pick up again, and then all of a sudden it starts raining and it's really and then it starts pouring, and I'm looking out, sitting up in the press box, looking out at the infield, giant puddles. I'm thinking to myself, God, how I know that there's lights here, but how in the world are we ever gonna play this?

SPEAKER_04 3:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:59

And then all of a sudden in the back of my head, I have this thought that God, I think if the game gets suspended, it gets started, they started over. So, you know, all these distraught Gorm fans. I said to a few people up in the press fest, I'm like, I think he might just about to get bailed out here. Yeah, and that's how it works, and that's what the rule is. Excuse me, and I know a lot of people don't like it, uh, but it's not something like Gorham magically conjured up. That's that's that's the rule, it's a state rule. I think it's even a national rule. And so, you know, the teams had to come back and play the next day, and they didn't even play the makeup game at Gorham, they had to go down to Orcher Beach. Right. You know, Gorham has to throw a different pitcher and it messes up their whole rotation, they win that. Uh they survive TA thanks to a call that a lot of people, you know, certainly from the Socco area, were not happy with. And then uh they get to play the number 10 seed Noble in the regional final, who was on a great run, but you know, you'd rather have the 10 seed than the the two or the three-seed in that game. So they take care of business there, and then it's an 11-inning marathon to beat Bangor, a great Bangor team in the state game. And you know, there were chances Bangor had chances to steal that one. And um, you know, Gorham they had to they had to overcome a lot of obstacles, uh, some expected, some that you've never in a million years anticipate, and they got the job done. They were clearly the best team in the regular season, and uh they played like champions when they had to, and yes, maybe they got a little bit of help. Yeah, uh, but you still have to go out and take advantage of that and finish, and that's what they did.

SPEAKER_00 5:19

Yeah, and that's that's that's what it takes. It honestly, any of those teams on any given day could probably beat Gorham if they had their number one and their number. But that's just not the way the playoffs work, and that's why people love the playoffs, because you gotta play really good that day in order to move on to the next day. And it's it's it's the exciting part of uh of the playoffs, and it is what it is, right? You uh you learn to live with it. So uh it's it's cool. I mean, it's just the way baseball should be. I don't love the rule either, but with the pitching rules being what they are with you know the 105 pitches that's gonna be. That's why it's taken into account, no question. And you can't fire a kid's arm up again the next day, it's unhealthy. And it's I totally understand the whole rule.

SPEAKER_02 5:57

But that's right. And Gorham won the state game. Hunter Fink did not throw a pitch in the state game. Yeah, he couldn't. He threw too many pitches the game before. So Miles Brenner went seven innings. Wyatt Washburn comes in and throws four and you know, gets that Bangor had the tying run at third to one out in the in the bottom of the 11th after Gorham taking the lead. You know, Gorham had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the six, Bangor immediately tied it. They were on the verge of doing it again. You know, he got a couple of pop-ups and they win. So again, nothing came easily. Yeah, everyone contributed. Big names certainly came through. You know, Hunter Fink did have the game-winning hit. He didn't pitch, but he had the game-winning hit. And then, you know, several other guys picked it up on the mound and in the field, and um, you know, the the the lineup top to bottom contributed throughout the season and in the postseason. It was a championship effort, their first title in 21 years, just a great story. I know the community uh certainly embraced this team incredibly, and I can only imagine what that celebration parade was like when they got back to town. So just a great story all around, and and they are certainly worthy champions. Um, you know, no one if people want to try to affix affix an asterisk to this, let them, but they uh they want it and they want it.

SPEAKER_00 7:01

I'm sorry, but you could do that with every every year you could put an asterisk next to a single play that changed the change that complex. Yeah, it's it's it is what it is. It just happens to be that it was uh you know two games in a row and it was you know, which is just a little different stuff than you'd expect.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

Yeah, it it certainly this is a team that won't be forgotten, let's put it that way for many reasons. And you know, got a chance to talk with uh head coach Ed Smith. Uh spoke after after the fact uh with several players, Miles Brenner, their terrific shortstop, who also pitched the seven innings to keep him in that game. Uh Wyatt Washburn who came on and earned the victory in relief. He's normally their center fielder shortstop, uh, great player for them. Uh Hunter Fink, who had the winning head and was their star player, the Gatorade player of the year, in fact, and uh Isaac Stevens, uh another their other senior uh outfielder who uh was very steady for them all season. So great group, some uh some great reaction to uh to what it was like. You know, it's one thing to do interviews right after the game, which is always the preferred way to do it. Yeah, I couldn't be there physically, so you know, getting to go and talk to them a couple days later when it was still pretty fresh, but there was a little bit more perspective, you know, it gave her some cool uh cool interviews as well. So, you know, hopefully everyone will enjoy uh what these guys had to say after winning their first title in 21 years.

SPEAKER_00 8:13

All right, let's take a listen.

SPEAKER_02 8:16

What's the feeling? What's what's that emotion when that final route's made?

SPEAKER_05 8:19

It felt amazing, you know. That ball was up there for a while, and uh Dante get over there and make the play. Uh after he caught it, everything kind of blacked out, and it was just straight to the team, go mob, doggy file, and it's crazy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:37

Hey.

SPEAKER_05 8:37

Hey, how's it going? Congrats. Thank you. Congrats.

SPEAKER_02 8:42

Um, so did you know how long you were gonna get the start?

SPEAKER_05 8:46

Uh I didn't until the practice before, but I knew whether it was me or whether it was Wash, and you know, we both ended up catching in that game, I knew uh we would come up with a win.

SPEAKER_02 8:55

What was it like taking the mound in front of that crowd in that situation? I'm sure it was something you haven't thought about for a long time, right?

SPEAKER_05 9:01

The overall vibe of like the field was the same as like the old orchard field, so it's kinda different from that. But then uh with the bigger crowd, it was kind of just like a blackout, like uh just folks that it's just me and Coop, and it's kind of just like that was it. Couldn't really hear anything, and it was just it was just sick.

SPEAKER_02 9:17

Yeah, you guys get the two and the six, it looks like alright, we got this, and then boom, they tie it right back up. How tough was that? How about it?

SPEAKER_05 9:25

Uh but you know, it was a tie game, it wasn't like they were ahead or anything. Uh late in the game it was kinda whatever, because now you gotta fight for another run when it was like uh it was a defensive heavy game. Um but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:37

So you guys left a lot of runners on base. Was it was it getting frustrating? We were like, alright, are we ever gonna score here?

SPEAKER_05 9:42

Yeah, it it was definitely frustrating, especially in the early innings. Um there was a couple of base running mistakes by myself because one of them. Now you can laugh about it. Um but you know, going back to grit, we are the grittiest team in the state, so we definitely would have uh had a feeling we're gonna get some runs across. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:01

I mean, it's been a magical year. You guys certainly didn't have a boring postseason run. So I mean, how are you gonna remember this, you think?

SPEAKER_05 10:10

Uh just the guys. You know, I've we're already planning on doing like a little anniversary to the team, um, five years down and all that. Just getting the answer together because we all you know we're a good group. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:22

So Hunter, let me ask you. You um You sit. I um Yeah, you can sit. This is very informal, trust me. Um step in a plate there in the eleven in the level zitty. If that was your opportunity, what what's your mindset there?

SPEAKER_03 10:36

Uh just do my job. You know, we hadn't gotten a run through the for those extra innings, and we just needed like a some somewhat of a spark, so I just I just try to hit it where the pitch was given and then uh let uh everyone do the rest, and Coop ended up scoring, and we ended up getting up by one, which won us the game.

SPEAKER_02 10:56

So you knew you weren't gonna be all the pitch, but how much confidence did you have in these other guys?

SPEAKER_03 11:01

110% confidence. I knew they were gonna go out there just the way they threw against uh how Washed are against TA and how Miles thrown against thrown all this season. And it was just um, you know, I knew that uh they would go out and do their job. I mean, they both did insanely well and you know, won us the game. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:21

Yeah, like I said, you guys had the lead earlier and you couldn't hold it. Was that frustrating, or were you still pretty confident at that point?

SPEAKER_03 11:28

I mean, I was always confident. Um it was only a tie game, so we just had to keep putting runs up on the board, keep playing our game, and uh it ended up working out, but obviously it's a little frustrating to you know, for all that, and then so we just had to score and keep you on our stuff.

SPEAKER_02 11:45

When your hit lands safely, what what's the emotion knowing you just drove in the go-ahead run? Ultimately the winning run.

SPEAKER_03 11:51

I was super excited. I was more excited for the guys, you know, because it's a dream come true, all of us winning a state championship. So um just super happy for everyone and it was it was amazing.

SPEAKER_02 12:01

And what was that celebration like when the Dante catches that pop-up to end it?

SPEAKER_03 12:05

You know, it was crazy. I ran out, hugged wash, and then uh you know, threw some water on him and died.

SPEAKER_02 12:14

Dry off yet, dry off yet. Yeah. Um incredible year for you, right? I mean, you you dominate as a pitcher, you win Gatorade, you have the winning hit in the state game. Is this beyond your wildest dreams?

SPEAKER_03 12:26

I mean, it is a dream come true. I'm just happy to do it with all the guys. I mean, they're my family and it's it's a blessing.

SPEAKER_02 12:33

Yeah. Do you get a sense of what this means to the community?

SPEAKER_03 12:36

Yeah, I mean, driving through the parade, I mean, people left and right, it was it was amazing. It it means a lot for us that our community cares this much about us. So it's nice.

SPEAKER_02 12:48

I mean, unlike these other guys, you have a chance to do it again. So, how much are you looking forward to seeing your year? And it'll be different, right?

SPEAKER_03 12:55

Yeah, it'll be different, but I can't wait to repeat.

SPEAKER_02 12:57

So Yeah, I mean, and you guys, you're still gonna be returning some talent, right?

SPEAKER_03 13:01

Yeah. We're only losing these three, so we're gonna still have some talent, but we just gotta do what we did this year and just be gritty win games.

SPEAKER_02 13:10

Alright. Coming in, well, you started the eighth inning? Is that when you came into the seventh? Okay. And you know, I mean, you have no margin for error, right? Yeah, that's it. It's a tie game, but how confident were you? How are you feeling?

SPEAKER_04 13:21

I mean, I had a lot of confidence mostly due to my defense behind me. You know, I have one of the best defenses in the league. So I knew going out there, my top my my goal was those strikes, you know, with the defense heat. Um go out there and just let them let them do what they can do. Um and you know, I I had full confidence in myself because I have full confidence in my team.

SPEAKER_02 13:40

Yeah, you know, playing teams like Falmouth and TA and Noble, you know them. Fangor, you didn't know anything about. So is that a different account of an adjustment? How tough is that?

SPEAKER_04 13:48

Um, you know, we well, thanks to uh Coach Coach Morrison, we had a pretty good scatter report. He went through and he got a lot of stats and you know, spread like spreadsheets and charts um all on the team. So uh we had a pretty good idea of who they were. I also knew a couple kids on the team, so I knew them. Um but it it was different because you know we played we have played, you know, like you said, found the TA and all before. Um so it was a little different playing a new opponent. Um but yeah, thanks to the spreadsheets, we kind of knew a little bit what they were what they were about.

SPEAKER_02 14:20

You know, baseball by its nature is a frustrating sport, right? If you give up a two-run lead, you know, you guys gotta hold it, but you didn't. What does that say about your team?

SPEAKER_04 14:27

Uh grit. You know, we have we have a ton of grit. That's what we've been going on the whole year. Um and you know, it was like the grittiest the grittier team will win, and we just we happen to have a little more grit than they did.

SPEAKER_02 14:38

Pretty confident when he steps to the plate there in that allowance.

SPEAKER_04 14:41

I 100% confidence. You know, I I have so much confidence in him. I knew he was gonna do his job. He's done it all year. He's just just another day.

SPEAKER_02 14:48

Yeah. So you pitch him with a lead for the first time, and then in the blink of an eye, they have the tiger in a third of the one out. Yeah. So talk about no margin for error.

SPEAKER_04 14:56

Yeah, no, I knew I knew that, you know, like once they got once he got on third, I knew that, you know, I there was no no mistakes. I couldn't let up any mistakes. You know, I just I had to do my job. I had uh, you know, trust in my defense for them to do their job and they didn't execute.

SPEAKER_02 15:10

I mean that second out, could you tell it wasn't deep enough to score the runner? Were you pretty sure it was the runner wasn't gonna be able to advance?

SPEAKER_04 15:16

Yeah, I mean, you know, I I know he I knew he had a pretty good arm. I knew he was a good arm.

SPEAKER_02 15:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:20

So I knew that and he the ball was hit pretty pretty close, not close to the infield, but it was it was far far enough in that you know, I knew that uh like even if he did get all that, I I trust that he would have thrown him out.

SPEAKER_02 15:32

So then at then at that point, you're okay, we're one out away.

SPEAKER_04 15:35

Yeah, yeah. At that point, you know, I was like, okay, this is this is a little bit it's a little better, you know. We have two outs now, all we gotta do is just get one more out. One more out, that's all we got. That's what we need to do. And you know, that's what we did. We went out there and did a jump.

SPEAKER_02 15:46

So that last false hit, did you know it was gonna stay in the field of play? Were you hoping it was gonna stay in?

SPEAKER_04 15:51

I actually you know, at first I wasn't really sure, and then I saw our third baseman Dante. I saw him once he got right under it and he was he stopped moving, I was like, oh, this is it. We did it. And then it was like 0.5 seconds, I was just like, wow, that is what is he saying.

SPEAKER_02 16:04

Yeah, and I mean everyone's mobbing you, right? I mean, what's that feeling like?

SPEAKER_04 16:07

Oh my god, best feeling ever. That was that was awesome, you know. It was I can't even describe the feeling. It was it was awesome. One of the best feelings of my life.

SPEAKER_02 16:15

What does it mean to be part of the team that's the first time in 21 years and what it means to this community?

SPEAKER_04 16:20

It it means so much. It it means so much, not only to us, but like you said, the community. You know, they've everyone's put in so much hard work and you know, dedication to the team, and it just it's it it was awesome to play for them. Not only play for us, but play for them and go out there and win it for them.

SPEAKER_02 16:34

Did you think this was possible from day one this year, or was there a certain point during the season that you were like, yeah, we might be the best team?

SPEAKER_04 16:39

No, I I I mean from day one that was the goal. That was that was that's always been our goal is to go out there and win the state championship, you know. And we just yeah, I we always we always believed, we always believed that we could.

SPEAKER_02 16:49

Mm-hmm. And you'll be keeping a close eye on our other guys next year. I'll keep a close eye on that. Yeah. What are you doing next year?

SPEAKER_04 16:55

Uh I'm going to Colby. I'm gonna go play baseball. You're gonna play ball there? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:59

Miles, you're going where?

SPEAKER_04 17:00

We did.

SPEAKER_02 17:00

Okay, and you're playing ball. All right, your emotions. State champ, what does it mean?

SPEAKER_06 17:06

Uh it's a great feeling, you know, to um play with play with the guys since we were little. You know, it's just it's a dream come true. And it's just what we always wanted.

SPEAKER_02 17:17

Yeah, what what made this team special this year? And I'm pretty sure it was evident all along.

SPEAKER_06 17:21

Oh, definitely probably our chemistry. All of us, like I said, we've all been playing since we were eight, nine years old. So we've definitely been playing together forever, and it's just great to be with this group of guys.

SPEAKER_02 17:35

What was it like introductions, taking the field the first time? Something I'm sure you dreamed about for a long time, right?

SPEAKER_06 17:40

Yeah. Definitely nerve-wracking um to be in a big, big situation like that. But once you just play ball, it's just all those nerves go away. It's just it's a game.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

So I mean, all season you got contributions from everybody, right? It wasn't just the top three hitters in the lineup or top four, whatever, you know, including the other day you guys score on a squeeze, a basis loaded walk, that score on baseball, right?

SPEAKER_06 18:03

Yeah, we we have these tight games and you know, we we find ways to win and just get it done.

SPEAKER_02 18:09

Knowing Hunter wasn't available, how much confidence do you have in Miles and then Wyatt when he comes in?

SPEAKER_06 18:14

Full confidence in these guys. These guys have been mowing down people all year and just love to have them on that.

SPEAKER_02 18:20

Uh-huh. Did you think you're ever gonna get that run though? I mean, eleven innings is a long time. That's a long time in a big league game. That's a certainly a long time in a high school game.

SPEAKER_06 18:27

Yeah, I knew I knew we were gonna come out with it. I was full confident with these guys. I mean, our defense were just gritty.

SPEAKER_02 18:35

Right. So then with Hunter at the plate there, you knew he was gonna come through? Oh, 100%. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 18:40

Full confidence, Hunter. I mean, he's he's been electric all year, so yeah, he he might have a future at all, right? Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:48

Well, I mean, when that when that run scores, you guys you know you don't have the game won, but I'm sure you're pretty fired up at that point, right?

SPEAKER_06 18:54

Yeah, we I think we just put our heads up and just roll to them.

SPEAKER_02 19:00

But I mean, it was a tough situation there in the bottom of the eleven. Tyler and a third with one out. More often than not, they score in that situation. But you didn't let it happen. No. So how sweet was it that last pop-up and the the final out is made?

SPEAKER_06 19:11

It was dream come true, you know. And everything you ever wanted as baseball player, you just crowd your team and just mob them.

SPEAKER_02 19:19

Right. What what do you think this team will be remembered for?

SPEAKER_06 19:25

Our grit and just our ability to win games and get it done.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

Do you like the fact that some of these other communities aren't too happy with a couple of the breaks you guys got? It's almost like you turn into villains when you shouldn't be, you know? Uh I mean I And no one's gonna take take it away from you.

SPEAKER_06 19:42

Let them hate.

SPEAKER_02 19:43

No, I hear you. But I mean it it it is any championship run is awesome, but to do it with kind of some unique circumstances, you guys are always gonna be remembered.

SPEAKER_05 19:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:55

So, and what do you think about next year's team? I know you won't be part of it.

SPEAKER_06 20:01

Um I'll definitely be back to see some games.

SPEAKER_02 20:04

Yep.

SPEAKER_06 20:06

And they can get it done.

SPEAKER_02 20:07

Yeah, what do you have planned for next year?

SPEAKER_06 20:09

Uh SMCC. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 20:12

Alright. Good deal. Good stuff.

SPEAKER_07 20:14

State champion, how does that feel hearing those words? It feels amazing. It feels amazing. It's uh um that's sort of surreal, it's starting to slowly sink in. Uh but the biggest thing is I'm just so happy for these guys.

SPEAKER_02 20:27

Right. I mean, it it's in a bittersweet enough sense that you know that was the last time you're all gonna be together.

SPEAKER_07 20:31

Yeah, yeah, it is. It's uh I was uh talking to my wife a little bit about it yesterday, and it's uh, you know, normally most years, uh because you know, there's so few of us that are that are lucky enough to have this happen, but for most years you're running full speed through the whole spring, and then it's like you hit that brick wall and it's over and there's that flood of emotions, and I thought that you know that that would be totally gone, but yesterday it kind of hit me that you know, especially for for these three guys, like that's it. You know, like they're they're their time with the program is done. So there's there's that emotional piece of it. Uh so we're gonna miss miss those three you know tremendously, but it's uh yeah, it's uh it's been a it's been a huge wave of of ups and downs emotionally for sure. Yeah, crazy couple weeks, uh yeah, it really has.

SPEAKER_02 21:15

Um did you feel pressure coming this year to win this year? You had some great seniors, obviously you have Hunter who's exceptional, but maybe you've been cl you've had good teams, but you hadn't been able to take that next step.

SPEAKER_07 21:25

Uh honestly, yeah, I I I don't feel like there was a lot of pressure this year just because of the fact that we underachieved last year and and uh and I think that caused a lot of people to to sort of write us off a little bit. Um and and you know, then we we just you know kind of showed up and very early in preseason myself and and the rest of the guys on the on the coaching staff kind of figured out that just something about the glue that that these guys had like holding themselves, you know, holding the team together with that that chemistry piece um was a little bit different. Uh and that and that these guys they uh they they I think had had bigger plans.

SPEAKER_02 22:07

Yeah. Tough league, you go fifteen to one. That's not easy in any season. W what why were you so successful, you think?

SPEAKER_07 22:16

Uh because every single game these guys bought in and the the objective and the idea was that we we want a full roster of guys that are are willing and and confident every single game where we walk into it and you expect to win every every game, no matter whether it was these three guys in the mound, Owen Todd, our our younger freshmen that we've that we've got. Uh it doesn't matter. Whoever it is that we've got, the the the plan is to go out and and win uh and and do whatever it takes. And and these guys, they bought right into that and and ran with it.

SPEAKER_02 22:48

Any second guessing regrets that you didn't save Hunter for or you have him you were fine with what you had?

SPEAKER_07 22:55

Yeah, 100%. So it was a very talked-about thing by a lot of people, and a lot of a lot of very smart baseball guys, you know, kind of asked me, like, well, you know, what do you what are you what were you thinking there? That you must have at least been thinking a little bit about about trying to get him out of there. Uh and I'm a huge believer that you do what you've even in the playoffs, you do what you've done and what's gotten you there. And what's gotten us there was focusing on that game and that game alone. Now, don't get me wrong, when you know that you've got him and him fully rested, ready to go, um, that certainly gives you a uh a great feeling. But we have we all season long, every step of the way, it's been we worry about today's game, we don't overlook anybody, you don't start thinking about what's ahead, all right, and we'll we'll focus on winning today, and then we'll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.

SPEAKER_02 23:46

Yeah, like I said, Wyatt, you know all the teams in the league like the back of your hand. A team like Bangor. You know, you're kind of going in blind. Yeah. Was that more challenging? I mean, they're there every year, but you don't see them.

SPEAKER_07 23:56

Yeah, it was it was definitely a little bit more challenging. Um, you know, there's there's uh the baseball community is is small in Maine. So there's a lot of uh there's a lot of of coaches that I know that have that reached out and said, you know, hey, here's it was maybe it was preseason, but here's what we saw, kind of here's what to expect. Uh and then and then via the the travel ball circuit, a lot of these guys know each other. So there's a little bit of familiarity that you have with with some of them, but it's it's different when you when you go head to head with them, you know, Mike Owens, uh Mike D'Andrea, Jason LaRivier, game in and game out, year in and year out, and you kind of understand what their thought process is and uh and how they approach games, and and definitely it's uh more of a challenge with a with a guy like Dave Morris, who has a you know tremendous track record. He's he's probably got to be right up there amongst the the top guys in the career-wise in in wins, uh, but you don't know is he a small ball guy, is he a guy that's gonna that's gonna you know play for that later in the game, or is he you know play for the big inning?

SPEAKER_02 24:55

So uh could you tell Miles was on pretty quickly? 100%.

SPEAKER_07 25:00

Yeah, yeah. And he's he's a guy that it's pretty easy to to tell quickly with him. Uh and when he went out there in the first inning, uh you could tell he was feeling well and and and was gonna was gonna throw it throw it really well for us that day. Uh and then you know, as that uh that game kind of wore on, the other the other real comforting piece was knowing you gotta hold another another starter. So, you know, you being the the away team, your margin for error goes down a little bit, but it was kind of one of those, you know, and I kept saying to these guys, you know, it's gonna come down to who wants it more. It's gonna come down to who wants it more. That's that's how it goes. But honestly, with those two, we could play all day. Right.

SPEAKER_02 25:42

So You kind of did. Yeah, yeah, a little bit. Um you had some chances early you didn't capitalize on. Yeah. Sometimes you you'll look, you know, if you don't win, you look back on oh my god, we blew our chances. But you knew because you guys kept getting people on base almost every inning. So did you feel like it was coming?

SPEAKER_07 25:57

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We can I said that to them a couple of times through the early part of the game. You guys just trust the process, you know, stay the course here. The the the couple of base running mistakes were a little bit uncharacteristic for us early. Um but it's it's it's guys that you know they're they're two of the of the main reasons why why we got got where we got. So, you know, you can be you can be mad for a few minutes, but you know, you you move on. Uh and I felt like we had some pretty good swings. I thought the the Rutherford kid threw it through it well for them. Um He was a guy we didn't know a whole lot about, but but based on the scouting reports that I had heard, I thought for you know he threw the ball extremely well. Uh but we had some good bats and good swings against him early. Uh and usually in the game of baseball for the most part, uh when you when your guys are putting good swings together the first couple of times through the order, eventually that that levee will break.

SPEAKER_02 26:49

I know you love the squeeze when it's properly executed, so how nice was that to pull that off to get the first run?

SPEAKER_07 26:55

It was it was great. It was great. And then the funny part was from from because we were we were in the first base dugout, so I was right in front of the Bangor dugout, and the minute that situation presented itself, they uh they were they were kind of on alert for it, and you know, hey, watch the squeeze here, watch the squeeze here. So we kind of waited our our time a little bit strategically. Miles happened to be the guy on on third, so I've I verbalized some stuff to him kind of early in that at bat. And uh and and it was you know, it works out works out well. It's something that these guys can tell you. We we've our practices are not super imaginative. We we drill the same kind of things over and over again. It's about repetition. Uh, but again, it's that's one of those things where when we didn't need it through the course of the regular season, we we whacked some teams pretty good.

SPEAKER_02 27:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 27:43

Uh but it was one of those things that we always kind of had in our arsenal for when we were gonna need it.

SPEAKER_02 27:48

Kind of fitting that the bottom half of your order brings in the first couple runs, right? I mean, they of they often get overlooked just because of what you have higher up, but those guys were huge for you.

SPEAKER_07 27:57

Yeah, it's it's human nature. When you go through the the the top of our order with with Coop and then these three guys, you get you get down to the the lower part of the order, and and these guys are gonna they're gonna you know kind of take a breath and go, okay, you know, we made it through those guys. And then you lose that lack of focus for a minute, and next thing you know, he's beating you, Sawyer's beating you, Dante had a had a great year. So it's it's um yeah, it it the the those the bottom half, those guys, they're the the kind of the driving force of of what we've been able to accomplish for a lot of the year here.

SPEAKER_02 28:31

You're six hours away from a championship and then blink of an eye the game's tied. Yeah. So that's baseball. And it's how do you how do you respond and could you tell they were going to respond well?

SPEAKER_07 28:39

Uh yeah, yeah. You know, so so the the fact that that Wash was able to keep his his composure and and and when he came in and and pounded the zone right away, Miles was able to go right back out there and get that very, very important final out to to you know leave it at a tie. Uh and then the way that the way that these guys were playing defensively, particularly one of the huge overlooked things I think in that game was the wind was was pushing real hard in from left center, kind of cross so the ball the wind was was crossing the field from left to right. So anything hit off the bat of a righty is gonna is gonna tail towards the right field line anyway, and with a heavy wind pushing it, and it's a weird dimensions field that's real short, not real easy to do, but he played a tremendous right field. There was a lot of a lot of balls that were that off the bat were you're you're thinking, you know, geez, that's got a chance to get kind of deep, and next thing you know, it ends up in that no man's land between between him and Luke, uh, and he made a made a couple of real nice catches. And and I one of the guys up there asked me at the end of that game on the on the the second out in the in the eleventh, do you think that you would have maybe thought about sending that runner? I me personally, I would have. I would have thought pretty pretty hard about it because that when you make that catch, I think it's probably almost as easy to to to get a little hamped up and put one halfway up the backstop. But he made a he made a real nice throw on it, but he also all this momentum was coming in, and as a coach there, and you see how shallow that is and he's approaching it the right way, it gives you pause, and then the second you pause you you gotta hold them up.

SPEAKER_02 30:24

So I mean we were you nervous out there playing right field, or was it harder than it was in a normal game because of what he was describing?

SPEAKER_06 30:33

The win was definitely a factor. Um but he I just read the ball and try to go get it.

SPEAKER_02 30:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 30:39

Just think, don't drop it.

SPEAKER_02 30:41

Right. And then in that situation when the tiny runs at third, I mean, are you like trying to keep an eye on the runner? You gotta catch the ball first, right?

SPEAKER_06 30:47

Right.

SPEAKER_02 30:48

Um could you tell right away though you weren't gonna have to make a throw?

SPEAKER_06 30:50

I knew the runner was at third. My my thought from it was he might go, so I'm gonna just give it all I got and throw home.

SPEAKER_02 30:59

Right. Um top of the 11th, two outs, it looks like we might be going uh we might be here all day, and then you get a get a little rally going. Those those are great, right? The two-out rallies with with no with nothing, you know. The other team thinks they're basically out of the inning, and then boom, they're not.

SPEAKER_07 31:14

Yeah, yeah. I mean the the the top of the for us to be able to to again with the bottom of our order to be able to turn it over to the to the top, and and you get you get Coop up there who's an absolute bulldog, and all all you need with this group, especially, is just a little bit of life there, and and he he gets in there, takes a uh takes a hit bath, and he gets hit by hit by the pitch, uh, and then you could you could almost start to see the doubt a little bit kind of creeping in, and and again, human nature piece of it, I'm sure they're looking through going, you know, it's not just one guy that you gotta be careful, they're going, you know, Jesus, now I gotta face him and then him and then him and Preston. So you're um it's and it's easy to, you know, no no no lead is safe in in high school baseball. So you know, I'm sure they were I'm sure they were they're lamenting that a little bit, but you know, that's that's how it goes.

SPEAKER_02 32:05

So when you get Hunter up with the go-ahead run and scoring position, how confident are you in him to come through? 100%.

SPEAKER_07 32:12

Yeah, 100%. I mean I mean confident in any of these guys, you know. He had a he had a tremendous year, you know, in individually, and and I've said it all year where you know everybody talks about he's gonna go to Alabama and pitch. And the the pitching numbers obviously are off the charts, but the fact that he won our league batting title and and put up very uh very good offensive numbers, uh, and it's just a matter of going up there with uh with the right frame of mind and the right the right approach.

SPEAKER_02 32:38

Yeah. So you have the lead, but you know the game's not over, but you're feel you're feeling pretty good going to the bottom eleventh, or are you still a little concerned?

SPEAKER_07 32:45

Uh I mean, yeah, I mean I was I was feeling great. You know, Wyatt was was throwing the ball incredibly well, um, you know, picking up where where Miles had left off. Uh I'm not gonna lie, I didn't I didn't love you know putting putting the leadoff guy on on base. Uh nobody nobody ever does.

SPEAKER_02 33:02

A few extra gray hair.

SPEAKER_07 33:03

Yeah, yeah. Uh but but again, you know, the the the guy kind of kind of slapped it, Luke made a nice play on it, but the kid got down the line pretty good. Um and then and then it's just at that point it's just try to go pitch by pitch and at batter batter by batter and and see what happens.

SPEAKER_02 33:19

Yeah. That final outs made, uh obviously the guys go crazy. What what did that mean to you? What was your emotion there?

SPEAKER_07 33:26

It means it means everything. I mean, it's uh it's obviously we've talked at at length about the ebbs and flows of of the playoffs, uh, and we don't worry too much about what other people think or say or any of that stuff, but um just to to kind of put the the finishing touches on it for everything that we accomplished through the year uh and all the work that these guys put in, it's just uh it's a really an indescribable feeling.

SPEAKER_02 33:50

Yeah. You're gonna you know, I'm sure you'll do this, uh hopefully you'll get to experience this again. But doing it with this group, how what's the what's the magnitude of it?

SPEAKER_07 34:01

Uh it's it's really it's it's indescribable. It's uh it's you know, I've been been coaching high school baseball for a long time now. Um and and I I can't think of another and and I coached coached with Mac McHugh and we had some great great Chevrolets teams with great great kids, but I I cannot think of a team that I've ever been been a coach with that had a better overall group of of guys than this team. Yeah. So it means everything.

SPEAKER_02 34:28

And what it means to the community, I'm sure you got a sense of that, just how the outpouring of of joy, right? I mean it's wonderful in this day and age where you can experience something like that.

SPEAKER_07 34:37

Yeah, yeah, no, it's been it's been great. I had a I had a guy actually ran into a a guy in and uh you know that lives locally who's got a kid that's in little league that I I have no idea who they are, and they came up and identified themselves at at the grocery store and like, hey, we've been watching all your games, you know, congratulations. So uh yeah, Gorham's a great baseball town, but the community support has been unbelievable. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:58

Well, you know, you now you've set this bar too, and you know, you're gonna be returning some great kids, and everyone's gonna be gunning for you next year. So, you know, how do you keep this going and how do you stay at or near the top?

SPEAKER_07 35:09

Uh I I think I think it's just the the expectation is there now, but now these guys as as returning players, they know what the ride looks like. They know the work that it takes to to get there. Um and and I think that's a good thing. You know, we're I think I think we'll be we'll be prepared for it. It's a it's a tough league to win in year in and year out, that's 100%.

SPEAKER_05 35:32

Right.

SPEAKER_07 35:33

But it's uh but it these guys are are built for it. And when you can kind of set that bar so that these are the expectations that everybody from from youth levels all the way on up have, that's a that's a a a good problem to have.

SPEAKER_02 35:46

And you guys will be a unique champion for some of the reasons that I you we were talking about. And you know, sometimes you need a little bit of of luck in life. But it's but it's taking advantage of it too. It's not like you were given anything.

SPEAKER_07 35:58

Yeah, well that that's been the that's I think that's probably been the the most challenging part is that uh that the you know these guys have have taken taken a lot of shots that they shouldn't have had to take because of the of the rain out, which is in uh a rule that was in place before any of these guys were even born. Uh I was on the the the back side of that rule in 2011 at Chevrous, and it's one of those things that nobody nobody ever mentioned back then. It was just everybody knew the rule, and and this one, for whatever reason, people that were with other school communities and in other towns were convinced that they knew what the weather was here and that there was some nefarious plot to to uh you know to to give us a redo on it, uh and then not willing to to give up the you know the the credit that he has to then turn around and and pitch a game that that wasn't he wasn't expected to to throw in kind of thing and and goes out there, throws the ball really, really well, and then and then the the TA fans show up hearing and reading all that stuff. I've got a tremendous picture I'd love to show you of that play um at the end where where Noah Fullerton is literally on the far inside of the white base. Rules are rules are rules. Again, we don't make them, we didn't didn't call it. It's the umpire, so everybody using the verbiage that we got bailed out, you know, there was a couple of fans that got on me pretty hard at the through the whole Noble Regional Final Game about getting bailed out over and over again and all that stuff. And I can take it, it doesn't bother me, but when you've got when we left the ballpark and a lot of the Falmouth fan base, they're taking a lot of very personal shots at high school kids, that crosses the line to me, and that's uh that's uh that's an ugly part of it. But as and as far as those those naysayers out there who want to say that that any any of this has been diminished, I think it's it's it's quite the opposite. I think it is. I think it actually like cemented these guys a little bit more and it's a good idea. We're we're gonna do this one.