WELLS—
At the Maine McDonald’s® High School Senior All-Star Basketball Games, on Saturday, March 10, the two Team of the Year Award recipients were unveiled. The Hampden Academy Boys Team and the Wells High School Girls Team each received the Team of the Year trophy as well as $1,000 for their schools’ basketball programs. Representatives from the Maine Red Claws, Maine McDonald’s and Maine Association of Basketball Coaches (MABC) made the announcement during half time at the All-Star Games.
“We are excited and honored to announce that the Hampden Academy Boys led by Coach Russ Bartlett and the Wells High School Girls, led by Coach Don Abbott, are our 2012 Team of the Year Award honorees. Both of these programs are shining examples of what it means to be named Team of the Year—excellence on the court and in the community,” stated Doug Quagliaroli, local McDonald’s Owner/Operator. “We are proud to partner with the Maine Red Claws in offering this award that will benefit these two outstanding high school basketball programs.”
Nominations for the 2012 Team of the Year award were submitted to the selection committee for review. The committee is comprised of representatives from Maine McDonald’s, Maine Red Claws and the MABC. The two teams were selected based on the stated criteria of having made “an exceptional impact on Maine High School Basketball and in the lives of others.”
“The Maine Red Claws are proud to partner with McDonald’s again this year on the Maine McDonald's and Maine Red Claws Team of the Year Award, and we are proud to recognize the Hampden Academy Boys and the Wells High School Girls teams with this year’s award,” said Red Claws President and General Manager Jon Jennings. “Each of these teams is a tremendous example of the impact that basketball can have on an individual and on a community as a whole. They show that a team can be not only competitive on the court but also have an equal and even more lasting impact off.”
Hard work and dedication on and off the court are words used to describe the Wells High School Girls Team. The Wells Girls have a deep understanding of team concept and are selfless in their play—one of many qualities that contributed to their success this year. The team is a close-knit group that plays the game with mental and physical toughness every day.
Along with teaching the game of basketball, Coach Abbott and his staff teach good sportsmanship and the importance of being a role model to younger players. In the last three years, the Wells Girls teams have raised more than $57,000 for Breast Cancer Living Well programs at York Hospital in Wells and York Hospital. This season alone they raised nearly $27,000 through their third annual Shootin’ for a Cure event and by partnering with the Wells Rotary Club’s annual golf tournament.
To quote a Wells Girls Team nominator, “The fact that each girl had an integral part in all that was done and that they learned how important it is to do for others…to serve, is a wonderful lesson being taught by Coach Abbott. I'm very impressed with these girls and this program.”
Photo Caption: Wells High School Girls’ Basketball, Maine McDonald’s Team of the Tear recipients, are pictured while at their “Shootin’ For A Cure” event on Saturday, January 14. (Courtesy Photo)
