Basketball: Edward Little’s teams off to a running start under new coaches

LEWISTON Monday marked the first day of high school basketball practice in Maine, and the two new coaches at Edward Little wasted no time working on their athletes conditioning.

The Red Eddies first practices were held in the Connors Elementary gymnasium in Lewiston.

Extensive water damage earlier this year on the new basketball court at Edward Little High School has forced the Red Eddies to relocate to the elementary school for practices and Central Maine Community College for games until the middle of December.

Hours before the first practice, new coach James Philbrook started the boys basketball teams season with a 2-mile run before school at 6 a.m.

Senior Diing Maiwen said the early wakeup was difficult but important to set the tone for the season.

Getting out of bed this morning and getting straight into running, its cold outside, but its all about spirit, Maiwen said.

The guys came out and worked hard if they came in the morning, and theyve got that spirit to work hard.

Philbrook said that being back at his alma mater and training the new crop of athletes is like Christmas morning.

Its sort of a dream job for me, Philbrick said.

Im super happy and excited to be back in my hometown and coaching and giving back to a community thats given me so much, while trying to create the same opportunities for these guys and helping them succeed on and off the floor.

Basketball is Maiwens main sport, so his offseason was occupied by basketball-specific training and playing for AAU teams and XLP, a travel league in Portland.

Its nonstop work, its been a lot of hard hours, sweat and tears to get to this point, Maiwen said.

Im looking forward to this season to put in my all.

Akol Maiwen, a junior and Diings younger brother, said preparation this season started the day after the Red Eddies lost to Portland in the first round of playoffs.

Akol Maiwen said hes fired up, and wants to prove people wrong who may doubt the Eddies ability.

Were all fighting to be the best person on the team and push each other, because we all want to be great and have a great season, Akol Maiwen said.

Frank Perry, the new girls coach, started the first few minutes of practice with ladder and line sprints.

The girls worked really hard, Perry said.

My big push is that they work together as a team, they lift each other up and go 100-percent effort all the time.

I felt like they did that.

Freshman Elizabeth Galway said she also enjoys the competitive aspect of the preseason, especially when players are fighting to make a name for themselves and earn playing time.

As a first-year high school basketball player, Galway said she just wants to make an impact this season, whether thats getting rebounds, playing good defense, scoring, whatever it is.

Perry is the third coach seniors Layla Facchiano and Rachel Penny have had at Edward Little, but he isnt new to them.

(Perry) coached my fourth-grade AAU team, so Ive known him for years, Penny said.

Ive done trainings with him and Im very excited to see him in this new role.

I think (hes) going to bring a very fast offense, and I think everyones going to understand where they fit in.

Perry and Facchiano were two of the leading scorers for the Red Eddies last season.

Facchiano said she hopes to again be one of the teams leaders and top players.

I just have a goal that I want to be seen as one of the best players and I know I am one of the best players, Facchiano said.

Edward Little hasnt made it out of the first round of the Class AA North playoffs during the seniors careers, but Facchiano said the Red Eddies are one of the older, more experienced teams in the conference, and she hopes they can use that to their advantage.

Another returning player for the Edward Little girls is sophomore Hope Fontaine, who has battled back from a torn ACL .

She said that Mondays first practice included some nerves, particularly when it comes to driving.

Im very glad and blessed to be back, honestly, Fontaine said.

I was just doing prayer before this, and I think just prayers before games and stuff is going to really help me get through it.

TJ Kramarz, a senior on the boys team, suffered a fractured rib and a bruised kidney towards the end of the football season and used the three-week period between sports to rest, rehabilitate and stretch.

He said his focus this season is on making his teammates better.

Just play with a little more intensity than last year, Kramarz said.

We got down in games and played with some intensity, we just kind of let off the gas for a little.

This year, I expect if were losing a basketball game, we fight back.

Go win those close games from last year.

Philbrook said nearly 60 kids came to tryouts this year, and Akol Maiwen said that has only made practice more competitive.

I just want to build that chemistry with our team, Akol Maiwen said.

I think thats going to be our biggest thing here, just feeling more like brothers than teammates, you know? We invite you to add your comments.

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