The Boothbay boys’ basketball team posted a successful regular season last year, finishing seventh in the Heal point standings with an 11-7 record. But the season ended in disappointing fashion, as Traip defeated Boothbay in the tournament preliminary round. As the 2023-24 season begins Friday, the Seahawks are relying on a couple seasoned veterans and contributions from several newcomers in a quest to reach the Class C South tournament. 

Returning starters are seniors Finn Harkins and Luke Morley, who are this year’s team captains. “Finn and Luke saw a lot of action last season. We’re looking for them to help develop other players who lack experience,” Coach Dan Hallinan said. “We have an influx of talented juniors which I foresee will make us very competitive within the (Mountain Valley) conference.”  Hallinan expects Harkins and Morley to provide scoring and leadership to this year’s team.

Harkins was one of the team’s leading scorers last season. Hallinan believes Harkins is one of the top five players in the Mountain Valley Conference. “I think any coach would want him on his team,” he said. “Finn is going to be challenged on a nightly basis drawing our opponent's top defender,” he said.

Harkins is a major 3-point threat. He connected on nearly half of his 3-point attempts last season. Hallinan expects Morley to be a dominant presence as a scorer, defender and rebounder. “Luke is coming off a great season.  He is a big, strong athletic kid,” he said. “We’re looking for him to light up the stat line with 10-plus points and 10-plus rebounds per game.”

Hallinan saw his team improve during summer ball and early pre-season games versus Morse, Poland and Wiscasset. Other returning seniors, Dominick Dow and Brett Smith, are expected to make substantial contributions this season. Dow is a guard and Smith is a forward. The coach is also counting on major contributions from underclassmen this season. Junior Aidric Canada is a smart player who understands his role as point-guard. “He has had a good week of practice and is well-suited to play point-guard. He also is a great defender who will cause havoc with opposition ballhandlers.”

Junior Tyson French is expected to see a lot of action at shooting guard. French is athletic and a solid defender. “He is great in transition and a good shooter,” Hallinan said. Braden Davis is another junior expected to make a significant contribution this season. “He is one of our better shooters. He is also a strong defender,” Hallinan said.

Junior Liam Jacobs has made a favorable impression this pre-season with his defense. Hallinan expects him to play either guard or forward. “He is still adapting to what we do on defense, but he is a good defender . He is strong and physical, and should play a key role in our defense,” he said.

Juniors Spencer Wenners and Simeon Bates are both post-players. “We need these two to rebound and score with offensive put-backs,” he said. “Simeon can also shoot from the perimeter.”

There are 21 players in the boys’ program: Ten varsity players and 11 junior varsity. Ed Crocker coaches the junior varsity this season. Hallinan expects to play a mixture of zone and man-to-man defense. On offense, he will stick to his traditional “Iowa” zone offensive scheme. “We’re also looking to score in transition. We want to force turnovers, and turn them into points,” he said. 

Boothbay begins the season on Friday, Dec. 8 in Winthrop versus the Ramblers.