Proctor boys take aim at fifth straight hoop title
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BY Tom Haley STAFF WRITER - Published: December 27, 2009
There's some coaching psychology involved when you are chasing a fifth consecutive state championship. Do you keep it quiet, hoping any talk of the streak will be muffled in the long, cold winter? Or do you put it out there brazenly as a goal?
When Mount Anthony was chasing an unprecedented fifth consecutive Division I state crown in boys basketball during the 1991-92 season, coach Dave Fredrickson had the slogan "Strive for Five" printed on the back of the schedule cards.
"We addressed it," he said.
His Patriots answered the slogan, going to the tournament as the No. 3 seed and taking down No. 1 Colchester 56-51 in overtime of the state championship game.
Now, Proctor is trying to match the achievement by hoisting the Division IV state championship trophy in boys basketball year.
Proctor coach Dick Wilcox would never have put a reference to the attempt to secure a fifth consecutive state title on a schedule card or any other place.
He tries to stay away from any reminder of that and only views it as an albatross around his Phantoms' collective neck.
"We try very hard not to discuss that," Wilcox said.
"I know it's there and there's going to be pressure."
There is always the pressure and the expectations that come with all that success and the streak. It's there from the beginning.
"We were scrimmaging the Williamsing to be pressure."
There is always the pressure and the expectations that come with all that success and the streak. It's there from the beginning.
"We were scrimmaging the Williams freshmen and I heard one of the players say something like he wondered how the new players were going to react in the state championship game and we hadn't even played a game yet," Fredrickson said.
Proctor has a gargantuan task in pulling off its own five-time feat. There are all kinds of worthy opponents lined up ready to take their shot at ending the streak, including very good teams who have moved down from Division III this season: Twin Valley, Williamstown, Rivendell and South Royalton. Twin Valley, in fact, sits atop the Vermont Basketball Coaches Association poll in Division IV and Proctor is No. 2.
But the Phantoms do have the edge that comes with the experience of winning title games.
"I think it's a big advantage," Fredrickson said. "The kids are comfortable playing on that floor. Sometimes the other team is just happy to be there."
That comfort zone Fredrickson speaks of was evident in MAU's fifth consecutive title, that one coming at the University of Vermont's Patrick Gym. The Patriots were unflappable, facing a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter, as they came back to force the overtime and beat Colchester.
"If you don't win it, you feel bad," Fredrickson said. "You wonder if the players are enjoying it because all they are looking at is the end. It's sad if you don't win because you still have had a pretty good year."
Mount Anthony never took an unbeaten record into any of those five tournaments and Fredrickson felt that was a good thing.
But Proctor has had the added pressure of being unbeaten during some of its championship seasons. The Phantoms had a 49-game winning streak during part of the run.
"Proctor has got good coaching and I think they play the game the way it ought to be played," Fredrickson said.
A common denominator of the MAU team that bagged the fifth straight crown and this year's Proctor squad is a strong inside presence. The Patriots had it with the likes of 6-foot-6 Brent Kipp along with Jamie Balance, Tony Burnor and Kirby Wright.
The Phantoms boast height uncommon at the D-IV level with 6-foot-4 Zach Currier, 6-foot-3 Calvin Knowles, 6-foot-3 Austin Howard, who is still sidelined with an injury, and Matt Dobart, who plays bigger than his 6-foot-1 stature.
But Wilcox is quick to point out that this year's edition of Phantoms basketball is seeking its own identify and is much different from any of the title teams.
"We lost our point guard, leading scorer and leading rebounder," Wilcox said.
The Phantoms' 6-0 record includes a hard-earned 47-42 victory over South Royalton and Wilcox knows there will be many more difficult games to come.
"We talk about it some and striving for the fifth title is a goal," Proctor senior Josh Taranovich said. "But we are only thinking about the next game we play."
There have been other incredible championship streaks in boys basketball, including a couple by Marble Valley League teams. West Rutland won seven of eight crowns from 1945 through 1952 in Division II and Burr and Burton took home the Division II title seven of nine years from 1976 through 1984.
But MAU's five straight stands alone.
Phantom fans will be hoping their team can join the Patriots in that select neighborhood.
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