Medomak Valley girls’ basketball coach Randy Hooper was named KVAC 2008-09 Coach of the Year. Hooper has coached basketball at Medomak for four years.
After not making the playoffs the last three years, the Lady Panthers finished the season with a 15-3 record and are seeded sixth in East Class B. Hooper picked up his 100th career win this season in the Lady Panthers’ first win over Lincoln Academy. Medomak girls finished the season with an eight game winning streak.
The award is the first for Hooper in his 13-year coaching career that started at Georges Valley. Hooper coached boys for six years and girls for three for the Buccaneers before landing at Medomak Valley for the 2005-06 season.
“The girls have really bought into the notion that 11 are stronger than what other teams have. I play 11 players every night. They may not play equally but they know their roles and have played hard for each other,” Hooper said.
Last season a lunchbox sat on the bench with the Lady Panthers to symbolize the hard work it would take in practice and in games to be successful. The lunchbox was not on the bench this year. “When the girls came into the season, they felt like they were a different group. It was more a matter of executing than out-working the other team,” Hooper said, adding.
League coaches vote for the KVAC Coach of the Year award. “It is definitely an honor and a humbling experience. Fellow coaches know what you go through, what you have to deal with and the time you have to put in at this level.”
“I told the girls I really should break the award up into 11 equal pieces. It is as much their award. They do the work and I just have a really good place on the floor to watch the game,” Hooper added.
The Lady Panthers reached another landmark when they won an East B prelim game against Herman Tuesday night, to break a 23-year curse and earn a trip to the Bangor Auditorium. Medomak girls have not played a playoff game in Bangor since 1986 under coach George Gould.
KVAC All-Conference selections
Medomak’s Alex MacKenzie was named to the KVAC All Conference first team in boys’ basketball. Lincoln Academy’s Kari Jones was named to the KVAC All Conference second team.
KVAC All-Academic
Senior team members named KVAC All-Academic from Medomak are Kevin Fogg (boys’ basketball), Jasmyn Rose (girls’ basketball), Erica Tolman (girls’ basketball), Kayla Vannah (girls’ basketball) and Brian Sweeney (wrestling), and from Lincoln are Kari Jones (girls’ basketball) and Megan Chandler (manager).
