It’s a game Seahawk Nation has waited for since Feb. 23, 2017. On that day, Monmouth Academy defeated Boothbay in the Class C South Girls semifinal round and went on to win the state championship.

The region’s top two girls’ teams both won their semifinal games Feb. 22 setting up round three for Boothbay/Monmouth. Boothbay defeated No. 4 Madison, 53-45, and No. 2 Monmouth beat No. 5 Richmond, 45-32.

This is the third straight year for a Seahawk/Mustang match-up. In the past two years, the winner won the regional championship. But Boothbay’s path to the regional final wasn’t so easy. The Seahawks not only battled illness this week, but a game opponent who took advantage of several Boothbay players feeling the effects of flu season.

Madison led by nine points early in the third quarter after guard Ashley Emery hit a 3-pointer buzzer-beater to end the first half and guard Sydney LeBlanc opened the third quarter with a hoop. Madison maintained its lead through the third quarter. The Bulldogs still led by five with 45 seconds remaining in the third quarter. But junior guard Faith Blethen sparked an 18-5 run early in the third quarter propelling Boothbay to victory.

But what inspired Boothbay to dig deep under challenging circumstances to win a hard-fought tournament game against a worthy opponent? The answer is ganas, a word featured prominently all season on the team’s locker room bulletin board.

“It’s Spanish and means desire,” said Boothbay coach Brian Blethen. “That’s what they did. They fueled themselves with desire, with ganas and that’s how we came back.”

It seemed Boothbay needed every ounce of ganas they could conjure up playing without Faith Blethen. The junior standout’s participation was limited due to battling pneumonia this week. Blethen didn’t start and only played the final two minutes and five seconds in the first half. Faith Blethen played in spurts throughout the second half.

In her place, freshman Kylie Brown drew the starting assignment. They were pretty big shoes for Brown to fill. She started her first varsity game in the regional semifinal replacing a player who will play Division I college basketball (Faith Blethen) in two years. But Brown was up to the task and shone brightly on the big stage. She scored Boothbay’s first two baskets even before her big sister, senior Page Brown (who is pretty good, too) took a shot. Page Brown eventually got in the scoring column and had a game-high 17 points.

Kylie Brown scored eight points, but more importantly gave Boothbay an added scoring threat and dependable defender in Blethen’s absence. 

“I was pretty nervous having to fill Faith’s shoes. She does everything on the court. (She) rebounds, shoots and plays an all-around great game so I really felt nervous about it.”

During the regular season, Kylie Brown has split her playing time between junior varsity and varsity. She is known more for her passing ability, but Coach Blethen also sees her potential as a scorer. “In a word Kylie Brown: courage,” Coach Blethen said. “She is a great passer and teammate. She doesn’t necessarily like shooting, but that girl stepped up tonight and demonstrated courage, and I couldn’t be more proud.”

Page Brown also knows something about playing well in the regional tournament. In 2016, Boothbay won the regional championship and she received the Robin Colcord Award as the Class C West Most Outstanding Player. Page Brown was also impressed by her little sister’s performance.

“I couldn’t be prouder,” Page Brown said. “She began the season hoping to just make the team. Now she has battled her way to a starting position.”

The Browns weren’t the only sister duo involved in Boothbay’s win. Faith and Glory Blethen made key contributions in the victory. Faith Blethen had five points and directing the half court offense and playing solid team defense.

Freshman forward Glory Blethen was the team’s second leading scorer with 11. The Blethen sisters scored the points which eventually gave Boothbay its first second half lead and a margin it never relinquished. Faith Blethen scored putting Boothbay ahead, 41-40, with six minutes and 18 seconds remaining. And Glory Blethen put an exclamation point on an 18-5 Boothbay run hitting consecutive 3-pointers on the Seahawks’ next two possessions. Boothbay led 47-41 and Madison never got any closer.

In total, six Seahawks scored. Both senior guard Sydney Meader and junior guard Chloe Arsenault had six. Boothbay’s victory sets up another tournament clash with Monmouth. Monmouth has proven a major thorn in Boothbay’s state championship pursuit in recent years. In the last three seasons, Boothbay has lost only four games (Monmouth three times and 2016 State Championship game to Narraguagus.

“It’s been a fun rivalry,” said Page Brown. “They beat us my sophomore year on a buzzer beater in the regular season then we won in the tournament, and last year they beat us in the tournament. Once again, it will be two great programs going at it, but this time in the final. And I hope we come out on top.”

Boothbay/Monmouth will play for the regional championship at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Augusta Civic Center. Monmouth’s (19-1) only loss this season was to Boothbay at Boothbay Region High School. The Mustangs defeated Boothbay in a non-countable game for the Mountain Valley Conference Championship.