Moss

Eubanks

Male:

TERION MOSS, Senior—Basketball

* Mr. Maine Basketball 

* Maine Gatorade Player of the Year

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* Class AA North Player of the Year

* SMAA Senior All-Star

* Maine McDonald’s Senior All-Star

Moss capped a transcendent high school career by sweeping virtually every award there was to be won by a high school senior.

Moss emerged as a top athlete at a young age and followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Amir, making a quick impact with the Bulldogs varsity team as a freshman. Moss and his teammates lost in the state final his freshman year, but Portland beat South Portland in a double-overtime epic the following winter and as a junior, Moss led the Bulldogs to another title, earning Maine Gatorade Player of the Year honors in the process.

This winter, after quarterbacking the Portland football team to the regional final, Moss excelled again, averaged 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.9 steals while making 40 3-pointers, as Portland won 17 of 18 regular season games.

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Highlights included a career-high 40 points (and the program’s third-best ever performance) in a season-opening win over Noble, 27 points in a victory at Windham, 26 points in a win over Gorham, 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a victory at eventual state champion Edward Little, 22 points and seven boards in a win over South Portland, 23 points, seven rebounds and five steals in a victory over Thornton Academy, 26 points, nine boards and four assists in a second win over South Portland and 22 points and five assists in a season-ending victory over Deering.

Moss had a dozen points in a quarterfinal round playoff win over Lewiston, then bowed out with 22 points and eight rebounds in a semifinal round loss to Windham.

Moss, who won 76 of his program-record 84 games over four seasons, leaves with a program-best 113 made 3-pointers and finished second in program annals with 1,130 points. Moss capped his high school career by repeating as Maine’s boys’ Gatorade Player of the Year and becoming just the third Portland High player to earn Mr. Maine Basketball honors. Moss will next take his talents to the University of Maine.

A sensational high school career has come to a close, but Terion Moss, Portland’s Winter Male Athlete of the Year, will live on in program lore and is set to produce many more memorable moments on the hardwood.

Coach Joe Russo’s comment: “Terion was tremendous. He shot well and ran the team. He made good decisions. He played a great floor game for us. He showed leadership and outstanding coachability.”

Previous winners:

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2016-17 Dom Tocci (hockey)

2015-16 Amir Moss (basketball)

2014-15 Steve Alex (basketball)

2013-14 Ben Allen (Nordic skiing)

2012-13 Kidayer Albujyly (wrestling)

2011-12 Ben Allen (Nordic skiing)

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2010-11 Mike Herrick (basketball)

2009-10 Imadhi Zagon (track)

2008-09 Sam Guimond (hockey)

2007-08 Imadhi Zagon (track)

2006-07 Ryan Carmichael (basketball)

2005-06 Andrew Duncanson (basketball)

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2004-05 Connor Cushman (Nordic skiing)

Female:

SHAYLA EUBANKS, Senior-Basketball

* SMAA All-Star, third-team

* SMAA Senior All-Star

* SMAA All-Academic

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* Team MVP

* Captain

Eubanks was the steady veteran on a team that added an abundance of new talent before producing its best season in years.

Eubanks grew up in Portland and started playing basketball at a young age.

“Both my parents played and I had a ball in my hands as long as I can remember,” Eubanks said. “I fell in love with the game and competition. It’s like nothing else. It’s such a big part of my life.”

Eubanks played on the Bulldogs varsity as a freshman for a nine-win team which got to the quarterfinals. Her next two years resulted in just five combined victories, but Eubanks was able to enjoy her senior season immensely as Portland put it all together this winter.

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In addition to a strong returning core, the Bulldogs benefited from the arrival of new players Amanda Kabantu, Davina Kabantu and Gemima Motema and the squad lived up to preseason hype and won 12 of 18 games.

Eubanks, a captain for the second straight season, averaged 11 points, five rebounds and two assists. She finished with five double-doubles and made life miserable for opposing defenses from the outside as well as down low and also handled the ball when needed.

Highlights included 18 points in a win over Windham, 14 points in a victory over Massabesic, 16 points in a loss to Deering, 12 points, including an improbable banked-home 3-pointer just before the horn, to snap Gorham’s three-year, 47-game win streak, 18 points and 14 rebounds in a win at Cheverus, 15 points in a victory over Noble and 20 points in a Class AA North quarterfinal round playoff victory over Bangor. Portland’s run ended in the semifinals with a loss to eventual champion Edward Little, but it marked just the second time in 15 years that the team advanced that far.

“I couldn’t be happier than how things went this year,” Eubanks said. “It was a big turnaround.”

Eubanks, who also played AAU basketball, as well as volleyball at Portland High, is a member of the senior class Executive Board, Yearbook and Black Rights Club. She plans to spend a post-graduate year at Exeter Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, then hopes to play basketball in college.

Shayla Eubanks, Portland’s Winter Female Athlete of the Year, bookended her high school career with trips to the playoffs and left quite a mark on the Bulldogs program.

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Coach Gerry Corcoran’s comment: “All the credit to Shayla for being a great leader this year. Shayla, on the court, had a break-out season for us and helped guide us to the semifinals. Shayla has a tremendous basketball IQ as a player and will only get better as she plays against a higher level of competition. There were many times this year as we progressed as a successful team, that other teams would put their best defender on her to not let her touch or shoot. Many games she was chased and banged but she never gave in and willed herself to score or unselfishly distributed to others. With commitment, hard work and consistency, she not only became a great captain and leader for our very young and talented team but she became, day-in-out, our best player. I am a big fan of Shalya’s and her best basketball is yet to come.”

Previous winners:

2016-17 Maggie Hosmer (track)

2015-16 Lauren McIntyre (hockey)

2014-15 Gabby Wagabaza (basketball)

2013-14 Brianna Holdren (basketball)

2012-13 Abby Popenoe (Nordic skiing)

2011-12 Kylie Dalbec (hockey)

2010-11 Nicollette Kapothanasis (basketball)

2009-10 Raechel Allen (hockey)

2008-09 Nyachuol Biliew (basketball)

2007-08 Nyachuol Biliew (basketball)

2006-07 Alex Perdomo (hockey)

2005-06 Regina Roberts (track)

2004-05 Ashley Anderson (basketball)

2003-04 Ashley Brownlee (basketball)

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter:@foresports.

Moss

Eubanks


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