GSA Boy’s Basketball – A Manager’s Perspective
Ethan Snow, a junior at George Steven's Academy is serving a two week internship with us at Townsquare Media. Knowing that he loves the GSA Eagles, and the fact that they are playing in the State Championship Game this Saturday night, March 4th at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, we asked him to tell us the story of the GSA Eagles! Here's his story....
In late November 2015, the George Stevens Academy Boys Basketball Team set out on a three month journey to do one thing, win the Class C State Championship. The Eagles had the talent, in then sophmores Taylor Schildroth and Max Mattson, juniors, Jarrod Chase and Beckett Slayton, and senior Nick Szwez. With a great bench and coach Dwayne Carter, this group of Eagles set off for the gold ball. Before the Eagles could start their journey, they needed a Manager, something that Coach Carter's squad hadn't had in a few years.
Ethan Snow, who played on the freshman team the year prior was brought on to manage the varsity team. Snow said " I was skeptical at first about the job, mainly because I enjoyed playing the game so much." Snow also said " They told me that we would be a good basketball team, I knew we would be, but I wasn't thinking state championship good."
The Eagles would go on to have the best start in school history starting the seaosn 16-0, eventually, Ellsworth gave them a loss but finished the regular season 17-1. During that time Snow started fitting in more on the team. He said "Coach Mattson and Coach Carter told me at the beginning to have fun with it, so I did just that."
Snow was eventually know by his nickname "Big E" to just about everybody, he also got his team fired up with his own post game speeches and dances. Snow said " I was told around the time of the regional final that I was a big reason why we were here, that made me feel right at home with the team." Snow along with the GSA team went 21-1 on their way to the Class C State Championship. " Winning states was icing on the cake, after all the fun I had that season and a gold ball, I knew I wanted to come back, a lot of people asked me if I was gonna come back for the next season, I told them absolutely."
Snow, now a junior, eventually figured out as a manager, he was the one to keep teammates informed. " Some teammates if they missed what time practice was or when a team dinner was, I would be the first one they'd ask, so I just started to figure out when everything was so I would know in an instant in case someone needed to know."
The Eagles will play for their second straight State Championship on Saturday which would be a first for the team, while exciting, Snow says it's business as usual." Winning one championship is a dream come true, winning another one would be amazing. We all know what we have to do, we just have to focus and play our game." The Eagles are one game better than last year, going into the state game 21-0, Snow said " It's great achievement to be a part of this team, winning this weekend would make it even better.
Snow says not all his favorite moments happen courtside though. " Some of my favorite memories are at the team dinners we have, playing 2K, Just Dance, those are special memories that our team has formed, and doing those things is what makes us a family." When asked if he would manage his senior year. "Absolutely, I'm having way too much fun to leave, I am actually in the process of becoming the manager of the baseball team this season."
You can see Snow and the entire GSA Boy's Basketball Team this Saturday night as they take on the Class C South Champions Winthrop for the Class C State Championship at 8:45pm at the Cross Insurance Center. Can't make it? You can listen to the game on our sister station 92.9 The Ticket and online at www.929theticket.com. The game will also be broadcast on MPBN.