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BANGOR – The recipients of the 2018 Maine McDonald’s Spirit of the Game Awards and the McDonald’s All-State academic scholarships were announced recently at the Maine McDonald’s High School Senior All-Star Basketball awards banquet.
Since 2009, the annual Maine McDonald’s Spirit of the Game Award has honored two high school basketball team members who embody the spirit of the sport of basketball, exemplify sportsmanship, support and inspire their teammates and coaching staff, and have shown the ability to overcome obstacles and boundaries.
Katelyn Carlow of Dirigo High School received the Joshua Titus Spirit of the Game Award. Carlow, a senior on the Dirigo girl’s basketball team, has inspired her coach and teammates by overcoming several knee injuries.
Over the past six years, she has undergone eight separate knee surgeries and countless hours of physical therapy. She has been restricted to crutches for months at a time, even a wheelchair. Her prognosis today is for double knee replacement surgery by the age of 25, and to limit her physical activity for life to swimming, biking and walking. Her experience, in the words of Dirigo Coach Rebecca Fletcher “is beyond my comprehension as a human being, but more even more so as an athlete.”
Through all of this, Carlow has continued to fight her way back time and time again. She told her coach earlier this season, “I’ve never been a quitter, and I’m not going to start now.” Said Fletcher, “Her resilience, determination, mental toughness and heart are inspirational to anyone who knows her story. When my players aren’t competing with pride and passion, I refer them to Katelyn’s struggle to have even the opportunity to play.”
Gorham High School girl’s basketball team manager Evan Morrell received the 2018 Patrick Thibodeau Spirit of the Game Award. “He brings so much to our program we didn’t even realize we were missing until he showed up,” said Gorham Coach Laughn Berthiaume.
Morrell, who has developmental delays and Tourette’s Syndrome, attends every practice and game, and helps in every aspect of the program. In practice, he is in charge of running the clock for drills and getting water during breaks. He also works on his own shooting and dribbling to prepare for his school’s Unified Team games. During varsity games, he keeps a rebounding chart for his coach.
The awards are named in honor of the first recipients — the late Joshua Titus, who was a team manager at Edward Little High School and had autism — and Patrick Thibodeau, who was a team manager at Greely High School and has Down syndrome. The award winners receive a trophy and a $500 spirit scholarship to assist with their higher education needs.
2018 MCDONALD’S ALL-STATE ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS
Anya Chase of Wells and Nick Foley of Greenville high schools were the recipients of a $2,000 Maine McDonald’s All-State Academic Scholarship. The scholarship recognizes two members — one girl and one boy — selected from the Maine McDonald’s All-State Academic Teams. The 10 boys and 10 girls selected to the All-State Academic Team were nominated by their coaches and were chosen to represent the more than 120 high schools in the state of Maine.
The All-Star Awards Banquet preceded the four All-Star basketball games and contests with the top North and South high school seniors going head-to-head at Husson University in Bangor. All-Star weekend is one of the largest annual fundraisers for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine.
In addition to underwriting the cost of planning and executing the All-Star Basketball Games, Maine McDonald’s owner/operators work hand-in-hand with the Maine Association of Basketball Coaches and a variety of sponsors to make the event possible.
