BANGOR - For the second straight year, both Southern Aroostook's boys and girls basketball teams cut down the nets and hoisted the Class D Gold Ball, after two dominant victories.

The girls started off Monday's championship slate at the Cross Insurance Center. The game started back-and-forth, with the Warriors leading 11-9 mid first quarter, but then they would explode offensively in the second.

From that point, they went on a 32-4 run, taking a 43-13 lead into the break and not looking back from there. Madison Russell led the way with 19 points, and Cami Shields added 15 in the victory. It's their fourth Gold Ball in five seasons.

For the boys, they also went on a dominant run in the second quarter to push themselves ahead. The Warriors led by 19 at the half, and even though Mason Desjardins had 34 for Forest Hills, it wasn't enough.

Dylan Burpee led all scorers with 36 points, Graham Siltz added 21, and the Warriors cut down the net for their second straight title, after not winning once since the early 1990's. They cap off a perfect season with the win.

Sports Director

Tyler Krusz joined the ABC7 and Fox 22 team in October of 2021 and is looking forward to telling all of our local athletes’ stories! Tyler, a native Rhode Islander, graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2020 with degrees in Journalism and Political Science. During his time there, he enjoyed covering all of the D1 sports the University had to offer, including a few football games against the University of Maine! Tyler worked with the school’s radio station and newspaper, while interning with sports radio host Andy Gresh and the sports department at Fox Providence. After college, Tyler worked as a news anchor and a sports anchor for WBKB11 News in Alpena, Michigan and is excited to come back to New England -- just hours away from his family. When he’s not talking about sports, Tyler enjoys golfing and playing softball (because his baseball days have passed). He also loves to fish, cook, and spend time outdoors any way he can. Feel free to contact Tyler at tkrusz@wvii.com or follow him on Twitter @TylerKruszTV.

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