BETHEL — Brody Morgan of Bryant Pond and Reiley Hedden of West Bethel helped lead the Telstar basketball team all the way to the state tournament this year.

Hedden, who attends Gould Academy, was able to play for Telstar thanks to a Maine Principals’ Association rule that allows players from schools without a team to join a neighboring school’s squad.

The two had played basketball together as children, from fourth through seventh grade. Their season was cut short in eighth grade due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They didn’t play together again until their junior year in high school when Hedden joined the Telstar team along with several other Gould boarding students. This year, Hedden was the only player from Gould.

The Telstar team was excited to have Hedden on board.

“He was a huge part of our team. During our sophomore year, we really didn’t have a shooter — someone who could hit the three-pointer. Our junior year, we were excited to hear that Reiley was joining because we’ve always known he can shoot,” said Morgan.

Hedden said it felt good to play at Telstar since he knew almost everyone on the team.

He added that the MPA rule made everything easier — Gould didn’t have to worry about scheduling games, hiring a coach or arranging for referees. Plus, Gould’s focus was more on on-snow sports for their students. Hedden’s mother, Tracy Wilkerson, teaches at Gould, while his father, Peter Hedden, teaches at Telstar.

The two friends first met through the Bethel Recreation basketball program, launched by Mike Pelletier, twenty years ago. They credit the rec program as the foundation that helped them reach the state tournament. Hedden noted that before rec, basketball wasn’t widely played in Bethel, where most people were focused on skiing.

When Hedden and Morgan were in fourth grade, Pelletier’s son Tristan was their coach in the Bethel Recreation program.

“We won the entire rec tournament. It didn’t mean anything, but it was everything. It felt like winning the Maine State Basketball Tournament,” said Hedden. “This is the first year where everyone who started in rec is on the same high school team. Now we’re good. We made it to the state tournament. I really think that rec is what helped us get to this level.”

High school success

Returning to the state tournament as seniors with a higher seed than the previous year, and defeating a team they lost to last season felt incredibly rewarding.

The team began to notice more people attending games.

“It started to feel like the whole town was supporting us, not just the people directly connected to the team. Our community grew,” said Morgan.

In addition to Morgan and Hedden, five other senior players are graduating: Zach Dougherty, Hunter Winslow, Grady Kellogg, Nathan Clarey and Eliot Norton. The boys praised their teammates for being ready at any moment.

“To come into a game ‘cold’ and hit a three-pointer or play solid defense. It’s very important,” said Hedden.

They were especially impressed by freshman Alex Dougherty.

“As he gets older and develops, by his junior and senior years, he’ll be one of the stars on the team,” said Hedden. “He really showed up when we needed him this year,” added Morgan.

Though Hedden doesn’t attend Telstar, he spends his Saturdays coaching at the high school for the Bethel Rec program. Many of the kids he coaches also attended the high school games.

“This year felt different,” said Hedden. “We had more people at the games, many of whom were kids we coached. Rather than just playing basketball, they were watching it at a higher level, which will help them grow.”

“Those kids look up to us because we made it so far,” said Morgan. “When I see them, I remember how I felt.”