Winthrop High School senior Tim Gingras and teammate Zach Farrington run a drill in practice that begins with Gingras throwing the ball off the backboard. He outlets the ball to Farrington, who dribbles to the 3-point line at the opposite end of the floor and throws up a lob pass.
"Tim comes from the weakside, grabs it with two hands and throws down the hammer," teammate Sam Leclerc said.
The 6-foot-2 Gingras has yet to dunk in a game this season, but his game is far more about defense than offense. Saturday night, he will be asked to stop high-scoring Calais guard Sam Bell when the teams meet for the Class C state championship at the Augusta Civic Center.
Gingras started when the teams met two years ago in the state championship and in that one he guarded all-state guard Brandon Tomah.
"In the second half, he totally locked him up as a sophomore," Calais coach Ed Leeman said.
Calais won that game 56-49 and the hasn´t lost since. The Blue Devils are riding a 63-game win streak as they gun for their third straight state title Saturday.
"If we play hard and don´t make a lot of mistakes, we´ll have a good chance," said Gingras, whose Ramblers are 20-1.
Gingras has accepted his role as defensive stopper since entering high school and has built on it each season.
"It´s definitely a challenge," he said. "I like the role."
Relying on scouting reports or first-hand knowledge, Gingras tries to force opponents to their weak points and keep them there.
"He definitely gets fired up about shutting the other team´s top scorer down," Leclerc said. "Sometimes we have to calm him down, but that´s not a bad thing."
Gingras uses his athleticism on offense as well. There aren´t a lot of plays designed for him, not with a lineup that includes the high-scoring Leclerc and 3-pointer shooters like Ezra Damm and Larry Foster.
"He manufactures his own points," Winthrop coach Dennis Dacus said. "When he´s in the open court, he puts it in the basket. You´re either going to have to foul him or get higher than he does,"
With his muscular upper body, Gingras looks like a linebacker or defensive end, but in the fall he´s a soccer player, although many of his friends have tried to get him on the gridiron.
"They´ve tried many times," Gingras said. "It´s a little late now."
When he´s not playing soccer or basketball, Gingras is involved in music. He plays baritone in the school band and scratches on turntables to make beats and sell them online to rappers.
Any big names? "I wish," Gingras said.
Gingras has received basketball interest from Division III schools and is considering the University of Maine, UMaine-Farmington or Southern Maine.
"I´m thinking about playing in college if there´s not too much of a workload," he said.
Unlike his outgoing brother, Mike, who played for the Ramblers last season, Tim is more of an introvert.
"He´s really quiet and reserved, especially around people he doesn´t know." Leclerc said. "But when he and Larry (Foster) get together, they can be pretty funny."
Gary Hawkins -- 621-5638
ghawkins@centralmaine.com
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