BHS Champions recognized by city leaders

The Biddeford City Council Chamber came alive with excitement Tuesday as members of the state champion high school baseball team filed into the room amidst a buzz of respect and admiration.

Biddeford Mayor Marty Grohman said, “today is a proud day for Biddeford,” as the players and coaches stood against the wall, holding the giant golden-baseball glove trophy.

On June 21 this year, the BHS Tigers rallied from two three-run deficits to beat Mt. Ararat and win their first state championship since 1984.

During a previous interview with the Gazette, Coach Keith LeBlanc described his team, which includes seven seniors, as “battle-tested” and always ready to play their hearts out.

On Tuesday, LeBlanc once again referred to his players as “some of the hardest working young men I have ever met.”

LeBlanc pointed out that his team was also recognized with the statewide Sportsmanship Award. “That is something that is pretty impressive,” LeBlanc told the crowd. “Generally, that award is given to a team that has put in a lot of effort but came up short in the playoffs.”

From across the room, someone yelled out. “Don’t forget to mention you were named as coach of the year!”

“The community support we received was nothing less than amazing,” LeBlanc told the mayor and council. “It is something I will never forget.”

Councilor Neva Gross described her excitement while watching the state championship game. “We were all so pumped,” she said. “We had so much fun, cheering them on, and Marty was right there, keeping the fans focused and excited,” she said, gesturing toward the mayor.

The entire team and all the coaches posed for a photo with the mayor and council.

On her way out of the chamber, one person was heard, saying, “I’m just so damn proud of these boys. They worked so hard for this.”

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Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He may be contacted by email: randy@randyseaver.com

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