Winning state championships with the Forest Hills boys basketball team has become the norm for the Daigle family.
Of the Tigers’ four Class D championships — 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2020 — there has always been a Daigle, or two, attached to it.
That includes the two youngest of the group, Jackman, a senior forward, and Cooper, a sophomore forward. Both will be on the floor Saturday when the Tigers (21-0) take on Southern Aroostook (18-1) in the Class D title game at the Augusta Civic Center (2:45 p.m. tip-off).
“Those two have come up with basketball in the blood,” Forest Hills head coach Anthony Amero said.
If Forest Hills wins, Jackman (2019, 2020) would take the family lead with three titles. Cooper — an eighth grader on the 2020 team — would have two, along with oldest brother Tanner (2013, 2015) followed by Dawson, a member of the 2015 team.
Don’t think for a second it’s not a point of contention at family get togethers.
“You have no idea how many times we get into arguments (on which team was better),” Jackman laughed. “We just got into one (Tuesday).”
“It means a lot (to have the shared experience),” Cooper said. “Both our (older) brothers have won state titles. Me and Jack have both won state titles. I think at this point, it’s kind of a competition to see if Jack and I can do better than they did. But we’ve got a lot of pride in basketball. ”
They’ve even kept the tradition of the family numbers going. Jackman wears No. 54, previously worn by Tanner, while Cooper wears No. 3, which was worn by Dawson.
Both listed at 6-1, Jackman and Cooper have no problem doing the dirty work in the post while the Tigers’ guards — Mason Desjardins (26.6 points per game) and Braiden Welch (14 ppg) — rack up points. Cooper leads the team in rebounding (9.5 per game). Jackman is third on the team in scoring (9.4 ppg), but has also proved to be a good all-around presence for the Tigers this season, averaging 3.5 steals per game (second on the team) and 5.3 rebounds per game (fourth on the team).
“Coop is always just pounding the boards,” Jackman said. “Getting the rebounds, getting the put-back (baskets), that’s how he gets his points. He’s just a beast down there. I’m always setting screens for Mason or Braiden, just trying to make plays. I don’t care about points, I’m just trying to make plays for my team and getting us (wins).”
Both brothers provide a bring-your-lunch-pail, physical style of basketball on the court.
“They compete,” Amero said. “On the court (during games) or in practice, those two will get on each other and the rest of us don’t have to do it, because that’s just how they play. Their (older) brothers are the same way. The brothers, whenever they’re in town, are working with them and are at practices with us, working out. They’ll push them harder than I can, I can tell you that much.”
The personalities of Cooper and Jackman — on and off the hardwood — couldn’t be more different.
Cooper has a bit of flair on the court, punctuated with a mullet hairstyle that has been a fashion statement of the tournament in Augusta. Not quite at the level of 1990s country music star Billy Ray Cyrus, it is relatively comparable to current country standout Morgan Wallen. Or as Amero likes to compare it to, former 1980s college football standout Brian Bosworth.
“Coop, being the youngest, typically has to prove himself against three dominant brothers,” Amero said. “He’s made sure that he’s stuck out. I call him ‘The Coop,’ looking like Brian Bosworth with his 80s haircut and his physique. (The 80s) had The Boz, we’ve got The Coop. He’s a big personality. He spends his summers down on Jonesport-Beals pulling lobster traps, that’s where he gets his physique from, working on a lobster boat.”
“(The mullet) started a year ago,” Cooper said. “I was getting it trimmed, I didn’t want it to get too long. But a buddy, he and I were talking, we were just reading a bunch of things on the internet about guys getting mullets. We look at each and just go, ‘If we both get mullets, we should do it together, as friends.’ My buddy still has his, his is longer than mine. He’s got a perm that he did on his. I’ve kept mine clean for Amero though, because Amero isn’t a big fan of it.”
Jackman, who sports a crew cut, is a bit more reserved. He’s also the musician of the family. He can play the piano, and also has the ability to play the accordion, a skill he picked up about a year ago, when he received one as a gift.
“It’s just been a blast and I’ve been getting a lot of praise for it, too,” Jackman said. “It’s really awesome to play the accordion for everyone.”
Jackman’s accordion playing skills were put on full display during the funeral of Sandra Everett, a noted Forest Hills “superfan” who died last April at the age of 83 after a battle with cancer.
“She wanted one thing,” Amero said. “She wanted Jackman Daigle to perform at her funeral. He played the accordion at the graveside ceremony. He’s a very talented kid.”
“She was a Tigers superfan, I absolutely adored her,” Jackman said. “Very much respect, she would go to just about every Forest Hills game with her husband. To be selected to play ‘Amazing Grace’ — not only on the piano but the accordion — at her funeral was an absolute honor.”
The Daigle brothers get one more chance to win a title together on Saturday, but know the challenge that lies ahead.
“We’re really excited to play Southern Aroostook,” Jackman said. “It’s going to be a great game. From what we’ve seen, Southern Aroostook is a really classy team, very good and we are very excited to play them.”
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.