Jul. 10—The memory of Pat Moody was never far from the collective mind of the Windham High boys basketball team.
“It never will be. His legacy will be forever felt. … At least as long as I’m the coach, they’ll know about Pat,” said Chad Pulkkinen.
Moody, the father of junior guard AJ Moody, was just 49 when he died eight days before the defending Class AA champion Eagles were to begin their official preseason.
For every member of the team, players and coaches alike, Pat Moody was the embodiment of Windham basketball. The town’s outdoor basketball courts, which he had been instrumental in getting built, were named in his honor a week before his death.
When Windham finished its repeat championship season with a 55-52 come-from-behind victory over South Portland at the Cross Insurance Arena, March 1, it was Coach Pulkkinen who rushed to the center court area and took off his Windham basketball jacket to reveal a T-shirt that read “Moody,” to the delight of the large community of fans that supported their team home and away.
Because the Eagles found both joy in being together and repeat success in the aftermath of the death, the 2024-25 Windham boys basketball team has been chosen as the Varsity Maine Boys Team of the Year.
“We knew we were going to face adversity no matter what. Yes, a tragic passing happened, but the world can’t stop moving,” AJ Moody said recently.
Pulkkinen is a former player at Windham. Pat Moody was his seventh-grade coach. Pulkkinen went on to play at Saint Joseph’s College in neighboring Standish and then briefly in a professional league in England. Moody got a replica of Pulkkinen’s pro jersey and wore it proudly around town. It was Moody who told Pulkkinen he was ready to lead the Eagles and should apply for the varsity job after Kevin Millington resigned to take the South Portland job.
Windham’s first title run in 2024 was also a great story. The Eagles were the state’s Cinderella team, winning the school’s first basketball championship after earning only five victories the year before. They were a finalist for the Varsity Maine Boys Team of the Year in 2024.
In addition to coping with Pat Moody’s death, this year’s Eagles were also carrying the mantle of preseason favorite, creating a double dose of outside pressure. At the same time, they were working in new players to replace three key graduation losses that had been the leadership core.
Seniors Braycen Freese, a three-year JV player, and Conor Janvrin moved into the staring lineup for the first time. Sophomore Colin Janvrin, the Eagles’ tallest player at 6-foot-4, went from seldom-used freshman to the important sixth man.
AJ Moody, star junior guard Tyrie James, and senior Creighty Dickson had already played key roles on the court. But now they had to adjust to being the leaders.
“To address being defending champions, our coach made it very clear we weren’t defending anything. It was a fresh start, with a new team, that was trying to reach the same goal,” Freese said. “For Pat, we really just wanted to play and honor his name, through our effort and outworking the other team.”
Windham started the season strong, winning its first eight games before a one-point home loss to South Portland. Another four wins followed but it was perhaps predictable that the team would hit a lull.
It can be exhausting to be at a full — and maybe even overloaded — emotional charge for weeks on end.
When James, a top scorer and facilitator, went down with an ankle injury, the once-beaten Eagles went on a three-game skid. Losses to eventual 8-10 teams Oxford Hills and Lewiston (at home) bracketed a 15-point pasting by top contender Cheverus.
“It was great for us to go through that. There was a lot of growth from a lot of players, and new leaders who had to navigate that dynamic in the locker room,” Pulkkinen said.
AJ Moody said, “We needed that adversity. That was the best thing for us and that kind of crystalized our season.”
There was never a stated goal of “winning for Pat,” Pulkkinen said. “We didn’t want to add any more pressure on the team. They already had enough.”
All along the way, the team had strong community support.
“The fans were there for the kids and the kids were there for the fans, in remembrance of Pat Moody,” Pulkkinen said. “It was a community celebration the entire season of what Pat loved to do and that just made it even more special at the end that we won.”
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