Vail, Tarr, Hughes take new posts

A domino effect of boys basketball coaching changes has hit Aroostook County this fall. One of the so-called dominoes included a talented young coach who won an Eastern Maine title last winter.

Jason Tarr, who coached the Limestone Eagles to the Eastern Maine Class C title, left Limestone for the Hodgdon High School Hawks.

Ben Vail, who led Hodgdon into the EM Class C tournament last season, started the dominoes when he left the school to take a history teaching position at Georges Valley High in Thomaston.

Enter Tarr, who coincidentally coached the Eagles to a thrilling 88-86 overtime win over Vail’s Hodgdon team in the quarterfinals.

Tarr, whose phys ed job at Limestone was on shaky ground because of the forthcoming closure of Loring Air Force Base, made the jump to Hodgdon to be closer to his Oakfield home.

With Tarr leaving Limestone, the Eagles were left without a hoop coach until Chris Hughes, a former player at the University of Maine-Presque Isle, was named to coach the team. Hughes is from Rangeley.

“We hated to see him go. Jason did a nice job for us,” said Limestone Athletic Director Brent O’Neal. “It was a good opportunity for him. It was closer for him and offered more job security.”

“I think it’s going to be a great pickup,” said Steve Fitzpatrick, Hodgdon’s AD. “He knowns County basketball. He’s got all kinds of enthusiasm and energy. I expect great things from him.”

Replacing Tarr is Hughes.

“It’s not an easy situation,” said O’Neal. “It’s a position that might be redetermined in February with the downsizing. I think he’ll do a nice job. He seems quite ambitious.”

Previously, Hughes had coached junior varsity basketball at Fort Fairfield.

As for Vail, Georges Valley AD Bob Strong says he has expressed an interest in the open varsity baseball job at the school.

On a side note, it is hard to believe, but the basketballs get tossed out for the first official practice in only 46 days.

The Brewer High School athletic department is offering senior citizens of the Brewer school district (Brewer, Orrington, Holden, Dedham, and Eddington) a free Gold Pass for all home events involving the Witches this school year.

According to Athletic Director Dennis Kiah, anybody 55 and over is eligible for the free pass, which includes all sports which have admission charges, including football, basketball, and hockey.

“A lot of them have enough problems with their incomes without worrying about having to pay extra,” Kiah said. “A lot of them have done a lot for the community in the past so this is our chance to reward them.”

Brewer is hosting 32 home contests in which admission will be charged this school year. Normal attendence cost is $3 for adults.

Anybody interested in obtaining a Seniors Gold Pass can contact the school at 989-4140.

Former University of Maine assistant hockey coach Joe Clark will team up with Tony LaPlante as co-coaches of schoolboy hockey at Cony High in Augusta.

Clark has spent the last five years coaching professional hockey in Europe while LaPlante has spent six years as an assistant coach at Cony.

Former UMaine player Jim Tortorella left the Cony program to become an assistant coach at the University of New Hampshire.