How close is the Bangor boys swim team to its 18th Class A state title?

Consider this: Bangor has at least one swimmer in every event with a time that puts them in the top six in the state. In one event, four of the top six times are Ram swimmers. And Bangor has the fastest time in all three relays.

Success is nothing new for the Rams, but this year’s team is a mix of surprises and standbys. Bangor is led by a group of sophomores who have been swimming together since elementary school and some swimmers who were not in coach Phil Emery’s plans at the beginning of the season.

Time-wise, Emery said, this year’s group is the fastest he has ever coached. What impresses him is the team’s competitiveness.

“Every team has a different personality,” he said. “This team just loves to race.”

Jason Thomas and fellow sophomores Tae Chung, Alex Small and twin brothers Dan and Jim Soucie make up most of the scoring.

Last season’s National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches’ Association state male Swimmer of the Year, Thomas owns the fastest times in the 200-yard freestyle, the 100 free and a state record in the 500 free. Small has the fastest 50 free time and senior Jake Jentzer’s 100 butterfly time is the best in the state.

Bangor might not have the state’s best time in the 200 Individual Medley, but four of the top six times belong to the Rams. The top 100 backstroke time isn’t from Bangor, but the Soucie brothers are both in the top six.

The surprises this year came in the form of two swimmers who are now the Rams’ 1-2 punch in the butterfly.

Looking for a flyer to replace 1998 graduate Adam Carney, Emery wasn’t expecting Jentzer to transfer from Pine Crest School and its prestigious swimming program in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Jenzter set a school record in his first 100-fly swim in December.

“The big question wasn’t how fast he could swim but if he would fit in,” Emery said. “I think he’s got a nice rapport with the team now.”

Emery wasn’t sure if freshman Scott Loukes would swim or play basketball. His older brother, junior Nick Loukes, plays basketball for the Rams, but the younger Loukes opted for the pool and is now the team’s No. 2 flyer.

Add in senior diver Justin Fogg, who leads Class A in the latest standings, and Bangor is set to cruise to its 17th team title under Emery.

But swimmers’ times can change in the latter part of the season when the teams start their taper period, which means any team can make a late charge at the title.

“Some teams can have big drops at the end of the season so you never know where anyone is going to be,” Emery said. “We don’t know where we’ll be then. All we know is that we’re training very hard.”

The Rams continue their season against a small but strong Mount Desert Island team Friday night.

The Caribou School Board has appointed Jason York as the interim head wrestling coach for the rest of the season. York has been coaching the team since the December suicide of coach Leigh Cousins.

The board made the appointment at its Jan. 6 meeting.

York wrestled for Bonny Eagle High School in West Buxton and wrestled on a scholarship at Boston University. He served as the team’s assistant coach last year under Carl Grant.

“Jason is certainly qualified for it,” athletic director Dwight Hunter said. “We’re not missing a beat.”

Hunter said the school will open the position to applicants at the end of the season but added that he thinks York will have a “good chance” if he applies.

Meanwhile, Hunter said Duncan Innes of Caribou, who has head coaching experience at a variety of high schools in New England, has been assisting York on a volunteer basis.

The National Federation of State High School Associations Football Rules Committee has revised its rules for the 1999 season.

The major one involves illegal receivers downfield. For example, if a screen pass goes beyond the line of scrimmage after it is deflected by a defensive player.

Under the new rule, the offensive player will still be illegally downfield if he has gone beyond the expanded neutral zone before any forward pass – untouched by a defender in or behind the zone – is thrown. But if that player immediately contacts a defender at the snap and the contact doesn’t continue beyond the neutral zone, he is not downfield illegally.

The change was made to make the situation consistent with the current rule eliminating pass interference once the defense has touched the ball.

Another change is the enlargement of the restraining lines for the coaches and players on the sidelines from between the 30-yard lines to between the 25-yard lines due to the increase in sizes of football squads across the country, according to NFHS assistant director Jerry Diehl.

Mike Carlos will step down from his post as athletic director at East Grand of Danforth to return to the Aroostook Band of the MicMacs in Presque Isle as education director.

“That’s where I worked before I came to East Grand. It’s sort of like a guidance counselor type of thing for grades `K’ through high school,” said Carlos, who also coaches girls varsity basketball at East Grand.

Carlos has no plans to quit his coaching position, which he has held for four years.

“I’ve been coaching soccer and basketball for 21 years. I can’t give it up just yet,” he said.

Carlos, who also plans to go back to school at the University of Maine-Presque Isle to work on his Master’s degreee in teaching, will stay on as athletic director at least through the rest of the winter season.

East Grand has started to advertise the position and is currently taking applications.