Eagle-eyed golfer charts to discover if refs on par

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BANGOR – One of Eastern Maine’s best-known young female golfers has been spending more quality time indoors lately – at the Bangor Auditorium.

Lamoine’s Tiffany Shoppe, who has finished no lower than fourth the last three years in the state schoolgirl championships, has been indulging her second sports passion the last few days.

“I’ve been coming over here since I was little, so it seems like home,” Shoppe said. “I played basketball my sophomore year and I’ve always loved the game.”

But she gave it up to concentrate on golf the next two years. She’s still not playing hoops, but she’s helping out the Maine Basketball Commission by charting officials’ calls during Eastern Maine Tournament games.

“I write down who called what, when they called it, what call they made so they can review it afterward,” Shoppe explained. “It’s for the commissioner [Peter Webb]. I guess it’s so he can go over it afterwards with officials.”

She doesn’t get paid, but there are benefits.

“I get a great seat and there have been quite a few good games,” she said.

Tiffany’s father John, who has been a Maine high school referee for the last 18 years, brought his daughter along to tourney games when she was little. As he worked, she learned to chart games.

“She’s harder on me than anyone else I’ve ever seen,” said the elder Shoppe. “She’s very blunt. Many times after a game, she’s said `How’d you blow this call or that one?’ and I’ll go `Geez Tiff, it’s bad enough when the fans tell you that.’ ”

Shoppe wanted to become a referee this year and planned on taking the classes necessary to do so, but couldn’t since she doesn’t turn 18 – the minimum age requirement for sanctioned officials – until July.

“And where I’m going to college next year, I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to do it,” she said. “Maybe I can do it in the summer.”

The Ellsworth High School senior hasn’t picked a college yet, but she wants to study business and play golf for one in the Carolinas. She’s also optimistic about getting a sports and/or academic scholarship.

Shoppe said being in the Auditorium has made her second-guess her decision not to play basketball her senior year.

“It was a big temptation to play ball, but I decided I should stick to my main game,” explained Shoppe, who has been working at XL Golf in Hermon for two years. “It helps my game to be able to play a little in the winter.”

Bangor Christian’s helpful fans

While tourney fans sometimes get a little too animated in supporting their teams, the Bangor Christian student section focused its energy in a more positive way during their girls team’s Thursday semifinal loss.

The BC students were well-organized and polite, supporting their own players with a series of chants, gestures, and cheers while leaving their opponents from Jonesport-Beals alone.

And they proved they were paying attention to the game in the fourth quarter when someone noticed that the crew at the scorer’s table had forgotten to change the possession arrow after a held-ball situation.

After several students tried – solo – to shout their observation across the Bangor Auditorium to the table, the students got organized.

“CHANGE THE POSSESSION ARROW,” the group chanted, en masse.

After some quick consultation, the scorers decided that the BC students were right and switched the arrow.

Then, continuing their trend of polite involvement, the throng came up with another chant.

“THANK YOU,” they yelled, to widespread chuckles.

Mustang mixup

While most tournament fans have strict allegiances, not everyone who spends tourney time at the Auditorium knows exactly who to cheer for.

Take 8-year-old Corinth resident Samantha Snyder, who has been to several games this week and was exploring the Auditorium before Wednesday night’s Class B girls semifinal between the Mount View Mustangs and the Camden-Rockport Windjammers. When asked who she was rooting for, Samantha said she wasn’t sure.

“I have to go ask my grampy,” she said before scurrying off to find her grandfather, Richard McQuesten.

Samantha bounded down the bleacher steps after a quick conference with McQuesten and called out the answer.

“My grampy says the Mustangs!”