Ever since he started coaching the Hampden softball team two years ago, Rodney Wells has felt the Broncos program is just a step below other area Class A teams such as Bangor, Brewer and Old Town. Those squads are established and consistent winners, he likes to point out, while Hampden has been trying to get to that level.

To that end, some cosmetic improvements to the Broncos’ home field could give the team a boost this season.

The field at the Weatherbee School complex now has new dugouts and a new scoreboard and Wells is waiting for a new outfield fence that should come in this week.

The new dugouts were donated by Northern Log Homes and were put into place over the last two weekends of April.

“We just finished them up this Sunday morning,” Wells said last week. “We put the fencing up on them Sunday and we’ve been working two weekends putting them together. I’ve had eight parents help putting the dugouts together. Even without this it’s been a great season already, with the team dinners and cookouts.”

A new purple and white scoreboard is also in place, but was not functional as of last week.

“What happened was when they moved the [old] home dugout they pulled it without unhooking the wires and they pulled the wire that runs in the ground [to the scoreboard],” Wells said.

A new collapsible fence for the outfield is also coming. Next fall, Wells said, the plan is to move the infield fences so that they line up with the dugouts. That way, players would simply walk from the dugout right into the on-deck circle. Currently the dugouts are behind a fence and players have to walk around the fence to get to the on-deck area.

But Wells maintains the team won’t get anywhere without its own field.

Hampden plays home games on a softball field at the Weatherbee School, which is across the street from Hampden Academy. It’s also the home field for the junior varsity team and the middle school team, which means the varsity gets few practices there. The Broncos practice at one of two community fields in town.

Wells estimates the team gets five or six practices a season on the Weatherbee School field.

“So our program’s way behind the other programs as far having our own field to practice and play on,” he said. “I know that there’s some talk in the community about making some changes as far as that’s concerned. But I really don’t think that we’re ever going to be up with the other programs until we have our own field … So there’s really no home field advantage at Hampden.”

Myers resigns Ellsworth post

Ellsworth girls basketball coach Drew Myers has stepped down, Eagles athletic director Jay Brown confirmed Monday.

Myers, who did not give Brown a specific reason for resigning, wrapped up his fourth and most successful season with the Ellsworth girls in February. He coached the Eagles to an 11-9 record and a berth in the Class B quarterfinals, where Northeastern No. 4 seed Ellsworth fell to Southeastern No. 1 Winslow in a quarterfinal. It was the only time in four years the team made it to the Bangor Auditorium.

The Eagles will graduate four senior starters from that team.

Brown said Myers has not resigned from his other coaching positions at the school, which include assisting the boys soccer and tennis programs.

The school has started advertising the position and would like to have a coach in place for summer programs.

“We’ve got some teaching vacancies so we’re hoping to tie something in with that,” Brown said.

MPA releases tentative hoop dates

High school basketball junkies, mark your calendars – the Maine Principals’ Association has released dates for the 2002-03 winter hoops season.

The first practice for Classes B, C and D will be Nov. 18 and the first countable game will be the evening of Dec. 6. The regular season closes Feb. 7 and the tourney will run from Feb. 14-22.

The Class A season opens for practice Nov. 25 with the first game Dec. 13, the final game of the regular season Feb. 20 and the quarterfinals starting Feb. 28.

The dates are tentative pending approval by the MPA’s basketball committee.

Jessica Bloch can be reached at 990-8193, 1-800-310-8600 or jbloch@bangordailynews.net.