Tom Obey pivotal in Bangor Christian softball success

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Tom Obey’s first playoff coaching experience was forgettable. Facing a tough Jonesport-Beals team and star pitcher Sandi Carver, Obey’s Bangor Christian squad lost 30-1 in an Eastern Maine Class D quarterfinal.

“I think we got one hit and we kicked the ball a few times,” Obey said with a laugh recently.

But in 1999, the Patriots got their revenge. Bangor Christian upset the Royalettes, who were led at the time by Tricia Carver, Sandi Carver’s sister, in the Eastern Maine Class D final 6-5.

Jonesport-Beals and Tricia Carver would take back the regional title the following year, but the Patriots have come a long way from that 29-run defeat. Bangor Christian is hoping to play in its sixth straight regional final this spring and Obey is one win away from the 100-victory mark.

Bangor Christian (7-2) was supposed to play Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook Saturday but the game was rained out. The Patriots next game is Monday at Deer Isle-Stonington.

Once the 15-year coach gets his 100th win, the numbers will work out to just 6.6 wins per year. For all the success the team has had lately, the early seasons were lean.

Obey started the program in 1988 because his daughters Sheila and Sarah wanted to play and the school had no team.

“I only took it to start the program up,” he said. “Both of my daughters wanted to play. … But I fell in love with it.”

There were only 46 students in the high school and 10 girls on the team, including five eighth-graders.

“We started off with some 1-11 years,” he said. “[With the eighth-graders] physically we were underdogs. We were just outmatched every time we stepped on the field.”

A few years later the school organized a program for the lower grades, so Obey had a feeder system.

The Patriots were 8-8 in 1994 and things have looked up from there. And enrollment is up to 141 students, which is above mean size in Class D (the enrollment cutoff is 229 students). Bangor Christian won its first regional title in 1999.

Things should be set for next year, too. With nine freshmen on the team now and nine current eighth-graders expected next year, the school may have its first junior varsity team. The varsity got new uniforms this year, so the old uniforms are all ready to go.

Also, ace pitcher Kara Hartman, who already has 100 strikeouts this year, is only a junior and top hitter Gabby Eastman, who is probably out for the season with a broken finger, is also a junior.

Belfast boys tennis

When Belfast’s first doubles pair of Ryan Wight and Ben Webber stepped off the tennis court after a win Friday, they heard a lot of applause and cheering but didn’t quite understand why the crowd was so excited just for a single match victory.

“I told them, you don’t understand,” Belfast coach Kent Tarpley said Sunday. “We’ve never beaten Camden before.”

Indeed, the Lions logged their first-ever team win against the rival Windjammers Friday, a 4-1 victory. Wight and Webber provided the eventual winning point.

Dana Randlett was the winner at first singles and Miles Boege took the third singles match. Matt Tanguay and Jono Holmes won the second doubles match.

The two schools are located about 20 miles apart and are big rivals in other sports like wrestling, but Camden Hills has traditionally been a tennis powerhouse with at least four courts in town. Belfast has only had tennis for seven years and there are just two courts available for the high school team. The Windjammers were 9-1 going into the match.

Still, Tarpley said he felt Camden Hills was beatable this year. The Windjammers graduated their top players last year, while six of the Lions’ nine players are seniors.

“Last year they felt like they’d never beat Camden,” said Tarpley, whose son is second-singles player Bobby Tarpley. “Now I think they believe.”

The win will likely give Belfast a big boost in Heal points because Camden Hills was ranked No. 2 in last week’s Class B Southeastern division rankings (Belfast was fifth).

The Lions are scheduled to play Maranacook of Readfield Tuesday. A win over the Black Bears, who Belfast has already beaten once this season, will give the Lions a 6-6 record at the end of the regular season.

Hawks end skid

The Hermon girls tennis team also logged a big win recently. The Hawks snapped a three-year losing streak with a 4-1 win over John Bapst of Bangor May 13.

The Hawks, who were 0-42 before the win Saturday, got match victories from Noelle O’Clair at second singles and Jen Cliff at third singles.

Erin Lee and Katie DeLuck teamed up to win the first doubles, and Charlie Corden-Dilley and Mallorie Robinson took the second doubles.

Hermon had last won a match in 1998 when the team went 2-10 for the season.

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