Views differ on splitting ‘A’ games

The Maine Principals’ Association’s decision to split the Class A state basketball championship games into two sessions for the next two years drew two distinctly different responses from two coaches who have been involved in more than their share of the games.

The MPA’s decision was based largely on a lack of available tickets for the games. In several cases the games were sold out early and no tickets were available at the gate.

The MPA believes that splitting into a 3 p.m. session for the girls game and a 7 p.m. for the boys game will make more tickets available.

Bangor High School boys coach Roger Reed and Cony of Augusta’s girls coach Paul Vachon have led teams to five state championships each.

“To be honest with you,” Reed said. “If it was the boys playing in the afternoon, I wouldn’t like it. I prefer to play that big of a game in the evening.”

Bangor’s last trip to a state game was cited as one of the reasons to make a change. In 2001, the Rams played Deering at the Bangor Auditorium. A large contingent from Portland came to Bangor for the game. Many were unable to obtain tickets. The game had sold out earlier in the day.

Reed believes that the afternoon game might also draw less no matter who is playing.

“I can see that it might work out OK. I’m not sure that it’s always going to sell out. I think that game, the times we’ve been in it, have been packed out games. I think it depends on who is in the game. My gut feeling is that the afternoon attendance is going to be down regardless of whether it’s boys or girls,” Reed said.

Vachon sees the split as a sign that girls basketball has arrived.

“I want to give credit to the girls. It wasn’t 15 years ago that they didn’t want [the girls game] in the Bangor Auditorium. So give the girls credit. They’re attracting enough fans that the MPA feels it can sell out two games. It’s a real tribute,” Vachon said.

Vachon also said he doesn’t feel at all slighted that the girls game would be played in the afternoon.

“I don’t like waiting until 7 o’clock anyway because I get so wound up. It will come around … People like to watch a good basketball product or a good product no matter what sport we’re doing, and we’re doing that,” Vachon said.

Maine Stags honor Moran

Winterport’s Pat Moran has been named the rookie of the year of the Biddeford-based Maine Stags baseball club.

The sophomore at Hampden Academy had a 4-1 record on the mound for the Stags and batted .286. He pitched 35 innings and led the team with 42 strikeouts. He walked 17 batters. That’s on a team that included Deering starter Scott Brown and Ryan Burke of Sanford.

Moran had six hits in 21 at-bats and drove in three runs.

The Stags is made up of high school age players from around the state. The team plays against teams made up primarily of college and former college players.

The team is coached by Brian “Ziggy” Gillespie of Portland, Jeff Cantara of Biddeford, and Peter Adams of Standish.