County rivals to battle Hawks vs. Shires, Wildcats vs. Vikes

Route 1 in Aroostook County should be humming with school buses and basketball fans tonight as two girls games – both town rivalries – take on extra meaning.

The Caribou girls travel about 13 miles south to Presque Isle for a 7 p.m. game, while Houlton heads about six miles south to Hodgdon to play at 7 p.m.

Although both games are mismatches in classification, the smaller school team has the ability to take out its bigger neighbor, which is what makes the matchups so intriguing.

There are also Heal points to consider.

Hodgdon was fourth in the latest Eastern Maine Class C Heal point standings. The Hawks are 6-2 after escaping with a 45-42 win over Class D Katahdin of Sherman Station Monday. Houlton, ranked sixth in Eastern Maine Class B, dropped a tough overtime game to Fort Kent 72-68 Monday.

The Hawks have beaten almost all of the top Class D teams on their schedule with the exception of a 44-42 loss to undefeated Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook. Hodgdon beat Madawaska, the only other Class C team on its schedule, so facing Class B Houlton should provide the Hawks with a good test.

“I know the girls have been excited for this game,” said Wendy Ivey, who is in her first season coaching the Hawks but as a 1996 Hodgdon graduate knows firsthand how intense the rivalry is.

“We have a big week coming up with Houlton and Fort Kent [Saturday],” she added. “If we come out of this with two wins, we should be in good shape.”

The Shiretowners fell to 4-6 with Monday’s loss to Fort Kent, but Houlton has a few big wins to its credit, including victories over Orono, Caribou, and Ellsworth.

Ivey has seen the Shires four or five times this season and took the Hodgdon girls to Houlton’s game against Mount Desert Island Saturday.

“That was helpful,” she said. “It’s a lot easier for the girls to see things you can do to beat them.”

A victory over Presque Isle, one of only two undefeated teams left in Eastern Maine Class A, would certainly be a huge boost for Caribou.

The Vikings are 6-4 and fifth in the EM Class B standings. They have key wins over Class B rivals Houlton, Orono, Fort Kent, and Class A Bangor. After going 4-1 to open the season, Caribou is 2-3 in its last five games – although two of those losses came against defending state champion MDI.

Presque Isle is 5-0 after beating Fort Kent and Class A Hampden in its previous two games, but the Wildcats haven’t played since Dec. 30 because of a weather postponement. The Wildcats are first in the Eastern Maine Class A standings.