There will be more movement in Classes C and D next year.

Woodland and Limestone schools are headed back to Class C, while Schenck of East Millinocket may drop down to Class D, pending discussion by the school board.

Enrollment numbers decided by the Maine Principals’ Association dictated the Woodland, Limestone, and Schenck moves.

This year’s enrollment cutoffs were 230-399 for Class C and 0-229 for Class D for sports such as soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, cheerleading, and cross country.

The Woodland girls basketball team certainly had a good run in Class D, winning two state and three Eastern Maine titles in the last three years, but the Dragons are heading up to Class C for the 2003-04 school year.

Athletic director Patricia Metta said the school’s numbers aren’t going to go up anytime soon, so the school could be back in Class D in the next round of classification realignment. Classification numbers are examined every two years.

Limestone will return to Class C next year after two years in Class D, athletic director Aaron McCullough said.

Limestone combines its enrollment with the Maine School of Science and Mathematics. The Limestone Community School’s enrollment is 100; MSSM’s is 150. That combination puts the Eagles into Class C next year.

Schenck of East Millinocket principal John Doe will talk to the school board March 11 about a possible move from Class C to Class D, although the school’s enrollment is expected to go up next year.

Doe said there are 220 students enrolled this year, which puts the school in Class D. But Doe is expecting around 60 new students next year with around 35 graduating this year.

Doe will present the information to the board, which then makes the ultimate decision.

The issue could be a moot point at Schenck, though, because there’s been talk of consolidation with Stearns High School in neighboring Millinocket next fall in the wake of the Great Northern Paper Inc. bankruptcy.

Houlton announced last month that it will go from Class B to Class C. Presque Isle is in its final season in Class A and will move to Class B next year.

Gordius’ great game

Jenna Gordius picked the perfect time to show what she can do offensively.

The MDI guard, who was the Trojans’ top substitute this year, scored 12 points in Saturday’s Class B state championship game at the Augusta Civic Center. She had six points in the second quarter as MDI outscored Greely of Cumberland Center 18-8 en route to a 58-33 victory.

Gordius has been averaging about six points per game but did have a 12-point game earlier in the season. She went 5-for-9 from the floor Saturday.

“I haven’t been shooting particularly [well] this year, but I’ve been working on my outside shots and driving to the basket in practice,” she said. “I think I pulled it off. I just wanted to impress everybody because it’s my last game.”

The speedy Gordius isn’t known for her scoring, but she is considered to be one of the Trojans’ top athletes.

“She gets out of control quickly sometimes, but when she gets into the full court, she’s as fast as anybody in the state, bar none,” MDI coach Burt Barker said after Saturday’s game. “She would have had 20 points tonight. The last couple of breakaways she just missed.”

Welch headed to USM

Nokomis of Newport’s Lindsey Welch is heading to the University of Southern Maine to play basketball next year, but that’s not the only reason the standout point guard decided to attend the Gorham school.

“My older sister Amber goes there, too,” Welch said after Saturday’s 59-39 Eastern Maine Class A quarterfinal victory over Hampden. “So I go down there and watch games a lot. My sister has a lot of friends on the team. I’ve gotten to know the team pretty well.”

Welch is listed at 5-foot-3, but she said that’s what the Huskies were looking for.

“They wanted a guard because they don’t really have a point guard right now,” she said. “They want somebody smaller who can handle the ball and they told me I could do it.”

Welch joins an impressive roster of former Maine high school stars, including Meg Cressler of Camden-Rockport, Jess Libby of Orono, and Bangor’s Kara Crockett.

Welch was also considering Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, an up-and-coming program which also boasts several former Eastern Maine high school standouts.

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