Four Hawk players are also refereeing

Not every basketball player agrees with how referees call games, but officials on the Northern Maine board will probably hear a bit less griping from four Hodgdon High School basketball players.

That’s because Amanda Fitzpatrick and Erin Foster of the Hodgdon girls team, and Hawks’ boys team members Jimmy Griffin and Jeff Condon, are all referees themselves.

The four high school students went through the referee course in the late fall and have been officiating lower-level games. It’s quite rare for high schoolers to referee games, but with Hodgdon athletic director Marty Bouchard handling the assignments for junior varsity and middle school games, it was hard to say no.

“He kind of confronted me about it and I said, ‘Sure why not,” said Fitzpatrick, a senior forward for the Hawks. “You make extra money and I like basketball anyway.”

Referees make about $30 per middle school game and about $40 per junior varsity game.

Bouchard, who has officiated Eastern Maine tournament games, helped instruct the four students with sessions at school or at his house.

Fitzpatrick has worked four middle school games so far. She was very nervous before her first game, but that has abated mostly because of her fellow referees.

“I have great people to work with,” she said. “They’ve been very understanding. They know I’m new, and they know I’m learning.”

Fitzpatrick’s father Steve, the Hodgdon principal, is also a longtime referee. Amanda Fitzpatrick used to tag along with her father on occasion – she recalls traveling with her father to a game in which former Lawrence of Fairfield standout Cindy Blodgett played.

“It was easy for me to get into it because he told me, ‘Oh, try it, it’s fun,'” she said. “He kind of edged me along, too.”

Fitzpatrick said she’s picked up a lot that she can apply in her own games. Sometimes, she said, she sits on the bench during games and can make calls in her head along with the referees. She also hasn’t had any bad experiences with complaints for coaches and crowds.

She can also understand how hard the job is.

“Oh, I don’t [complain about calls] anymore,” Fitzpatrick said with a laugh. “I kind of appreciate the referees now.”

Sumner strong early

It might be early in the season, but the Sumner of East Sullivan girls have already posted three impressive wins after winning just four games in the past three seasons.

The Tigers beat always tough Narraguagus of Harrington 64-43, Class D Deer Isle-Stonington 59-40 and George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill 62-51.

Top scorers so far have been Sandra Klausmeyer with 13 points per game, Jody Pinkham (12 ppg) and Crystal Bridges (7.3 ppg).

Pinkham, the daughter of former Sumner standout and 1973 All-Maine second-teamer Elwood “Bimbo” Pinkham, played for Jonesport-Beals last winter.

Calais girls’ un-easy summer

If the Calais girls basketball team is to go far this season, it’ll be without the benefit of a summer program.

Blue Devils coach Bob McShane said the high school underwent construction over the summer and the gymnasium was used as storage space. That left the girls to fend for themselves.

“That’s always been a fundamental part of the program,” McShane said recently. “So we’ve gone a whole year without playing or lifting. It’s showing. We might lose some games that we should win early on.”

Calais got as far as the Eastern Maine Class C final last season, where the Devils lost to Dexter. They are 2-1 so far this year with wins over Washington Academy of East Machias and Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln. Lee Academy, a favorite in Eastern Maine Class D this season, edged the Blue Devils 54-52 Saturday.

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