BANGOR – For Dick Durost and thousands of other Maine high school basketball fans, February is the most wonderful time of the year.

Well, perhaps not as wonderful as watching a child or grandchild open gifts on Christmas morning, but the excitement tournament time brings to the dead of a Maine winter has few equals.

“I think a lot of it for me goes back to childhood, and growing up in Aroostook County,” said Durost, a Mars Hill native who now serves as executive director of the Maine Principals’ Association. “From junior high on, in most years it was the high point of the winter. The family would pack up, hop in the car, drive down, watch the game and usually drive right back home.”

That was about four decades ago, but little has changed.

Fans from throughout northern, eastern and central Maine will flock to the venerable Bangor Auditorium beginning today for the Eastern Maine Classes B, C and D tournament, which runs through “Championship Saturday” on Feb. 21.

Durost will be among the travelers, splitting his time each day between Bangor and the Augusta Civic Center, home of the Western B, C and D tourney.

“I don’t want to take anything away from the importance and excitement of our other events,” said Durost, “but bringing everyone together at a common site from the quarterfinals on makes this something special.”

One significant scheduling change this year has each quarterfinal and semifinal session featuring either two boys games or two girls games, rather than sessions with alternating girls and boys games that were the norm in previous years.

Among other story lines to be played out during the next nine days and nights:

Eastern B boys: The late-arriving Pony: Foxcroft Academy already was one of the top teams in the division before getting 6-foot-8 senior center Brandon Hall back from anterior cruciate ligament surgery with four games left in the regular season. Will the return of Hall – a double-figure scorer since coming back – to join a lineup featuring senior point guard Josh Withee and talented juniors Matt Carey and Bobby Gilbert, be enough to lift Foxcroft to its first regional title since 1975? The Ponies are one favorite, but so are tradition-laden Camden Hills of Rockport and a veteran Erskine Academy of South China club, the best of the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B ranks.

Eastern B girls: Conference clash: This shapes up as an intriguing battle between the best of the Big East Class B and the KVAC Class B. Top-seeded Presque Isle has made the most of its first season in Class B, using its fast-paced offense and tenacious defense to emerge as the division’s lone unbeaten team. Caribou and Hermon are other Big East threats, while the KVAC boasts the five remaining contenders, led by second-ranked Maranacook of Readfield and No. 3 Belfast.

Eastern C boys: A case of competitive balance: Little is certain about this division, except the uncertainty of the final outcome. Top-ranked Washington Academy features a veteran backcourt led by senior 1,000-point scorers Whitney Stevens and Jared Gray, while Class C newcomer Houlton is led by a pair of versatile 6-foot-6 players in sophomore Mark Socoby and junior Leif O’Connell. Penquis of Milo is known for its defense, but also has shown a recent willingness to play fast-break offense. This division also is legendary for its depth of talented teams – perhaps a Cinderella is lurking.

Eastern C girls: Can anyone catch the Tigers? Dexter nearly won a state championship last winter, and is back as an undefeated No. 3 seed. The Tigers feature the imposing height of sisters Ashley Ames and Mallory Ames as well as multisport standouts Brittany Veazie, Keriann Patterson, Meagan Fogarty and Sabrina Cote. Outgoing coach Margaret Veazie’s club is a heavy favorite to repeat as Eastern Maine champion, but traditional powers Calais and Woodland – last year’s Eastern D titlist – are among those hoping to dethrone Dexter.

Eastern D boys: The last of the undefeateds: Only top-ranked Calvary Chapel, a second-year school from Orrington, has emerged from the regular season with an undefeated record from among all Eastern Maine boys teams. Seniors Kyle Bradford and Josh Madden, both 1,000-point scorers, and sophomore point guard Brock Bradford lead the Sabers into a tournament with high-quality depth at the top of the standings. Fourth-ranked East Grand of Danforth boasts the tournament’s most experienced player in senior guard Darius Parker, while Central Aroostook of Mars Hill, Katahdin of Stacyville, first-year Class D member Hodgdon and Washburn are all considered threats.

Eastern D girls: Panda-monium: Lee Academy has played in the shadow of Woodland in recent years, reaching the regional final each of the last two seasons only to fall to the Dragons. But Woodland is now in Class C, and Lee has a veteran cast led by junior guard-forward Shelby Pickering. The Pandas are adjusting to new coach Randy Harris, who took over when Carrie Goodhue resigned late in the season. Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook was the division’s only unbeaten team, and should be among Lee’s chief challengers, along with Hodgdon, Shead of Eastport, Ashland, Lubec and Fort Fairfield.