Jason Mills, a physical education teacher at Penquis Valley of Milo for the last three years, has been named the school’s new boys varsity soccer coach.

Mills, a former soccer official from LaGrange who also coaches boys varsity basketball at John Bapst of Bangor, was approved to replace Rex Webb as the Penquis soccer coach during the most recent meeting of the SAD 41 board of directors.

Webb had resigned from the post, according to Penquis athletic director Tony Hamlin.

“We appreciate Rex’s efforts over the last eight years,” Hamlin said.

Numbers have been a problem recently within the Penquis boys soccer team, Hamlin said, though Mills recently held a meeting to determine interest in the program and more than 20 potential players attended, Hamlin said.

“Jason is a graduate of Penquis, and he’s already on the staff so that will help,” said Hamlin. “He gets along well with the kids, and I think he’ll be good for the program.”

New summer hoop league starts

A new high school summer basketball league kicks off Thursday in Waterville.

Thirty varsity and junior varsity teams from central Maine high schools will play games Monday through Thursday at the Alfond Youth Center and Thomas College.

Schools fielding teams in the boys and girls leagues include Lawrence of Fairfield, Waterville, Maranacook of Readfield, Messalonskee of Oakland, Mt. Blue of Farmington, MCI of Pittsfield, Winslow, Skowhegan, Madison, Mount View of Thorndike, Monmouth, Jay, Piscataquis of Guilford, Leavitt of Turner Center, Carrabec of North Anson, Erskine Academy of South China, Livermore Falls, Gardiner, and Belfast.

“We are thrilled to vastly expand upon summer leagues that have been offered in Waterville in the past,” said Thomas College men’s basketball coach Jim Libby, commissioner of the league.

Single-elimination playoffs in the varsity division are scheduled for the last week of July.

Mainers set for Friendship Series

Seventeen of Maine’s top high school wrestlers, including 14 reigning state champions, leave for Nebraska next Monday to participate in the 20th annual Maine-Nebraska Friendship Series.

The Friendship Series is the longest running exchange of its type between two states.

Since 1985, the two states have alternated hosting the event. This year, the Maine contingent will wrestle at four Nebraska sites: Creighton, Hastings, Kearney and Millard South.

The Maine contingent is led by four-time state champion Chris Remsen of Camden Hills of Rockport, who’s headed for North Carolina State in the fall.

Other Eastern Maine wrestlers who will compete are Kyle Bonin of Belfast, Jake Rollins of Camden Hills, Brooks Thompson of Skowhegan, Seth McAlister of Oxford Hills of South Paris, Caleb Pelletier of Foxcroft Academy and Chris Desrosiers of Winslow.

Rounding out the Maine contingent area are Justin Cornell and Derek Giusto of Lisbon, David Gregory of Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, Jarred Porper and Decota Cotton of Noble of Berwick, Colby Lamson, Shane Holton and Jon Brooks, all of Marshwood of Elliot, Ben Kinnerson of Kennebunk and Blair Academy and David Smith of Mountain Valley in Rumford.

Dennis Walch, the former longtime coach at Westbrook High, is the team leader-coach of the Maine squad. Other coaches are Neal Wood of Belfast and Mark Stevens of Lisbon.

The team will return to Maine on June 29.

NYA moving up, out

The North Yarmouth Academy athletic program is undergoing significant change for the 2004-05 school year.

In most sports, including baseball where the Panthers just won their third straight Class D state championship, NYA will move up to Class C.

The boys’ varsity hockey program, meanwhile, will become a full member of the New England Prep School Athletic Conference Division II and no longer will play within the Maine Principals’ Association ranks. NEPSAC is a conference of private prep schools from throughout New England, and in hockey includes other Maine entries Kents Hill, Hebron Academy and Berwick Academy.