The only Bangor High School athletic team to win a state championship started out its title defense early Monday morning as 15 prospective high school golfers turned out for the first day of tryouts and practice across the state.

By 9 a.m. the Rams had all teed off from the first hole at Bangor Municipal Golf Course and were on their way along with hundreds of other student-athletes across the state who started practices in football, soccer, field hockey, golf, volleyball and cross country Monday.

Most of the schools in Aroostook County started practice earlier this month and are already playing because of the potato harvest break that comes in mid-September. Everyone else waited until Monday morning for practice and tryouts. Games and meets can official start Friday, Sept. 3 after 3 p.m.

The Rams are seeking a repeat of last fall’s Class A state title, even though three of the five players who scored in the tournament have graduated and the top scorer from states is a bit busy this week.

The Bangor golf program hadn’t won a state crown since 1979, which was actually a repeat year because the Rams had won in 1978, too. Flash forward 25 years, and Bangor is seeking the same kind of repeat performance.

The Rams did lose Shawn Dennis, Tim Hardy and Steve Lucius, who all scored in the state championships at Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro. Hardy was fourth in the Class A state individual competition.

Low-scorer Ben Estabrook, who had to win an intra-team qualifer just to make Bangor’s top-five, is a junior this year. Zack Adair, who was also on the state team, is a senior this year.

“We’ll still be pretty good,” said Estabrook, who shot a 2-over 74 at states. “We have some solid players and some good younger players coming up. We want to. It’ll be tough [to repeat]. We’ll have to shoot some low numbers.”

Coach Rob Jarvis serves as the assistant pro at Bangor Muni, so he’s seen the boys spend a lot of time practicing this summer at their home course.

“I’ve noticed from their perspective this summer they’ve been very positive,” he said. “They’ve been working very hard. I know once you win one you want to win another one. I know they’ll give it their best.”

The golf team may have brought home Bangor High’s only state championship in the 2003-04 school year.

The Rams take a lot of pride in their state title and in the fact that they were the only Bangor team to win one last year. Golf doesn’t get a lot of recognition, they know, but in way that’s how they like it.

“We’re our own team. We’re very independent,” Jarvis said. “At this tryout we’re all laughing and joking and you’re not going to see that at any other tryout. But I think that’s one of the biggest things about our success is that we’re very loose.”

Estabrook and teammate Ryan Jones weren’t at tryouts Monday morning. But Jarvis was OK with that – both boys are on the Bangor team that is competing in the Senior League World Series at Mansfield Stadium here.

The Bangor Senior League team played until way past midnight Sunday and lost 7-5 to Canadian entry Whalley Little League of Surrey, British Columbia. Estabrook said he plans to attend morning golf practice Tuesday and Wednesday even though the Bangor Senior League team has games at 8 p.m. both nights.

Baseball hasn’t gotten in the way too much, however. Estabrook said he’s golfed five or six times a week all summer.

“I’m definitely excited,” Estabrook said of the approaching golf season. “My mind’s probably on the World Series now but I’m excited for [golf].”

PI hires Blanchard, two others

Former Presque Isle basketball star Brianna Blanchard is back at her alma mater to serve as an assistant varsity hoop coach.

The high school also announced it has hired former Old Town standout Tim Dolley is serve as girls tennis coach and will have Bryce Waddell, a former Wildcat ski coach, back in that position this year.

In Blanchard, the Wildcats have a coach they likely remember as one of the top players ever to come out of the program. She played for current head coach Jeff Hudson.

“We’re excited to have her and [Hudson] is excited to have her,” Heald said. “She’ll be a good addition.”

The 6-foot guard was twice named first-team All-Maine. As a senior she was the Big East Conference Player of the Year and a Miss Basketball finalist.

Blanchard went on to Div. II St. Anselm in Manchester, N.H., where she was named the Northeast-10 Conference Freshman of the Year in 2001. She went on to average 12.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in her four-year career.

Heald said Blanchard has graduated from St. Anselm and is taking a year off before she starts work on her master’s degree next year. She’s working as a substitute teacher in the Presque Isle system.

Dolley, who was the boys and girls tennis coach at Limestone, is a student at UMaine-Presque Isle where he plays soccer and basketball. He was UMPI basketball’s Rookie of the Year in 2002.

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