The Columbia Street Baptist Church. The Taft Street YMCA. The Penobscot Job Corps. Eastern Maine Community College. The Old Town-Orono YMCA.

All were home to a state championship basketball team last winter, as Calvary Chapel of Orrington made a nomadic ascension to the Class D title without the comfort of a true home court.

That’s all changed now.

The siding on the front of the building isn’t quite finished yet, and there’s still work to be done inside, too. But the glass backboards were installed just in time for the first day of tryouts, and the Sabers finally have their own gym, a multipurpose facility complete with spacious bleachers and a shiny new basketball court.

“The Lord has given us a great gym,” said Calvary Chapel senior forward Bryan Miller. “I’m glad we have our own gym where we can practice and get the feel of having a home gym and not have to move from gym to gym.”

That Calvary Chapel was a team without a home court made the Sabers’ run to the state championship all the more impressive. In just its second year as a varsity basketball program, Calvary Chapel capped off an undefeated 2003-04 season by upending Valley of Bingham 72-69 in the Class D final – a win that ended Valley’s six-year reign as state champion, as well as the Cavaliers’ 46-game winning streak.

But half of the battle was just finding a place to practice.

“It was tough,” said junior point guard Brock Bradford. “People were generous, but it was tough trying to figure out schedules, when people could practice and when we could get into a gym, but we worked it out and we’re just grateful to have our own gym this year.”

There were early morning practices, and evening practices a year ago. In many instances, Calvary Chapel practices were limited to just half a court, as the boys’ and girls’ teams shared practice times.

“Maybe that’s why our halfcourt offense was pretty good,” joked Calvary Chapel coach Ross Bradford. “But you do like that opportunity to get out and run and scrimmage, and we didn’t have that opportunity that much last year.”

That’s not an obstacle this season. With their own gym, there’s plenty of time and space for all the Calvary Chapel basketball teams.

“It’s tremendous to have that gym there,” said Ross Bradford. “It takes a lot of time off the road and gives us more gym time, because last year we were very limited on what gyms we could get.

“We’ve had the gym to ourselves more already this year than we had all of last year.”

Calvary Chapel will return a different team to their new court in defense of the 2004 championship, as 1,000-point scorers Josh Madden and Kyle Bradford are among the Sabers who have graduated.

Brock Bradford, who scored 24 points to go with six rebounds and four assists in the state final, is the top returner, along with Miller and forward Mike Astle.

“Last year we were the new kids on the block, and now everyone’s going to be gunning for us,” he said. “But we’re just so thankful to have had a chance to win a gold ball. Most people never have that experience.

“Things have changed this year. People’s roles have changed – who scores, who gets playing time – but we’ve had some guys really step up and I think we’re going to do well.”

The Sabers are scheduled to play the first countable home game on their new court Dec. 16 against Greater Houlton Christian Academy.

Before they do, there’s one other project to be completed – finding a place for their gold ball.

“The gold ball is in the principal’s office right now,” said Brock Bradford. “But we’ve got a trophy case, and it’s going up in the new gym this year.”

Preseason tourneys abound

This marks the last weekend of preseason play before the high school basketball season kicks off for Classes B, C and D on Friday, Dec. 10.

A number of tournaments are scheduled throughout the region, including the Twin City Classic at Bangor High School’s Red Barry Gymnasium, the Dexter Regional Credit Union Preseason Invitational Tourney at Guiski Gymnasium in Dexter, and the Tate’s Tipoff Tournament at Central High in Corinth.

At Bangor, the Brewer boys will play Foxcroft Academy at 6 p.m. Friday, followed at 7:30 by Bangor against Camden Hills of Rockport. The event continues Saturday afternoon with Brewer facing Camden Hills at 1 p.m. and Bangor against Foxcroft at 2:30. Tickets each day are $3 for adults and $1 for students and seniors.

The Dexter and Central tournaments features both boys and girls competition.

At Dexter, Friday’s four-game set begins with George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill against Mount View of Thorndike in a girls game at 3 p.m. and a boys game at 4:30. Dexter then squares off against Mount Desert Island in a girls game at 6 p.m. and a boys game at 7:30.

On Saturday, MDI and Mount View play a boys and girls doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 2:30. Dexter and George Stevens follow with a boys and girls twinbill at 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

The Dexter tourney also features a 3-point shooting contest, with qualifying to be held after each contest Friday and the finals to be conducted between Saturday’s doubleheaders.

At Central, Friday’s schedule has the Hermon and Piscataquis boys meeting at 4 p.m., followed by the Hermon-PCHS girls at 5:30, the Schenck and Central boys at 7 and the Schenck-Central girls at 8:30.

On Saturday, the Schenck and PCHS girls play at 2:30 p.m., followed by the Schenck-John Bapst of Bangor boys at 4, the Hermon and Central girls at 5:30 and the Hermon-Central boys at 7.