There is something special about the opening night of high school basketball season. In small school play, especially, the first night of hoops often involves matchups with arch-rivals.

There’s nothing quite like the associated intensity that develops when two rival schools have at it, programs which have been displaying their basketball skills versus one another for many years, and long to maintain their superior status.

In my own coaching career, I had the good fortune to participate in many of these games. The four years I spent directing the boys basketball fortunes at Machias Memorial High School were prime examples of different schools facing each other who were not only rivals on the court, but rivals who fought for bragging rights off the court as well.

Machias traditionally begins each season with a game against Woodland High School. My time at the coastal school found both my Bulldogs and the Dragons as top teams in the Downeast Athletic Conference. Toss into that mix two other programs of note, Jonesport-Beals and Washington Academy, and you’ve got the makings of a pretty tough schedule.

During my tenure in Machias, Kevin Towle was the coach of the Woodland Dragons. Kevin was an intense coach, whose teams always seemed to match that sentiment, especially when they played our team. My, did we have some battles.

I remember one particular game, the outcome of which was not decided until the end of the third overtime. The contest was in our gym, and the place was rocking. Our Bulldogs were coming off a 14-4 season, and we were pegged to be the odds-on favorite to win our division.

Kevin’s club was also returning a veteran group – they were looking to rebound from a sub-par year – and when the smoke cleared at the Machias gym, we won a triple OT thriller.

Back in those days of 1991-1992, names such as Ryan Schoppee and Lucas Stuart dotted the Machias roster in the orange-and-black uniforms, while dressed in Woodland purple and gold, players such as Ryan Cilley and Corey McIver held down the fort for Kevin’s club.

I always liked coaching in the Machias High School gym. The Dog Pound, the section of bleachers behind the home bench, was reserved for the student body, which was as vocal a bunch as I’ve ever heard in all my years of coaching. Those kids followed the team wherever we went. They were a sight to behold, and by tournament time, their numbers grew considerably.

Our obvious Class D tournament rival was Ordie Alley’s Jonesport-Beals club. The Royals never liked to see the Bulldogs coming during the post-season. With all the success Jonesport-Beals had at the Bangor Auditorium, they never could beat us on that storied floor.

We also had an overtime thriller one year in tournament play against Ordie Alley’s team. And, we were victorious again. Our deliberate style of play seemed to thwart the constant motion of the red-and-blue teams Jonesport-Beals produced.

Buddy Wood’s Washington Academy Raiders were essentially our crosstown rivals in those days. We had some epic battles with Buddy’s Running Raiders. I miss my time with Buddy Wood. He was one of the state’s best high school coaches, and he could ignite a team like few coaches I’ve ever seen. Pacing up and down the sidelines like a caged animal, he was ready to pounce on the first referee who made a questionable call.

Today, Kevin Towle is a school administrator in Lincoln, while Buddy Wood coaches at Northern Maine Community College in Presque Isle. Ordie Alley maintains his position as head boys varsity basketball coach at the aforementioned Jonesport-Beals High School, and, for the record, he remains one of the elite in the coaching ranks regardless of school size.

The 2004-2005 Woodland Dragons are coached by Bob Hennessey, who, in his second year of coaching varsity basketball, may have one of the top boys teams in the eastern Maine Class C rankings. Hennessey cut his hoop teeth as his district’s junior high basketball coach. He also had a brief stint as the school’s softball coach.

Machias is currently coached by a former Washington Academy hoopster of some renown, Larry Davis. Coach Davis’ Bulldogs look to contend in the always-tough Class D division. Larry is a defensive taskmaster whose kids always come to play.

Another former WA star, Chad Fitzsimmons, is presently the head boys coach at the Academy. The Raiders are a force this year in the eastern Class C wars. Combining size and athleticism, this bunch may be as good as the near-miss state title team of 1992.

The years I spent coaching high school basketball will long be remembered as some of the best times of my athletic life. Watching towns and teams come together at tournament time is a joy to behold, and when championship trophies are held high and nets are cut down, the associated euphoria is unparalleled in athletics. It is truly Maine’s finest hour in sports.

I feel blessed every time I see or hear from a former player, who reminds me of a special game that we participated in together. Sometimes, I receive cards, which are only signed with the player’s high school uniform number. That, my friends, is a signature these guys will never forget.

Those opening nights and rivalry games are forever etched into my sports memory bank, a place where I can call on them to help warm the coldest winter nights.

In Maine, the spectacle of high school basketball remains a great source of merriment for all those involved. There’s nothing quite like it in our state.

Happy holidays to each and every one of you.

NEWS columnist Ron Brown, a retired high school basketball coach, can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net