Coach, umpire cast key votes to approve Worcester for job

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It was a ceremony true to Larry Worcester’s sporting background.

Worcester, the longtime basketball and soccer coach at Washburn High School, was waiting patiently Monday to be formally approved as the new principal at Woodland Elementary School in Aroostook County.

The only problem was that just two of the five school board members were present – meaning there weren’t enough for a quorum and a legal vote. The solution, as it turned out, was just outside the school – on the baseball field, where a third board member was coaching a youth baseball team, and a fourth board member was umpiring.

So between innings, the four board members met behind the backstop, called the meeting to order and unanimously voted Worcester to his new position.

“It was kind of fitting, knowing my background in sports,” said Worcester.

Worcester’s move to educational administration marks the end of a lengthy stay at Washburn High, where he taught physical education and coached boys basketball and soccer and the girls’ volleyball club for 13 years.

The 40-year-old native of Brownville Junction guided the Washburn boys basketball team to 11 tournament appearances, including a berth in the Eastern Maine Class D quarterfinals last winter. Worcester compiled with a 123-109 regular-season record at Washburn, including 28-8 over the last two seasons.

In soccer, Worcester led Washburn to a host of postseason appearances, including five consecutive trips to the regional semifinals.

Before coming to Washburn, Worcester taught and coached varsity boys basketball and soccer and junior varsity baseball at Narraguagus High in Harrington for three years, compiling a 29-23 regular-season record in basketball. He also coached girls basketball and softball for a year at Easton while completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.

“Coaching is like a fraternity,” said Worcester, a 1983 graduate of Penquis Valley High School in Milo. “Seeing the coaches, making the rounds, and having good friendships with guys like Matt Rossignol [of Madawaska] and Tim Brewer [of Central Aroostook of Mars Hill and going up against guys like Billy McAvoy [of Katahdin of Stacyville] are all special.

“I’ll also miss being around the kids, and that camaraderie you develop with a team. I’ve always been a team sport type of guy, and I’m going to miss that,” added Worcester, who does plan to continue officiating in the two sports.

No replacements for Worcester’s teaching and coaching jobs at Washburn have yet been hired.

Woodland Elementary School is a K-8 school that is part of School Union 122. Students from Woodland move on to attend Caribou High School.

Potvin rising in junior ranks

Eliot Potvin’s ascension to state schoolboy tennis singles champion has served as a springboard to a highly successful summer season for the 16-year-old who recently completed his sophomore season at Hampden Academy.

Potvin is now ranked among the top 60 to 70 players nationwide in the boys 16-and-under division – compared to a ranking in the 300s at this time last year – based on performances at several recent regional and national-level tournaments, according to his mother, Connie Potvin of Hampden.

Among his accomplishments, Potvin won the 16-and-under title at the USA Tennis New England Junior Sectional Championships held in New Haven, Conn.

Potvin, the No. 7 seed, topped third-ranked Eric D’Elia of Fairfield, Conn., 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 in the final. D’Elia was one of three higher-seeded players Potvin knocked off en route to the championship.

He opened the two-day event by topping No. 23 Surainder Asokaraj of Acton, Mass., 6-3, 6-0 and No. 12 Benjamin Zuckerberg of Woodbridge, Conn., 6-1, 6-1. Potvin then whipped fourth-seeded Marc Powers of Stamford, Conn., 6-2, 6-0 in the quarterfinals and No. 5 Tyler Anderson of Norwich, Vt., 7-4, 7-6 (9-7) in the semifinals before besting D’Alia – who had upended top-ranked David Anderson of Sandwich, Mass., in his semifinal.

The tournament victory advanced Potvin to third place in the latest New England 16-and-under point standings. The next weekend, Potvin was in New Jersey competing in the USTA National Opens, a series of four regional tournaments held simultaneously featuring the top 256 players in the country.

Potvin, seeded 15th, won his first three matches to reach the quarterfinals in his 64-player field before falling 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 to to No. 11 Sho Matsumoto, who went on to reach the championship match. After that lone defeat, Potvin won three subsequent matches to win the consolation championship.

Potvin is in southern Maine this week training with reigning state schoolgirl singles champion Camille Jania of Scarborough – who won the 18-and-under New England and 16-and-under USTA National Opens titles – in preparation for the USTA National Clay Court Championships that begin Sunday in Rockville, Md.

After that event, Potvin will head to St. Louis, Mo., to compete in the USTA Zonals, another elite-level tournament, beginning July 24, leading up to the USTA 16-and-under national championships set to begin Aug. 5 at Kalamazoo, Mich.

Richards to lead East staff

Belfast High football co-coach Butch Richards has been named head coach of the East team for the 16th annual Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic to be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 22, at Waterhouse Field in Biddeford.

Richards, who shares the coaching duties at Belfast with Butch Arthers, also will serve as the East’s offensive coordinator. Arthers will serve as an assistant coach on the East staff along with defensive coordinator Mike Marston of Skowhegan, Mike Haley and Mike Hathaway of Leavitt of Turner Center, Wes Littlefield of Messalonskee of Oakland, Greg Nadeau of Morse of Bath, Matt Perkins of Windham and Daryle Weiss of Rockland.

Jim Thurston of Fryeburg Academy heads of the West coaching staff. His assistants are offensive coordinator Dave Jones of Fryeburg, defensive coordinator Jim Alyward of Mountain Valley of Rumford, John Caverly of Marshwood of Eliot, Stacen Doucette of Lisbon, Mark Bonnevie of Jay, Joseph Raferty of Kennebunk and Dave Kilborn of Gorham.

Training camp for the game begins Sunday, July 17, at Hebron Academy. The West leads the series 13-2, including a come-from-behind 19-14 victory last summer.

Ernie Clark can be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or eclark@bangordailynews.net