Bangor High basketball star Mark Socoby is scheduled to have surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Dec. 7 in Portland, according to his mother, Ann.

Socoby and his family went to a doctor in Portland on Tuesday for a second opinion and, after receiving that opinion, opted to schedule the procedure, which should take approximately two hours.

“Mark’s doing well,” Ann Socoby said. “He just wants to get it over and get going with his rehab.”

Socoby, a two-time first-team Bangor Daily News All-Maine choice, was playing in a preseason recreation league game on Nov. 1 when he suffered the injury in a noncontact incident.

As a sophomore he led Houlton High School to the 2004 Class C state championship before transferring to Bangor before his junior year. Last winter the 6-foot-5 forward was named the Big East Conference Class A player of the year while leading Bangor to a 17-1 regular-season record, and he also surpassed 1,000 career points.

Hodgdon hires two coaches

With just a few days remaining until preseason basketball practices begin for high school basketball teams around the state, Hodgdon High School has its new varsity coaches in place.

Tim Guiod and Addie Carter were approved by the local school board Wednesday night to coach the Hawks’ boys and girls varsity squads for the 2005-06 season, according to athletic director Dave Minzy.

Guiod has served as Hodgdon’s boys junior varsity basketball coach for the last six years under Rob Moran, who opted not to return to the varsity post this year after seven seasons on the job. Guiod also currently serves as Hodgdon’s varsity softball coach, and coached the school’s boys soccer team from 2001 to 2003.

The Hodgdon boys team finished 8-10 last winter and advanced to the Eastern Maine Class D preliminary round where the No. 8 Hawks lost to No. 9 Jonesport-Beals

Like Guiod, Carter has a strong familiarity with the Hodgdon basketball program, having coached the Hawks’ girls junior varsity squad for the last five years, according to Minzy. Carter replaces Jill Mathers, who coached Hodgdon to a 10-8 regular-season record last winter and a berth in the Eastern D preliminary round, where the sixth-seeded Hawks were upset by No. 11 Washburn.

Hodgdon has been reclassified to Eastern Maine Class C for the coming season. Teams in all classes may begin official preseason practices on Nov. 21 with the first countable games to be played beginning Dec. 9.