Camden Hills of Rockport will join the varsity ice hockey ranks next winter, the result of a recent unanimous vote of support from the Five Town Community School District board.

The Windjammers have fielded a club team that played a subvarsity schedule for the past two years and finished this season with an 18-2-1 record under coach Bob Zontini.

Next winter Camden Hills will join the Class B varsity ranks, but whether the Windjammers will play in Eastern or Western Maine remains to be determined, said athletic director Dave Cook.

“We’ve requested that the [Maine Principals’ Association] put us on their list for Class B,” said Camden Hills athletic director Dave Cook. “It’s up to the [hockey] committee where they put us.”

Cook said he wouldn’t be surprised if Camden Hills is placed in Western B, which had just seven teams during the 2005-6 season (Greely of Cumberland Center, Cape Elizabeth, York, Leavitt, WinDale (Winthrop and Hall-Dale), Maranacook of Readfield and Yarmouth).

Eastern B, meanwhile, had 12 teams this season (Brewer, Houlton-Hodgdon, Winslow, Orono, Presque Isle, Kents Hill, Hampden Academy, John Bapst of Bangor, Gardiner, Foxcroft Academy, Stearns of Millinocket, and Old Town).

The Camden Hills club team has had about 20 players each of the last two years, “a good, strong varsity number,” said Cook.

“We’re real excited about this,” he added. “We’ve got a real good group of kids playing hockey, and this will give them even more of an identity.”

Funding for the varsity hockey program will come from a combination of public and private sources. Cook said the school board has agreed to fund a stipend for the head coach, transportation costs, and costs for game officials, while the local hockey boosters will pay for ice time at the nearby Midcoast Recreation Center in Rockport that serves as the Windjammers’ home rink.

“It’s something they’ve been doing for the last two years,” said Cook of the boosters group. “They’ve got a great organization and have been very dedicated to doing what needed to be done to get hockey to this level.”

Temple, Hawkes take CH posts

Dale Temple takes over the reins of the defending Class B state champion Camden Hills boys tennis team this spring.

Temple replaces Chris Walker-Spencer, who has stepped down after four seasons at the Rockport school.

Walker-Spencer’s tenure was highlighted by three straight Eastern Maine Class B titles, capped off by the 2005 state crown when the Windjammers went undefeated and dethroned Cape Elizabeth in the final match to end the Capers’ 63-match winning streak.

That gave Camden Hills its first state title in boys tennis since 1992, when Walker-Spencer played for the Windjammers.

Camden Hills graduated five seniors off its 2005 squad, but current seniors Joey Michalakes and Quinn Bardon are expected back after playing first and third singles a year ago.

In other coaching news at Camden Hills, Ron Hawkes takes over the Windjammers’ softball program. He replaces John Kelly, who guided the varsity squad to a 7-9 regular-season record and a berth in the Eastern B preliminary round last spring.

Hawkes coached the Camden Hills varsity baseball team in 2004. Before that he coached the junior varsity baseball team for three years.

Larlee new Penquis softball coach

When pitchers and catchers begin preseason softball workouts at Penquis Valley High School in Milo on Monday, there will be a new leader on the sidelines.

Rachel Larlee, a former Schenck of East Millinocket and University of Maine at Presque Isle basketball and softball standout, is taking over as the Patriots’ coach, replacing former head coach Dick Martin and co-coach Torrey Ellis.

Martin has stepped down after eight seasons, citing health reasons.

“I miss it already, especially with the early spring this year,” said Martin, who guided the Patriots to a 93-53 record and eight postseason appearances during his tenure.

Penquis won the Eastern Maine Class C championship in 1999, and reached the regional semifinals on two other occasions under Martin and Ellis.

Last season the Patriots finished fifth in Class C with a 12-4 regular-season record and advanced to the regional quarterfinals before being eliminated by Central of Corinth, the 2005 state champion.

“Honestly it’s the kids that made us successful,” said Martin. “They had a good outlook, and we made it fun.”

This winter, Larlee served as junior varsity girls basketball coach at her high school alma mater. She is a middle school teacher in Milo.

Penquis also will hire a new boys varsity soccer coach, as Jason Mills has decided not to return to the post after two seasons, according to athletic director Tony Hamlin.

Hamlin said Mills, a teacher in SAD 41 and boys varsity basketball coach at John Bapst of Bangor, decided to step down from the soccer job to spend more time with his young family.