Defending state champion Bangor High School is the team to beat in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A boys basketball ranks during the 2007-08 season, according to a preseason poll of the conference’s coaches.

The Rams were ranked first in the poll of the KVAC’s 16 Class A coaches, followed by Edward Little of Auburn, Hampden Academy and Cony of Augusta. Brunswick, Messalonskee of Oakland, Mount Ararat of Topsham and Mt. Blue of Farmington were rated fifth through eighth among the schools polled.

Bangor, which finished 21-1 last season and defeated Portland in the state championship game to win its seventh state championship under longtime coach Roger Reed, graduated first-team Bangor Daily News All-Maine choice Alex Gallant and point guard Troy Jellison from its 2006-07 edition.

But the Rams return a senior-laden squad with plenty of firepower in their bid to repeat, a group led by third-team All-Maine choice Ryan Weston, a 6-foot-5 center-forward; 6-6 swingman Jon McAllian, who recently signed a letter of intent to play at the University of Maine next year; 6-3 swingman Lee Suvlu, 6-4 forward Adam Bernstein, who emerged as a defensive stopper last winter, and 6-5 forward Billy Zolper.

Edward Little, which ended the regular season last year ranked first in Eastern A but was upended in the regional quarterfinals by Hampden Academy, graduated All-Maine first-teamer Troy Barnies to the University of Maine, but returns a stellar perimeter trio in senior guards Kyle Philbrook, Eric Prue and Ben Hartnett.

Hampden, which advanced to the semifinals last winter after winning back-to-back Eastern A crowns in 2005 and 2006 – along with the ’05 state championship, lost team leader Daniel McCue to graduation but features a strong corps of returning players led by guards Antonio Juco and Brad Haase and forward Justin Brown.

Other impact players slated to return to the KVAC ranks this season include Ben Valley of Brewer, Jordan Woodbury of Nokomis of Newport, Eric Thistle and Jordan Taylor of Skowhegan, Orlando Holmes of Messalonskee, Devon Costigan of Lawrence of Fairfield, Joe Gilbert, Ben Russell and Jamie Sawyer of Mt. Blue, Andrew Pullen of Cony, Doug Nash of Leavitt of Turner Center, Conner Breisacher, Taurean Easter and Dan Scully of Brunswick, Shaun Dostie and Josh DiBattista of Mount Ararat, Mason Giroux, Jarrid Palmer and Eddie West of Lewiston, Nate Cloutier and Ryan Chaney of Morse of Bath and Thomas McGee and Dan Millett of Oxford Hills of South Paris.

Regular-season play begins Dec. 7, with that evening’s schedule including a matchup at Bangor between the Rams and Hampden Academy.

Sports seasons to overlap in 08-09

A quirk of the calendar will create an overlap in the high school fall and winter sports seasons during the 2008-09 school year.

Because Thanksgiving will come later next year (Nov. 27 in 2008 vs. Nov. 22 in 2007) and the Washington’s Birthday observance that signals the start of February vacation comes earlier (Feb. 16 in 2009 vs. Feb. 18 in 2008), those seasons will overlap – at least for the participants in next year’s state championship football games – by a week.

According to a schedule approved by the Maine Prinicipals’ Association at its recent fall conference, the next fall sports season will begin on Monday, Aug. 18, 2008, and continue through Championship Saturday for high school football on Saturday, Nov. 22 – compared to Nov. 17 this year.

The 2008-09 winter sports season will start on Monday, Nov. 17, with regional high school basketball quarterfinals beginning Friday, Feb. 13, 2009.

This winter’s high school basketball quarterfinals in Eastern and Western Maine are scheduled to begin on Friday, Feb. 15, 2008.

Rutherford takes Westbrook post

Mike Rutherford, who led the Portland High School baseball team a state championship and three Western Maine Class A titles over 12 years, is the new baseball coach at Westbrook.

Rutherford coached at his alma mater from 1995 through 2006, with his last game with the Bulldogs a 4-3 loss to Bangor in the 2006 Class A state championship game. He resigned from that post later in the year, citing alleged recruiting by rival Deering High of Portland.

Rutherford posted a 191-58 record at Portland, a run highlighted by the 1998 Class A state title. The Bulldogs won additional regional crowns in 1995 and 2006. – both times losing to Bangor in the state final.

Rutherford’s Portland teams advanced to the Western A final seven times.

Rutherford replaces John Eisenhart, who led the Blue Blazes to the 2005 regional championship. Westbrook defeated Portland in the regional final that spring.