Phase Two of the schoolboy basketball season kicks off tonight with the next week bringing many teams to the midpoint of their 18-game schedules.

And while no one’s playoff hopes will be quashed during that time span, several matchups may set the tone for the grueling run toward tournament time.

Take tonight, for instance. The County will come alive when Presque Isle visits Caribou in what may be one of the biggest regular-season games between the two Class B rivals in recent years. Presque Isle is 6-1 after beating previously unbeaten Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln, while Caribou’s 5-1 start includes road wins at Mount Desert Island, Ellsworth and John Bapst in Bangor.

The same evening, Messalonskee of Oakland comes to Bangor to face the Rams in a rematch of last winter’s Eastern A final. Messalonskee (4-1) has bounced back with a solid start this year under veteran coach Tom Hill. At 6-0, Bangor is coming off its toughest test of the season, a 56-53 survival of Edward Little at Auburn on Friday.

Another pointworthy matchup will take place on MDI, where the Trojans hope to continue their strong start under new head coach Justin Norwood against a dangerous John Bapst team. MDI is 6-1 after edging Hermon last weekend, while John Bapst has only two losses.

On Thursday, Schenck of East Millinocket will seek to continue its undefeated start in Class C against an Orono squad that is dangerous despite three early losses.

Schenck has guards galore in Mike Lowell, Lanny Thompson and Aaron Hutchins, but another key has been senior Nate Lewis, who has stepped forward to supply some valuable inside play for coach Steve LeVasseur’s Wolverines.

Mattanawcook looks to rebound from its loss at Presque Isle with another road trip, this time on Saturday at the southern end of the Big East Conference geographic spectrum at MDI.

The Lynx feature senior guard Derek Libbey as well as Tyler White, who has stepped forward as one of the conference’s better inside performers early in the season.

Monday brings the second meeting of the season between Downeast Athletic Conference rivals Calais and Washington Academy. Calais, the two-time defending Class C state champion, has picked up where it left off last February. The Blue Devils are 5-0, including an 88-74 win over WA at Calais on Dec. 17 when senior forward Rod Tirrell scored a career-high 32 points.

WA, led by senior center Joey Hunter and sophomore point guard Ben Teer, has a season-opening overtime loss at Hyde School of Bath and the earlier loss to Calais as the only blemishes on its record.

And that all leads to what may be the biggest night of the season to date on Tuesday.

Maranacook of Readfield visits Camden Hills of Rockport in a midseason battle of the last two Eastern B champions. Both are undefeated this year after splitting two regular-season games last winter, each winning on the other team’s home court.

In addition, Mt. Blue of Farmington visits Bangor as those teams meet for the first time since Bangor edged the Cougars in the 2007 Eastern A semifinals. Mt. Blue also is the last team to defeat Bangor in a countable game, that coming last January at Farmington. Since then the Rams have won 16 consecutive games.

The other 2007 Eastern A semifinalists, Messalonskee and Hampden Academy, also meet in a rematch Tuesday at Hampden. Messalonskee edged the Broncos last winter, but Hampden hasn’t lost this season since an opening-night defeat at Bangor.

eclark@bangordailynews.net

990-8045

High school basketball

KEY DATES

Feb. 8 – Last countable game.

Feb. 9 – Makeup date for Feb. 8 games only.

Feb. 12 – Girls prelim round.

Feb. 13 – Boys prelim round.

Feb. 15-23 – Tournament, all classes.

Feb. 29 – Class B state finals, Bangor.

March 1 – Classes C, D state finals, Augusta; Class A state finals, Portland.