Few things unite cities and towns in Maine like the high school basketball tournaments.

There’s nothing like walking into the Bangor Auditorium and seeing a Calais and Dexter matchup, one side of the old hall decked out in Dexter red, while the other side is decked out in Calais blue.

And the noise, oh, my.

The only sound I’ve ever witnessed as loud as those types of games in the old barn emanated from fans at the Garth Brooks concert in Bangor 14 years ago.

When I first started coaching high school hoops in Maine in 1976 at Central High School of Corinth, I was always amazed at the unity and cohesion of such a statewide event.

Want to know what makes the event so special in Bangor? Here’s why it seems to get bigger and better every year: the men and women behind the scenes.

Those like longtime tournament director Bill Fletcher – he currently runs the Classes B, C, and D event – and the long list of men and women who take on the sundry duties such as letting the tournament-contending teams into the building and guarding the locker room areas are all of vital importance.

Let’s not forget the many people throughout the Auditorium who work tirelessly to ensure that each aspect of the event is smooth. Toss into that mix everyone from security guards to vendors and this year’s event will be run as smoothly as all the previous ones for a reason: preparation.

And let’s not forget the basketball officials, who come and go under the direction of Commissioner Peter Webb. These men and women don’t wake up one day and decide that they will work a game. They put in hundreds of hours preparing for these big games, and like the participants and the coaches, they’re equally excited about the extravaganza.

Timers, scorers, trainers and team managers, along with public address announcers, all enter into the list of folks who start looking forward to the event after weeks of preparation.

The history of all this postseason stuff reads like a chronicle of what has been the best and the brightest of the high school tournament.

Players such as Van Buren’s Matt Rossignol, who sold the old building out on more than one occasion, will long be remembered for their shooting prowess. On the female side, a young pixie named Cindy Blodgett from Lawrence of Fairfield packed the place herself a time or two, reminding everyone that girls can play this game well, too.

Coaches such as Stearns’ George Wentworth had a hand in the writing of history in Bangor, while Bruce Cooper of Lawrence girls hoop fame brought us emotional moments at the end of his title seasons. The list goes on and on.

Broadcasters such as George Hale and Joe Gould also had a hand in all the February hoopla, hunkering down behind a mike and giving thousands at home a chance to feel the excitement of the proceedings.

All those refs, great arbitrators of the games, were equally important. Guys like the late Jim DiFrederico and Tony Tammaro made it all special for those involved. They were prudent and colorful, a tough combination to master.

My, oh my, what an extravaganza this event is.

It is surely a place where lifelong memories have been made.

As participants go about the business this week and beyond, writing the next chapter in the history of this event, fans of the tournament should pause and remember just how lucky we are to have such greatness in our midst.

30-Second Time Out

We were saddened to learn of the sudden passing of former Bangor High School star athlete Shirley (Averill) MacDonald, who died suddenly Feb. 13.

Shirley’s husband, Robert MacDonald, a former BHS swim coach, is currently the principal of the James Doughty Middle School in Bangor. The couple have two wonderful girls, Katy and Sarah.

Our thoughts and our prayers go out to the family.

bdnsports@bangordailynews.net