Vacation is over, and eight high school basketball teams are preparing for upcoming state finals.

The Maine Principals’ Association should indeed be proud of itself, and the young people and their coaches who went about the business of representing their cities, towns, and their schools, diligently seeking regional titles.

All in all, it was an exciting event from Bangor to Portland. Players and fans behaved marvelously. Yes, there was the obligatory pushing and shoving, but overall, everyone acted with the same championship attitude, regardless of the size of the school.

We were, however, saddened by the news last week of the passing of longtime WLBZ radio sports announcer Eddie Owen, who died Feb. 19 of complications from cancer, and the death of longtime Heal points compiler Gertrude Butler on Feb. 20. Along with her husband, Bob, Gertrude helped compile Heal points for Maine high school basketball teams for more than four decades.

Eddie was the voice of the Bangor High School Rams on WZBZ radio for a number of years. I grew up listening to the dulcet tones of the quiet man, and I have many fond memories of Bangor High basketball and football when the Rams played on the road away from the friendly confines of the Bangor Auditorium and the old Garland Street Field.

The last time I spoke with Mr. Owen was in Lubec in 1992. My Machias Memorial High School boys basketball team was preparing to play the Lubec Hornets, and during our 15 minute warm-up period, a sprightly gentleman was making his way across the playing surface toward our bench.

“You don’t remember me, do you?” For the record, I didn’t. But I certainly recognized the tell-tale voice, forever linked to my brain after all those Rams sports encounters with my ear through the years.

“Eddie Owen, what are you doing down here?” I asked.

“I live here,” he replied. Eddie went on to tell me about his newest broadcasting gig with a local cable outfit, which covered Lubec sports, top to bottom.

We spent the rest of the pre-game period, reminiscing about Bangor sports. My, what a memory he had. I was never much of an athlete back then, but I did remember the names he mentioned. Guys like slick shooting Jock McKernan – Eddie broadcast with his father, John McKernan, Don Clark, and Joe Gould, on WZBZ – Jim Nelson, as good a football player as Bangor High ever produced; Leroy Patterson, arguably the best all-around athlete to ever come out of the Queen City; and Red Barry, who coached the Rams in basketball in their first real heyday.

Although Mrs. Butler’s contributions to athletics were done primarily behind the scenes, Gertrude should be commemorated for not only her many years of service, but also for the tireless effort both she and her husband made to the qualifying games before the actual tourney.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to both the Owen and the Butler families.

30-Second Time Out

From the “We Get Letters” department, comes our annual parents’ complaint about Senior Night in high school, honoring 12th-grade players, team managers, band members, and cheerleaders in their last regular season home game.

Here was my own rule for playing 12th-graders on Senior Night.

Start seniors, then end the game with them. If you have more than five, then make them the very first substitutes off the bench.

It came to my attention that some of these kids weren’t even playing in that important game.

Shame on coaches who don’t honor kids on their own special night. Grounds for dismissal? Maybe, but prudence and loyalty should be the watchword here.

These special contests are, after all, the last chance – usually – that 12th-graders get to play in front of the home crowd before the playoffs.

bdnsports@bangordailynews.net