An impending snowstorm predicted to drop up to 12 inches on parts of Maine has forced the postponement of six basketball state championship games and eight high school ice hockey semifinals to different days next week.

Maine Principals’ Association Executive Director Dick Durost said the MPA’s decision to postpone games was made in consultation with the site directors of the different state championship locations and the chairs of the MPA basketball committees.

As the weather forecast worsened – the storm is expected to arrive early Saturday morning and last possibly into early Sunday morning – the group made the call to postpone early Friday afternoon. The National Weather Service issued a heavy snow warning Friday for the entire state.

The Class A state championship game between the Bangor boys basketball team and Cheverus of Portland is now set for Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland.

That game, along with state finals in Classes C and D and the girls’ Class A championship had been scheduled for today.

The Class B boys and girls finals were played Friday night at the Bangor Auditorium, but the Class D boys and girls games have been set for Monday and the Class C boys and girls finals for Wednesday, both at the Augusta Civic Center.

The Class A boys final is the only game scheduled Tuesday. The Augusta Civic Center is busy with an Applicator Sales and Service Trade Show, according to the Civic Center’s Web site.

The Class A games were split between Monday and Tuesday, Durost said, because the boys and girls games were originally intended to be separate sessions.

Had the MPA decided to hold both Class A games on the same day, the game times would likely have been the same. A game at 3 p.m. would have been harder for students in school and adults at work to have time to the first game.

“This gives the fans the best chance to get to the games,” Durost said.

The Class D games will be made up Monday with the girls game between Woodland and Buckfield at 6 p.m., followed by the boys’ game between Central Aroostook of Mars Hill and Richmond at 8 p.m.

The Class A girls state final between Oxford Hills of South Paris and Deering of Portland will now be played Monday at 7 p.m. at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

The Class C games will be played Wednesday starting with the Lee-Madison girls game at 6 p.m. The Calais-Winthrop boys game will follow at 8 p.m.

Lee Academy girls basketball coach Ron Weatherbee has adjusted the Pandas’ practice schedule as they prepare to face Western Maine champion Madison.

“It would have been nice to have played, and the girls and I all planned [practices] so we were ready to play on Saturday,” he said. “Then you turn around and now it’s Wednesday. So now we’re taking today, tomorrow and Sunday off, practice Monday and Tuesday to be ready for Wednesday.”

Rescheduled hockey games include an Eastern Maine Class A semifinal between No. 2 Brewer and No. 3 Waterville, which will be held at 5 p.m. Monday at the Colisee in Lewiston.

Class B semifinals between No. 1 Winslow and No. 5 Houlton/Hodgdon, and No. 2 John Bapst of Bangor and No. 3 Gardiner will also take place Monday at 5 and 8, respectively, at Sukee Arena in Winslow.

Those changes have moved the Eastern and Western Class A championships to Wednesday at the Cumberland County Civic Center, and the Class B West championship to Wednesday at the Colisee. The Eastern Maine Class B title game will still be held Tuesday at Alfond Arena in Orono.

Those changes will not affect the hockey state games, which are still set for Saturday at The Colisee.

The Big East Conference awards banquet has also been postponed. The new date is Jan. 8 at 1 p.m. at Jeff’s Catering in Brewer.

jbloch@bangordailynews.net

990-8193