After reaching the 2007 Eastern Maine Class A championship match, the Bangor boys tennis team returns a blend of veterans and newcomers to the varsity scene this spring – its first in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference.

“It’s a little different this year,” said Rams’ coach Cindi Howard, “because we don’t know all that much about all the teams we’re playing.”

Bangor, Hampden Academy and Brewer are all shifting from the Penobscot Valley Conference to the KVAC Class A ranks, a move that will ensure the teams a full Class A schedule as well as best-of-three-set matches.

Bangor, Brewer and Hampden played best-of-three-set matches against each other last year, but played eight-game pro sets against other PVC foes.

“When we were in the PVC we played eight-game pro sets, and then we’d get to the team tennis [tournament] and it would be best two-of-three-set matches,” said Howard. “Mentally they are two different types of games.

“Now with us playing more matches that are two of three sets, by the time we get to the team tennis tournament we’ll be more used to it.”

Bangor, undefeated last spring until falling to five-time defending Class A state champion Lewiston in the regional final, will be led for the second straight year by senior Adam Bernstein, who returns as the team’s No. 1 seed after reaching the Round of 16 in last year’s state singles tournament.

Junior Will Cutshall also returns as second singles, while classmate Ian McDonnell steps in at third singles after playing doubles last spring.

Senior Ricky Segal is a returning varsity doubles player who will team with classmate Chris Hopper at first doubles, while juniors Josh Turcotte and Alex Price will play second doubles after playing together on the junior varsity level last spring.

Senior Chris Folsom is another veteran who could work his way into the varsity rotation.

Thirty-seven boys came out for tennis at Bangor this spring, enabling Howard to keep three teams: varsity, junior varsity ‘A’ and junior varsity ‘B’.

And while the varsity schedule includes new rivals such as Cony of Augusta, Skowhegan, Messalonskee of Oakland and the first-year varsity program at Mt. Blue of Farmington, the Rams are optimistic that they will again be competitive again this spring.

“I look at the team as being pretty strong,” Howard said.

GSA poised for strong campaign

Two years may not seem like much of a championship drought, unless the previous four years had produced four straight Eastern Maine Class C titles and two state crowns.

That’s the resume the George Stevens Academy baseball team brings into the 2008 season – and there’s good reason to believe the Blue Hill-based Eagles are in strong position to return to their championship form.

GSA graduated just one player from last year’s team while returning 11 seniors, its top three pitchers and a four-year starter at catcher.

For longtime Eagles’ coach Dan Kane and his players, however, the regular season is about making steady improvement and not assuming that experience alone will guarantee success.

“The expectations are that we should be able to return to the playoffs if everybody remains healthy and things work out,” said Kane, whose team finished 11-8 last spring after dropping a 2-0 decision to Searsport in the regional final.

GSA, which began its season with an 11-10, 11-inning win over Bucksport on Tuesday, will be anchored by a veteran pitching staff featuring seniors Josh Astbury and Caleb Hale and junior Peter Dickinson.

“They’re three pitchers who usually are very accurate,” said Kane. “They pitch aggressively, they come after teams.”

That trio will work with one of the region’s most experienced catchers in senior Lucas Marks, who has been a major presence both behind the plate and in the middle of the Eagles’ batting order since his freshman season.

“He’s given us tremendous stability,” said Kane. “He’s got a real good knowledge of the game.”

Junior Nate Hines, whose three-run homer in the 11th gave GSA its dramatic season-opening victory, plays first base. He is joined in the infield by Astbury at second base, junior shortstop Nick Saunders and senior third baseman Otto Black.

Seniors Steve Ensworth, Ebb Walton and Jesse Whitney will join Dickinson in the outfield, depending on who is pitching, while Jesse Ingraham is another veteran presence at either designated hitter or first base.

“We’ve got to continue to improve defensively,” said Kane, whose team survived six errors in its win over Bucksport. “Offensively we should get better as the season goes along, but we can’t make six errors a ballgame.”

Three of GSA’s losses last season came against Searsport, the two-time defending Eastern C champion, and Kane again sees the Vikings as the team to beat.

“You’ve got to start with Searsport at the top,” he said. “Until somebody proves they can knock them off, they’ve got to be the favorite.”

eclark@bangordailynews.net

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