Interested in coaching an Eastern Maine Class B girls basketball team that made it to the tournament last season and only lost two players?

If so, there’s an opening at Belfast High School. But here’s the catch – it’s unlikely you’ll get a teaching job in the district.

Belfast High principal Butch Arthers said because of the budget process there were no new teaching positions available – in fact, SAD 34 was forced to cut 33 classroom positions, he added, as the board wrestled with a $1 million shortfall.

And nothing has opened up in the district among the teachers who were already there.

“We were just hoping that through attrition a position would open up,” Arthers said.

The school delayed advertising for the basketball position because of the budget situation, although the job has been posted internally for about a week.

The school’s best shot is likely a coach who has a job outside of the district.

“We’re probably looking at someone who can come in and coach the team,” Arthers said.

Belfast is looking to replace Ted Rioux, who coached the Lions for five seasons. They went 11-9 this year and lost to eventual Class B state champ Presque Isle in the quarterfinals.

Belfast graduated starting guards Jamie Flagg and Heather Read, but will return starters Britt Cummings, Jillian Ross and Stephanie Whittier.

Rioux left the Belfast position this spring to take the girls basketball job at Waterville High. He lives in neighboring Winslow.

Meanwhile, Belfast baseball coach George Ross has been with the girls basketball squad this summer. The team has been getting together at the high school to practice a few nights a week and has played a few games against other teams.

Arthers said he’d like to have a new coach in place by the end of the month.

To apply for the job, he added, contact either the SAD 34 office or the high school.

Life Christian gets MPA schedule

The basketball players at Life Christian Academy will travel a lot of miles next season, but it’ll be worth it for them as they embark on the Trenton-based school’s first season playing a Maine Principals Association schedule.

Life Christian joined the MPA earlier this year and will play a 12-game schedule for both boys and girls varsity teams, said athletic director Al Goodrich.

LCA, which has about 50 students in grades 9-12, will face two games each against Seacoast Christian of South Berwick, Greater Portland Christian of South Portland, Averill of Hinckley, Lubec, Wisdom of St. Agatha, and Forest Hills of Jackman.

That about covers the state, from St. Agatha in northern Aroostook County to South Berwick on the New Hampshire border and Lubec on the Atlantic Ocean to Jackman near the border with Quebec.

“They will have to travel quite a bit but we think it’s going to be fun for the kids,” Goodrich said. “For a couple of trips we’ll put them up in a hotel for the night.”

For those longer rides the teams will play two games, likely a Friday night and Saturday afternoon doubleheader.

The school strove for a 12-game schedule because 12 is the minimum Heal point divisor, even if a school plays fewer than 12 games.

Life Christian began the process of joining the MPA began early last winter, a few months after Goodrich started at the school. At the time both the boys and girls teams were playing a schedule made up of junior varsity and freshmen teams.

“When I came on board I felt that the quality of the players was good enough to compete at the Class D level,” said Goodrich, a 1998 Ellsworth High graduate who played soccer and tennis. “[The students] are excited, especially a couple of standout boys who want to play at a higher level of competition.”

The girls team will be coached by Sumner of East Sullivan graduate Heidi Connell, who coached the team last year.

The school is still taking applications for the boys position. Goodrich said Matt Mattson, the former George Stevens of Blue Hill coach who led the Life Christian boys last year, resigned because he felt the time commitment and travel with the new varsity team would mean he would spend too much time away from his family.

Life Christian is also exploring varsity tennis, soccer and baseball in the next two years, Goodrich added.

Jessica Bloch can be reached at 990-8193, 1-800-310-8600 or jbloch@bangordailynews.net.