ELLSWORTH – Dana Smith stood near the sideline of the Ellsworth High gym and gave instructions to a freshman waiting to enter a scrimmage during basketball practice Monday.

“Go in for that girl,” Smith said, pointing to a player already on the floor.

Excuse Smith if he doesn’t know the names of all the players on the Ellsworth girls basketball team. Smith, a former Sumner of East Sullivan boys coach, was officially hired for the Ellsworth job after the summer leagues ended and is just getting to know the Eagles.

Smith is one of several new coaches guiding a team as tryouts and practice opened for Classes B, C and D basketball and all classes in ice hockey, swimming, wrestling, indoor track and field, cheerleading, gymnastics and skiing.

Class A basketball opens Monday, Nov. 25.

The regular season for B, C and D basketball tips off the evening of Friday, Dec. 6. Class A opens Friday, Dec. 13.

The Eagles certainly seemed eager to get on the floor Monday afternoon. The potential varsity players came out of the locker room early to cheer on the freshmen at the end of their practice. The upperclassmen grabbed balls off the rack even while Smith was finishing with the youngsters. And Holly Tripp, one of three seniors on this year’s team, arrived at practice early to braid hair.

Smith had 19 players turn out for varsity tryouts and 18 for the freshman team.

“That’s a pretty good group,” he told the varsity hopefuls before guiding them through ball-handling drills. “It’s a healthy group.”

The Eagles certainly have room on their varsity roster as they graduated several seniors from the team that made it to the Eastern Maine Class B quarterfinals last year. Six varsity players are returning.

Smith told the team in a pre-practice meeting that with spots open on the roster, he expects they will all strive to make the varsity team and not just assume they will be JV players.

“I’m just looking for some good basketball players,” he said as the girls went through layup drills. “I’m gonna lean on my assistants a little bit to see if we can come up with 12 good players, try and build an all-around team.”

Smith liked what he saw from the freshmen Monday, and has heard good things about the returning varsity players.

Smith had the Eagles going through the same drills he used at Sumner High, where he coached the boys for seven years.

“I’m going to treat them the same. I told them I’m going to treat them all like athletes,” he said. “I don’t think there will be anything they can’t do.”

Scouting will surely keep Smith on the road this season as he learns more about Ellsworth’s opposition. But he already knows the Eagles’ toughest competition is likely to be Hancock County rival and two-time defending state champion Mount Desert Island.

“Obviously everything’s going to go through them,” Smith said.

Clark makes it official

Nokomis of Newport star Danielle Clark signed her letter of intent Friday to attend and play basketball for the University of New Hampshire, Warriors athletic director Carl Parker said.

Clark, a two-time first-team All-Maine player, had her parents Craig and Kim Clark with her when she signed her letter. Clark announced she made a verbal commitment in early October but the official signing period began Nov. 6.

The 6-foot forward has helped Nokomis to the Class A state championship in 2001 and an Eastern Maine runner-up title in 2002.

She averaged 17.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game during the 2001-02 season, her junior year.

Clark was named the Big East Conference’s Class A Player of the Year and she was an all-tourney pick. As a sophomore she was the Eastern Maine Class A tournament MVP and was all-conference in the Big East.

Clark also plays softball and soccer for the Warriors.

Swartzbaugh one of the ‘Crowd’

Camden Hills senior Adam Swartzbaugh appeared in a recent issue of Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd.

Swartzbaugh was commended for winning the junior division of the National Off Road Bicycle Association national cross-country championship at Mount Snow, Vt. He completed the 24-mile course in 1 hour, 45 minutes, 39.10 seconds, more than two minutes ahead of his nearest competitor.

Swartzbaugh is an honor roll student and has also competed for the Windjammer swimming team.

GoGirlGo offering grants

The Women’s Sports Foundation is starting a second year of the GoGirlGo educational grant program.

The program utilizes four “GoGirl” characters to educate young athletes about health risk behaviors and life lessons. The accompanying grant program will award more than $300,000 to organizations with sports programs serving girls living in economically disadvantaged areas, areas with high instances of health risk behavior, or areas underserved by current sports programs.

To get a GoGirlGo kit or grant application, log onto to GoGirlGo.com or call 800-227-3988.

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