Maine high school sports fans have seen more changes to postseason play in the past three years than they have in decades. And everyone – fans, coaches, players, athletic directors, principals, bus drivers and popcorn vendors – seems to have an opinion on the open… Read More
PORTLAND – Perfect game plan. Perfect execution. Perfect season. Unbeaten Brunswick ran off 10 straight points midway through the first quarter, grabbed the lead for good and never looked back en route to an 83-61 Class A state championship win over Deering of Portland at… Read More
PORTLAND – Just as she’s done after each of McAuley High’s championship-game appearances, Lion senior Justine Pouravelis gave the award from Saturday night’s Class A state championship game to Sister Edward Mary Kelleher, the principal of the all-girls, 320-student Portland school. Only this time, Pouravelis… Read More
Back in December, the two teams many hoops observers thought were the two best in the state hooked up in a “meaningless” preseason exhibition game. After 32 hard-fought minutes and another four in overtime, Brunswick’s boys walked off the court with a 71-70 win over… Read More
What do you do when you lose a NEWS All-State first-team star forward and one of your top rebounders to graduation? Well, if you’re Mike Francoeur, you simply pluck a couple of reserves who gave you plenty of productive minutes off the bench last year,… Read More
In the past when his teams had won Eastern Maine Class A championships and were gearing up for the state final, Cony of Augusta girls basketball coach Paul Vachon admits he may have been a bit restrictive. This season, he handled things a little differently. Read More
Very few of the names have changed. But for Liz Rickett, the coach of the three-time defending Western Maine champion McAuley girls basketball team, there’s one big difference between last year’s Lion squad and this year’s team. “They’ve got another year of experience, which is… Read More
The Eastern Maine Class A champion Brunswick Dragons have put three members on the NEWS 2002 EM Class A All-Tournament team. The talent present on Brunswick’s balanced, star-laden lineup, featuring offensive firepower and versatility, is quite evident upon examination of the team. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Cony senior Jauna Andrews scored 12 points in the first half of Saturday’s Eastern Maine Class A championship game against defending state champion Nokomis of Newport. She only had four points in the second half, but the 6-foot-1 forward-center had bigger things to worry about. Read More
BANGOR – For as few 3-pointers that fell for the Cony girls Saturday night, the Rams’ free throws seemed to always find the bottom of the net – when it counted most. And a few free throws would be all the Rams of Augusta would… Read More
BANGOR – In the 41 seasons since the Maine Principals’ Association reclassified high schools by enrollment from three to four classes in most sports, the only banners Brunswick’s basketball teams have been able to hang on the gym wall were for good sportsmanship. There are… Read More
BANGOR – With neither team having any tournament experience to rely on from last season, Friday night’s Eastern Maine Class A boys basketball semifinal came down to execution and fundamentals. Despite committing nine turnovers in the fourth quarter, the Cony Rams of Augusta advanced to… Read More
BANGOR – The Mt. Blue boys basketball team didn’t travel to the Bangor Auditorium Friday night, as coach Jim Bessey said, to lose. The Cougars of Farmington came to win. Mt. Blue didn’t come out of the Eastern Maine Class A semifinal with a victory,… Read More
BANGOR – For years, Cony of Augusta’s girls have made their mark on Maine high school basketball with their usual formula: pressure defense and perimeter shooting. Thursday night, the Rams did the usual thing in an unusual way: advance to another Eastern Maine Class A… Read More
BANGOR – The Nokomis girls basketball team came to life in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s Eastern Maine Class A semifinal at the Bangor Auditorium. Michelle Murray stuck a couple of 3-pointers. Danielle Clark rebounded with a vengeance. The Warriors made their free throws and… Read More
When the Calais boys basketball team went from almost-certain winners to stunned losers in Saturday night’s state Class C championship game in the space of 1.4 seconds, they learned a lesson in the most painful possible manner. “You couldn’t dream that up. That’s a coach’s… Read More
AUGUSTA – Brian Fournier just wanted to foul someone. The Jay senior never dreamed he’d soon be on the free-throw line himself. His team trailed Calais 47-46 with 1.4 seconds remaining in the Class C state championship Saturday night at the Augusta Civic Center. Calais… Read More
Brunswick batters Bangor in 1st Auditorium outing Mims sparks undefeated Dragons into Friday’s semis
BANGOR – New tournament. New venue… New power in town. The Brunswick Dragons emphatically served notice that they’re taking this Eastern Maine Class A basketball tournament thing pretty seriously as they dealt two-time defending state champion Bangor its worst tourney loss in 11 years and… Read More
AUGUSTA – For the past two seasons, Woodland coach Arnie Clark has tried to drill into his girls that they are mobile, agile and hostile. This year the Dragons have sported that phrase on T-shirts and posters. Woodland lived up to that phrase, and more,… Read More
BANGOR – Cony High girls basketball teams are known for their speedy guards, full-court pressure, and a 3-point barrage. This season, with two talented post players in the lineup, the Rams have had to adjust their focus and look inside more often. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
BANGOR – Saturday’s last two Eastern Maine Class A boys quarterfinal games featured two teams with two strong starts. One rode its all the way to victory while the other had to combine its start with a strong finish to pull one out. At night,… Read More
The first games at the Bangor Auditorium for two Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference teams located in southern Maine drew mixed results, but the players and coaches on both teams agreed on one thing. You just can’t beat the Bangor Auditorium tourney experience. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Game highs Ralph Mims, Brunswick, sophomore guard, 28 points, eight rebounds, and four steals in the Dragons’ 32-point win over Bangor in Eastern Maine Class A quarterfinals. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false;… Read More
BANGOR – Two Big East Conference rivals used fine performances from two new 1,000-point scorers and stifling defensive efforts to record Eastern Maine Class A quarterfinal girls basketball victories at the Bangor Auditorium Saturday. Nokomis junior forward Danielle Clark scored 23 points, including her career… Read More
AUGUSTA – Luke Hartwell knew what to do. After all, he’s been here before. Valley of Bingham’s senior poured in a career-high 32 points, including his team’s last eight, as the Cavaliers topped Bangor Christian 67-66 in the Class D boys basketball state championship game… Read More
Noteworthy statistics Julia Knights, Woodland senior, was one assist short of a triple-double in Saturday’s Class D state game. She finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and six blocks. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = [];… Read More
The man who made the Calais girls basketball team into one of the most successful high school programs in the state may not return for a 17th season next year. Bob McShane, who coached the Blue Devils to more than 200 wins in the past… Read More
AUGUSTA – After winning a state basketball championship in dramatic fashion two years ago and losing a heartbreaker last year, the Dirigo girls made it easier on themselves in Saturday’s Class C state title game. Of course, it helped that the Cougars of Dixfield were… Read More
BANGOR – With 12 seconds to play in what was shaping up as a classic thriller, it was Peter Moro’s turn in Camden Hills’ hero-of-the-moment rotation. Moro’s pickpocket-style steal of the ball from Gorham’s Kendrick Ballantyne as the Rams were setting up for the game-winning… Read More
BANGOR – Based on the way Mount Desert Island guard Kara Horton calmly sank two clutch free throws in Friday evening’s Class B state championship basketball game, you’d think she was an old pro. She’s not, the junior freely admits. In fact, Horton used the… Read More
BANGOR – Skowhegan’s Tiffany Jones sometimes gets a feeling. Most of the time when it occurs, it’s bad for the opposition. Friday afternoon at the Bangor Auditorium the senior guard had that feeling and began filling the air with 3-pointers. In the end she had… Read More
While neither of the Eastern Maine boys champions has any recent state game experience to fall back on, this state-game stuff has become almost old hat to one of the Western champs. For the fifth straight year, Valley High School of Bingham will represent Western… Read More
In preparing for the Eastern Maine Class C tournament, Calais girls basketball coach Bob McShane had the father of one of his players join the squad for a few practices. McShane wanted his Blue Devils to be ready for a possible Eastern Maine final matchup… Read More
ORONO – The Nokomis Warriors are accustomed to forcing their opponents deal with their speedy, guard-oriented team. During Friday’s Eastern Maine Class A basketball quarterfinal, Mt. Blue dictated the style of play. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
For the third straight year, Gorham is representing Western Maine in the Class B state championship game. For the second straight year, Gorham’s opponent in Friday’s 9:30 p.m. title tilt at the Bangor Auditorium is Camden Hills. With all these streaks ongoing, the 19-3 Rams… Read More
You’d think the most important thing MDI girls basketball coach Burt Barker wanted to do Feb. 22 was watch Gray-New Gloucester in the Western Maine Class B final at the Augusta Civic Center. But he wasn’t there at all. He didn’t see the need for… Read More
The envelopes are in and the plaques will soon be engraved. After totaling up the closest votes for Eastern Maine Tournament most valuable players since the William C. Warner Award was established in 1994, the winners are Camden Hills’ Tyler Warren in Class B, Calais’… Read More
It was clear that Eastern Maine girls all-tourney voters had a hard time picking just one player per class for the 2002 Bangor Daily News’ Owen Osborne Most Valuable Player award after last week’s regional tournament for Classes B, C and D. At least two… Read More
BANGOR – Mount Desert Island coach Burt Barker hasn’t been happy with his team’s shooting lately – so much so that when his name came up in a conversation he overheard Saturday after the Trojans picked up their second straight Eastern Maine title, he assumed the topic of… Read More
BANGOR – They say you should learn more from your losses than your wins. Camden Hills coach Jeff Hart isn’t really sure who “they” are, but he learned a big lesson in a big loss eight years ago and that lesson helped his Windjammers immensely… Read More
BANGOR – The shirts pretty much say it all for “Team Adversity,” also known as the Calais boys. The Blue Devils edged George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill 55-53 and won their first Eastern Maine Class C crown in 11 years with more fourth-quarter heroics… Read More
BANGOR – In order to provoke something in his team, inspire them, remind them what they’re capable of, Calais coach Bob McShane evoked memories of a game last year in which the Blue Devils overcame a deficit. Some of that must have struck a chord… Read More
BANGOR – The Lee Academy Pandas knew that if they were going to beat Woodland in the Eastern Maine championship, they would have to stay composed in the face of the Dragons’ relentless full court pressure – and they would have to stop Ashley Marble. Read More
BANGOR – If David Chrisos had played in the Eastern Maine Class D championship game on Saturday, he would likely have scored a bunch of points, defended like crazy, and led his Bangor Christian Patriots to a title. Chrisos did none of that on Saturday,… Read More
When Andy Frost woke up Saturday morning, he felt too sick to even get out of bed. When he went to sleep Saturday night, he felt pretty darn good. Oh, he was still sick with a fairly bad case of the flu, but when you’ve… Read More
For much of the tournament, insiders, outsiders, observers and wild-guessers have come up with the idea that this tourney was longtime Jonesport-Beals coach Ordie Alley’s last on the Royals’ bench. Alley, who has undergone surgery for prostate cancer and who is battling a neuromuscular autoimmune… Read More
AUGUSTA – Western Maine champions were crowned at regional championship games Friday night and Saturday at the Augusta Civic Center, with the Valley of Bingham boys gaining their fifth straight Class D regional title Saturday. The Cavaliers topped Elan of Portland for the WM championship. Read More
It’s been a wild, hectic, fun, exhausting, inspiring week. The Bangor Auditorium has been rocking (and leaking like a sieve). And for the past eight days or so, I’ve had my tourney radar up and running. You thought that was just a nosy guy listening… Read More
BANGOR – When the Calais boys drove all the way to the Eastern Maine Class C final last year, the Blue Devils were just enjoying the ride. This year, they have a destination in mind. The Blue Devils passed another big mile marker on their… Read More
BANGOR – Morgan Drew helped make the Calais girls basketball team’s semifinal game against Central of Corinth Friday afternoon a pretty special one. Drew came off the bench to score a game-high 16 points as the Blue Devils held off the Red Devils early, then… Read More
Game highs Joe Footer, Calais senior center, 34 points, 12 rebounds against Washington Academy in a Class C semifinal victory. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i… Read More
BANGOR – Some fans might call Friday night’s Eastern Maine Class C semifinal ugly, but anytime a team can hold its opponent 25 or more points below its scoring average, it’s a beautiful thing to Matt Mattson. Mattson’s George Stevens Academy Eagles simply adhered themselves… Read More
BANGOR – In the end, Penquis girls basketball coach Wally Russell got everything he wanted: a last-second by shot by either April Allen or Lindsay Hamlin, a rebound, free throws, and a win for the Patriots of Milo in Friday evening’s Eastern Maine Class C semifinal game against… Read More
BANGOR – Bangor Auditorium officials and a Brewer roofing company were up early Friday morning to put a temporary fix to the leaky Auditorium roof. Workers from Mid-State Contractors started at about 7 a.m. and finished by 11, in plenty of time for Friday’s 2:05… Read More
BANGOR – Last year, unheralded, underdog Bangor Christian pulled off a big upset by knocking off annual tourney contender Jonesport-Beals in the quarterfinals. Saturday morning, the Royals will be the one trying to pull off a shocker. Jonesport-Beals continued a surprising Eastern Maine tournament run… Read More
BANGOR – Lee forward Shelby Pickering may be just 5-foot-9, but she plays like she’s a lot taller. She certainly got the better of Bangor Christian’s taller post players during Thursday evening’s Eastern Maine Class D semifinal. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
BANGOR – It first became apparent something was wrong when Woodland players Kaitlyn Leeman and Ashley Marble each took a tumble near the free-throw line on the home end of the court during Thursday afternoon’s Eastern Maine Class D girls basketball semifinal. The Bangor Auditorium… Read More
Game highs Ashley Marble, Woodland senior, scored 28 points, including a 4-for-6 effort from 3-point range, to lead the Dragons in their win. She also scored Woodland’s first 11 points of the game. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
BANGOR – The Mount Desert Island girls basketball team dominated Caribou in their two regular-season games, but when the Vikings upset Camden Hills Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Eastern Maine Class B tournament, well, that made the Trojans think about their prospects against Caribou in Wednesday’s semifinal. Read More
BANGOR – The teams with the best depth in the tournament have gone the deepest into it. Divisional leaders Camden Hills and Bucksport will meet for the Eastern Maine Class B title in a 4 p.m. Saturday clash by virtue of impressive semifinal wins Wednesday. Read More
BANGOR – George Stevens boys basketball coach Matt Mattson would trade 100 points scored for the defense his team played Wednesday afternoon any day of the week. The Eagles played a stifling man-to-man defense limiting Schenck of East Millinocket’s Wolverines to just four baskets on… Read More
BANGOR – There were two too many Ashleys for the Stearns High School Minutemen Wednesday morning. Six-foot-three freshman center Ashley Ames scored 23 points, hauled down 18 rebounds and blocked five shots, all game-highs, and six-foot junior forward Ashley Foster contributed 16 points and nine… Read More
Game highs Hannah Socoby, Houlton senior guard, scored 21 points to lead the Shiretowners in an upset of previously undefeated Winslow. She went 11-for-12 from the free-throw line. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner =… Read More
BANGOR – One of the more ubiquitous sights of the Eastern Maine basketball tournament for the past nine years has been the Winslow coach Jim Poulin’s colorful plaid suitcoat draped behind his chair on the bench. Poulin, who has multiple sclerosis, is hoping to bring… Read More
Eastern Maine Class C Quarterfinals, Boys No. 3 Calais 67, No. 2 Hodgdon 56 googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) {… Read More
BANGOR – After squaring off twice during the regular season, there was little the Piscataquis Community and Dexter High boys basketball teams didn’t know about each other. When the two rivals clashed one more time in the Eastern Maine Class C tournament at the Bangor… Read More
BANGOR – Show Bob McShane a stat sheet, and the longtime Calais girls coach will likely discount nearly everything it seems to be telling you. He says his team’s the same way. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
Game highs Katie Frost, Calais senior, scored 23 points in just more than two quarters of work in an 82-26 win over Hodgdon. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i =… Read More
Although only 5 feet, 7 inches tall, Penquis Valley’s Megan Russell has shown the versatility to play an inside or outside game with equal results. Tuesday night, it was the inside Russell that came through when the Patriots of Milo needed it most in their… Read More
BANGOR – Tuesday’s first two Eastern Maine boys Class C quarterfinals offered a clash of the titans and a titanic rout. The matchup most fans expected to see in the semifinals or final lived up to the hype as Calais outlasted Hodgdon in a heavyweight… Read More
If the tournament games are lasting just a bit longer at the Bangor Auditorium this year, the blame may lie with a little black box on the scorers’ table. Thanks to a deal struck between representatives of Nevco Scoreboard Company and officials at Bass Park,… Read More
BANGOR – The Woodland High School girls basketball team opened defense of their state Class D championship in impressive fashion at the Bangor Auditorium Monday morning. The Dragons received 21 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots from senior center Julia Knights and 20 points,… Read More
BANGOR – Three hours after tri-captain and leading scorer David Chrisos finally woke up from an induced coma at Eastern Maine Medical Center, his teammates awakened the most devastating press Bangor Christian has utilized all season. The result was unflagging defensive pressure that helped force… Read More
BANGOR – Bangor Christian center Pam Reitsma knows what to do against a man-to-man defense. So when Limestone/Maine School of Science and Mathematics’ played man-to-man in its Class D quarterfinal Monday night at the Bangor Auditorium, Reitsma found her place in the post, staked out… Read More
BANGOR – It’s brand new territory for two Eastern Maine Class D boys semifinalists. Greenville finds itself in the semifinals for the first time since 1971 and although its opponent, Jonesport-Beals, is no stranger to the semis, it hasn’t advanced on the strength of a… Read More
BANGOR – Lee Academy hadn’t won a tournament game at the Bangor Auditorium since 1976, but the Pandas looked accustomed to postseason success in Monday afternoon’s 83-45 Eastern D girls quarterfinal win over East Grand of Danforth. Lee, the top-ranked team in the Northeast division,… Read More
BANGOR – Bangor Christian center Pam Reitsma knows what to do against a man-to-man defense. So when Limestone/Maine School of Science and Mathematics’ played man-to-man in their Class D quarterfinal game Monday night at the Bangor Auditorium, Reitsma found her place in the post, staked… Read More
BANGOR – For the first time in at least three decades, the “Runnin’ Royals” of Jonesport-Beals haven’t been interested in running much this season. Graduating four of five starters and fielding a starting lineup that basically consists of five power forwards forced even Ordie Alley,… Read More
Game highs Alvin Beal, Jonesport-Beals, senior forward, 33 points, 20 rebounds in Class D quarterfinal win over Washburn. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++)… Read More
Monday couldn’t have been a much better day for the Bangor Christian School community. The boys and girls basketball teams both won their regional playoff games, and starting guard David Chrisos woke up after spending the last four days in a drug-induced coma. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
Eastern Maine Class B Quarterfinals, Boys No. 1 Bucksport 74, No. 5 Mount View 63 googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice())… Read More
BANGOR – Jessica Cyr can tell you exactly when she figured out that her Caribou Vikings could compete against a Camden Hills squad that entered the Eastern Maine basketball tourney with a gaudy 17-2 record. “At halftime, I was like, ‘Geez, we’ve got a chance,'”… Read More
BANGOR – There’s no chance the Shead Tigers will ever be able to sneak into the Bangor Auditorium. The girls from Eastport are annually one of the top Class D programs in Eastern Maine and have become a fixture at the Auditorium, but even if… Read More
BANGOR – Moments after East Grand had beaten Southern Aroostook in Saturday night’s Eastern Maine Class D quarterfinal, singing could be heard coming from inside the Vikings’ locker room in the Bangor Auditorium. Team members were celebrating the win with an abbreviated version of the… Read More
Game highs Jason Harvey, Bucksport junior, 41 points on 15-for-26 shooting, six rebounds, six assists, two steals in 74-63 Class B quarterfinal win over Mount View. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for… Read More
BANGOR – Van Buren doesn’t have a lot of depth this season, so coach Steve Lapierre plays a fair amount of zone defense. When the Crusaders needed a lift Saturday night, a switch to man-to-man provided the impetus Van Buren needed to post a 61-49… Read More
BANGOR – Coach Troy Cilley hopes if his East Grand team presses relentlessly, its opponents eventually will succumb. The Vikings covered all 86 feet of the Bangor Auditorium floor for the full 48 minutes Saturday night. The result was a fourth-quarter surge that carried East… Read More
BANGOR – It was all about teams Saturday as the Eastern Maine Class B quarterfinals wound up at the Bangor Auditorium. For the Ellsworth boys, it was a team effort on defense and the boards that allowed the Eagles – seeded 10th in the final… Read More
From time to time (usually after I’ve done something either remarkably ridiculous, or ridiculously remarkable), someone will look me in the eye, wag their head back and forth, and hit me with this: “You know something? You’re just like a big kid.” googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
BANGOR – While the Maranancook girls were keeping an eye out for their top matchups, Houlton senior Sarah Beasley made the most of her opportunity Friday afternoon in the opener of the 2002 Eastern Maine basketball tournament at the Bangor Auditorium. Beasley, a 5-foot-10 forward,… Read More
BANGOR – At the season’s start, first-year varsity player Jon Chasse became a surprise starter as injuries hit the Caribou Vikings. Once the Vikings were fully healed, Chasse went to the bench and bid his time, waiting for an opportunity to contribute however he could. Read More
Game highs Sarah Beasley, Houlton senior, 31 points, five rebounds, five steals, 14-for-25 shooting in 55-45 Class B quarterfinal win over Maranacook of Readfield. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i… Read More
Friday’s Eastern Maine Class B quarterfinal matchup between Winslow and Caribou was a rarity in many ways. Not since 1986 has Winslow played a tournament game at the Bangor Auditorium. Back then, the Black Raiders were a Class A team. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More