The Woodland boys basketball team is coming off a strong 2007-08 season, when the Dragons took Central Aroostook of Mars Hill to overtime in the Eastern Maine Class D final before falling to the eventual state champions. And with the bulk of the roster back… Read More
Rivalries are fun in any sport, especially in track and field. When the Brewer Witches and Bangor Rams go at it in the Eastern Maine Indoor Track League, there is usually a championship feeling in the air. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
BELFAST – The Belfast wrestling team was so dominant at the 2008 Class B state championship meet that it clinched the title before the consolation- and championship-round matches were contested. So with just two seniors graduated from the program’s first state championship team since 1995,… Read More
When the Katahdin girls basketball team tips off its season Saturday in Stacyville against Bangor Christian, the Cougars will have dual leadership on the bench from two coaching veterans. Terry Duffy and Phil Faulkner will team up to guide Katahdin’s fortunes this winter. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
The first indoor track and field meets of the season are still a few weeks away, but there are already a great deal of subplots in the winter-long drama also known as the Eastern Maine Indoor Track League. For one, Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference teams… Read More
Morgan Frame has been a dominating force in the Eastern Maine Class B basketball landscape for the past few years. Her imposing presence in the paint has spearheaded Waterville’s run of 44 consecutive victories and two consecutive Class B state championships. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
The Foxcroft Academy wrestling team needed a new coach in its quest for a sixth consecutive Eastern Maine Class C championship this winter. So the Ponies turned to the Hall of Fame. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
Edward Little of Auburn, which reached the Eastern Maine Class A boys basketball championship game last winter, was picked as the top team for the 2008-09 season in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A coaches preseason poll. Coaches had their annual preseason meeting Thursday… Read More
The benevolence of the LTC and its fans as well as the state’s football officials has resulted in an infusion of nearly $9,000 to a fund that hopes to make an ailing player’s dream come true. The LTC held fundraising activities at each of its… Read More
Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook and Orono, which represented Classes D and C in respective state girls soccer finals this weekend, should stay at or near the top the next couple years. The Class D state champion Warriors have a strong nucleus of juniors and… Read More
As much as Grace Boutot loves running, her heart is truly on the ski trails. Even though it’s still early for some Mainers to be thinking about snow, the Fort Kent High senior, who finished second in the Class C cross country state championship race… Read More
Bill Reynolds of Newport, who served as the boys junior varsity basketball coach at Nokomis of Newport last winter, has been nominated to become the next boys varsity basketball coach at Piscataquis Community High School of Guilford. Reynolds will replace Jamie Russell, who resigned to… Read More
When they were in middle school, Kayla Legassie and Sarah Porter played soccer against each other for different schools in Presque Isle. When they entered Presque Isle High as freshmen, they were more than ready to hit the soccer field together. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Football has meant a lot to Ricky Gibson since he first took up the sport four years ago. “My football team is kinda like another family in a way, it keeps me out of trouble and my grades up,” said the 15-year-old sophomore at Maranacook… Read More
The Searsport girls soccer team didn’t exactly start its season out on the right foot, with a 10-4 loss to George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill. Since then, however, the Vikings have been sailing through the Eastern Maine Class C ranks, posting a 9-1-1 record… Read More
When the potato harvest break occurs in Aroostook County, this is a typical day of a Presque Isle soccer player: Work in the potato fields from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., go to practice for an hour and a half, head home, sleep. It’s very… Read More
In the past, the only time you’d see Mattanawcook Academy student-athletes kicking balls is on the football field. Now, the Lincoln school has officially added the European style of football, as the local school board approved boys and girls soccer as varsity sports, starting in… Read More
Come soccer season, the expectations are always high at George Stevens Academy in Blue Hill. So far, the GSA girls have flown toward the top of the Eastern Maine Class C heap, breezing to an 8-1 start with the only loss being to Hancock County… Read More
A major league baseball coach, a surgeon and some of the most respected teacher-coaches in Maine are among the inaugural class to be inducted into the Orono High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Ceremonies are scheduled during halftime of Friday night’s LTC football game against… Read More
Here’s a little math equation for high school cross country fans: What does 61 schools with 1,239 runners equal? The answer: The largest field in the seven-year history of the Maine Cross Country Festival of Champions. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
A varsity football team gets only one chance to score the first victory in program history, so Calais-Woodland’s 48-6 victory over Mount View of Thorndike on Saturday will be memorable Down East on several counts. But perhaps no one will have greater memories of that… Read More
BANGOR – Chris Fogler has been one of the state’s most versatile track and field performers for the last two years, as well as a top-notch soccer player at John Bapst High of Bangor. Now he’s taken that versatility to a new sport as a… Read More
When the first high school field hockey, soccer and volleyball Heal point standings are released by the Maine Principals’ Association this morning, it’s a pretty safe bet that the Old Town girls soccer team will be close to the top of the Eastern Maine Class B ranks. Read More
The LTC Class C football ranks have been two-tiered in recent years, with several consistent contenders for top honors and several other teams striving to join those ranks. John Bapst of Bangor is the most recent team to elevate itself to a contending level, highlighted… Read More
Ashland girls soccer coach Peter Belskis figured he’d have a top-line defense coming into this season. But his back line and goalkeeping have been better than even he bargained for. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
If the opening week of play is any indication, LTC football fans should be in for an exciting season. In addition to Mattanawcook Academy’s 14-12 victory at Foxcroft on Friday night, Orono rallied from a 20-0 first-quarter deficit to top Rockland 28-20 while Bucksport outlasted… Read More
Cross country is not an easy sport. In a typical high school meet, runners go up and down tough hills, dodge roots and rocks and grind through muck and mire. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
Summer’s nearly over – although it’s hard to tell given the recent July-and-August-like conditions. However, it’s only a matter of time before “cross country weather” sets in for the state’s high school runners. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
With 19 players back from a team that won the Eastern Maine Class D championship a year ago, the Ashland boys soccer team should be back in the postseason mix again this fall. Even with a 4-3 loss at Easton on Tuesday, coach Kevin Paradis’… Read More
At first glance, Houlton sophomore Chelsi Murray is your typical high school athlete. Murray is a key factor in coach Tim Tweedie’s midfield alignment for the Shiretowners’ girls soccer team, and she was making some aggressive plays in a game at Caribou last Friday. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
MADAWASKA – The 2007 schoolboy soccer season was quite a ride – or flight – for the Madawaska Owls. The Owls got hot at the right time and captured the Eastern Maine Class C championship before falling to Saint Dominic of Auburn in the state… Read More
Luis Ayala, who guided the Foxcroft Academy wrestling team to a pair of Class C state championships and five consecutive Eastern Maine titles in eight years as the Ponies’ head coach, has resigned from that position. Ayala cited professional reasons for the move. His job… Read More
FORT KENT – Grace Boutot’s summer training program is vastly different than most other high school cross country runners in the state. The Fort Kent High School senior is not only one of the top runners in Class C coming into this season, but a… Read More
Dexter Regional High School opened preseason soccer practices this week with two new varsity coaches. Peter Murray, the Tigers’ longtime boys varsity basketball coach, is the school’s new boys varsity coach. He replaces Paul Shaw, who stepped down after six years to focus on his… Read More
Dan Chasse grew up in Fort Kent and has been playing golf since he was six. So, when the local school board decided bring the varsity golf team back this fall after Chasse had talked with athletic administrator Paul Michaud about it “for about two… Read More
HAMPDEN – At the urging of a couple of friends in the local soccer community, Kiaran McCormick decided to apply for the boys varsity coaching vacancy at Hampden Academy. “It was something I did for the experience of the interview,” said the 24-year-old McCormack, a… Read More
Caribou High School girls soccer coach Todd Albert has good reason to be optimistic about the upcoming season. After all, the Vikings posted a strong 10-3-1 regular-season record last fall – after winning only two games the year before – and reached the Eastern Maine… Read More
Dick Barstow still plans to maintain contact with basketball next winter. He’ll follow his favorite college teams, including North Carolina, Duke, UCLA and his alma mater, Syracuse. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false;… Read More
After a successful 2007 cross-country season in which the Caribou girls finished third, just one point out of second in the Eastern Maine Class B championship meet, the Vikings are poised to take the next step. Fourth-year head coach Thomas Beckum has four runners returning… Read More
Andrew Weiss of Rockland and Kyle Stilphen of Gardiner were among five recipients of the John R. Schmidlin Trophy presented during halftime of the Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic on Friday night. The Schmidlin Trophy is meant to recognize the most outstanding senior football players… Read More
A look at the calendar shows a good solid month or so of summer vacation time remaining for many of the state’s high school athletes. Plenty of time left to hit the beaches, state fairs and family camps. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
Friday night’s Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic in Biddeford represents the last game on the sidelines for East football coach Butch Arthers of Belfast. Arthers retired late last year after 16 seasons as varsity football coach at Belfast, where he still serves as the school’s… Read More
The MBR 17-and-under boys basketball team reached new heights for a Maine AAU program last summer, finishing 11th in a field of 153 teams at the junior boys AAU National Championships at Orlando, Fla. That team, coached by Bangor’s Carl Parker, is considerably different this… Read More
Belfast’s Troy Howard Middle School has one of the more fan friendly and challenging cross country courses in the state. After three years at Leavitt Area High School in Turner, the state championship meet will return to Belfast this fall, the Maine Principals’ Association announced… Read More
Things are steadily improving in Fort Kent in the aftermath of the flooding that ravaged the Canadian border town this spring. That includes the local recreation areas, which also serve several of Fort Kent Community High School’s athletic teams. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
Kevin Paradis, who has coached the Ashland High boys soccer team for the last five seasons, has been named the school’s new girls basketball coach. Paradis’ hiring was approved at a school board meeting Monday evening. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
Christina Bush has been involved with cheerleading ever since she was in the third grade, and now has received an opportunity to continue coaching the sport she loves. The 2003 Brewer High School graduate, who competed in varsity cheering for the Witches all four years… Read More
BUCKSPORT – Tiger Stewart, who coached the Bucksport baseball team to the 2006 Eastern Maine Class B championship and a 43-14 record over three seasons on the job, has resigned from that post. Stewart, 31, formally informed new Bucksport athletic administrator Jon Perry of his… Read More
HAMPDEN – Ryan Shaw has stepped down after five seasons as the boys varsity soccer coach at Hampden Academy – for a couple of good reasons. Not only are he and his wife the proud parents of a 10-week-old daughter, Hannah, but the commute just… Read More
When Deidre Davis suffered a knee injury playing women’s basketball her junior year at Nichols College (Mass.), she thought coaching would be a smart career option. Turns out it was, as the founder of the Maine Maritime Academy women’s basketball program was recently named the… Read More
Jeff Guerette’s career as a football player ended suddenly, with a compound fracture of his right leg during his senior year as an offensive lineman and defensive end at Bangor High School in 1996. His new career as a varsity coach also is beginning somewhat… Read More
Karen Sirois had a solid high school basketball career at Cony High School in Augusta, and went on to have a successful collegiate career at the University of Maine at Farmington. The former Rams point guard, who amassed more than 1,000 points at the college… Read More
BINGHAM – The coach who guided the Upper Kennebec Valley High School boys basketball program to 101 consecutive victories and six straight Class D state championships at the turn of the century is retiring. Dwight Littlefield, whose preferred up-tempo style of play defied his low-key… Read More
Erin Flynn of Hancock, a senior at John Bapst of Bangor, capped off her high school tennis career with a second-place finish in the girls singles division of the New England High School Tennis Championships at West Hartford, Conn. Flynn, who reached the semifinals of… Read More
Seldom in this era of Class A softball do the Brewer Witches and Bangor Rams meet three times in a season, especially with the parity the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference has featured the last few seasons. This year is the exception. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Eight trips to the Eastern Maine Class A championship match in the last nine years have been largely bittersweet for the Bangor boys tennis team. Not since winning the state title in 2002 have the Rams advanced beyond regional play, but they’ll get another chance… Read More
With the high school softball postseason set to kick off today, Ashland and the Limestone Community School/Maine School of Science and Mathematics are the only Eastern Maine teams that will head into the playoffs with a zero in the loss column. “Isn’t that something, huh?”… Read More
Dana Redding, who has coached girls basketball at the junior varsity level the last five winters, has been hired as the new varsity girls coach at Calais High School. Redding replaces Bob McShane, who coached the Blue Devils for 22 seasons and compiled 375 victories,… Read More
BREWER – Clayton Blood has been at home in a classroom for nearly three decades, including the last 10 years as an English teacher at Brewer High School. Next winter, he’s going to add some additional classroom duties – on the sidelines as Brewer’s new… Read More
The Lee Academy softball team stumbled out of the gate in the Eastern Maine Class C ranks, but a 1-3 start didn’t deter a veteran team led by five seniors. “They were very positive, they didn’t get down on each other,” said Pandas coach Ron… Read More
CALAIS – Coming into this softball season, the Calais Blue Devils weren’t sure what to expect after losing ace pitcher Steph Perry to graduation and fielding an underclassmen-laden team. Coach Greg Smith’s Blue Devils have far exceeded expectations so far, racing out to a 11-2… Read More
OLD TOWN – The Old Town High School football program has taken another step in its rebuilding process with the hiring of Josh Curtis as the Coyotes’ head coach. Curtis, whose nomination was approved this week by the local school board, replaces George “Toogie” McKay,… Read More
Vacancies filled at Mattanawcook Hainer tabbed as new football coach; Libby hired to guide boys hoop
LINCOLN – Mattanawcook Academy has filled its varsity football and boys basketball coaching vacancies from within. Dave Hainer, SAD 67’s health coordinator and MA’s varsity baseball coach, has been named to replace the retired Art Greenlaw in the football post, while Ryan Libby has been… Read More
Megan Taylor knows all about the football tradition at Foxcroft Academy. Her dad played for the Ponies back in the mid-1970s, and her older brother wore the school’s maroon and white more recently. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
Shawn Smith, a junior quarterback and defensive back from Hampden Academy, is one of 400 high school football players nationwide who have been nominated for the 2009 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. That game, which will feature 90 of the nation’s top seniors from the Class… Read More
A legendary era in Maine high school basketball has come to an end. Paul Vachon, who has piloted the Cony of Augusta girls basketball team to seven Class A state championships – the most among any coach in the state – has decided to hang… Read More
The Caribou boys tennis team narrowly missed winning its first Eastern Maine title last spring before Mount Desert Island rallied to upend the undefeated and top-ranked Vikings 3-2 in the Class B regional final. “Last year was a pretty tough loss,” said 21st-year head coach… Read More
Every great drama has its subplots. When Bangor and Brewer high schools compete against each other in track and field, the atmosphere is almost always championship-like with every point crucial. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
The Mount Desert Island boys tennis team is the two-time defending Eastern Maine Class B champion, and has high hopes of competing for that honor again this spring. But the Trojans will do so with a new leader guiding them, as Ben Rowell has replaced… Read More
You would think losing an ace pitcher with the caliber of Ashley Kelley would be decimating to a softball team. Don’t tell that to the Hermon Hawks, who have won their first four games, including an impressive victory at Bucksport where freshman pitcher Debbie Colpitts… Read More
Jason Mills has stepped down after seven years as the boys varsity basketball coach at John Bapst of Bangor. Mills, who lives in LaGrange and teaches physical education at his alma mater, Penquis Valley High School in Milo, cited the strains related to his daily… Read More
They’re just as good as advertised, if not better so far. The Bangor High School softball team’s pitching staff has been mowing down its opponents early this season, thanks in large part to Sam Bedore’s 24 strikeouts in victories over Skowhegan and Nokomis of Newport… Read More
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’… Read More
Waldoboro native Jim Graffam, who has spent the last three years coaching men’s basketball and baseball at the College of St. Joseph in Rutland, Vt., is returning to his home state to coach the postgraduate basketball team at Lee Academy. Graffam, who is staying in… Read More
There appears to be more parity than usual in the Class C girls track and field ranks this spring. Especially on the girls side, where six-time defending champion John Bapst of Bangor, Orono, Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln and Fort Kent are all expected to field… Read More
For the John Bapst of Bangor baseball team, late-season snow hasn’t been the direct challenge. Instead, it’s the lack of a field to call its own, which resulted in the Crusaders holding their first outdoor practice late Wednesday afternoon. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
BUCKSPORT – It will be a new-look Bucksport High School team that seeks to remain among the upper echelon of the Eastern Maine Class B baseball world this spring. Eight seniors graduated from the 2007 squad that finished 16-3 and reached the regional final after… Read More
The good news for Van Buren softball coach Jay Edgecomb is that his Crusaders return seven starters and 11 players from a team that reached the Eastern Maine Class D final last spring. The bad news is that one of the starters that graduated is… Read More
BREWER – The Brewer High School baseball team relied on pitching and defense to reach last year’s Eastern Maine Class A championship game. This spring the Witches hope the addition of a more consistent hitting attack will lead to even greater success. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Carlin Dubay had a season unmatched in Maine high school wrestling history this winter. The Caribou High School senior went 54-0, winning not only his third straight Class B state championship at 103 pounds but also a New England championship and All-American status. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
In softball, teams can never have enough pitching. That fact is evident when looking at the depth of arms Bangor, Brewer and Hampden Academy will feature this spring in the KVAC North ranks. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
Sam Leclerc concluded his senior season of high school basketball battling Traip Academy of Kittery, Boothbay and Calais while leading Winthrop to the Class C state championship. But that’s nothing compared to the opposition the 6-foot-1 senior point guard will face when he begins his… Read More
As Ian Edwards goes through preseason baseball workouts for his final sports season at Bangor High School, he’s already had a remarkable career. Since joining the Rams’ varsity baseball, basketball and football rosters as a sophomore, those teams have compiled a combined 114-19 record –… Read More
BELFAST – Travis Spencer has dominated his competition through three years of high school wrestling in Maine. Now he’s getting it done on a national level – and is an All-American to prove it. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
It may not look like spring outside, but don’t tell that to the hundreds of high school baseball, softball, track and field and tennis teams around the state who kicked off their preseason practices Monday. Baseball and softball clubs were allowed to field full practices… Read More
It was an unusually cruel winter in northern Maine – so much so that it may affect the boys and girls of summer. Record snowfall in Aroostook County – 186.3 inches at the Caribou office of the National Weather Service as of Monday – and… Read More
The wooden basketball court and artificial lights in the Mattanawcook Academy gymnasium served as a substitute for the green grass and sunshine Monday afternoon as the Lynx joined high school baseball and softball pitchers and catchers around the state in starting the spring season. Schools… Read More
It has been a common sight over the years – two small children romping behind the bench or being passed back and forth among friends and family during Rockland girls basketball games. Karen Bickmore’s young son and daughter have been around nearly as long as… Read More
Maine’s reigning Fitzpatrick Trophy winner is coming to Husson College. Jack Hersom, a 5-foot-11, 165-pound quarterback who helped Lawrence High of Fairfield win the 2006 Class A football state championship and back-to-back Eastern Maine titles in 2006 and 2007, has decided to join coach Gabby… Read More
Carl Parker is stepping down after two seasons as head coach of the Lee Academy postgraduate basketball team. Parker, who resides in Bangor, cited travel as a primary reason for his decision. The Lee Academy campus is more than 60 miles from his home. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
The Bates College men’s basketball team has developed a fruitful connection with Bangor High School in recent years. Zak Ray, a star guard for the Rams who was named the state’s 2003 Mr. Basketball, went on to become one of the top players in the… Read More
The first time Bobbi Stoyell coached at a swimming and diving state championship meet, she wasn’t quite prepared for what happened when the team won. Traditionally, coaches take a dip in the pool along with the team. Stoyell did, too, although it made for an… Read More
For all the great girls basketball players and teams that have come out of Cony High School, only now do the Rams of Augusta have a Gatorade Maine Girls Basketball Player of the Year. Cony senior forward Rachael Mack has earned the honor, Gatorade and… Read More
Billy Kane, a former assistant coach at Husson College and currently the head coach of the Penquis Navigators American Legion program, has been named varsity baseball coach at Foxcroft Academy, according to FA athletic administrator Tim Smith. Kane replaces Paul Lancisi, who resigned earlier this… Read More
Five Maine high school cheerleading teams are getting ready for Saturday’s New England Spirit Championships, which will be held at Woburn (Mass.) High School. John Bapst of Bangor and Central Aroostook of Mars Hill will be among those squads attending New Englands. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Lawrence “Red” St. Louis played in his first Eastern Maine tournament game at the Bangor Auditorium in 1963, when he was a junior at Orono High School. Michelle Paul is a senior on the Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln girls basketball team, which advanced to the… Read More
Forty-one state champions from all three classes will represent Maine on Friday and Saturday at the 44th annual New England Interscholastic Wrestling Championships. First-round matches are set to begin tonight on seven mats at Lowell (Mass.) High School, with championship rounds scheduled for Saturday night. Read More
Harold “Haggie” Pratt, longtime former Dexter varsity football coach who has spent the last two years as an assistant at Nokomis of Newport, has been named the Warriors’ new head coach. Pratt’s nomination was approved by the SAD 48 board of directors during its meeting… Read More
You could make a pretty good basketball team out of all the schoolgirl basketball players who have suffered season-ending knee injuries this year. One of the most recent to join the club is Stearns of Millinocket guard Adriana Eurich, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament… Read More
Head Style: head36 – 36 Point, 2 deck, Minion-SemiboldBDN95, Plain; 75; 2 col Head Style: drop18 – 18 Point, 1 deck, Minion-RegularBDN95, Plain; 22; 2 col googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var… Read More