Hermon cheerleading coach Lisa Pratt crouched off to the side of the competition mat just before her Hawks were to perform in the final round of Saturday’s Class B state championships – with a piece of white paper toweling stuck up her nose. Pratt got… Read More
The lights are shining fairly brightly on Fort Kent’s schoolboy basketball season, with the Warriors poised to earn a home preliminary-round playoff game in Eastern Maine Class C. But the lights went out on the team before its regular-season finale at Van Buren on Tuesday… Read More
Jon Pelletier’s high school wrestling career featured the variety of spanning nine weight classes over four years but also a consistency of success throughout that physical growth. The Bucksport High School senior, who during his freshman year was one of the top 119-pounders in the… Read More
Much has changed atop the Eastern Maine Class D Heal point rankings this winter, yet there’s also a sense of status quo. Change came during the offseason when Schenck of East Millinocket – a regional finalist last year – and Lee Academy – a semifinalist… Read More
The Mount Desert Island boys swimming team hasn’t lost a meet this season and has some of the top individuals in the state. But dual meets and individual performances aren’t of utmost concern as the Trojans head into the final week of the dual-meet season. Read More
Hampden Academy senior Mikki Libbey has found a hero of sorts in Bangor High senior Jennie Lucy. While Libbey is recovering from surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, she has been watching with interest as Lucy, who tore the ACL in… Read More
LEE – Lee Academy basketball standout Hakeem Rodriguez has been suspended from the team and school in the aftermath of Tuesday night’s game at Calais where he drew three technical fouls. “He’s been suspended from school for a minimum of a week and from the… Read More
Jason Smith skated toward the Camden Hills goal during a recent game with a couple of options running through his mind. Shoot to score, and perhaps reach an individual milestone in the process, or drop a pass back to a charging teammate for an even… Read More
Two more undefeated girls basketball teams went down Wednesday night as Calais and Ashland knocked off Lee and Greater Houlton Christian Academy, respectively, after losing to both teams earlier in the season. The Blue Devils beat the Pandas 63-61 in an Eastern Maine Class C… Read More
Saturday’s schoolboy basketball game between Lee Academy and Houlton not only matched two of the top six teams in Eastern Maine Class C rankings but also probably the teams with the toughest schedules in the division. Lee Academy’s 65-53 victory left the Pandas with a… Read More
When she found out she was pregnant, Jen Babcock didn’t have a tough time finding a temporary replacement for her post as John Bapst cheering coach. She just asked Jessica Lawrence to take over some of the duties. It’s a formula that has worked well… Read More
Three of the four 2007 state cheerleading champions will be in action this weekend as four different competitions will be held around the region. The Hermon High cheerleaders, who won their first Class B state title last year, are eager to get on the floor… Read More
The Calais boys basketball team had considerable down time between its Dec. 19 win against Woodland and Monday’s 79-58 victory at Washington Academy of East Machias. Suffice to say the Blue Devils look like they took full advantage of the break in the action. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
It hasn’t been a good couple of days for the some of the undefeated girls basketball teams in Eastern Maine. Central Aroostook of Mars Hill beat Washburn, which had a 7-0 record before the Panthers’ 47-35 win on Thursday. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
Bangor High assistant boys soccer coach Don Erb was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/adidas North Region Assistant Coach of the Year on Tuesday. The Orono native will now be eligible for the national assistant coach award. The winner will be announced at… Read More
The spirit of self-sufficiency has led to the spirit of giving around the holiday season for the George Stevens Academy boys basketball program. The Eagles, represented by captains Ebb Walton and Josh Astbury and coach Dwayne Carter, recently presented a check for $500 to the… Read More
If there’s such a thing, Bernard Parady Gymnasium at MDI High School still has that new-gym smell – or as close as it gets. MDI, Penobscot Valley of Howland and Narraguagus of Harrington are among the facilities that underwent renovations this year. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
BAR HARBOR – A video featuring Mount Desert Island High School football standout Terrence Jones returning an interception 57 yards for a touchdown this past season is one of eight finalists in the 2007 UPS Delivery Intercept Challenge Bowl. The nationwide contest is a search… Read More
They’ve wrestled in the shadow of a regional rival in recent years, but this winter the Belfast High wrestling team is poised to mount its most serious challenge for a Class B state championship since winning back-to-back crowns in 1994 and ’95. The Lions are… Read More
The move to Eastern Maine Class B has been a good one so far for the Old Town girls basketball team. The Coyotes have been competitive in all three of their games so far this winter and emerged from the first week of the season… Read More
Nathan Nevells of Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln and Andrew Weiss of Rockland were recognized as 2007 LTC Class C football players of the year during the conference’s annual awards banquet held Sunday. This marks the first time in LTC history two players have shared the… Read More
The start of the high school wrestling season doesn’t necessarily pack the same importance as those of Heal Point-based sports in Maine. But there are bragging rights to be gained, as well as opportunity for individual development in anticipation of the championship season to come. Read More
There were no decisions made – there was not even a straw vote taken – but the Maine Principals’ Association soccer committee spent part of its Monday morning meeting talking about the concept of centralized sites for state championships. MPA assistant executive director Larry LaBrie,… Read More
Levi Rollins planned to become a head varsity wrestling coach some day – just not quite yet. But when John Kelly resigned from that post at Camden Hills of Rockport for personal reasons not long before preseason practices began, Rollins suddenly found himself in charge… Read More
Two new girls basketball coaches will be on the sidelines at two St. John Valley high schools for the 2007-08 season. Dean Gendreau will take over the Madawaska girls on an interim basis this winter, while David Dow is the new coach at Wisdom of… Read More
One of the top girls basketball players in Eastern Maine will be sidelined for part of the season as she tries to recover from a knee injury. Fort Kent guard Marisa Albert, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee two weeks ago,… Read More
It is the largest high school athletic conference in Maine, and next year the Penobscot Valley Conference’s geographic reach will spread even farther, into Washington County with the recent acceptance of Washington Academy of East Machias as a member. Washington Academy, a longtime staple of… Read More
Defending state champion Bangor High School is the team to beat in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A boys basketball ranks during the 2007-08 season, according to a preseason poll of the conference’s coaches. The Rams were ranked first in the poll of the… Read More
When members of the Lee Academy girls basketball team stepped on to the floor of Mallett Gym for the first day of tryouts practice today, it will have been with a much shorter layoff than normal. Thanks to two postponements of the Class C state… Read More
Foxcroft gets 2:30 p.m. start time Ponies will face Boothbay for Class C state football championship
There were no surprises Tuesday morning as the Maine Principals’ Association announced start times for the three high school football state championship games to be held at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland on Saturday. The tripleheader kicks off at 11:06 a.m. when defending state champion Lawrence… Read More
There are fewer than 15 women currently working as athletic administrators in Maine, a paltry number considering the thousands of girls who play high school sports in the state. One of those few female athletic administrators, however, now holds the top position among the state’s… Read More
In some respects, the John Bapst Crusaders represent the hope all struggling high school football teams share. For while the private high school on Broadway in Bangor with no football feeder program is having its best season in more than three decades, it was just… Read More
Weather permitting, the waiting soon will be over for the final two candidates for a berth in one of next weekend’s Eastern Maine high school football finals. Five teams already have qualified to play another week. The Class A matchup will send No. 2 Bangor… Read More
The Ellsworth boys soccer team is in familiar territory – set to play in its 15th state championship match Saturday when it squares off against Falmouth in a 10 a.m. start at Lewiston High School. But the Eagles’ route to the final may have been… Read More
Some of the matchups are still unknown, but the Maine Principals’ Association announced Monday the sites for Saturday’s state soccer championships. In fact, the locations were settled even before matchups in several classes were finalized Monday afternoon. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
Think back to yesteryear and all of the athletic standouts to come out of your high school. Orono High School is taking that nostalgic view of its athletic program one step further with the development of the Orono High School Athletic Hall of Fame. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
Mattanawcook Academy quarterback and safety Derek Libbey, currently recovering from an injured right knee that has sidelined him for the last two games, hopes to return to action in time for the LTC playoffs that begin in early November. “That’s what we’re shooting for,” said… Read More
As the fifth-seeded Bangor girls soccer team awaits Saturday’s Eastern Maine Class A quarterfinal matchup against No. 4 Hampden, one Ram player continues to watch from the sidelines. Would-be starting midfielder Jennie Lucy would love to be on the field, but the senior is in… Read More
It’s not as if Dan Kane’s presence alone has made a difference for the George Stevens Academy boys soccer team. Kane, a former Eagles coach who is back with the team this fall, feels he walked into the team he has today. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
The lot of the football lineman is less than glamorous on most nights, but for the Bangor High School football team, that task was particularly without tangible rewards during its most recent game against Skowhegan. That’s because in the Indians’ offensive front the Rams were… Read More
Go to a Bangor High School boys soccer game, and signs of the team’s recent success are minimal. Sure, coach Adam Leach may be wearing his state championship jacket, as was the case last Saturday when Bangor remained undefeated with a 3-0 victory at Messalonskee… Read More
The Belfast Lions may be down nine starters from last season’s Class B state field hockey title team, and their consecutive wins streak ended early this fall, but the three-time defending state champs are more than holding their own. Although it started the season 0-1-1,… Read More
Jack Hersom’s first year as a starting varsity quarterback was – to use the vernacular associated with Tom Brady – one of game management. And he couldn’t have managed the Lawrence High School offense much better than he did last year, as the Bulldogs merely… Read More
Morgan Chasse’s move to John Bapst of Bangor is working out well for her in several ways. Not only is she able to take some advanced classes not available to her at Bangor Christian, where she spent her freshman and sophomore years, but she has… Read More
Longtime Mount Desert Island tennis coach Bob Christie will be hard to replace when the school starts looking for a new coach later this year, athletic director Bunky Dow said. Christie, who led the Trojan boys to three Eastern Maine Class B titles, recently resigned… Read More
John Bapst of Bangor’s 22-20 LTC football victory over Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln on Saturday night featured defensive resilience and offensive balance. The Crusaders limited MA’s potent offense to 76 rushing yards until its final drive of the game, then stopped the Lynx on four… Read More
Last year at this time, Tyler Pineo was making about $10 per game working as a ballboy during Central High boys soccer games. This year, however, Pineo has chosen to do his work for free – as the Red Devils’ starting goalie. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
The Nokomis Warriors weren’t totally satisfied with Saturday afternoon’s varsity football debut, even though it resulted in a 22-6 victory over Old Town. “We didn’t play very good,” said Nokomis quarterback Derek Amoroso. “We weren’t mentally prepared, and we made mental mistakes. We’re only going… Read More
HOULTON – Although they’re the defending Class C state champions, the members of the Houlton High School golf team know they’ve got a tough season ahead if they want to get back to that point this year. Not only did the Shiretowners graduate three of… Read More
The additions of Nokomis of Newport and Mount View of Thorndike as two new varsity programs is not the only change in the Eastern Maine high school football world this season. The playoff qualifying mechanism in two of the three classes has been adjusted, with… Read More
The Bangor High boys soccer team returned to practice this fall with a purpose – defending the Class A state championship – and to a surprise. Adam Leach, who coached the Rams to their first-ever Class A state title in 2006, has announced he plans… Read More
Eastern Maine’s two newest varsity football teams squared off Monday night in Newport. It’s not the first time Nokomis has hosted Mount View of Thorndike on the gridiron, but it may have been the most important to date for the fledgling programs. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Some of Eastern Maine’s top schoolboy basketball players recently helped a team from the Pine Tree State earn a best-ever 11th-place finish at the junior boys/17-and-under AAU National Championships at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla. Derek Libbey of Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln,… Read More
While practices and tryouts for the fall high school sports season opened Monday for most of the state, many of the schools in Aroostook County have been going for several weeks. Some schools have already played countable games. The Van Buren boys soccer team, which… Read More
Earlier this year, Bangor High girls soccer coach Larry Smith wanted to find some way to honor Danielle Thompson, a former Ram player and 2003 Bangor graduate who died Jan. 3 from bacterial meningitis during her senior year at the University of New Hampshire. At… Read More
Shey Gardner, a quarterback and safety from Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln, is one of three recipients of the second annual John R. Schmidlin Trophy. Gardner, running back-defensive back Aaron Champagne of Lawrence of Fairfield and fullback-linebacker Devon Brown of Gardiner were honored during halftime of… Read More
High school football in Down East Maine is gaining momentum. Calais and Woodland have combined forces to develop a cooperative program that will begin playing at the subvarsity level this fall with plans to join the varsity ranks in two years. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Bangor-Nokomis girls basketball games will provide more than their share of interesting matchups, and not just on the floor. Kori Dionne, a former point guard for Bangor High and a 1999 Bangor graduate, will take over as coach of the Nokomis of Newport girls basketball… Read More
Not long after Jim Chasse became principal at Piscataquis Community High of Guilford two years ago, he came across a student petition urging the development of a wrestling program at the school. The petition had enough signatures to pique Chasse’s interest, particularly at a school… Read More
Wayne Newenham has known for several months he was going to coach the Sumner girls basketball coach in his second stint with the Tigers of East Sullivan. What he found out two weeks ago was that he was also going to be coaching the Sumner… Read More
Ben Poland has paid his dues, and been rewarded with his first varsity soccer coaching job. The five-year Hermon High boys junior varsity coach was named last week to be the girls varsity coach. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
As a native of the Saint John Valley, Andrew Clavette appreciates the love of basketball in the region. As the new boys varsity basketball coach at Fort Kent Community High School, he hopes to build upon it. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
Hall of Fame inductions are becoming common within the Kelly family. One year after older brother John Kelly was inducted into the Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance Hall of Fame, former Camden Hills of Rockport wrestler and coach Patrick Kelly will be inducted during ceremonies Aug. Read More
Narraguagus of Harrington earning a spot in the Eastern Maine Class C quarterfinals was as exciting for then assistant coach Chris Burke as it was for the Knights. Burke, a 1988 Narraguagus graduate and small forward for Knights teams of the mid-1980s, never got to… Read More
Normally at this time of year, Bob Marquis would be preparing for summer basketball camp. But these are more relaxed times for the veteran coach, teacher and administrator, who recently retired after a 30-year career in education, 29 at East Millinocket schools. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
It took the four finalists for the 2007 Dr. John Winkin Award symbolic of the year’s Mr. Baseball to have a unified impact on the Monday’s Maine-New Hampshire Senior All-Star Game at Hadlock Field in Portland. With two outs and a runner on first in… Read More
Young and dangerous. That’s how Russell “Rusty” Worcester Jr. has described his Georges Valley softball team this year. 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
A youthful Fort Fairfield boys basketball team barely missed getting a taste of postseason action last winter, falling 0.5365 Heal Points short of earning the final preliminary-round berth in Eastern Maine Class D. Next winter a more experienced Tigers’ team will seek to break through… Read More
Former Schenck of East Millinocket basketball standout Rachel Larlee will take over as coach of the Foxcroft Academy girls basketball team next winter. Larlee, a 2000 Schenck and 2004 UMaine-Presque Isle graduate, who is currently teaching and coaching in the Milo school system, was one… Read More
One of the more decorated wrestlers in Maine high school history has received one more honor. Jeremiah Barkac, a senior at Dexter Regional High School, has been named a 2007 high school All-American by Wrestling USA magazine. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
The Caribou High School boys tennis team has been a perennial contender for an Eastern Maine championship, initially as a Class A school and more recently in Class B. Two years ago, for example, the Vikings lost in the final as Camden Hills of Rockport… Read More
Jazz musician, youth sports coach, soccer player, possible future doctor – Caribou High senior Caleb Swanberg is a well-rounded student-athlete. He recently found out he has won an award that recognizes his wide variety of activities. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
Tyler Benjamin of Belfast and Mike Marsh of Rockland were among 21 Maine football standouts honored recently as recipients of the 20th annual scholar-athlete awards presented by the State of Maine Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. Benjamin, a 5-foot-10,… Read More
Looking for a tough out in the upcoming Eastern Maine Class C baseball playoffs? Consider Stearns of Millinocket. 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
James Fineman has lived the doubles life since being born with a twin brother, so perhaps it’s no surprise he has found success in doubles on the tennis court. A senior at Mount Desert High School in Bar Harbor, Fineman last Saturday won the Penobscot… Read More
As the regular season in high school softball winds down this week, several of the Eastern Maine Class A teams are closer than ever. Bangor, Brewer, Hampden, and Nokomis of Newport are proving to be among the top squads in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference… Read More
Ellsworth High School will have two new varsity basketball coaches in place next winter with very different backgrounds. Longtime middle school coach Peter Austin has been hired to take over the boys basketball team, while former Boothbay High School and 2005 University of Maine-Farmington graduate… Read More
Matt Rossignol has either played or coached basketball every year since he first took up the sport as a youngster in his native Van Buren. That run will end next winter, as Rossignol has stepped down as the boys varsity basketball coach at Madawaska High… Read More
Belfast High softball pitcher Stephanie Whittier was back in school Monday, Lions athletic director Terry Kenniston said, after a scary incident in a game Thursday. Pitching in a key Eastern Maine Class B matchup against Winslow, Whittier took a line drive off her forehead during… Read More
One of a high school baseball coach’s tougher decisions can involve how to juggle a pitching staff, particularly when one of the pitchers is also the starting shortstop. In many cases, to use the shortstop as a starting pitcher is to sacrifice elsewhere, unless the… Read More
While reigning state champion Searsport and tradition-laden George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill dominate most conversations about Eastern Maine Class C baseball this spring, a third contender has quietly joined the division’s elite entering the final stretch of the regular season. Central of Corinth is… Read More
When Woody Moore joined the football coaching staff at Rockland District High School five years ago, helping to preserve the struggling program was the immediate goal. Now, as Moore takes over the Tigers as their varsity head coach, the team’s motto is “chasing perfection.” googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
The Penobscot Valley softball team has a rough week ahead but the Howlers will more than likely deal with the pressure. The senior-laden squad, which had one of the school’s best finishes in basketball this winter, is 7-0 after Monday’s 12-6 win over Piscataquis of… Read More
There’s a vacancy atop the Maine schoolboy tennis world. Hampden Academy’s Eliot Potvin, who reached the finals of the state singles tournament as a freshman and won the individual championship each of the last two years, won’t be back to defend that crown when preliminary… Read More
Like many teams this season, the Brewer High softball team has had to play a lot of games in just a few days after weather and field conditions washed out the early part of the spring. But not many teams have played so well in… Read More
One solution to alleviating a shortage of athletic fields is to build a new one. Another solution, one being utilized at the Weatherbee School complex in Hampden, is to lengthen the day – or at least the availability of light. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
Maine’s high school cheerleading teams will be allowed two more athletes on the floor in their routines next year. The Maine Principals’ Association voted last Thursday in its general membership meeting to increase the maximum per routine from 18 to 20 with two alternates, MPA… Read More
PITTSFIELD – If his debut this spring is any indication, pitching without pain will be pitching with pleasure for Maine Central Institute senior Victor Quint. The righthander opened the Huskies’ season Saturday by striking out 16 batters and walking no one in a complete-game effort… Read More
Instead of heading straight to college from Old Town High in 2006, Katie Bergeron decided to make a rare move for a Maine schoolgirl basketball player. She decided to spend a year at a college preparatory school. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
After the final game of the basketball season, Earl Anderson knew he was ready to finish up his coaching career at Nokomis of Newport. He took a few months to think about it, and now Anderson is sure of his decision. He told the Warriors… Read More
Head Style: head42 – 42 Point, 1 deck, Minion-SemiboldBDN95, Plain; 45; 5 col Body Spec: Body Text; colw: 11p0; depth:7.37 (in.) 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
These days, softball practice is a bit boring at Lee Academy as it is across the rest of the rainy, muddy state. “It’s a very limited situation,” said Pandas coach Ron Weatherbee, who is likely just as exasperated with the weather as the rest of… Read More
On April 6, 2006, Old Town and Hampden Academy played a preseason baseball game – outdoors. One year and one day later, those same two teams played another preseason game, only this time it was a modified version played indoors. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
With a light snow falling from gray skies Saturday at about 8 a.m., two men took snowblowers to Coffin Field, Brewer’s softball facility. There’s now just a thin layer of snow left, but Brewer athletic director Dennis Kiah is still grateful the Witches’ home opener… Read More
Kote Aldus of Belfast Area High School earned All-American honors with a fourth-place finish in his weight class at the inaugural NHSCA National High School Freshman Wrestling Championships last weekend at Virginia Beach, Va. The most outstanding wrestler of this year’s Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference… Read More
The Lee Academy baseball team accomplished something new last spring – its first Class D state championship. But the Pandas graduated eight seniors from that 19-1 team, a contingent including seven starters led by infielder Tyler Thompson, who amassed more than 100 hits and 100… Read More
As the Hermon softball team began tryouts Monday afternoon, one member of the Hawk team took the lead in guiding her teammates through some warmups. Junior pitcher Ashley Kelley, who had a breakout year in 2006, skipped ahead of her teammates, showing them a drill. Read More
The annual Maine McDonald’s Senior All-Star Basketball Games traditionally are a celebration of some of the state’s top high school athletes. But the weekend of events at Husson College in Bangor also features recognition for some of the state’s top coaches. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
Bucksport High School’s John Wardwell Field was speckled with ice and snow Monday afternoon as the school’s softball team held its first practice of the year in the gymnasium. Even though the Golden Bucks had to open the 2007 season indoors, seniors Terren Hall and… Read More
Paul Soucy has guided the Big East Conference through many changes in the Eastern Maine high school basketball landscape during his 22 years as that league’s first and only director. The conference was formed as the Eastern 8 during the mid-1980s to accommodate northern Maine’s… Read More