For many years, Troy Alley envisioned himself replacing his father, Ordman “Ordie” Alley, as head coach of the Jonesport-Beals boys basketball team one day. He played for his dad for four years before graduating from Jonesport-Beals in 1991, and for the last five years he… Read More
Two Aroostook County girls basketball coaching openings have been filled with familiar names. Rodney Codrey will take over the Central Aroostook girls next year, while Limestone/Maine School of Science and Mathematics athletic director Bob Doar will coach the Eagles. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
David Evans has guided high school football teams to state championships in Dexter and Millinocket. Now he’ll get the chance to build a program from scratch. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for… Read More
Bucksport softball shortstop Jill Richards went down for a college visit to Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., in an unsure situation. She had been recruited by the Division-II school, but the Warriors went through a coaching change coaches in the offseason. With the coach… Read More
The schools that participate in Eastern Maine Class A athletics will work as one in several sports for at least the next two years, with the approval of joint schedules between the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference and the five remaining Class A schools in the Big East/Penobscot Valley… Read More
Team-control fouls in high school basketball will be adjudicated in the same manner as player-control fouls beginning next season, according to a new rule recently approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations board of directors. According to an NFHS news release, the… Read More
When they were youngsters playing softball, Amy Wadleigh would catch for older sister Gwen Wadleigh, who would go on to pitch for John Bapst of Bangor and is now a junior starter for the Crusaders. But soon enough Amy wanted to pitch, too, and earned… Read More
He may rank as one of the hidden gems of Maine schoolboy sports this year, unless your leagues of choice to follow are the Kennebec Valley Athletic Class B in basketball or baseball and the LTC in football. Rockland High senior Wade Oliver is the… Read More
Ed Marshall, who started the Madawaska girls soccer program in 1982 and led the Owls to a Class C state title and five Eastern Maine crowns, has decided to retire from coaching. Marshall coached the Owls to a 232-96-39 record with 10 appearances in Eastern… Read More
Tim Stammen has a passion for basketball, but the Camden Hills of Rockport senior also has a passion for making jewelry. It is that unique combination that has resulted in the first-team Bangor Daily News All-Maine basketball player opting to continue his athletic and academic… Read More
Eliot Potvin hopes for a better high school tennis season in 2005 than he had in 2004, and that was quite impressive. The sophomore from Hampden Academy went undefeated as a freshman until dropping a three-set match to Bangor’s Bryan Brown in the state singles… Read More
High school coaches love senior leadership, but this year the Big East Conference Class A softball skippers have to be pleased with how their freshmen are performing. For Bangor, players like Amy Hackett, Alex Fahey, and Amy Wadleigh have had an immediate impact. At Brewer,… Read More
The Maine Principals’ Association has taken a step to address the competitive balance of the state’s ice hockey programs by tweaking the regular-season scheduling format. Under a proposal approved during the MPA’s general business meeting held at the Samoset Resort in Rockport on Thursday, teams… Read More
In some circles, the sport of wrestling occasionally may still face the stereotype of brawn over brains. But don’t try telling that to Caleb Pelletier or Tom Burns – or all the wrestlers they’ve defeated during the last four years. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
Bryan Brown already has had a productive high school tennis career. As a freshman, Brown played a huge role in leading Bangor High School to its first Class A state team championship. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
Maine Principals’ Association members will have a myriad of classification issues to consider as the MPA gathers for its spring meeting later this week at the Samoset Resort in Rockport. The classification committee will introduce recommendations at Thursday morning’s interscholastic management committee meeting that would… Read More
Two years ago, the Camden Hills boys tennis team won the Eastern Maine Class B title, only to be outclassed by Cape Elizabeth in the state championship match. Last spring those same programs met again in the state final, and while the gap between the… Read More
For years, Bangor Christian softball coach Tom Obey told his teams that if they gave him all their time and dedication, he would do the same. This season, Obey found he couldn’t take his own advice. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
Last year seemed as though it should have been a rebuilding period for the George Stevens Academy baseball team. After all, 11 seniors – more than a full lineup – had graduated from the 2003 squad that brought the Class C state championship home to… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – David Carey, who guided the Foxcroft Academy boys basketball team to this year’s Eastern Maine Class B championship game, has resigned from that post after four seasons. Carey cited personal reasons for the move, in particular the chance to watch his son and… Read More
Brock Bradford, a junior point guard who helped guide the Calvary Chapel Christian School boys basketball program from its infancy to the 2004 Class D state championship and a berth in the 2005 regional semifinals, has transferred to Bangor Christian School. The 6-foot-1 Bradford is… Read More
Of the five Class A baseball teams in the Penobscot Valley Conference, three have new head coaches this spring. Only Bangor’s Jeff Fahey and Brewer’s David Morris are returning to the dugout, while Hampden Academy, Old Town and Nokomis of Newport will have first-year field… Read More
BELFAST – As he began running faster and faster times early in his high school track and cross country career, Levi Miller began to think he might be able to compete at the Division I college level one day. Next fall, that day will arrive… Read More
Ashland High is in the midst of an athletic upswing, at least in its girls programs. The girls soccer team made it to the Eastern Maine Class D semis last fall, the basketball squad earned the tourney runner-up award, and this spring the softball team will be going… Read More
DOVER-FOXCROFT – Bobby Gilbert arrived at Foxcroft Academy in August 2002 never having played a down of organized football, but with a definite game plan. Three years later, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound product of Beaver Cove has been accepted at the University of Maine and is… Read More
The Maine Association of Basketball Coaches presented its coach of the year awards for the 2004-05 season during the recent McDonald’s all-star weekend at Husson College. Schoolboy basketball coaches recognized were: Eastern Maine Class A, Mike McGee, Lawrence of Fairfield; Eastern B, Jeff Hart, Camden… Read More
BUCKSPORT – Nick Tymoczko took a lot of pride in leading Bucksport High School to its first state football title in 21 years last fall. Now he’ll join the Pride next fall to continue his career. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
Mark Socoby’s transition from Class C to the large-school ranks proved to be a smooth one, as evidenced by his selection as 2005 Big East Conference Class A boys basketball player of the year. Socoby, a junior forward who transferred to Bangor after helping Houlton… Read More
Although there were some pressing matters on her mind – like when and if she would come back in Saturday’s Class A girls state championship basketball game – Cony of Augusta senior Katie Rollins couldn’t help but think about the future while sitting on the bench in the… Read More
The drive to add a football program at Nokomis Regional High School gained steam Tuesday night when the SAD 48 board of directors voted to support fielding a club team beginning this fall. The Friends of Nokomis Football, which launched the drive to add football… Read More
Cassie Hintz is one of the more prolific high school runners this state has ever seen. She routinely trains 60 to 70 miles a week even during track season, coinciding with her relentless assault on state distance running records. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
Caribou High racewalker Andrew Ciszewski had just about everything working against him in Saturday’s Nike Indoor National Track and Field Championships at Landover, Md. But instead of letting it get to him, Ciszweski put everything aside – he had just three weeks to prepare for… Read More
Several Eastern Maine high school administrators are excited for their schools to start work as pilot sites for the University of Maine’s “Sports Done Right” initiative. The 12 pilot sites, which were announced Friday, include the Brewer School Department; SAD 29, which is comprised of… Read More
When the Piscataquis of Guilford boys basketball team left for Bangor at about 8:30 a.m. last Wednesday for its 11:05 Eastern C quarterfinal against Dexter, nothing but the game was on the Pirates’ mind. That changed about seven miles down Route 15, when the team… Read More
Just a few days away from leading the Lee Academy girls basketball team to the Eastern Maine Class D tournament, Shelby Pickering is being recognized for her soccer skills. Pickering has been named the Gatorade Maine Girls Soccer Player of the Year. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
Tom Ackley remembers “volunteering” to work his first wrestling meet. The Monson Academy and University of Maine graduate had never participated in the sport himself, but as a first-year teacher at Massabesic High School in Waterboro he probably felt his professional longevity would benefit if… Read More
In her four years as a starting guard, Jenny Rollins has produced some big numbers for the Central of Corinth girls basketball team. Last week Rollins logged a huge milestone in scoring the 1,500th point of her career. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
The Houlton High girls basketball suffered a big loss over the weekend when Danielle Sewell went down with a season-ending injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee. Sewell, a junior guard, was averaging 17.5 points, five rebounds and five assists per game… Read More
The Hermon High wrestling program is still in its formative years, but the success of two current Hawks could serve as pillars for continued development. Seniors Pat Reardon and Chris Archer each won individual titles at last weekend’s Eastern Maine Class C championship meet, making… Read More
When it comes to high school rivalries, games between neighboring Calais and Woodland are as heated as any. The Calais girls basketball team logged a key win Friday night when they beat the Dragons 46-36 in a game that could mean more than bragging rights… Read More
The Maine Center for Sport and Coaching has set up a series of seven informational meetings around the state to discuss a report about improving interscholastic sports programs that was released last month. Among the locations that will host meetings to discuss the federally funded… Read More
While Pine Tree Conference Class A football schedulers are trying to adapt to a dwindling membership – the division is expected to have 11 teams in 2005, compared to 14 in 2004 -PTC Class B organizers are working to develop a schedule to deal with an increased enrollment. Read More
Tracy Guerette had always planned to leave her hometown of St. Agatha and go to medical school after graduating from the University of Maine. But Guerette, the former Wisdom High star athlete who went on to play four years of basketball at UMaine, has found… Read More
The high school wrestling postseason begins Saturday when the Penobscot Valley Conference and Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference stage their championship meets. Camden Hills of Rockport will seek its fourth straight KVAC title beginning at 9 a.m. at Oxford Hills High in South Paris. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
Back when Stephanie Gagnon was playing basketball for Madawaska High, the Easton girls basketball team was mired in a 41/2-year, 83-game winless streak. So Gagnon remembers the day that the Bears finally won a game – they beat a team from the Liberty School of… Read More
‘D’ equals depth in EM boys ranks Calvary Chapel, CAHS, Lee among several legitimate hoop contenders
With about a month to go before tournament time, a check of the latest Heal Point ratings provides an answer as to the deepest division in Eastern Maine boys basketball. The top 11 teams in Eastern D all have records of .500 or better through… Read More
As most coaches do before games, Mount Desert Island girls basketball coach Chip Taylor gathered his team together for a pep talk prior to Saturday afternoon’s matchup against Caribou. Taylor was concerned about a letdown after Friday night’s huge win over Presque Isle, a 56-55… Read More
When Piscataquis of Guilford boys basketball coach Jamie Russell met with the parents of his players before the start of the season, he suggested the Pirates might get off to a slow start, say 1-4 by Christmas. “They were like, ‘Right, you say that every… Read More
The absence of Jordan Heath from the Bangor boys basketball lineup for three to five weeks due to a bout of mononucleosis leaves the Rams not only without their starting point guard but also their top long-range shooter. Heath, whose natural position is shooting guard,… Read More
Narraguagus of Harrington graduate Anne Favolise’s jersey was to be retired Monday night before the Knights’ girls varsity basketball team was to play Searsport. But Favolise isn’t having her jersey retired for basketball. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
MILO – Three hundred victories later, little has changed in how Tony Hamlin endeavors to get across the finer points of basketball to his players. “If there is a difference, it’s that I’m a little less naive now,” said Hamlin, who earned coaching win No. Read More
Most nights you’ll find Big East Conference Class A basketball games to be pretty competitive affairs. But Wednesday night’s matchup between the Hampden and Old Town girls has turned into a friendly rivalry for two of the coaches involved. The 7 p.m. game at Old… Read More
Backcourt injuries are starting to have an effect on the Big East Class B boys basketball world, with two key guards currently on the sidelines. Ellsworth sophomore Corey Dewitt suffered a broken right wrist Monday while the Eagles were playing Cheverus of Portland in the… Read More
To most of the schoolboy basketball coaches in the Mountain Valley Conference, Corey Guilford looks more like a player than a coach. That’s because the new coach at Mount Abram High in Salem is less than three years removed from a 1,000-point playing career as… Read More
In years past, the Caribou High School Alpine and Nordic ski teams had long commutes just find places to practice. The Alpine skiers, in search of a hill to ski down, were forced to travel either south to Mars Hill Mountain or north to the… Read More
BLUE HILL – Members of the George Stevens Academy boys basketball program are showing the spirit of giving during this holiday season. The team this week donated $1,000 to Tom Smith, a local businessman in need of a liver transplant. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
Tyler Eastman is receiving interest from colleges for his football skills, but his track and field resume is growing, too. The Old Town High senior shattered the 20-year-old Eastern Maine Indoor Track League record in the boys shot put during the opening meet of the… Read More
Ever since Ashley Ames stepped onto the basketball court as a freshman for the Dexter High School girls, there’s been speculation about where the 6-foot-4 standout will wind up in college. Four years later, Ames still isn’t sure exactly what she’s going to do at… Read More
The Class A schoolboy basketball season begins tonight, and many eyes are focused on a familiar location: Bangor High. The Rams, Eastern Maine finalists a year ago and winners of three state championships in the last five years, will field a blend of high-quality veterans… Read More
When East Grand of Danforth opens its boys basketball season at home against Woodland on Wednesday night, new coach Jerry Adams is not expected be on the Vikings’ sideline. Adams is on administrative leave from his duties as coach and athletic director, according to SAD… Read More
When new Shead of Eastport principal Terry Lux attended the Tigerettes’ season-opening basketball game Saturday, she found it difficult to just watch instead of coach, which is what she had done for 25 years before retiring to Maine this summer. “It’s hard for me to… Read More
Hampden Academy is searching for a new head football coach with the resignation of John Sparacio after three seasons. Sparacio’s resignation was accepted during the Dec. 1 meeting of the SAD 22 board of directors, according to HA athletic director David Shapiro googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
No one likes to end soccer games with penalty kicks. That much was clear when about 50 members of the Maine Soccer Coaches Association gathered before Sunday’s annual awards banquet in Bangor. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
Don Mendell has been a social worker at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport for the past 18 years. In that role and his additional duties as chairman of the school’s Positive Action committee, Mendell has joined other local educators and community members in search… Read More
Success has taken the Foxcroft Academy wrestling team from center stage to the dining hall – at least for practice purposes. The Ponies, who won their first-ever state championship last winter, have practiced in recent years on the stage in the school gymnasium. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
Josh Aldus of Belfast, Bobby Gilbert of Foxcroft Academy and Nick Tymoczko of Bucksport are among the 10 semifinalists for the 34th annual James J. Fitzpatrick Trophy. The award honors a high school senior football player based on on-field performance, academics and community and school… Read More
Mike Garcelon remembers his first foray into coaching schoolboy basketball at Searsport High. It was 1988, and he was just learning the ropes. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i =… Read More
Aaron Wilcox will return to the sidelines this season as boys basketball coach at Bangor Christian School. He previously coached BC’s boys varsity basketball team in 1992, 1993 and 1994, but has served in a variety of coaching capacities at the school, as well as… Read More
The Rockland cheerleading team should have a very smooth transition as three-year junior varsity coach Becky Howard will take over the varsity squad this winter. And it’s a good thing, because the Tigers are expecting to have yet another successful season. Howard replaces co-head coaches… Read More
The future of Maine’s high school basketball tournaments will be a primary topic when the Maine Principals’ Association holds its annual fall conference Thursday and Friday at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland. Proposals to be considered would move the Eastern A tournament… Read More
Things seem to be settled in the Hodgdon High athletic department now that Dave Minzy has been installed as the school’s new athletic director and Jill Pisano has been hired to coach the varsity girls basketball team. Minzy, who just started in the athletic director-vice… Read More
Much of Bangor High’s football success this season can be attributed to a punishing rushing attack featuring a big, talented offensive line doing the heavy lifting for junior tailback Nick Payson, who has gained 1,384 yards. But Bangor’s physical nature doesn’t end along the line… Read More
The Madawaska boys soccer team went a long way from worrying about even making the Eastern Maine Class C playoffs to playing for a state championship. Although the Owls didn’t win the state title – Carrabec of North Anson earned a 2-1 win Saturday –… Read More
It’s an honor a decade in the making. That’s how long Tim Olore, Sandy Curran, Wayne Brown and a myriad of other players, coaches and friends of the Presque Isle High School baseball program have been working to make the James I. Dyer Memorial Field… Read More
It’s been a record-setting regular season for Bucksport High tailback Nick Tymoczko. The Golden Bucks’ senior set new LTC Class C single-season standards for rushing yards (2,071) and touchdowns (33) while leading coach Joel Sankey’s club to a 9-0 record and the top seed for… Read More
For Lee junior Carrie Mallett, cross country practice occasionally sometimes got lonely this fall. Sure, she had several junior varsity runners and the Lee boys to run with and push her during workouts, but mostly she ran against herself. So where were the rest of… Read More
High school cross country supporters are running the extra mile in an effort to allow top-finishing teams at the annual state meet to participate in the New England championships. Brewer High coach Glendon Rand, a liaison to the Maine Principals’ Association cross country committee, is… Read More
The Bangor High boys soccer team may be out of the playoffs, but considering how much experience the Rams’ young players got this year, the squad should be ready for an even deeper run next season. Consider the case of Aaron Taft. googletag.cmd.push(function () {… Read More
When final standings for Eastern Maine Classes B and C field hockey were released Friday, it was clear there has been a changing of the guard. In Class C, teams such as Dexter, Hall-Dale of Farmingdale, and Central of Corinth made the playoffs but are… Read More
Belfast High School field hockey coach Allen Holmes has coached in eight state championship games. He knows what it’s like to play an afternoon state final on a field that’s been put through its paces from other state games earlier in the day. “If you… Read More
Mingled with the sounds of a high school girls soccer team in the middle of a practice – getting instructions from a coach, shouting encouragement to each other – are the sounds of construction. While the Penobscot Valley girls run through warm-up drills, the school… Read More
ORONO – Mo Nazmy had a choice to make last spring. As he completed his junior year at Orono High School, he already had accumulated enough academic credits to graduate and had been accepted to such prestigious universities as Ohio State. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
The schedule makers were relatively kind to the Brewer High football team, particularly given the fact that only one starter returned from the 2003 team that reached the Pine Tree Conference Class B semifinals. The Witches’ first four games, against Old Town, Hampden Academy, Oak… Read More
Kelly White might be considered one of the top high school softball pitchers in Maine, but she knows that’s a limited honor as the teams here play just a few months of the year outdoors. Meanwhile, in warmer parts of the country, some softball teams… Read More
The road more traveled was a cruel place for several unbeaten high school football teams last weekend. The Brewer Witches were able to spoil Morse of Bath’s Homecoming, but only by scoring the decisive touchdown and two-point conversion with 1:03 left to earn a 22-21… Read More
Nick Tymoczko spends much of his summer vacation cutting grass to earn money – this year he had 15 lawns he maintained regularly. This fall the Bucksport senior has been mowing down the competition in the LTC Class C football world, combining with fullback John… Read More
Coach Adam Leach had some harsh words for the Bangor boys soccer team at halftime of their game against Presque Isle Saturday. What Leach told the Rams, who were behind at that point, wasn’t just for sheer motivation. He told them the cold truth: Without… Read More
Proposals to change Maine’s high school basketball postseason structure earned one final preliminary vote of support Wednesday. Members of the Interscholastic Management Committee of the Maine Principals’ Association voted 9-0 in favor of three proposals that include moving the Eastern Maine Class A basketball tournament… Read More
Indians savor end of losing streak Machias, Washington Academy take rivalry under the lights tonight
Tyler Eastman is one of the few who remembered the last time Old Town High School won a football game, on Oct. 26, 2001. “We played [Mount Desert Island] the last game of my freshman year,” said Eastman, now a 6-foot-5, 300-pound senior offensive guard… Read More
The Presque Isle golf team has had several wins this season – the Wildcats are in fact undefeated – but only one of those victories has prompted the PI team to celebrate at the local Pizza Hut afterwards. That’s just what the ‘Cats did after… Read More
For the past three years, teams have always known how tough the Hampden girls soccer team is – the Broncos are blessed with quickness, talent, depth, and center midfielder Kim Stephenson, who has been one of the top players in the state for the past three years. Read More
Two weeks into the high school football season and the Mattanawcook Academy football team already has equaled its 2003 victory total. Decisive wins over Dexter and Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield have the Lynx at 2-0 heading into Friday night’s LTC encounter against 1-1 Rockland… Read More
BANGOR – The Bangor High football team is off to a 2-0 start this season thanks to a big, aggressive line, some talented backs and special teams that have given the Rams a major kick-start. In junior place-kicker Tyson Barron and senior punter T.J. Vanidestine,… Read More
Lee standout Shelby Pickering was busy playing in a soccer game against Bangor Christian on Sept. 7 when she scored a goal – one of four she had during the Panda win – and everything just stopped for a minute. At the time, Pickering wondered what was going… Read More
The Rockland football team placed a heavy emphasis on its rushing attack in recent years, and with standout tailbacks like Mike Curtis and Trevor Davis going through the system, it made perfect sense. So what to make of last Friday night’s passing exhibition against Stearns… Read More
The Central High field hockey team is optimistic about its chances to go far this season. Factor in the Red Devils’ eight returning starters and main rival Dexter’s lack of experience in key positions, and coach Diane Rollins has good reason. Now, all the Devils… Read More
The Narraguagus High boys basketball team qualified for postseason play each of the four years Joel Strout attended the Harrington school in the mid-1970s. In 1975, Strout was a junior forward for the Knights, who won the Eastern Maine Class C championship that year before… Read More
Daryle Weiss of Rockland High was among 51 varsity football coaches who participated in the fourth annual NFL Youth Football Summit during the recent 2004 Hall of Fame Weekend in Canton, Ohio. Weiss, who was Maine’s representative to the summit, began his high school coaching… Read More
Shead High is about a week away from naming a new girls basketball coach, but there are at least two staff changes in athletics at the Eastport school. Paul Theriault, who has served as the school’s dean of students and as a social studies teacher,… Read More
It is a pair of shoulder pads that will live in infamy at Foxcroft Academy in Dover-Foxcroft. A year ago, wide receiver Brandon Hall suffered an anterior cruciate ligament during the Ponies’ regular-season football opener against Maine Central Institute, costing him the rest of the… Read More