Softball season cancelled
MARS HILL, Maine — There will not be a varsity softball team at Central Aroostook High School this spring.
According to SAD 42 Athletic Administrator Ty Thurlow, decreased interest in the sport led to fewer girls signing up, and that, combined with injuries to some of the returning players, forced him to notify the Maine Principals’ Association last week that the program has been suspended for this school year.
Since the season was cancelled prior to April 14, 2016, Thurlow said there will be no sanctions or repercussions from the MPA.
“If we do not field a team in 2017, which would be two seasons in a row, after that we would be relegated to compete at the junior varsity level for a period of two years before returning to the varsity ranks,” Thurlow said. “This, of course, would not be desirable since there are virtually no JV teams in the county and other schools would be hard pressed to want to play their varsity team against a JV team in the spring of the year when games are hard to get in given the unpredictable weather.”
Thurlow said the middle school softball program currently has “good numbers moving forward, which could in turn help the varsity program in years to come.” He did warn that at this time, the lower grades do not have as many interested athletes, “which could prove problematic for sustainability in the future.”
Central Aroostook has had a strong tradition in softball over the years. Ryan Guerrette resigned last summer, but during his five seasons as coach, the team recorded an overall record of 64-20 and made it into the Eastern Maine Class D playoffs every year and into the semifinals on three occasions.
Audra Kirk, a Fort Street Elementary School teacher, had recently been hired to replace Guerrette and coach this year’s squad.
