The Central Aroostook girls pulled off an improbable regular season comeback win over Southern Aroostook last year in Mars Hill and then proceeded to knock the Warriors out of the tournament with a five-point semifinal win.
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Central Aroostook’s Caitlyn Harris shoots the ball against Southern Aroostook’s Katelyn Slauenwhite during their Class D North girls semifinal basketball game at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor last February. The Panthers eliminated the Warriors, 54-49, and the two teams meet again Friday in the first of two regular season meetings between Class D North powers.
The two teams play again Friday, this one in Dyer Brook, in the first of their two scheduled meetings this season to highlight the weekend’s high school basketball slate.
The Panthers sit in third place in Class D North at 9-2, while the Warriors have opened the season with 10 straight victories and are currently in second.
The Presque Isle basketball teams make their third long road trip of the week as they play in Dover-Foxcroft Saturday against the Ponies. It is the only meeting of the season between the schools. The Wildcat boys, 6-5, will be looking to break a three-game losing streak against Foxcroft Academy, which is 2-9. The girls’ matchup is between two of the top teams in Class B North as the Wildcats are 8-3 and in fourth place and the Ponies 9-2 and in sixth. The girls’ game is at 1:30 p.m. and the boys’ scheduled tipoff time is 4:30 p.m.
Easton plays Wisdom in St. Agatha Friday in a girls’/boys’ doubleheader beginning at 5:30 p.m., while on Saturday the Ashland teams make the trip to Limestone to play LCS/MSSM. This is a rematch from Wednesday in Ashland, with the Hornet girls and Eagle boys coming away with victories. The girls’ game is at 2 p.m. and the boys play at 3:30 p.m.
Also in boys’ action Saturday, a pair of hot teams go at it as the Greater Houlton Christian Academy boys, who have won five of their last six, travel to Fort Fairfield to take on the 10-1 Tigers, winners of eight in a row, for a 6 p.m. contest. In another boys’ game, rivals Washburn and Central Aroostook will meet for the first time this season in Mars Hill at 7 p.m.
In Thursday’s only game involving a local team, Southern Aroostook stopped Central Aroostook in Mars Hill, 74-56. The senior duo of Nolan Altvater and Jackson Mathers combined for 42 points as the Warriors swept the season series with the Panthers and remained undefeated.
Altvater led the way with 24 points and Mathers netted 18 for 11-0 Southern Aroostook, the first-place team in Class D North. The home team Panthers, at 7-5 and in third place, were led by trio of Ben Thomas (18 points), Caleb Harris (17) and Zach Crouch (17).
