The varsity winter sports season officially opens this weekend, with hockey, basketball, swimming and wrestling all on the schedule.
Coach Carl Flynn’s Presque Isle hockey team hosts Camden Hills at the Forum Friday, with the puck dropping at 6:45 p.m.
A pair of basketball doubleheaders are slated in both Washburn and Easton on Friday, as Van Buren takes on the Beavers and Ashland meets up with the Bears. The girls’ games begin at 5:30 p.m and the boys’ games have a scheduled start time of 7 p.m.
The Washburn girls have a new coach in Jon Poisson, while the Easton boys are now under the leadership of Cody Closson, who also is coaching his first-ever varsity game. The Ashland girls welcome back Ben Lothrop, who returns to the sidelines for the Hornets after a nine-year layoff.
Also on Friday, the Greater Houlton Christian Academy boys make the trip to take on Fort Fairfield for a 7 p.m. start. The visiting Eagles are expected to challenge for one of the top spots in Class D, while the Tigers, coached by Logan McLaughlin, were the Class C North runners-up last season.
Fort Fairfield boys head basketball coach Logan McLaughlin celebrates a good play by his team during last year’s Class C North tournament. McLaughlin returns for his fourth season with the Tigers, who make their regular season debut at home against Greater Houlton Christian Academy Friday. (BDN photo/Ashley L. Conti)
Friday also marks the Central Aroostook boys’ first game in several years as a Class C team as the Panthers make the move from the ‘D’ ranks. CA travels to Houlton, a new opponent on the schedule, for a 7 p.m. start.
The coaching matchup features the Panthers’ Jason Woodworth, in his third season, against Tim Brewer, who begins his second year in charge of the Shires. Woodworth played for Brewer at Central Aroostook and then was his assistant for five seasons up until 2015, when Brewer wrapped up his 15-year stint as the Panthers’ boss.
East Grand travels to Southern Aroostook for a boys and girls doubleheader starting at 5:30 p.m. with the girls game, followed by the boys at 7 p.m. The East Grand boys have a new coach in Anthony Cropley and will be taking on veteran coach Bill McAvoy’s Southern Aroostook squad that graduated six players a year ago.
The Hodgdon boys and girls squads make the 222-mile round-trip trek to Eastport to take on Shead in a doubleheader. The Hodgdon girls, under the guidance of second-year Hawk coach Wendell Harvey, tip off their game with the Tigers at 5:30 followed by the boys contest at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, Presque Isle kicks off its regular season slate Saturday with a lengthy trip to East Machias. The Wildcat girls play Washington Academy at 1:30 p.m. and the boys’ game is set for 4:30 p.m.
Caribou is also in action Saturday on the road against Hermon. The Viking girls’ game is at 1:30 p.m. and the boys’ contest has a scheduled tip time of 4:30 p.m.
The Fort Fairfield girls make their debut Saturday at 3:30 p.m. with a home game against the Katahdin Cougars. Larry Gardner is back for his 20th season as the coach of the Tigers.
Also on Saturday, the Houlton-Hodgdon-Katahdin-Southern Aroostook Black Hawks hockey team opens its season with a 1 p.m. game against Camden Hills at the John Millar Civic Center.
Coach Chico Hernandez’s Caribou wrestling team is one of 10 teams involved in a match hosted by Penobscot Valley High School in Howland Saturday beginning at 9 a.m.
The Carlisle swim team hosts a meet in Limestone Saturday beginning at 1 p.m., with Washington Academy the opponent.
The Houlton girls are not back in action until Wednesday, Dec. 13, when the Shires travel to Central Aroostook for the first time in many years. Houlton has dropped back down to Class C North and will face a number of foes they have not traditionally played due to changes in the scheduling.
