Beavers, Tigers and Wildcats begin title defense
with road contests this weekend
The five-time defending Class D girls’ state champion Washburn Beavers make the trip to Hodgdon to take on the Hawks as the regular season opens Friday for high school basketball teams throughout the state. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
Also in action Friday are coach Logan McLaughlin’s Fort Fairfield Tiger boys, who reached the Class D state finals last year in his first season at the helm. Fort Fairfield is on the road to meet up against Limestone/MSSM, under first-year coach Brian Massey, at 7 p.m., following the girls’ game between the two schools located just 10 miles apart that tips off at 5:30 p.m.
Saturday’s schedule features last year’s regional girls’ champion in Class B, the Presque Isle Wildcats, heading south on Interstate 95 to square off against the Hermon Hawks at 1:30 p.m. The Big East Conference tilt between the boys’ teams is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
The Central Aroostook girls and boys enter the 2015-16 campaign with new coaches this season. The girls, under the direction of Cody Tompkins, who coached at Ashland last year, travel to Dyer Brook to play Southern Aroostook Friday at 6:30 p.m. In Mars Hill that same evening at 7 p.m., Jason Woodworth guides the Panther boys against the Warriors. Woodworth, who played at CAHS and is formerly the school’s JV coach, takes over for Tim Brewer, who resigned at the end of last season after a 15-year tenure that featured four state championship teams.
The Ashland teams also have new coaches in the fold. The girls’ coach, Whitney Flint, actually isn’t totally new as she coached the team in 2013-14 before taking last year off. She is back as her Hornets make their season debut Friday at Easton at 7 p.m.
Lucas Belanger is the man in charge of the Ashland boys and his team opens at home Monday against Limestone/MSSM. The boys’ game is immediately following the girls’ game between the same two schools, which tips off at 5:30 p.m.
Manny Martinez is another rookie head coach in the area. His Easton boys’ team waits until Tuesday before opening its season in Dyer Brook against the Warriors. Martinez replaces Dillon Kingsbury, who is now the boys’ coach at Houlton.
The Washburn boys will also play their first contest Tuesday, traveling to Hodgdon for a 7 p.m. scheduled tip.
The hockey season kicks off for the Presque Isle Wildcats Saturday as they host John Bapst at 1:15 p.m. at the Forum.
Also taking place Saturday in Presque Isle is a swim meet featuring the newly-formed Carlisle co-op team, made up of athletes from Caribou, Limestone/MSSM and Presque Isle, against Washington Academy of East Machias. The meet gets under way at 1 p.m. at UMPI’s Gentile Hall pool.
