Shooting stars: High school basketball April 2 at MAC

 Court standouts from Knox, Waldo, Lincoln county set to hoop it up for bragging rights

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By Ken Waltz | Mar 31, 2021

Courtesy of: Midcoast Athletics Center

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WARREN — Spectators were unable to attend high school basketball games in the pandemic-altered and -shortened 2020-21 winter season, thus missed the usual in-person experience and excitement of seeing talented area teenage court athletes demonstrate their skills.

Watching livestreams of games was nice, of course, but not the same as being at a venue making one's voice heard in support of the players.

Now, thanks to the Midcoast Athletics Center, one can do that as a bundle of players from high schools in Knox, Lincoln and Waldo counties have the opportunity to play in front of "fans."

That is because the first annual Midcoast High School All-Star Basketball Games, hosted by MAC, will dribble in on Friday, April 2.

The rosters include some of the top players, regardless of their class affiliation, from schools in the Midcoast "pod" who accepted invitations to participate in the games, said Rachel Coor of MAC.

She said other players were invited but will be unable to attend.

The games will include players from Oceanside of Rockland, Camden Hills of Rockport, Medomak Valley of Waldoboro, Boothbay Region, Lincoln Academy of Newcastle, Belfast and Mount View of Thorndike.

The girls game begins at 5:30 p.m. and boys at 7:30 p.m. at the facility located on the corners of Route 1/Atlantic Highway and Short Street. The games will be 20-minute halves. There also will be three-point shooting contests at halftime.

The gym will be cleared between games.

The event sponsors are Midcoast Athletics Center, Machias Savings Bank and Maple Lane Builders.

The girls coaches are Laurie Stiles and Kelly Mackie, while the boys teams will be led by Larry Reed and Marty Messer. Reed is the boys coach at Oceanside and Messer the boys coach at Belfast.

Games will be livestreamed on lctv.org. WABI TV sports anchor Bryan Sidelinger, a Medomak Valley High School graduate, will serve as the master of ceremonies.

The players who will participate include:

Belfast — Jason Bartlett, Jaiden Philbrook, Chris Kelley and Halle Tripp.

Boothbay Region — Ben Pearce, Glory Blethen, Sullivan Rice and Jaelyn Crocker.

Camden Hills — Hunter Norton, Ella Powers, Jeremy Fraser, Molly Hixon, Casey Messer, Tessa Whitley, Ryan Clifford and Ella Graffam.

Lincoln Academy — Tucker Stiles, Maddy York, Lizzie Ober, Gabe Hagar, Paige LaFrenaye and Grace Houghton.

Medomak Valley — Parker Morrison, Trevor Brown, Aiden Starr, Addison McCormick, Autumn Ripley, Alyssa Creamer and Abby Lash.

Mount View — Joe Grassi, Sean Raven, Kricket Thompson and Hannah Coolen.

Oceanside — Cam Kingsbury, Elliott Lucier, Everett Allyn, Bodi Ames, Audrey Mackie, Carter Galley, Grace Woodman, Abby Waterman and Anna Kingsbury. The Kingsburys are siblings.

RSU 71 Food Service Complimentary Meals for Children

RSU #71 Food Service is pleased to offer Complimentary Meals for Children!

This is for children 18 years of age or younger and will provide 5 days worth of breakfasts & lunches. Limit one (1) vacation meal box per family.

Captain Albert School 

Friday April 16th, 2021

Pick-up time in parking lot 11:45am-12:30pm

Troy Howard Middle School

Friday April 16th, 2021

Pick-up time in parking lot 1:00pm-1:45pm

Click here to view the flyer for this event.

Please RSVP by April 9th, to ensure plenty of meals for all to: RSU71 Director of Nutrition Perley Martin phone 207-338-3320ex307 or email pmartin@rsu71.org

Complimentary Meals is sponsored by the RSU71 School Nutrition Program and partnered with Belfast Soup Kitchen and WCAP

Pinned down by pandemic: Wrestlers reflect on lost mat season

 In their words, 'disheartened' student-athletes voice thoughts about being sidelined due to COVID-19

By Ken Waltz and Mark Haskell | Mar 26, 2021

If there is one group of student-athletes who has felt left out, lost, perhaps even abandoned, in the high school sports world during the unpredictable, year-long pandemic, it is those who make or break their success on the wrestling mat.

None more than the upperclassman who love slipping into a singlet, snapping on headgear and stepping onto the mat for an often grueling, one-on-one duel of strength, stamina, technique, skill and experience.

After their season was pinned down for the count in February after weeks of uncertainty, teenage athletes echoed the same sentiment: utter disappointment.

That sense of loss was acute for the upperclassmen, especially seniors, from the five Midcoast high school programs — namely, Medomak Valley of Waldoboro, Belfast, Mount View of Thorndike, Camden Hills of Rockport  and Oceanside of Rockland.

That is because those upperclassmen lost a chance to build on or end their high school careers, in the case of seniors, with an opportunity to compete for league, regional and state titles, as well as perhaps advance to the coveted New Englands.

The 2020-21 high school wrestling season never got off the ground due to safety concerns surrounding COVID-19. There was hope among those connected to the sport some semblance of a pandemic-altered season, such as was held for soccer, field hockey, football, golf and cross country in the fall and basketball, skiing, swimming and ice hockey in the winter, would materialize.

But that never happened for a variety of reasons, the most acute being wrestling, due to its inherent nature of close, sustained, person-to-person contact and perhaps with an environment more prone to transmission of the virus, was deemed "high risk."

In the end, it was deemed the pandemic safety requirements and protocols from the Maine Principals' Association and other state health agencies could not be met.

The decision to cancel the season left more than 100 area youngsters sidelined.

Additionally, the Pine Tree Wrestling League halted its season last March at the start of the pandemic and did not hold a campaign in 2021, it may be a double-whammy, as that feeder program also may affect future high school teams.

Wrestling is not the only Maine high school sport that lost its season in the past year as baseball, softball, track and field, tennis and lacrosse was not held in the spring of 2020 and indoor track never got off the ground in the winter of 2021.

Of course, that does not lessen the hurt and soul-cutting disappointment for mat athletes or coaches.

Longtime Mount View coach Hamilton Richards said the loss of his beloved sport has "been surreal." That is because he often has a small group and this year had five experienced seniors to lead the Mustangs.

And, of course, there is more that was missed.

"All of them stood a strong chance of having good seasons with solid postseason finishes," he said. "Both Emma Fonger and Zach Ward were extremely likely to set school records, or in Zach’s case, enhance some of those records. With a full season, Zach was in range of breaking brother Mark’s all-time win record as by the end of his junior year he was one match ahead of Mark at the same time in Mark’s career. The three girls also would have put us in possible contention for a girls state title (if the MPA allowed team scoring for the tournament) as they are all tough and Hailey [Wood’s] shoulder is in much better shape this year than it was last."

Richards said other seniors had shown steady improvement. "The sad part is in each case, they’ll never get that senior year back and that’s a hard pill to swallow; even knowing that steps to deal with the pandemic had to take priority. We’ll never know exactly what they could have done …"

The coach said another problem he sees from this lost year is different than other high school mat programs that have larger teams and depth to lean on.

"This non-season is going to have immediate long- and short-term consequences for us. We were already light on underclassmen — two to be exact and both were first-year wrestlers last season. With this year off, there will be significant rust and there’s also a chance they may not come back as carving out time for wrestling instead of snowmobiling, ice-fishing and the like for rural kids is a challenge. This non-season also didn’t afford us opportunities to recruit more or assimilate middle school wrestlers coming up. And we always lose a portion of them between MS and HS during normal times. On top of that, last year’s middle school season didn’t get far and then no season for them this year. And their numbers weren’t great before COVID… I fully expect both our middle school and high school programs are going to be hurting, low-number, low experience teams for a few years with this break. There are some years where we could have absorbed this much better; unfortunately this stretch isn’t one of them."

Hamilton said having coached the program, at different levels, for more than 30 years, "it was very odd not coaching this winter too." However, he said working for the National Guard full-time with all the COVID response certainly made him more exhausted than usual as he recently was working on a full year of sustained emergency operations.

"There’s no way I would have been on my 'A' game as a coach if we’d have had a normal season this year," he said. "The kids would have had to drag me out of the bleachers, prop me up in a chair and work on getting me a coffee IV at tournament. Even an abbreviated season would have been rough with everything else going on. So for me, the lack of a season was a needed breather, but it was devastating for the wrestlers and I believe it’s going to be detrimental to our program for the next few years or more.

I think we are all going to have a much deeper appreciation for 'normal' from here on out … when we finally get there, right?'

The Courier Publications/VillageSoup sports staff send out questions to wrestlers to see if any had thoughts on what has transpired. A handful responded and answered the following questions:

What are your thoughts on the cancellation of the high school wrestling season? What was the most difficult part of the season for you? The weeks and weeks of practicing with no clear answer on whether there will be a season or not? Having what you could do in practice be so limited? The final decision coming down? Break down a typical practice and the types of things you’d be able to do? Do you play a spring sport and, if so, how happy are you it appears things will be all systems go for full participation in spring sports after losing all of last year? And, what are your plans after graduation? College? Joining the work force?

The following are the thoughts — and voices — of a handful of area upperclassmen who were unable to hit the mats over the winter:.......

Nathaniel Porter, Belfast, senior

"I think wrestling was swept under the rug and forgotten about this year. Those who procrastinated about making the decision throughout the entire season are pretty lazy and pathetic individuals. The decision about wrestling should’ve been made right away like basketball. Wrestling is the most physical sport here, but it is the easiest to contact trace with it being one-on-one."

"The most difficult part was dealing with the inconsistency and laziness of the [Maine Principals' Association]. For example, basketball was able to have a mostly regular season, but wrestling was not aloud to even practice as a whole team until a decision was made. I witnessed on several occasions both varsity and junior varsity basketball practicing together in one space. Our entire wrestling team has less people than just the jayvee basketball team.

"During a typical practice we would go over the motion of things, get a team lift in on some occasions, and Friday mornings hit the pool for a workout.

"I do not play a spring sport, instead I continue training on my own. Even after having both football and wrestling taken away, I do hope the best for those who take part in spring sports. My plans for after high school are to join the Navy after an 8,000-plus-mile motorcycle tour across the country with my dad.

"I also think it’s important to note our principal and ADs support for the wrestling team. They really went above and beyond trying to make the best of things. They were able to organize skiing trips once a week this winter for anyone interested. Even paying for rentals a tickets. This was a new experience for me and it was a great one. Our coaches also never gave up on us."......

.....Alexia Hopkins, Belfast, junior

"I think that it was very disappointing for everyone, parents, coaches and students after working hard before the start of wrestling. I follow a lot of wrestling and have friends out of state who were allowed to have a somewhat normal season. After considering this and other rules, I think they could have let go on some things and allowed us to have some sort of season. I think that this was not only disappointing to seniors, but was also unfair. Although it was hard to accept that there would be no season, I am very thankful for the people in the wrestling community who didn’t give up in order to attempt at giving us a season.

"Definitely hands down the waiting and waiting for answers about whether or not we would have a season. Many athletes, including myself, put in a lot of work, our seniors and even underclassmen had loads of potential this year. I think that the unknown and our season dangling in our face was an even bigger disappointment, especially when they decided to cancel the season entirely. The day I heard that they had officially canceled the season it didn't even seem like it was real, just because I think a lot of us thought that there was still hope for us. But I think that finally hearing that there would be nothing, hit us all like a freight train for sure. I also placed fourth at the girls state meet last season and I was ready to do that again, so hearing that I wouldn’t be able to do that was a huge letdown. I think other wrestlers are also in the same boat with not being able to achieve their goals for this season as well.

"All of the drills were designed to work on the wrestler as an individual, due to the fact that we had to stay distanced and couldn’t touch one another. First we started off normal with basic agilities, which included some cardio, tumbling and stretching to warm our bodies up. Then we would move right into drilling moves on our own and practicing the motion. I think the biggest tool was something we did referred to as 'shadow wrestling,' which is when you pretend you have an opponent facing you and that you are in a match. This gives wrestlers the opportunity to practice and drill moves at match like speed, but also allows them to see what it would look like in a match. We also used a lot of med balls, weights, bands and other exercise equipment to help us this year. Even though we couldn’t touch each other at all, I think that our coaches made this just as fun and was better for beginners because they were able to focus on their technique and get a better understanding of the sport.

"I’ve played softball for six years now and I will be playing again this year. I am so happy and relieved to hear that we are a go for having a season. Last year was really hard to lose a whole season and threw a lot of things off. But I’m glad that we have seemed to get that behind us and they have figured out a way to keep us safe, but on the field at the same time. After high school I plan on attending college and to study there for at least four years."

Courier Publications' sports staff can be reached by email at sports@villagesoup.com or by phone at 594-4401.

Lions, Mustangs enjoy unified basketball dandy

 Fewer court games this season due to pandemic, but fun, happiness abounds

By Staff | Mar 26, 2021

Photo by: Zack MillerBelfast's Toby Jones, middle, and Logan Sheaffe, back, along with Mount View's Laurel Huntsburger, left, and Nevaeh Parlin, look up for the ball on March 25 in high school unified basketball in Thorndike.

THORNDIKE — What a fitting way to finish a pandemic-altered and -shortened high school unified basketball season then to have Waldo County athletic rivals play an inspired, competitive, down-to-the-wire game on Thursday afternoon, March 25.

In the end of the thrilling court affair, Belfast nipped host Mount View 60-58.

According to the Maine Principals' Association website, unified basketball partners students with developmental disabilities (unified student-athlete) with students without developmental disabilities (unified student partners) to train, compete, and represent their school. Unified sports impacts all types of students and helps promote physical activity, teamwork, sportsmanship, and social inclusion, the MPA states.

The rosters for the Waldo County teams include:

Belfast — Summer Flewelling, Billy Bragdon, Brynne Sawyer, Audra Faulkingham, Toby Jones, Olivia Beverage, Izzy Degraff, Jordan Drinkwater, Logan Sheaffe, Jackie Batty, Iris Carpenter, Stellar Collins, Gabe Kelley, Rico Washington, Robert Hicock, Mykaila Willard and Maddie Stevens. The head coach is Sarah McIntire Bryant and assistant coaches Tina Young, Julie Morneault and Mike Savage.

Mount View — Brayden Bartlett, Donovan Queener, Emily Kendall, Jeremy Moulton, Jordan Van Oesen, Kairi Paul, Laurel Huntsburger, Madison Bisson, Nevaeh Parlin, Onna Queener, Samantha Cole, Starr Beaulieu, Shoshanna Dolai and Tamika Henry. The head coach is Vincent Vannah and assistant coaches Susan Beaulieu and Barb Dolloff.

In Thursday's game, Drinkwater led the Lions with 16 points; Bragdon, Sheaffe and Willard, 10; Beverage, eight; and Degraff, six.

For the Mustangs, Huntsburger tossed in 14 points; Bartlett, 12; Parlin and Beaulieu, eight; Moulton and Cole, six; and Kendall, four.

Courier Publications' sports staff can be reached by email at sports@villagesoup.com or by phone at 594-4401.

After stating cases, wait-and-see approaches for Panther, Lion, 'Stang cheer squads

 Medomak Valley, Belfast, Mount View now must employ patience to see where they stand

By Staff | Mar 25, 2021

AUGUSTA — Their work complete, now they wait and find a way to demonstrate patience.

The area's three high school cheer squads — Medomak Valley of Waldoboro, Mount View of Thorndike and Belfast — have done all they can and their state championship fate is in the hands, or make that eyes, of the judges.

The Panthers, Mustangs and Lions submitted videos of their routines, recorded in private in their school gymnasiums, to the state judges on or before March 18 and will hear on Saturday, March 27 how they stacked up with the competition.

The Midcoast squads compete in Class B.

On Saturday, the Maine Principals' Association will broadcast each of the team submissions on nfhsnetwork.com.

Class D begins at 10 a.m., Class A at noon, Class C at 2 p.m. and Class B at 4 p.m. Each class has a two-hour block, but it may take less time to finish showing the routines.

After the videos shown, the judges will reveal the first- and second-place finishers, then the overall standings and points awarded will be released.

Medomak Valley is the 10-time defending regional champion, has won a handful of league titles and placed among the top three in the state competition several times.

Team members for Medomak Valley, led by coach Heather Simmons, include Alyssa Grindle, Braelyn Hood, Hope Mason, Sami Richardson, Acadia Dinsmore, Katrina McIntosh, Aaliyah Thompson, Skylah Ward, Emily Mahoney, Lizzi Swan, Greg Cifaldo and Chloe Achorn.

Team members for Belfast, led by coach Chelsea Howard, include Marina Bannister, Daisy Bradney, Gemma Bradney, Taytem Condon, Sierra Davis-Demmons, Annabelle Lisa, Maddie Mailloux, Hailey Richards, John Skillings and Tisha Stoltz.

Team members for Mount View, led by coach Carol Bryant, include Alexa Coffin, Sabryna Bailey, Jensen Aspinall, Ethan Bryant, Desirae Brown, Emma McPherson, Sydney Bishop, Shoshabba Dallal, Onna Queener, Faith Lawler, Eliana Rumney, Jasmyne Nerderman and Marissa Withee.

Courier Publications' sports staff can be reached by email at sports@villagesoup.com or by phone at 594-4401.

Student-athletes make pitch — and catch — to start season

 Midcoast high school diamond teams back in swing after missing out in 2020 due to pandemic

By Staff | Mar 25, 2021

Spring has sprung and eligible high school baseball and softball players who missed the 2020 season due to the pandemic hope improved conditions will allow them to blossom on the diamond in 2021.

Student-athletes have participated in "throwers week" Monday through Friday, March 22-26, which gives those who do extended throwing — typically pitchers and catchers — a jump start on spring training.

As is typical, early training has been in gymnasiums and, in some cases, outdoors on tracks, in parking lots or on portions of drying fields.

The remainder of the spring athletes, including from baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis and track and field, will begin workouts on Monday, March 29, with games/events expected to start in April.

There is expected to be a somewhat "normal" spring athletic season, with Maine Principals' Association championship events at the end.

Belfast Adult Education

 The Belfast Education Program Advisor, Marie Roberts, was asked to speak to the Waldo County Head Start staff via Zoom.  Head Start was doing a resource meeting and wanted to find out about what Belfast Adult Education had to offer for their families.  Marie gave a presentation about both the HiSet and Diploma pathways and also referenced the enrichment program and literacy volunteers.  The staff had many great questions and got answers to take back to their families.  Many of the questions revolved around HiSet such as: How much does it cost? What if a parent already passed a couple of GEDs in the past? How long does it take to get a HiSet?  Marie also explained the new program called HiSet Academy.  HiSet Academy is an online program geared specifically towards passing the full battery of HiSet tests.  This can be done from anywhere, so many students who are not able to come in person have found  HiSet Academy to fit their needs.  To date, several students have been very successful in using HiSet Academy.  The Head Start family service workers felt that would be a wonderful means of delivery for their families.  At the end, the staff asked for flyers about BAE to pass along to their learners and others in the community.  This will be a beneficial collaboration for both Head Start and BAE.

In other Adult Education news, BAE currently has nine students who have completed their program and will be able to graduate in early June.  Five of those learners have completed their HiSet testing (all using HiSet Academy).  The other four learners have completed credits for their high school diploma.  This is a great achievement for these learners, and there are several more learners nearing the finish line as well.  

The online format of HiSet Academy seems to be very effective in providing students the "tutoring" and skills needed to pass the exams.  Currently, all of our HiSet Academy slots are filled by learners still in the process of getting their education.  Especially during the time of a pandemic, online learning is almost a necessary forum.  

Many of our high school diploma courses are also online using Zoom, Google Meets, and Google Classroom.  Some are synchronous courses while some are asynchronous.  Learners are very active in those courses as well as the face-to-face courses which continue to run with a limited number of students.  

All in all, BAE is really expanding to meet the needs of all learners and dealing with the constraints that COVID has made necessary.  It was a pleasure to share that with Head Start and know that they will be passing that information along to their families and others in the community.  

Athletes, partners unify to create special basketball moments, memories

 Only Medomak Valley, Belfast, Mount View playing games, as Oceanside, Camden Hills, Lincoln Academy sidelined

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By Ken Waltz | Mar 20, 2021

Photo by: Ken WaltzBelfast's Izzy Degraff, right, and Jackie Batty, back, along with Medomak Valley's Isaac Richardson, left, and Cullin Booker, on March 18 in high school unified basketball. The host Lions outlasted the Panthers of Waldoboro 68-64.

Unified basketball is one of most joyful, heartwarming and tear-inducing high school sports, where points scored and which team wins is secondary to lessons learned, friendships forged, memories made and, above all, fun experienced.

And even in a pandemic, three Midcoast schools have found a way to continue to provide those things — namely, a special sport where thumbs-up, smiles (behind the face masks, of course) and laughter are in abundance, and unparalleled and unwavering sportsmanship is on display from the first second to the final buzzer.

And then, of course, there is the amazing life-altering role of the teenage student "partners" or "mentors," as well as the upbeat, infectious halftime music and dancing.

What is not to love about the unified basketball experience? Nothing, of course.

Watch video and see 125 photos below.

Medomak Valley of Waldoboro, Mount View of Thorndike and Belfast will play a handful of court games with COVID-19 safety protocols in place, including wearing face coverings and social distancing when possible.

Unfortunately, Oceanside of Rockland, Lincoln Academy of Newcastle and Camden Hills of Rockport, who annually offer the sport, are sidelined this year.

The Maine Principals’ Association and Special Olympics Maine partner to develop and promote unified sports.

The 2019-20 unified hoop season was interrupted and this has been the first opportunity athletes and partners have had a chance to get on the court for competition.

The three area teams have a few games remaining in the pandemic-shortened campaign.

Medomak Valley will play at Morse of Bath on Tuesday, March 23, while Mount View will host Waldo County athletic rival Belfast on Thursday, March 25 at 4 p.m. at Mount View Junior High.

Few other high school sports see young partners on both teams do their best to make sure each athlete on the opposing squad gets into the action and has a chance to score.

The rules of basketball are loosely applied. There usually is no traveling with the ball as the players look to dribble. There is ball exchanges from one team to another to aid in athletes getting the most opportunities to score. There is cooperation as the goal is simply to help create memories for a group of athletes with challenges.

There essentially are no fouls or free throws. The games include two 20-minute halves.

The halftime music and group dances, which usually include any and all in the gym, when possible, are epic.

It is an activity where at least a few of a school's top student-athletes do their best to help students with developmental disabilities to have the most wonderful sports-related experience.

According to the MPA website, unified basketball partners students with developmental disabilities (unified student-athlete) with students without developmental disabilities (unified student partners) to train, compete, and represent their school. Unified sports impacts all types of students and helps promote physical activity, teamwork, sportsmanship, and social inclusion, the MPA states.

"The focus of MPA unified sports is competition (not simply participation)," the website message states. "The opportunity to compete in sports teaches many life lessons: to work as a team, to follow rules and to be committed. Through sports, we can find shared interests that allow friendships to form. Through MPA/Special Olympics unified sports program we have an opportunity to make real positive changes in the lives of students with and without disabilities."

The rosters of the three area teams in action this winter include:

Belfast — Summer Flewelling, Billy Bragdon, Brynne Sawyer, Audra Faulkingham, Toby Jones, Olivia Beverage, Izzy Degraff, Jordan Drinkwater, Logan Sheaffe, Jackie Batty, Iris Carpenter, Stellar Collins, Gabe Kelley, Rico Washington, Robert Hicock, Mykaila Willard and Maddie Stevens. The head coach is Sarah McIntire Bryant and assistant coaches Tina Young, Julie Morneault and Mike Savage.

Medomak Valley — Lizzi Swan, Grace White, Emma Kunesh, Baylee Stewart, Hailey Campbell, Landen Stewart, Isaac Richardson, Bella LaFrance, Zach Cheesman and Cullin Booker. The head coach is Tracie McLain and assistant coaches Jason Stewart and Paul Smeltzer. The Panthers have a partner, Baylee Stewart, and athlete, Landen Stewart, from the same family. Baylee has been involved since the program started. Landen is in his first year as a player. Jason Stewart is their dad.

Mount View — Brayden Bartlett, Donovan Queener, Emily Kendall, Jeremy Moulton, Jordan Van Oesen, Kairi Paul, Laurel Huntsburger, Madison Bisson, Nevaeh Parlin, Onna Queener, Samantha Cole, Starr Beaulieu, Shoshanna Dolai and Tamika Henry. The head coach is Vincent Vannah and assistant coaches Susan Beaulieu and Barb Dolloff.

Coach McLain said with Oceanside, Camden Hills and Lincoln Academy not part of this year's schedule, the Panthers were limited on who they could play. "With COVID restrictions, we can only play with teams from adjacent counties," she said. "So we have two games with Morse and the one game with Belfast."

She added in December when the decision was made to postpone the unified season due to the pandemic "we were hopeful that it would actually happen when February rolled around, but I was honestly afraid that they would end up cancelling the season altogether. It was so exciting when [athletic director] Mr. [Matt] Lash contacted us to make preparations for the season. We have a smaller team than usual, but it is working out just fine. It makes it easier to keep space and stay spread out. They have become accustomed to the mask wearing and frequent sanitizing. One of the biggest differences for us is the fact that there are no fans at the games."

She said the athletes miss the energy provided by spectators, who often are as involved in the fun as the players.

"For anyone who has watched a unified basketball game, you know what a huge part the fans play," she said. "The excitement that is shown for any athlete on either team is incredible and the famous halftime dances with anyone wanting to come onto the court to bust out some moves is always a highlight.

"When we were told of all the changes and given the seven-page 'Return To Winter Athletics Plan,' we knew we were willing to do whatever it took to play. The kids had the chance to play basketball and that is what mattered. It is all about them and having the chance to be out on the court having fun and doing what they love."

Bryant added: "Last year we were in the middle of our season when the pandemic hit. We had big plans on going to the Bangor Auditorium to play in a huge round-robin tourney. The team was so excited to play on the big court and due to COVID the rest of the season was cancelled.

"We were unsure what this season would be like. We heard a lot of schools were not playing, but Matt [Battani], our AD, did a great job of making sure we had a season. We practiced hard for two weeks and had two games at home. We have one more at Mount View on the 25th. The kids have been so eager for this season. Once they heard we were playing they were so excited. We just wished we had our fans in the stands cheering us on and participating in our halftime show."

Vannah said: "This has been my second year coaching, and the year has been quite different due to COVID rules and protocols. We definitely have a shortened year compared to last year. So far the players have done a great job being socially-distanced and wearing masks at practices and games all the time."

Vannah said Mount View athletic director Tom Lynch has scheduled a few games in May for a second half to the Mustang season. Those games most likely will be against Messalonskee of Oakland and Skowhegan, Vannah said.

"Even though this year has been so different, my players and mentors still have enjoyed our short season and have been super flexible and understanding with all the new changes that we have had so far this year," he said.

The reported results from games include:

Belfast 68, Medomak Valley 64

At Belfast March 18, the Lions and Panthers embroiled in a close, competitive game that was not decided until the final minute. The hosts led 33-32 at halftime.

For Belfast, Drinkwater tossed in 22 points, and also netted two three-pointers, while Jones added 10; Beverage, eight; Bragdon, Sheaffe and Willard, six; and Stevens four.

For the Panthers, Richardson scored 22 points; Landen Stewart, 18; Booker, 16; and Campbell, eight.

Drinkwater took aim at several three-point attempts. His early frustration on a few misses quickly turned to jubilation when he connected. Booker also made a bundle of cool spin moves in the lane, and even twirled the ball around his back, before putting up shots.

Father and son, Otis and Connor Kneeland, officiated. They were the perfect duo to watch over the game and only blew their whistles or injected when necessary. For the most part, they let the youngsters play and have plenty of unrestricted fun.

Morse 62, Medomak Valley 44

At Waldoboro March 16, the Panthers were paced by Richardson with 16 points; Booker and Landen Stewart, 12; and Campbell, four.

Belfast 50, Mount View 44

At Belfast March 11, the Lions outlasted the county-rival Mustangs.

For the Lions, Drinwater and Willard tallied 10 points; Jones and Sheaffe, eight; Beverage, six; and Bragdon and Stevens, four.

For the Mustangs, Parlin netted 12 points; Bartlett, eight; Huntsburger, Cole and Kendall, six; Beaulieu, four; and Moulton, two.

Medomak Valley at Belfast unified basketball

Belfast hosts Medomak Valley on March 18 in high school unified basketball. (Video by: Ken Waltz and Zack Miller)

New Lion coach Bryant steps to plate for first love — namely, softball

 She has coached other teams in district, including THMS field hockey to unparalleled success

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By Mark Haskell | Mar 18, 2021

Courtesy of: Sara BryantSara Bryant.

BELFAST — As high school athletic fans set their sights on a “normal” spring sports season, the Belfast Area High School softball team prepares to do so with a new coach.

Sara Bryant has been named the school’s varsity coach, as she replaces Jason Fuller.

Fuller accepted the position to replace longtime Lion coach Chris Bartlett for the spring of 2020, but Fuller resigned after that season was canceled due to the pandemic.

Bryant, a 2001 BAHS graduate, played softball and field hockey four years during her time with the Lions.

She went on to attend Husson University (then Husson College) in Bangor and played those two sports in college while earning a degree in elementary education.

Bryant is a special education teacher at BAHS and coach of the school’s unified basketball team.

Bryant thought long and hard about applying after Fuller stepped down, then “decided to throw in my application this time around and was hired.”

"I love the girls and with everything going on in this crazy world, Chris leaving, and not having a season last year, I wanted them to have a sense of normalcy with our softball family,” she said. “I already have a great bond with the girls so moving forward will be smoother.”

The 37-year-old Bryant, who has coached the Troy Howard Middle School field hockey team for a number of years, recently stepped down from that position after leading the Lions to eight straight Busline League championships and she ended her tenure with a 61-game unbeaten streak spanning several seasons.

Bryant said her daughter, Jara, moving up to the high school team and wanting to be able to watch her play at the next level was a big factor in her decision.

“It was a hard decision because the younger girls and parents did not want me to leave,” she said. “It was very emotional. I want to be on the sidelines to cheer Jara on her next four years because I will not get those back. I can always go back to coaching.”

While most of her coaching accolades have revolved around success through field hockey at the middle school level, Bryant admits softball was her first love.

And, she is “super excited” to get started coaching the Lions on the diamond.

“I grew up on a softball field and both of my parents played in the modified leagues years ago when we had Mollison Field and Friendship Park,” she said. “My first love was softball. Not field hockey believe it or not.  I am a die hard Red Sox fan, I love everything about game.”

She added “Belfast was a softball town, but it got lost [and] I want to bring it back.”

“We have some great talent and can't wait to see what we can do, especially after a year off,” she said. “I know what these girls are capable of and wanted to bring it out in them. They deserve it. They are a wonderful group of young women.”

Lions, Windjammers, Mariner make virtual splash at championships

 At KVACs, Belfast boys first, pool-full of top places for Midcoast water athletes

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By Staff | Mar 17, 2021

Belfast, Camden Hills of Rockport and Oceanside of Rockland high school swimmers certainly made waves — virtually, of course — in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class B championships, swum at participating school's home pools Monday, Feb. 22 through Saturday, March 13.

Each meet this season was held virtually due to the pandemic. Times were compared and final results were formulated.

The KVAC Class B girls team scores were: Morse of Bath 304, Belfast 281, Camden Hills 269, Waterville/Winslow 155 and Erskine Academy of South China 92.

The KVAC Class B boys team scores were: Belfast 282, Morse 240, Camden Hills 205, Erskine Academy 85, Waterville/Winslow 71 and Oceanside 22.

Midcoast swimmers who finished first in individual and relay events. The firsts for each area team were:

Camden Hills — Sarah VanLonkhuyzen (200 freestyle), Sadie Woodruff (200 individual medley, 100 breaststroke), Angus Carter (50 free), Lily Mott (100 butterfly), Oliver Worner (500 free), Phoebe Root (100 backstroke), as well as 200 medley relays of Phoebe Root, Sadie Woodruff, Lily Mott and Sarah VanLonkhuyzen) and Angus Carter, Lane Cortese, Tor Denny and Oliver Worner.

Belfast — Lincoln Graf (200 IM) and Brigham Graf (100 free), as well as 200 free relay of Ronin Deschamps, Sawyer Carson, Lincoln Graf and Brigham Graf and 400 free relay of Tanner Carson, Sawyer Carson, Lincoln Graf and Brigham Graf.

The individual and relay results for Midcoast swimmers were:

Girls 200 MR — 1, Camden Hills (Phoebe Root, Sadie Woodruff, Lily Mott, Sarah VanLonkhuyzen), 1:57.21; and 4, Belfast (Reagan Seekins, Jordan Kulbe, Finley Marriner, Gabby Hoffman), 2:17.18.

Boys 200 MR — 1, Camden Hills (Angus Carter, Lane Cortese, Tor Denny, Oliver Worner), 1:47.14; and 3, Belfast (Joseph Lemon, Josiah Howard, Tanner Carson, Ronin Deschamps), 2:01.69.

Girls 200 free — 1, Sarah VanLonkhuyzen, CH, 2:03.79; 4, Sadie Wheeler, Bel, 2:15.55; 5, Gabby Hoffman, Bel, 2:22.97; 6, Sophia Birocco, Bel, 2:23.05; and 9, Grace Littlefield, Bel, 2:39.30.

Boys 200 free — 2, Tor Denny, Tor, CH, 1:57.64; 3, Oliver Worner, CH, 1:57.80; 4, Tanner Carson, Bel, 2:04.04; 5, Simon Fox, Ocean, 2:04.46; 6, George Bickham, CH, 2:10.32; 7, Ryan O'Farrell, CH, 2:10.58; and 8, Will Robbins, Bel, 2:19.53.

Girls 200 individual medley — 1, Sadie Woodruff, CH, 2:23.13; 5, Gail Curtis, CH, 2:40.93. 6, Mia Winslow, Bel, 2:40.94. 7, Danielle Hicock, Danielle, Bel, 2:42.49. 8, Reagan Seekins, Reagan, Bel, 2:52.20. 9, Morgan Curtis, Bel, 3:03.36.

Boys 200 IM — 1, Lincoln Graf, Bel, 2:11.22; 4, Sawyer Carson, Bel, 2:22.59; and 6, Joseph Lemon, Bel, 2:38.91.

Girls 50 free — 2, Maeve Littlefield, Bel, 26.04; 4, Phoebe Root, CH, 26.27; 5, Sohpia Mott, CH, 27.71; 7, Elena D'Antonio, CH, 28.12; 10, Jordan Kulbe, Bel, 29.32; 11, Kaitlyn Walker-Spencer, CH, 29.39; 14, Sydney Marriner, Bel, 34.55; and 15, Paige Rolerson, Bel, 35.25. Exhibitions: Chloe Root, CH, 29.15. Delfina De Acevedo Ramos, CH, 32.36. Emma Deetjen, CH, 1:06.78.

Boys 50 free — 1, Angus Carter, CH, 22.08; 2, Brigham Graf, Bel, 23.64; 4, Miles Cannon, Bel, 29.04; and 8, Eric Deetjen, CH, 41.03.

Girls 100 fly — 1, Lily Mott, CH, 1:08.14; 2, Maeve Littlefield, Bel, 1:08.66; 4, Sofia Mott, CH, 1:12.47; 6, Gail Curtis, CH, 1:17.09; 7, Finley Marriner, Bel, 1:19.94; 8, Sophia Birocco, Bel, 1:26.44; and 9, Liana Gobin, Bel, 1:27.35.

Boys 100 fly — 2, Tanner Carson, Bel, 1:00.76; and 3, Sawyer Carson, Bel, 1:00.82.

Girls 100 free — 2, Sadie Wheeler, Bel, 1:02.04; 4, Kaitlyn Walker-Spencer, CH, 1:04.76; 8, Chelsea Gaiero, Bel, 1:10.18; 10, Kalli Daley, Kalli, Bel, 1:16.12; 11, Paige Rolerson, Bel, 1:23.34; and 16, Emma Deetjen, CH, 2:39.31.

Boys 100 free — 1, Brigham Graf, Bel, 54.20; 2, Lane Cortese, CH, 55.61; 3, Simon Fox, Ocean, 56.35; 4, Ronin Deschamps, Bel, 56.60; 5, George Bickham, CH, 59.12; and 7, Ryan O'Farrell, CH, 1:00.45. Exh: Eric Deetjen, CH, 1:37.67.

Girls 500 free — 3, Danielle Hicock, Bel, 5:50.35; 5, Chloe Root, CH, 6:18.20; 6, Regan Seekins, Bel, 6:31.11; 7, Gabby Hoffman, Bel, 6:31.46; and 9, Liana Gobin, Bel, 7:34.77.

Boys 500 free — 1, Oliver Worner, CH, 5:19.37; 2, Tor Denny, CH, 5:19.73; 3, Lincoln Graf, Bel, 5:26.07; and 4, Josiah Howard, Bel, 6:45.32.

Girls 200 FR — 2, Belfast (Maeve Littlefield, Jordan Kulbe, Sadie Wheeler, Danielle Hicock), 1:50.54; and 3, Camden Hills (Sofia Mott, Gail Curtis, Chloe Root, Kaitlyn Walker-Spencer), 1:57.46.

Boys 200 FR — 1, Belfast (Ronin Deschamps, Sawyer Carson, Lincoln Graf, Brigham Graf), 1:40.10; and 2, Camden Hills (Angus Carter, Oliver Worner, Tor Denny, Lane Cortese, Lane ), 1:42.31.

Girls 100 back — 1, Phoebe Root, CH, 1:00.92; 2, Lily Mott, CH, 1:04.19; 4, Mia Winslow, Bel, 1:12.54; 6, Morgan Curtis, Bel, 1:17.59; and 7, Grace Littlefield, Bel, 1:22.61.

Boys 100 back — 2, Angus Carter, CH, 55.66; 5, Joseph Lemon, Bel, 1:09.04; 6, Ronin Deschamps, Bel, 1:09.88; and 8, Miles Cannon, Bel, 1:18.92.

Girls 100 breast — 1, Sadie Woodruff, CH, 1:12.57; 2, Sarah VanLonkhuyzen, CH, 1:12.89; 5, Finley Marriner, Bel, 1:22.52; 7, Jordan Kulbe, Bel, 1:28.32; 8, Chelsea Gaiero, Bel, 1:30.37; and 12, Sydney Marriner, Bel, 1:42.50.

Boys 100 breast — 2, Lane Cortese, Lane, CH, 1:11.31; 5, Will Robbins, Bel, 1:22.31; and 6, Josiah Howard, Bel, 1:27.27.

Girls 400 FR — 2, Camden Hills (Phoebe Root, Elena D'Antonio, Sadie Woodruff, Sarah VanLonkhuyzen), 4:00.46; and 3, Belfast (Maeve Littlefield, Gabby Hoffman, Sadie Wheeler, Danielle Hicock), 4:08.86.

Boys 400 FR — 1, Belfast (Tanner Carson, Sawyer Carson, Lincoln Graf, Brigham Graf), 3:42.97.

Courier Publications' sports staff can be reached by email at sports@villagesoup.com or by phone at 594-4401.