Tourney Time 2022 by Bangor Daily News

TOURNEY TIME • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 18, 2022

4 storylines for the 2022 high school basketball tourney By Ernie Clark, BDN Staf

While the high school basketball postseason during the COVID-19 era will continue to be a day-today proposition, much like the 2021-22 regular season, here are four storylines to consider with the return of the statewide tournament after a year’s absence.

WHAT WILL BE THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON THIS YEAR’S TOURNEY?

The live streaming of regular-season games provided fans a viable option for the last two winters. And as they have grown accustomed to that, it may become an easier choice to watch the tournament the same way -- from the comfort of an easy chair -- this year. For the participants’ sake, hopefully the latest variant of the coronavirus will have abated enough by tourney time to entice thousands of tourney fans back to the arenas. There are few atmospheres like it for both studentathletes and high school sports fans in Maine.

The implementation of the open tournament format has enabled teams around the state to cancel regularseason games, if necessary, due to COVID issues at their schools and within their teams. They don’t face the typical Maine Principals’ Association penalty for canceling games once the season has started — being suspended from play for two years. Penobscot Valley High School basketball fans cheer on their team While most teams tried to squeeze in as during the 2019 Class C girls state championship game in Bangor. many of their games as possible, some were There will not be COVID vaccination requirements for fans at this THE NOKOMIS FACTOR unable to play their entire schedules. That season’s tourney in Bangor but fans must wear masks. One of the biggest attractions to the Augusta impacts both the final Heal Points and Linda Coan O’Kresik | BDN File Civic Center during Tourney 2022 will be the boys tournament rankings. basketball team from Nokomis Regional High School Newport. The fall sports playoffs, with all activities except volleyball contested The Warriors have been the top high school hoops story since the first outdoors, fared remarkably well. Only one first-round football playoff day of preseason, with 6-foot-7 game was canceled. freshman wing Cooper Flagg This winter, teams often competed with undermanned rosters as players stepping onto the court as one of recovered from COVID. That meant some results were different than the the top-ranked players in the Class anticipated outcomes of games between teams with full rosters. of 2025 around the country based In some cases, teams finished their seasons ranked higher or lower than on his play on the regional and expected during a COVID-free season and will face a much different path national travel basketball scenes. to tourney success. Many observers already Could that create more upset potential and perhaps open the consider Flagg one of the best championship door for a Cinderella or two? Time will tell. high school players ever to compete in the Pine Tree State WILL FANS FLOCK BACK TO THE TOURNAMENT? with his unique blend of guard After losing the 2021 tournament to COVID-19, the sponsoring MPA skills, size and athleticism. and businesses in the host cities certainly hope high school basketball Add twin brother Ace Flagg, a fans will fill the four arenas that host the tournament -- the Cross 6-6 power forward, and Nokomis Insurance Center in Bangor, the Augusta Civic Center and the boasts a frontcourt pairing that Portland Exposition Building and Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. has immediately placed the It’s hard to predict turnout based on crowds during the regular Warriors among the state’s top season, as many schools limited the gatherings to less than 100 teams regardless of class, let percent of the gym capacity in order to space the fans out to some alone their home in Class A North. degree. Add in the excitement of There’s also still the lingering thought among many people that given blocked shots, fast breaks and the continuing presence of COVID, they’d prefer not to be in larger slam dunks to a strong defensive crowds, or not have to wear masks for long periods of time, which foundation and coach Earl tournament attendance would require. The venues in Portland — the Anderson’s team is likely to attract Cross Insurance Arena and the Portland Expo — will require fans to show many casual fans, perhaps in proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 72 hours of a game. numbers not seen since the days At the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor and the Augusta Civic Center, of Cindy Blodgett and Andy there will not be vaccination requirements but fans must wear masks. Bedard during the 1990s.

TOURNEY TIME • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 18, 2022

THE CAST OF CONTENDERS

Nokomis Warriors freshman Cooper Flagg (32) and teammates listen to their coaches during a timeout in a preseason game against Hampden Academy last December. One of the biggest attractions to the Augusta Civic Center during Tourney 2022 will be the Warriors of Newport. Linda Coan O’Kresik | BDN File

Maine was the lone New England state fortunate enough to crown its 2020 high school basketball state champions before the coronavirus took hold. The most recent Northern Maine boys champions from that year are Edward Little of Auburn (Class AA), Hampden Academy (A), Caribou (B), Dexter (C) and Machias (D), with Edward Little, Hampden and Caribou going on to win 2020 state titles. How those teams might fare in their return to the tournament this year will vary. Edward Little and Machias may be the best bets regionally, with both teams featuring a veteran presence from two years ago and spending most if not all of this season atop their divisional standings. Dexter is likely to contend for the Class C North crown again, while Hampden Academy is now in Class AA and Caribou is rebuilding after its back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020. Other teams that will be in contention for North supremacy include several schools for whom 2021 might have been their year but for the cancellation of the tournament, teams such as Class A Brewer and Class B Ellsworth. Other teams poised to challenge include Oxford Hills and Portland in Class AA, Nokomis in Class A, Foxcroft Academy and Orono in Class B, Fort Kent in Class C and Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook in Class D. But with the coronavirus already having shuffled lineups and schedules throughout the regular season and still capable of doing more, prognosticating champions before the games are played this February seems like a foolhardy endeavor. The return of the tournament should be satisfying enough.

TOURNEY TIME • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 18, 2022

These top girls teams regrouped this season after tourney-less campaign

By Larry Mahoney, BDN Staff

There probably wasn’t anyone as heartbroken as Dexter High School girls basketball coach Jody Grant when the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out last year’s tournament. It was his daughter Peyton’s last shot at a Class C state championship. In 2020, the Tigers were upset by eventual state champion Central Aroostook of Mars Hill 35-32 in the semifinals after rallying from a nine-point deficit to take a 32-31 lead. The previous season, Dexter led Penobscot Valley of Howland by eight at the half of the C North title game but wound up losing 24-20. And in 2018, Houlton’s Kolleen Bouchard hit a 3-pointer with 24.1 seconds left in the C North final to tie it and the Shiretowners won 33-30 in overtime. “I was extremely disappointed not only from a coaching perspective but from a family perspective. We were painstakingly close so many times,” said Grant, who is in his 18th year at Dexter. “I also thought about it in terms of the program, the culture and the future. How many young kids would have been excited to keep playing basketball or begin playing basketball if we had been able to cut down the nets [after winning a championship]?” Peyton Grant and three other quality seniors breezed through the pod season last year, going 15-0 and winning by an average of more than 30 points per game. But coach Grant said he was energized by the group of young players he worked with last summer and the future looks bright. Dexter has only one senior in Elizabeth Kinney, the lone returning starter, along with juniors Jozlynn Paige and Jillian Poliquin, sophomores Cally Gudroe, Hannah Dean and Mazy Peach and freshman Abilene Corson. “It has been a challenge. There are growing pains. But it has been fun,” said Grant, a defensive-minded coach whose team can’t be counted out after allowing just 28 points per game in its first eight contests, five of which were wins. Hampden Academy coach Nick Winchester, Hermon coach Chris Cameron and Southern Aroostook High of Dyer Brook coach Cliff Urquhart also believed they had teams poised to make runs at state titles a year ago. Hampden Academy and Southern Aroostook were three-time defending regional champs in Classes A and D, respectively, and Hermon won the B North title in 2020. The good news for each of the three is that they return a solid nucleus that should enable them to contend this season. Hampden Academy will have a more challenging task since it was elevated to Class AA. “I try not to think about last year. It makes me cry,” chuckled Winchester, whose lost Megan Deans, the team’s “heart and soul,” to graduation but has just about everybody else back. Not having a tournament enabled inexperienced players to get valuable playing time in a less stressful environment. “We gave them plenty of playing time to prepare for this season,” Winchester said. Sophomores Lauren Voteur and Lucy Wiles, in particular, benefited and they have started games and complemented veterans like Bella McLaughlln,

Dexter senior Elizabeth Kinney is surrounded by a Piscataquis Community quintet as she gets ready for a rebound during a game in December. From left are seniors Martina Hill, Elizabeth Kendall, and Hailee Hartford and juniors Kendall Kimball and Brylee Ricker. Dexter was working on securing a spot for the Class C North tourney after finishing 15-0 in pod play last season. Stuart Hedstrom | Piscataquis Observer

Camryn Neal and Emma Haskell. HA won eight of its first 11 games this winter. “From the time last year finished to when we started preseason, the girls were totally focused and ready to compete in a new division against teams we aren’t familiar with. They gave everything they could to be ready. They are all hungry to get back to the tournament,” Winchester said. Cameron said it was frustrating for Hermon not get another crack at a state title last year, especially after being held scoreless over the final 9:21 of a 34-26 overtime loss to Wells in the 2020 state game. “I thought about how close we were to winning a gold ball over and over again,” said Cameron. Since there wasn’t a tournament last year, he changed the players’ focus, encouraging them to become better teammates and leaders. They had a successful pod campaign. Cameron returned six seniors with a ton of experience this season in Liz Wyman, Faith Coombs, Meg Tracy, Sydney Gallop, Charlotte Caron and Maddie Lebel. They won 11 of their first 13 games. Hermon did lose its leading scorer from 2019-2020, Bucksport transfer Jade Leeman, to a knee injury before the season but is still a top contender. “Our philosophy all year has been cherish every moment because you never know when something could be taken away. Work hard to get better every day and peak at the right time,” Cameron said. Southern Aroostook coach Cliff Urquhart had a unique perspective.

TOURNEY TIME • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 18, 2022

Even though he had one of his better teams last season and couldn’t try to avenge a 42-38 loss to Greenville in the 2020 state title game, they did beat Class B Presque Isle in the Aroostook County pod championship game. “That was one of the biggest wins in program history. And by playing B teams like Presque Isle, Caribou and Houlton and losing just one game (at Presque Isle during the regular season), it gave us a lot of confidence to bring into this year. And our kids gained some mental toughness,” Urquhart said. Junior Maddie Russell was averaging 18 points a game and sophomore cousins Cami Shields and Maddie Shields were averaging 12 to 14 points as the Warriors earned the top seed for the 2022 Class D North tourney eyeing a third state title in the last four tournament years.

Going to the hoop is Southern Aroostook’s Madison Shields (middle) while guarded by Hodgdon’s Monique Polchies during a game in Hodgdon on Jan. 19. Southern Aroostook, a Class D North tourney perennial, is hoping to make another title run. Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times

TOURNEY TIME • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 18, 2022

2020 All-Tourney

girls class a ALYDIA BRILLANT - HAMPDEN ACADEMY AMELIA MCLAUGHLIN - HAMPDEN ACADEMY LIZZY GRUBER - GARDINER BAILEY POORE - SKOWHEGAN JAYCIE CHRISTOPHER - SKOWHEGAN

class B PAIGE PLISSEY - HERMON GRACE PAGE - HERMON MADDIE LEBEL - HERMON MADDY MARTIN - WATERVILLE LIBBY MOREAU - PRESQUE ISLE

Owen Osborne MVPs

class c MACI BEALS - CENTRAL AROOSTOOK BREANN BRADBURY - CENTRAL AROOSTOOK KATHERINE ALLEY - STEARNS PEYTON GRANT - DEXTER LAUREN COOK - CALAIS

class D MAKAELYN PORTER - SOUTHERN AROOSTOOK KACY DAGGETT - SOUTHERN AROOSTOOK MADDIE RUSSELL - SOUTHERN AROOSTOOK KAYLEE MOREY, DEER ISLE - STONINGTON DANIELLE LIBBY - KATAHDIN

Alydia Brillant of Hampden Academy concentrates at the foul line during the Class A North title game in Augusta on Feb. 21. 2020. Josh O’Donnell | BDN

TOURNEY TIME • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 18, 2022

Ellsworth boys chasing a championship on heels of abbreviated 2021 season

By Ernie Clark, BDN Staff

Driving up the floor is Ellsworth’s Hunter Curtis (left) as Caribou’s Sawyer Deprey gives chase during the Class B North championship game at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor in February 2020. Caribou beat Ellsworth in that final but Curtis, now a senior, is hoping to lead his club on another deep tourney run. Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times

The cancellation of the 2021 high school basketball tournament represented an opportunity lost for all those who look forward to the annual Maine rite of winter. For many schools it was the loss of players who opted not to return to the sport during the pandemic for myriad reasons, ranging from having to wear facemasks to not wanting to risk spreading COVID-19 to older family members. That has meant reduced roster sizes at the subvarsity and even varsity levels at some schools. Also lost last winter was one of only four chances every high school basketball player has to experience the tournament’s excitement and to share it with teammates, family, the community and even the opponents.

For others, lost was the chance to contend for a championship, or at least gain experience under the bright lights, for a chance to win it all this year. The Ellsworth Eagles don’t see the 2021 season quite that way. Coach Peter Austin’s club competed last winter in the Big East Conference pod that included the region’s three large-school teams in Bangor, Brewer and Hampden Academy as well as the traditional Big East Class B North entries. The senior-less Eagles won the Class B side of the Big East pod to advance to the championship game against Class A-AA winner Brewer, where the Witches pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 68-62 victory. “I thought we did well last year, especially as a young team,” said

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TOURNEY TIME • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 18, 2022

Ellsworth senior Hunter Curtis, a fourth-year starter. “With the A teams before bowing 54-53 in front of 13,000 fans at the Boston Garden. we played it gave us a little extra competition and that’s helping us this Class B state championships followed for the Eagles in 1964 and 1966, year, for sure.” and then there was the “miracle minute” of Feb. 19, 1988, when Ellsworth’s The Eagles have been at the top of the Class B Tim Scott — Jack’s son — scored 13 points in one North standings throughout this winter with a nucleus minute of play to rally the Eagles from an 11-point led by Curtis, sophomore Chance Mercier and deficit to a 65-64 victory over Mattanawcook Academy senior Gage Hardy. of Lincoln in the Eastern Maine Class B final. “We came into the year ready to go and we’re More recently the Eagles had an undefeated regular looking to keep on going,” Curtis said. “We’re still season in 2011 and reached the regional final before young at heart, but we’ve done well to mature falling to eventual state champion Camden Hills of throughout the season.” Rockport, then Ellsworth captured its most recent This year’s roster is aiming for another championship, Class B North crown in 2016. this one of the more traditional kind, before what the During the last two years of tournament play, the players hope are big fan turnouts also eager to Eagles reached the 2019 semifinals and 2020 Class B return to the tournament. North championship game. In both instances they fell “We were young coming in this year because we to Caribou, which won back-to-back state didn’t have the playoff experience,” Mercier said. championships. “But our experience has come a long way, and Curtis has his own favorite tournament memory to when the crowd’s back it gets us going.” date, that of Ellsworth’s 23-point quarterfinal victory These Eagles also look forward to making memories over Mount Desert Island of Bar Harbor during his - hunter curtis, similar to those made by Ellsworth’s championship freshman season in 2019. Ellsworth senior teams of the past. “The tournament’s crazy in general,” he said. “That Take the 1953 and 1954 squads coached by Charlie was a big game, a huge rivalry game.” Katsiaficas and led by Johnny Edes and Jack Scott. Both won state The Eagles have an even bigger goal this February. championships and advanced to the New England tournament. In 1954 “Coach Austin’s always had the saying, ‘We’ve got to win our last the Eagles defeated Providence, Rhode Island, in their opener and game,’ so we’re hoping to keep going,” he said. “We don’t want to lose. battled powerful Hillhouse of New Haven, Connecticut, to the final seconds We want to get there and we want to win.”

“

We came into the year ready to go and we’re looking to keep on going.

”

TOURNEY TIME • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 18, 2022

2020 All-Tourney

boys class a BRYCE LAUSIER - HAMPDEN ACADEMY SIMON MCCORMICK - CONY DAKOTA DEARBORN - CONY TREVOR PEARSON - BREWER TREVOR BROWN - MEDOMAK VALLEY

Caribou’s Parker Deprey (left) looks to drive to the basket during the Class B North final against Ellsworth on Feb. 22, 2020 at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor. Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times

class B PARKER DEPREY - CARIBOU JACKSON CURTIS - ELLSWORTH ALEX BOUCHARD - CARIBOU SAWYER DEPREY - CARIBOU CECIL GRAY - WASHINGTON ACADEMY

class c NATHAN RICHARDS - DEXTER BREANN BRADBURY - CENTRAL AROOSTOOK CADEN MATTSON - GEORGE STEVENS ACADEMY JACE ROCHELEAU - FORT KENT BRETT KUZIERZ - DEXTER

class D KASHMAN FEENEY - MACHIAS ETHAN FOSS - DEER ISLE-STONINGTON MYLES BROWN - DEER ISLE-STONINGTON MATTHEW PANGBURN - EASTON AUSTIN CARVER - DEER ISLE-STONINGTON

Hampden’s Bryce Lausier puts up a shot during the Feb. 19, 2020 Class A North boys semifinal game against Brewer at the Augusta Civic Center. Josh O’Donnell | BDN

William Warner MVPs

TOURNEY TIME • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 18, 2022

High school basketball tourney schedules Tuesday, Feb. 22

Friday, Feb. 25

Class C Girls

Monday, Feb. 21

G1: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 9:30 a.m. G2: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 11 a.m.

G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 2 p.m. G6: G3 winner vs. G4 winner, 3:30 p.m.

Class D Boys

Class C Boys

G1: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 9:30 a.m. G2: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 11 a.m.

G1: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 2 p.m. G2: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 3:30 p.m.

G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 7 p.m. G6: G3 winner vs. G4 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Class D Girls

Class C Girls

G3: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 2 p.m. G4: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 3:30 p.m.

G3: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 7 p.m. G4: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 8:30 p.m.

Cross Insurance Center, Bangor CLASSES B, C, D NORTH QUARTERFINALS Friday, Feb. 18 Class B Girls G1: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 4 p.m. G2: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 5:30 p.m.

Class B Boys G1: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 7 p.m. G2: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 8:30 p.m.

Class D Boys G3: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 7 p.m. G4: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 23

Saturday, Feb. 26

REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Class D Girls G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 9 a.m.

Class C Boys

Class D Boys G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 10:45 a.m.

Class B Girls

G3: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 9:30 a.m. G4: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 11 a.m.

G3: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 9:30 a.m. G4: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 11 a.m.

SEMIFINALS

Class B Boys

Class B Girls

G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 3:45 p.m.

G3: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 2 p.m. G4: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 3:30 p.m.

G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 2 p.m. G6: G3 winner vs. G4 winner, 3:30 p.m.

Class C Girls

Class D Girls

Class B Boys

Class C Boys

G1: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 7 p.m. G2: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 8:30 p.m.

G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 7 p.m. G6: G3 winner vs. G4 winner, 8:30 p.m.

G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 8:45 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 19

Thursday, Feb. 24 Class D Girls G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 2 p.m. G6: G3 winner vs. G4 winner, 3:30 p.m.

Class D Boys G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 7 p.m. G6: G3 winner vs. G4 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Class B Girls G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 2 p.m.

Class B Boys

G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 7 p.m.

TOURNEY TIME • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 18, 2022

Tournament workers embracing return after COVID-19-forced hiatus last year By Larry Mahoney, BDN Staff

The return of the regional and state basketball tournaments after a oneyear hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been embraced statewide. There’s nothing like the energy and excitement generated by playing at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, the Augusta Civic Center and the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. And players, coaches and fans weren’t the only ones who were counting the days until the tournaments began. “It was certainly a great miss last year,” said Allan Snell, who began working at the Bangor Auditorium in 1977 and has done a number of jobs leading up to his role as the co-site director at the Cross Insurance Center for the Classes B, C and D North tournaments. “It was like a hole,” said Jerry Goss, the other co-director, who has also worn a number of different hats through the years. “I really missed seeing the people we see maybe once a year, particularly the ones from Down East and Aroostook County. I missed those personal relationships.” “I love working with the same people and the whole atmosphere,”

Snell said. “It’s so much fun, particularly the northern Maine tournament because we all have a lot in common. You watch kids whose parents played here or, in my case, maybe even their grandparents.” Becky Bubar has served as one of the courtside public address announcers off and on for 25 years. She missed her co-workers and the fans last year and seeing players whose names she has been calling out for years. “I enjoy watching the growth of players. Sometimes you will see a player and say ‘Wow, that’s a different player than they were two years ago,” said Bubar, who previously attended the tournaments as an assistant coach for the Brewer boys and girls teams. Tracie Martin has had the distinction of participating in the tournament in multiple roles. She played in the 1981 Class D state championship game for Vinalhaven against John Bapst at the former Bangor Auditorium, coached several girls teams from Narraguagus of Harrington to Bangor and, since 1996, has been a tourney referee.

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TOURNEY TIME • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 18, 2022

“

I am really excited to have it back for the kids, the fans, the parents and everyone involved in it. It is such a huge thing that everybody looks forward to. - Tracie Martin, Referee

”

Kiah and Snell recalled the 1986 Class B North final between Rockland and Dexter that went five overtimes. “And the roof was leaking,” said Snell. “I was keeping the scorebook that night and it only had room for one overtime. I had to be pretty innovative figuring out to get all those points in the book,” Kiah said. Snell also remembered a game that was sold out and people were banging at the doors to get in. Referee Tracie Martin motions to where to play the ball back in during a tourney game Then there was also Andy Bedard’s 53-point game in Mountain Valley at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor in February 2015. of Rumford’s 84-71 Class B state championship game win over CamdenBDN File Photo Rockport at the Bangor Auditorium. “He had a slow first half but lit it up in the second half,” Snell said. “I am really excited to have it back for the kids, the fans, the parents and “There have been a lot of great games over the years,” Martin said. everyone involved in it. It is such a huge thing that everybody looks forward to,” Martin said. “People take the week off to go. It’s a great community thing for everybody. They get to support their teams and see people they haven’t seen in a while.” Martin enjoys the opportunity to see teams she doesn’t normally see and touch base with people she only sees at the tournament. “You get to know the players and the coaches and the fans. And it breaks up the winter,” said Herbie Hopkins, who has worked at the tournament for 51 years in different capacities. Bubar said in addition to the action on the court, there is a lot of neat stuff behind the scenes that many people don’t see that makes it a special place. She said she loves hearing some of the great high school bands like Mount Desert Island and Presque Isle and watching some of the great fan sections. Dennis Kiah has worked at the tournament in various roles since the 1970s, but won’t return to run the scoreboard updates this year. He will attend as a spectator. The former Brewer High athletic director, who is now an assistant football and baseball coach for the Witches, is looking forward to watching the Brewer boys play in the Class A North tournament in Augusta. “I will miss seeing the kids play and all the people sitting at the table with me and those who would come down to the table and talk to us. I’ve seen a lot of great basketball over the years,” Kiah said. Some of the veteran tourney fixtures had specific tournament memories. “I was with the Brewer boys when Jason Leighton hit that half-court shot to beat Mt. Blue (1995),” said Bubar. “I remember watching Joe Campbell’s tip-in and the Shead girls winning a state championship after having been a pretty low seed.” Bangor’s Campbell beat Deering of Portland at the buzzer in 2001 and Shead’s girls won the Class D state title in 1999.

TOURNEY TIME • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 18, 2022

High school basketball tourney schedules Augusta Civic Center CLASS A NORTH; CLASSES C, D SOUTH QUARTERFINALS Friday, Feb. 18 Class B Girls G1: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 4 p.m. G2: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 5:30 p.m. G3: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 7 p.m. G4: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 19 Class D Boys G1: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 9 a.m. G2: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 10:30 a.m. G3: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 12 p.m. G4: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 1:30 p.m. Class A Boys G1: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 4 p.m.

G2: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 5:30 p.m. G3: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 7:30 p.m. G4: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 9 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 21 Class D Girls G1: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 9 a.m. G2: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 10:30 a.m. G3: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 12 p.m. G4: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 1:30 p.m. Class C Boys G1: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 4 p.m. G2: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 5:30 p.m. G3: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 7 p.m. G4: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 22 Class C Girls G1: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 4 p.m.

G2: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 5:30 p.m. G3: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 7 p.m. G4: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 8:30 p.m.

Class C Boys

Wednesday, Feb. 23

REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 7 p.m. G6: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Class D Boys

Friday, Feb. 25

G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 10 a.m. G6: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 11:30 a.m.

Class A Girls

Class A Boys

G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 2 p.m. G6: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 3:30 p.m.

G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 7:45 p.m.

G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 6 p.m.

Class A Boys

Saturday, Feb. 26

G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 7 p.m. G6: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 8:30 p.m.

Class D Girls

Thursday, Feb. 24

G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 1 p.m.

Class D Boys G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 2:45 p.m.

Class D Girls

Class C Girls

G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 10 a.m. G6: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 11:30 a.m.

G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 6 p.m.

Class C Girls

G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 7:45 p.m.

G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 2 p.m. G6: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 3:30 p.m.

Class C Boys

TOURNEY TIME • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 18, 2022

Portland Expo CLASSES A, B SOUTH QUARTERFINALS Friday, Feb. 18 Class B Boys G1: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 4 p.m. G2: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 5:30 p.m. G3: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 7 p.m. G4: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 19 Class B Girls G1: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 9 a.m. G2: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 10:30 a.m. G3: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 12 p.m. G4: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 1:30 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 21 Class A Girls G1: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 1 p.m. G2: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 2:30 p.m. G3: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 4:30 p.m. G4: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 6 p.m.

Cross Insurance Arena, Portland CLASSES AA NORTH, SOUTH; CLASSES A, B SOUTH SEMIFINALS

REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Wednesday, Feb. 23

G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 3:45 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 25

Class B South Girls G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 2 p.m.

Class B South Boys

Class AA North Girls

Class A South Girls

SEMIFINALS

Tuesday, Feb. 22

G1: Quarterfinal winners 3-6 vs. 2-7, 2 p.m. G2: QF winners 4-5 vs. 1-8, 3:45 p.m.

G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 7 p.m..

Class B Girls

Class AA South Girls

G7: G5 winner vs. G6 winner, 8:45 p.m.

G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 1 p.m. G6: G3 winner vs. G4 winner, 2:45 p.m.

G1: Quarterfinal winners 3-6 vs. 2-7, 7 p.m. G2: QF winners 4-5 vs. 1-8, 8:45 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 26

Class B Boys G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 6 p.m. G6: G3 winner vs. G4 winner, 7:45 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 24

Class A South Boys

Class AA North Girls G3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 2 p.m.

Class AA North Boys

Class AA South Girls

Wednesday, Feb. 23

G1: Quarterfinal winners 3-6 vs. 2-7, 2 p.m. G2: QF winners 4-5 vs. 1-8, 3:45 p.m.

G3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 3:45 p.m.

Class a Boys G1: No. 3 vs. No. 6, 4 p.m. G2: No. 2 vs. No. 7, 5:30 p.m. G3: No. 4 vs. No. 5, 7:30 p.m. G4: No. 1 vs. No. 8, 9 p.m.

Class A Girls

Class AA South Boys

G3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 7 p.m.

G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 1 p.m. G6: G3 winner vs. G4 winner, 2:45 p.m.

G1: Quarterfinal winners 3-6 vs. 2-7, 7 p.m. G2: QF winners 4-5 vs. 1-8, 8:45 p.m.

Class AA South Boys

Class A Boys G5: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 6 p.m. G6: G3 winner vs. G4 winner, 7:45 p.m.

Class AA North Boys

G3: G1 winner vs. G2 winner, 8:45 p.m.

TOURNEY TIME • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 18, 2022

Cross Insurance Center, Bangor state CHAMPIONSHIPS Friday, Feb. 25

Class B Girls.........................................................................................................7 p.m. Class B Boys.....................................................................................................8:45 p.m.

Augusta Civic Center state CHAMPIONSHIPS Saturday, March 5

Class D Girls.........................................................................................................1 p.m. Class D Boys....................................................................................................2:45 p.m. Class C Girls.........................................................................................................7 p.m. Class C Boys....................................................................................................8:45 p.m.

Cross Insurance Arena, Portland state CHAMPIONSHIPS Saturday, March 5

Class A Girls.........................................................................................................1 p.m. Class A Boys.........................................................................................................3 p.m. Class AA Girls.....................................................................................................7 p.m. Class AA Boys......................................................................................................9 p.m.

TOURNEY TIME • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • February 18, 2022