AndrewHeywoodFeb182010

=Tournament Time in Bangor=

By: Andrew Heywood heywooda@students.nescom.edu

BANGOR - As February winds down that means one thing to high school students across the state- school vacation. For the basketball players it means tournament time. Time to make all the blood, sweat, and tears since Thanksgiving pay off. But for the fans, family, and alumni what is all the hype about?

Like years before this year’s tournament for the Eastern part of the state is being held at the [|Bangor Auditorium at Bass Park]. People drive for miles, some even hours. One of the furthest teams in this year’s tournament is the girl’s team from [|Presque Isle]. to Google Maps the drive from Presque Isle to Bangor can take either two hours and fifty-four minutes or three hours and fifteen minutes. That number is not including traffic or the time it takes to find a parking spot.

Two other teams that made a long trip to compete were the [|Ponies of Dover Foxcroft], travelling almost an hour, to play the [|Minutemen of Stearns]. Stearns is in the town of Millinocket, and their team, as well as friends and family, had to travel nearly the same. Again according to Google Maps the ride from Millinocket to Bangor is an hour and fifteen minutes. Some believed the match-up between Stearns and Foxcroft to be one of the most anticipated games of the tournament- depending on who you talk to that is.

“It is a number 4/number 5 match up,” says Justin Paquet of Poland, ME. Paquet happens to be dating the daughter of the boy’s basketball coach at Foxcroft, and has been following the team the whole season. “They have played each other twice, both won on their home courts so it will be interesting to see who wins playing on a neutral court.” As the second half opened Stearns went on a 16-8 run that encompassed the entire third quarter. During that stretch the Ponies had numerous scoring opportunities but could not find the bottom of the net. In front of a packed auditorium the emotion on the player’s faces was easily visible. One can only imagine the pressure of playing in front of family, peers, face painted fans, and even pep bands.

The Ponies were able to hold on through the pressure as the Minutemen fouled Foxcroft player Josiah Richard with only 2.8 seconds left on the clock in a tie game, 52-52. Richard hit both free throws leaving the hopes of a Stearns victory to miss like the last second half-court shot by one of the Minuteman. That is what the pressure can do. “It is definitely crazy to be playing in front of your entire town,” says Graham Safford of [|Camden Hills]. “The atmosphere when you step out there is unlike anything you can experience in high Safford was part of the Windjammers undefeated championship team last year. Though the junior is not playing this year he showed up with fellow classmates wearing the school colors to cheer their school on against rival [|Medomak Valley Panthers]. Safford though, had one thing that his peers did not, the state championship ring. “It is definitely cool to be walking around school, the town, even here at the tournament wearing this ring.”

That is what the pressure, the long drives and school vacation week is all about. Cramming into the auditorium, where nearly 3,000 people can fit at once, to root for your town, your children, and most of all your pride. Full tournament schedules can be found on the [|Maine Principles Association (MPA) website]. Whether you are a fan, player, alumni, or complete stranger the MPA basketball tournament is worth the hype.