Welcome to the high school winter sports season!
Welcome to the high school winter sports season. This past weekend featured Messalonskee athletes competing on the court, track, mat, and ice as well as in the water.
The storylines are many and varied. Take the Messalonskee boys’ hockey team. They finished within one victory of earning a Class B state title last March. Can they take the final step and capture the championship this season?
They opened their season in a fashion that suggests the answer is “Yes” in cruising to an 8-1 victory over Presque Isle. Messalonskee athletic director Chad Foye is confident that the Eagles will at least be one of leading contenders for a title.
“They will be one of the top teams in North B,” Foye said.
Part of that success is due to continuity at the top. Dennis Martin is in his fourth year as head coach of the Eagles, according to Foye.
“I think it is important,” Foye said of the continuity factor, “and it is really important if your program has been successful. You build on what you’ve done in the past.”
The Messalonskee boys’ basketball team, in contrast, is on its third head coach in less than two years with Sam Smith taking over from Peter McLaughlin.
Foye, though, said he believes Smith, who previously headed the Waterville boys basketball team, is a good fit for the job. He also views the team as one of the top contenders in North A.
“They have all grown,” he said, “so they are all a bit stronger and their skills have improved as well.”
The Eagles validated that assessment on Saturday in opening the season with a 59-49 victory over Lawrence.