Mt. Abram’s Payton Mitchell shoots against Dirigo during a Class C South boys basketball semifinal game last season at the Augusta Civic Center. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
There’s rarely a dull moment in central Maine gymnasiums during the winter as fans everywhere congregate to avoid the bitter weather and watch their favorite high school basketball teams. Some games, though, are a little bigger than others.
Even now, before any of us truly know what teams will contend and which ones will be also-rans, there are games every basketball fan should have circled on their calendars. Here’s a fan’s guide to five boys games and five girls games that should be on the radar of everyone ahead of season tip-off.
Boys games to watch:
Dec. 14: Maranacook at Mt. Abram: Maranacook’s early Mountain Valley Conference slate includes a contest at Mt. Abram, which went 17-4 last year and brings back Payton Mitchell (17.2 points, 7,1 rebounds, 5.1 assists last year), one of the most well-rounded players anywhere in the area. Expect a fun battle next week between guards Mitchell and Keagan McClure of Maranacook, who was second in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference in assists per game last season with 7.6.
Dec. 27: Nokomis vs. Brewer (Augusta Civic Center): The annual holiday tournament at the ACC is always a fan favorite, and the final game of Day 1 is an intriguing one between the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in Class A North a year ago. Both teams have new coaches and rosters that look vastly different from last year; the Warriors are led by guards Alex Grant and Connor Sides, while the junior-heavy Witches’ all-new starting five includes guard Stephen Youngs and 6-foot-6 center Cayen Philbrick.
Jan. 2: Cony at Messalonskee: Cony has two of the top shooters around in senior guards Parker Sergent and Alex Fournier, while Messalonskee has its own interesting collection of guards in playmaker Drake Brunelle, Sam Dube and Jacob Moody and one of the state’s premier big men in 6-9 Merrick Smith (13.4 points and 12.4 rebounds per game). One of the first games of the new year should be a fun one as a pair of potential A North contenders meet in a possible tournament preview.
Jan. 16: Forest Hills at Valley: Could there be a changing of the guard in Class D South this year? It’s possible with the Tigers losing some key pieces and the Cavaliers bringing back the bulk of a roster that’s lost back-to-back regional title games to Forest Hills. Valley guards Harry Louis and Fisher Tewksbury will duke it out with Forest Hills’ Braidan Welch, and there should also be a tight battle on the boards between big men Jared Ricker of the Cavaliers and Cooper Daigle of the Tigers.
Feb. 1: Hampden Academy at Messalonskee: These two teams are probably the favorites in Class A North, and senior night at Messalonskee High should be a treat. The Eagles and Broncos should have a thrilling battle on the boards between Smith and Hampden’s 6-5 center, J.J. Wolfington. Defensively, Messalonskee will also have its hands full with Zach McLaughlin (23.1 points per game and 40.2 percent from 3 last season), an elite scorer and potential Mr. Maine Basketball candidate.
Girls games to watch:
Dec. 27: Lawrence at Cony: Lawrence is the defending Class A state champion with a returning Maddie Provost and size in the post. Cony returns most of its starting lineup, led by Abby Morrill. This is the first of two regular season matchups, and a preview what could a key matchup during the tournament.
Dec. 29: Gardiner at Lawrence: A rematch of the Class A North title game, both the Bulldogs and Tigers are in different places entering the season. The Bulldogs replace most of their starting five, though many players in the starting lineup gained valuable minutes a season ago. Gardiner has a new head coach in Britney Gero and looks to make up for the loss of Lizzy Gruber in the post with an attack that will focus on speed and defense. The game should be a good measuring stick for where both teams are at early in the season.
New Gardiner girls basketball coach Britney Gero, far right, leads players through a drill during a Nov. 22 practice in Gardiner. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
Jan. 29: Hall-Dale at Kents Hill: Two strong programs meet in their lone regular season matchup. Both the Bulldogs and Huskies reached the Class C South semifinals last season, and both plan to take a step further in the 2024 tournament. A win here would be good momentum heading toward the playoffs.
Jan. 31: Madison at Hall-Dale: An interesting Battle of the Bulldogs here, the lone regular season matchup between Hall-Dale and Madison. Not only should both teams be Class C South contenders, but it features two new head coaches patrolling the sidelines. Laurie Rowe takes over for O.J. Jaramillo, who led Hall-Dale to a Class C title just two seasons ago, and Adam Rich is the first coach not named Al Veneziano to lead the Madison girls basketball team since 1986. It’s a new day for both programs.
Feb. 8: Gardiner at Cony: It’s always a fun game when rivals such as the Tigers and Rams collide, but this game, the second matchup between the two and the regular season finale, could be a playoff seeding decider. Both the Tigers and Rams — along with Lawrence — should be in the thick of the A North playoff race all season.
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