The championship month of February has arrived. Over the next 29 days (it is a leap year, mind you), indoor track, swimming, skiing and wrestling will bestow their hardware, with basketball and hockey winnowing down to a select few teams.

Before we get to that point, there’s plenty of recent action to plow through.

Here’s a glimpse:

Boys’ basketball

The Hyde boys’ basketball team entered Tuesday’s home showdown with Western C contender Waynflete with a 12-0 mark atop the Western Class D Heal Points standings. The Phoenix rolled at home over North Yarmouth Academy (55-38) and Islesboro (65-10) last week. Hyde is at Richmond Friday and Sacopee Monday, then closes the regular season at home Tuesday versus A.R. Gould.

In Eastern A, Brunswick sits in fifth place at 9-5 after a palpitating 56-54 overtime upset win over Lawrence and a 39-34 setback at Edward Little last week. The Dragons welcomed Oxford Hills Tuesday, host Lewiston Friday, go to Erskine Tuesday of next week and close at Mt. Ararat Feb. 9.

Those Eagles are 1-13 and 13th in the region. After several close calls, Mt. Ararat got in the win column last Tuesday, 44-39, over visiting Oxford Hills.

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“The kids have worked so incredibly hard all year long, and tonight it finally paid off for them,” said coach Aaron Watson.

Monday, the Eagles lost at Erskine, 57-46. Mt. Ararat was home with Skowhegan Tuesday and went to Cony Thursday. Before closing at home with Brunswick next Thursday, the Eagles visit Lewiston Tuesday.

In Western B, Morse is 4-10 and in 17th place in the Heals. The Shipbuilders sandwiched home losses to Maranacook (68-57) and Oceanside (64-44) around a 60-35 triumph at Oak Hill. Morse hosted Lincoln Tuesday, goes to Gardiner Friday, welcomes Leavitt next Tuesday and closes Feb. 9 at Medomak.

Girls’ basketball

On the girls’ side, Mt. Ararat is playoff-bound at 9-5 and fifth in Eastern A. The Eagles won at Oxford Hills last week, 57-39, and downed visiting Erskine in a makeup game Monday, 56-45. Mt. Ararat went to Skowhegan Tuesday, welcomes top-ranked, undefeated Cony Friday and closes the regular season next week at home versus Lewiston and at Brunswick.

The Dragons have some work to do and quickly if they hope to take part in the postseason. Brunswick dropped a 42-41 heartbreaker at Lawrence and a 44-39 home decision to Edward Little in recent action. The Dragons (4-10 and 11th in Eastern A, where the top nine teams make the playoffs) were at Oxford Hills Tuesday, visit Lewiston Friday, host Erskine Tuesday of next week, then close at home against Mt. Ararat.

In Western B, Morse is 7-8 and in 14th place (the top 12 teams make the playoffs). The Shipbuilders won twice last week, at Maranacook (63-41) and at home to Oak Hill (62-29). They also fell at Oceanside, 71-52. Morse was at Lincoln Tuesday, is home with Gardiner Friday, visits defending Class B champion Leavitt next Tuesday and closes at home versus Medomak Feb. 9.

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Hyde began the week 0-12 and 13th in Western D. The Phoenix fell at NYA (37-18) and at home to Iselsboro (41-14) last week. Hyde hosted Waynflete Tuesday and Kents Hill Wednesday, goes to Richmond Friday and finishes the season at Sacopee Monday.

Hockey

On the ice, the Brunswick girls appear bound for the top seed in the East Region after a huge 5-3 upset win at Falmouth Saturday night. The Dragons also won at Portland last week, 11-4, and take a 13-3-1 mark into Saturday’s home finale versus Winslow.

The girls’ hockey playoffs start next week.

On the boys’ side, Brunswick is 6-6-1 and fifth in Eastern A after losing at Messalonskee (6-1) and beating visiting Poland (5-1) last week and falling, 8-0, at Cheverus Monday. The Dragons went to Edward Little Wednesday.

Mt. Ararat is 4-6 and ninth in the region (the top eight teams make the playoffs) after a 6-3 home win over Gray-New Gloucester/Poland and a 7-1 loss to Hall-Dale/Maranacook/Winthrop. The Eagles welcomed Windham Thursday and play host to Cony Saturday.

Indoor track

Three local indoor track teams took part in an eight-team league meet last weekend.  Brunswick’s boys were first, Mt. Ararat second and Morse eighth. The Dragons also won the girls’ meet, with the Eagles second and Shipbuilders sixth.

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Hyde, competing with Western Maine Conference schools in Gorham, saw both teams place seventh in an eight-team field. The girls were sparked by Maria Dextra Cercos, who won the senior 55 hurdles (in 9.91 seconds).

Skiing

Both Mt. Ararat swim teams came in 20th at the Sassi Memorial classic race at Black Mountain last weekend.

Wrestling

The Mt. Ararat wrestling team is 18-9 on the year. Last Wednesday, the Eagles lost to Camden Hills (24-60) and Mt. Blue (6-78). Saturday, Mt. Ararat beat Mt. View (48-36), Oak Hill (54-0) and Deering (48-36), while losing to Skowhegan (45-36).

Morse is 9-19. The Shipbuilders beat MCI (36-35) and Gardiner (36-26) last Wednesday, then lost to Camden Hills (63-6) and Mountain Valley (45-15) and beat Medomak (42-12) Saturday.

Both local teams compete in a tournament at Cony Saturday. The regional finals are Feb. 11 (Eastern A at Westbrook, Western B at York). The state finals are Feb. 18.

Sidebar Elements


Hyde’s Maria Dextra Cercos races toward a first place finish in the senior 55 hurdles at last weekend’s Western Maine Conference indoor track meet.

Hyde’s Griffin Palola-Harriman and Isaac Preston compete in the mile at last weekend’s indoor track meet.


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