Podcast: Week 9 Overreactions (with Travis Lee)

Travis Lee has been a staple for Maine households for 25 years, bringing sports coverage from around southern Maine to your living room as WMTW's Sports Reporter. Today he joins the podcast from his living room. We talk about the challenges of journalism in 2025 and the value of objectivity. Then we overreact to all the regions. Last, we talk hoops and Travis' fix for the Maine Transfer Portal epidemic.

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Transcript (auto-generated)

0:02

Welcome to The Maine Basketball Rankings Podcast.I'm your host, basketball data nerd, Lucas McNally.Today's episode of the podcast is brought to you by Vertical Rays, one of the largest fundraising platforms in the country, now proudly helping teams, clubs and programs across Maine.With Vertical Rays, your team can raise more money and less time.

0:21

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0:37

Your main reps, Chris Christie and Dave Chase are both coaches who know what it takes to run a great program, any sport, club or grade level.And they understand how important fundraising is to make it happen.So it's worth 10 minutes of your time to learn more.Schedule a call or e-mail today and see how Vertical Rays can take your fundraising to the next level.

0:56

OK, so today's show, we've got a good one for you.Travis Lee from Channel 8 is here.He is.He's a lightweight.You don't need me to introduce Travis lead.You know, Travis, he's been doing this for 25 years now.It's him and Dave Eat are just the gold standard of sports broadcasting in the state of Maine.

1:16

So I got Travis in here.We talked about a bunch of stuff.We talked about football.We talked about broadcasting and journalism and how to be an actual journalist as opposed to just, you know, someone hyping people on Instagram talked about football.

1:33

We talked about basketball.It's really great stuff.So we got a couple of things coming up here on the podcast.Schedules are going to obviously start previewing basketball a little bit.We're going to do, this is all tentative, by the way.

1:48

None of it's 100% lockdown, but it's mostly locked out.We're going to do the Winds draft again.That was a lot of fun last year.Then we're going to do, I think a Mr. and Miss Basketball draft, which should be interesting.We're going to do a there's a we're running a running a preseason poll on the website.

2:07

You can go to anybody can do it, fans, players, coaches, whoever.And then Jay Baines and I are going to react in real time to the results of the preseason poll.So get in there, vote for your team, vote against your opponent, your your bitter rivals and and we'll have some fun.

2:27

We'll see what the consensus is around the state of who the top teams are in every class in the state or we get to Travis.I just want to tell a fun story.I went to two games this last weekend, neither of them were close Mount.I went to Mount Arare and Yarmouth in Topsom, it was pretty windy because I was excited to see Iggy McGrath.

2:46

I'd already seen Mount Ararat.I want to see Iggy McGrath because I'd heard good things and really that's a great name.Iggy McGrath is a fantastic name for a football player and really, I was surprised Mount Ararat dominated that game.It was pretty windy, so throwing was going to be a little trickier.

3:02

But yeah, Mount Ararat's big guy just absolutely dominated the game, both sides of the ball, and Mount Ararat won that one in a walk.Met some nice people, some nice Mount Ararat people I had never met before who were fans of the podcast and stuff.

3:19

So that's always fun.Always nice to have people come up and say nice things to me instead of just yelling at me because I'm underrating their team or something.And then Saturday, you know, I had to go to the Madomic Old Town game 8-9 prelim.

3:36

Old Town sort of came back on Madomic in the first game of the season, Not because of 18, I think at one point and it was even windier.And so you thought, well, maybe, you know, this could be a game and it was not Madomic won 62 to six.It was 40 to 6 at halftime.

3:54

So just an absolute obliteration.But I wanted to tell a fun story from from it.So it's we're into JV minutes deep in the fourth quarter and I'm still filming like I do for highlights on the phone because, you know, hey, the JVS might do something cool and that should be celebrated.

4:10

One of the JVS for madomic had like an 80 yard touchdown run.That's got to be the highlight of his year. 100%.So Old Town still got, I think they still have their starters in and they're still trying to they're trying to throw the ball into the wind, not going great.Two or three plays in a row, a madomic defender drops the interception.

4:30

It like like like a one's a flat out drop, one's a he's probably not going to catch that, but it's all it hits him and it hits his hands, you know, and they're like, oh, and then, you know, they're the JVS, they're in those JV, even if they desperately want interception.

4:46

So then there's a slight delay for some reason, like not long, like maybe a minute.Maybe they're I think they're moving the chains or something or I don't know what they're doing something.Maybe someone got cramped.I don't not important this kid cornerback for Madonna, who's the last play is on the other far side of the field and I'm on the madomic sideline and he sort of looks at me.

5:06

He's like, man, they better not be thrown at me 'cause I'm a intercept that it's basically the year Classic 14 year old swagger of this small kid with skinny arms.And you know, he's not a big kid.He's he's the JV for a reason.He's probably a sophomore.

5:21

I think he's a sophomore, but utmost confidence, you know, he's like, I'm going to pick this ball off.I'm like, OK, dude, all right, good luck.Next play, roll the tape.

5:50

That is Max McCabe.I believe.He's a sophomore for Madomic Valley.And after the game, he looks over me, points to me from like 15 feet away.He's like, I called my shot.I told you I would do that.I was like, yes, you did.

6:06

Congratulations.He was very hyped.And you know, that's kind of that's really one of the better things about doing this is interacting with kids in a fun way like this.And, you know, we're all just there to, it's a football game.

6:22

We're there to have fun and we're there to have a good time.And, you know, it's a 60 to 62 to 6.Doesn't have to be, you know, deadly serious when it's 62 to 6.But I thought that was a fun story to pass along.OK, so we got news, we got stuff coming up.

6:41

So you want to subscribe on, if you're watching this on Facebook, you just, I guess, like it on Facebook.Go to YouTube, subscribe on YouTube, subscribe on wherever you listen to podcasts, Spotify, Apple, whatever else. iHeartRadio.

6:56

Is that still a thing?Google Podcast is dead.Yeah, wherever you listen, consume podcasts, YouTube is a great one to do.They're all great.And yeah, we'll have a bunch of good stuff lined up.Vertical Rays is going to be along with us for it looks like a while.

7:15

And one of them, Chris Christie, has got a big couple football games coming up here.He's the Camden Hills head coach.So, you know, they've they're hoping to make a run at this thing.So we'll see.Anyway, without further delay, let's go to my conversation with the great Travis Lee.

7:35

My guest today has been coming to your living room for the last 25 years.And now we're coming to.He's coming to us from his living room.Travis Lee is here.Happy to be here, Lucas.All right.This is Take Two.We've had a little bit of technical difficulties we're powering through.

7:52

So 25 years is crazy because I remember when you were the new guy on Channel 8 because we didn't call it by the call signs, we called the Channel 8 and now you and David are this old guard of the establishment.Dinosaurs, we are real fossils.

8:10

Living fossils, Lucas.That's what we are.Not only are we old, but we're in a business that has evolved quite a bit since we first got into it.Yeah, that's and since the last six months, it evolves every every really six months it seems to be it's craziness.

8:27

But then again, like when I started, there weren't cool things like podcasts, you know?That's true, yeah.You'd get, you'd get, you'd get like a 2 minute segment with somebody and that was it.You'd go to their place and record a thing and package it together.Well, I guess you're still doing that, but there was no long form.

8:45

Yeah.So what you see a lot of kids now, last couple years, they're like on sidelines with doing something, Instagram, whatever.What's the advice you would give to someone who's just getting started and wants to get into sports journalism in some form, considering how much it's changed?

9:05

Oh boy, there's a lot of things wrapped up into that.You know, first of all, if you're, if you're really into journalism and you're, you know, you're working the Instagram thing, you can't be a fanboy, right?You know, right.Journalism has its, you know, it's bylaws.And one of them is there's no cheering.

9:22

Got to be unbiased, got to be objective.So if you do want to make the transition into it more, you know, transit traditional journalism, I wouldn't even say traditional journalism, journalism by definition, you know, you do need to find some objectivity to it, but I would just say experiment and and be yourself.

9:46

You know, I was, you know, coming of age in this business in the early mid 90s when, you know, SportsCenter had really exploded with all of their shows and their platforms.It was the era of calling highlights at the desk.And I'd always love, you know, the idea of doing that.

10:04

I was in college, I went to Ithaca College.I was broadcasting there in college.You know, I originally wanted to be the play by play guy for the Boston Red Sox, but I've, I fell in love with anchoring and, you know, I just tried to be myself.You know, if you're not, boom goes the dynamite.

10:21

Don't be boom goes the dynamite.You know, find your own thing, own it, work on it.And, you know, always check your another thing, check your work.You know, sometimes for some people, it's hard to like go back and look at, you know, their work.It's like, oh, you know, I don't like, you know, it's hard, but you know, look at your work, See what you're, you know, you're your, your best critic, probably because you'll notice things because you were in the moment.

10:46

Go look at your work and, you know, iron out the things you need to get better AT and, you know, talk to people, you know, get feedback from people.Yeah, there's there's a saying in, in like I've been doing a lot of research into like podcasting and trying to like figure out how to do this.And there's a saying there of just be 1% better every day.

11:05

And that's a lot of that is goes into checking your work and, you know, just trying to find things you can improve.So did Bill Belichick write that?He did not, but it might be cribbed from him in some way.It's pretty good, though.

11:20

It would be a Bill Belichick thing.And so Speaking of going back, one thing I found in the Googling of you is WMTW put up a slideshow of 20 Things You Don't Know About Travis Lee, which I'm going to put in the show notes.

11:36

And the haircuts are really great.I, I have to say they were, they were surprised.It's a lot of different types of hair.There was a thing where you were in Ithaca was kind of feathered in the front, which was definitely of an era.With some sideburns too I think.

11:52

With some sideburns, there was some Little League photos that I'm sure your mother supplied for that project.Bowl cut.The bowl cut era, yeah.So if people really want to just get a trip down memory lane, it's.I highly recommend it.

12:08

All right, that's what the show notes are for.That's what the show notes are for.So one thing, this is actually, you mentioned you're not being I, I forget what you just called it, but not being like a AAU hype man as a journalist, how do you balance?Because you also don't, you know, because you're covering high school students a lot.

12:26

You also don't want to be like, oh, this quarterback, he sucks.He's terrible in the way that you might with, let's say, Mac Jones, for example.How do you balance being objective and with the fact that it's kids, but then also not wanting to be trying to be their best friend and, you know, just like everybody's amazing.

12:50

Yeah, yeah.Well, first of all, there isn't a school system in the state that pays me.You know, I get paid by WMTW, so it's pretty easy for me to stay up objective.But at the same time, I, you know, I've always taken the feeling, you know, that the, the perspective and have the feeling that, you know, we are guests covering these events and, you know, you know, your, your high school athletics or teen years, you know, can not always go the way you want them to go for a lot of people.

13:24

You know, I don't think that your failures need to be, you know, broadcast per SE.But you know, I think like you used it, you know, a quarterback as a as an example, you know, I've always taken the policy, I don't mention the quarterback's name when he throws an interception.

13:44

You could go look back 25 years of my broadcasting.You know what we might say, you know, The Jayhawks quarterback, you know, that The Jayhawks driving down the field go into the air and it's picked off by, you know, Raymond Claiborne of Levitt or whatever, you know, So we, we, we kind of protect.

14:04

There's ways you can protect some kids, I think.And and we and that's kind of our philosophy.And my philosophy is, you know, you can still make the broadcast sound like it's the broadcast of an NFL game, but not hang kids out to dry, you know, and like that's, you know, you know, when you get the blowout games, you know, you're looking for maybe 1 positive play from the team that gets blown out, blown out to throw it in there sometimes, you know, you're just trying to, you know, to have some understanding, I think of what's going on.

14:38

So it's not the running back fumble, it's the linebacker forced to fumble.Yeah, that's a good way of putting it.Yeah.You know, it's that's that's exactly something that we would say, yeah, someone recovers the fumble or, you know, the defense gets a turnover for sure.

14:56

And then the the last thing you want to do is just be like, you know, hyping is probably the the easiest way to describe it where you see some of these like AAU accounts.And that was part of like a lot of people that I know, their hesitation with the whole Cooper and Ace thing is it was all this early with all this AAU hype stuff.

15:14

And you're like, I don't know, like this is all the same.I don't know what to think of this until they got, you know, into high school.And you're like, oh, OK, no, this is legit.Yeah, that's a different that's a different like, you know, like there were there were enough people that like I talked to and, you know, had connections with that like I trusted that were like, no, this is for real.

15:35

You know when it count when it comes to Cooper race, you know, but you're right, you know the hype, you've got to cut through the hype, right?You know, you've got to know who's working for who.That's that's a big part of it, who's working for who.

15:50

So, you know, a lot of people get a lot of publicity, but they also are not that isn't, isn't always earned, you know, but a lot of times you've got to look at the source, right?It's just like any other interpretation that you use as a journalist.

16:07

You're looking at the source and you know, you have to make a determination, you know?Yeah, the hype stuff doesn't do much for me.Yeah, me either.And you also got to like double check it.I had a situation this fall where I was at a football game and someone's like, oh, this team's going to have has this great freshman coming in because I'd heard, you know, this is a good freshman class for basketball.

16:28

And then I saw that coach of that team later that day and I was like, hey, I heard you have like a really good freshman coming.He goes no, no.I mean, we've got some freshmen coming in, but they're not going to start.They just, you know, they just have the wrong team.Yeah, I know.

16:43

I think, and I think that's the life that, you know, if you cover high school basketball in Maine, you live.And it's funny that, you know, I always use this example, right?Everybody talks about great freshman, right?And all this guy's going to be an impact guy.This guy's, you know, and I, I do think that there's going to be some of those guys this year.

17:02

You know, there's some really good freshman coming in, but I always like to look in that back and think, you know, Dustin Cole was a four year first team all SMAA player, right?That was an impact freshman right away.

17:21

You know, 6 points a game, you know, as a, as a, you know, as a role player is not, it's not, it's not what Dustin Cole was, you know?Right, right.There's a difference between an impact freshman who's really an impact freshman, you know?You know, Ali Clement, basketball player, McCauley won four championships, was one of the best players for all four years right away.

17:44

That was like a real star freshman.They don't come along very often, but every year you hear about 30 or 40 of them, Right, right, right.So it all has to be measured, I think.Cindy Blodgett was an impact freshman, for example.

18:01

That was a pretty good one.Yeah.All right, so let's overreact some to football 'cause we're battling your phone battery here.Let's start.Let's start with the game we both saw this weekend with eight man, 8 man large school South.

18:19

We need better names for this.Mount Ararat looked great against Yarmouth.Yeah.In the wind.I think the Yarmouth is, you know, one of the stronger programs this year.And certainly if Yarmouth had had a better day, I wouldn't have been surprised if Yarmouth won and, you know, they moved on and played or maybe won a state championship.

18:38

Mount Air, I just just dominated, you know, the line of scrimmage and Yarmouth has a great line.So that kind of shows you what they bring to the table.Reyes, one of their lineman, forgot his first name is # for pound is good.

18:54

A player in eight man football.And he's just unblockable.And you know, when he's on the offensive side of the ball, they run behind him a lot.He's just.Throwing touchdown passes too.Caught a touchdown pass.Yeah.You know, that's a good team.

19:10

And, you know, it's it's, you know, I think it's fun when you've got a program like that.Frank Drew's group that you kind of know what they're going to do and they know that they're preparing for, you know that and you know they don't care.They're going to do what they do and they're going to do it, you know, in their minds better and and win the game.

19:30

Yeah, Reyes was in that backfield of Yarmouth's more than their running back was.It seems like like every play he was just hassling McGrath.McGrath was just running for his life, most of it.And, and he made some really nice throws and I, I actually messed with how elusive he was back there because there's a lot of quarterbacks in this state who would have been sacked 8-9 times in that game.

19:52

And he was able to escape time and time again.Yeah, he has good receivers and he's a good athlete.Not surprised at all that he, you know, was able to escape a little bit, but but he had a lot of pressure.You're right.And now, so it sort of looks like, have you seen Camden yet?

20:09

Because it looks like we're we might be.Getting I don't know.I don't know.I have.Not so.They're good.They played in week two against Mount Ararat and Mount Ararat was up at the half and then Camden rallied in the second-half.The big issue with them is last year they lost their quarterback for the tournament.

20:29

So I mean that's a huge loss.Hollis Schwalm and he's, I think he's a senior now.They're I think that could be a really good gold ball game and I could see that going either way.Yeah, yeah.Well, you know what Spruce Mountain gets the host mount air at?

20:46

They're still the number one seed.They're still Spruce Mountain.And they've got some pretty athletic guys, you know, and that's, it's always a tough trip up there and they're playing on a Saturday.So that that'll be interesting.That's, you know, they're definitely going to have a home field advantage.

21:01

It's a great place to, you know, to play up there and live more and like I said, they've got some athletes and you know that it's not going to be easy for Mount Ararat at all.Yeah, I haven't seen Spruce.I have seen, it seems like from the write ups, I've seen half of that team play basketball.

21:17

It sounds like there's a it's a lot of basketball names that I recognize on that Spruce team, which doesn't surprise me because they've got a lot of good athletes on the on the basketball team.That would be, Yep, that that would make sense.And, you know, they had a, you know, they kind of had a dog fight with Yarmouth that they lost.

21:36

You know, I, I, I'm sure that they are, they're going to be ready for this one.I'm searching for a name right here who's had a, a pretty special year.You know, I can't find it, but you know what I'm saying?They put up athletes.

21:53

Do you find the names get harder as you get older, right?There, sorry.Do you find the names get harder as you get older?Because I'm finding the names are getting harder to remember.Or maybe there's just so many of them.Paying my bills gets harder.I forget which ones to pay.It's doesn't, you know, the whole deal.

22:09

Bills.Yeah.Names, places, all of it.Time comes for us all.It's yeah.So then.Time is undefeated.Time is undefeated then in the small schools, so we've got Dexter beat Orno, which is a pretty big win.

22:24

What it like that's?A great story.You know what a great.Yeah, jeez, I didn't know there was a possibility of like getting money for 3rd place.I thought that was.Great.I did not know that either.Yeah.So they cleared 75,000 for that contest, which is pretty good, you know.Yeah.

22:41

And hopefully they can fix that press ball, maybe Mr. Alfond will chip in a little bit more, I mean a little bit match it maybe.Maybe.I mean, that's like the easiest PR move in the state right now is for somebody with deep pockets to write them a check and fund a thing.So they will play this week, they will play Stearns.

22:59

That's going to be some tough sledding, Stearns If not for OOB, Stearns would be the favorite there, I would think.I.Would think so, yeah.You know we still could get that rematch, right?We could get that rematch.That was a Week 3 game.

23:16

It was early.It was definitely.Pretty early.It was the same week as Gardner Wells because I remember talking to Mike Mandel about it in the parking lot at Gardner.So OOB that was a 2 point game at the half and then OOB ran away with it in the second-half and there.

23:35

So here let me ask you an 8 man question.When do we go away from big school, small school and we have 8 man classes where like do we restructure this a little bit?Does it need to be restructured a little?Bit no, I, I think that they, I, I think if you do that, you've resigned yourself to not trying to help these programs get to 11 man.

23:56

You know, that was the the intention originally was let's try and save football at schools that don't have a big population and help the schools rehabilitate themselves that are trying to get, you know, back to 11 man.

24:13

Like really to.Introduce like a third class.I think you're just basically resigning yourself that you're, you know, you're accepting that everybody's in a, you know, that ape man is, is what it is, you know.Well it seems like there's some schools like OOB that are perfectly happy to stay in Ape Man and maybe even prefer it.

24:34

Is that fair?I mean, I, I think Old Orchard's enrollment though, dictates that in some regards, right?It's a pretty small school And it's, and it always kind of makes me, you know, I, I always want to ask myself, I'm like, I've got to check the geography of like how big a town Old Orchard is, right?

24:49

Because it's, you know, 9 miles from Portland and you're like, how is there such a small school?But it's just a small town.There is not a lot of land there for people to live in.It's got to be what it is.And it's so tourist driven that how many full time residents do you have?

25:06

That's there you go.Yeah, those two things to mind.'Cause we go there every summer and it's, I mean, that's got to be 75% tourism, housing, something like that.You know, I don't know.

25:23

All right, so let's move on to, we'll go to 11, man.Let's start with Class D.Do you get to see a lot of Class D?Because there's a lot of that seems to be.Northern more D than eight man this year.OK, All right.I was a little.I was a little.Surprised Poland lost.

25:39

I thought Poland that Poland had a good chance, you know, to maybe even upset some people, you know, Damon Martin, really dynamic quarterback for them, you know, but good for them.They had a good year, you know, winning record, had a good, you know, good playoff seeding.

25:55

You know that they're disappointed that they, you know that they got upset.But what a win for Morse.Like, that's a got huge win for Morse.Yeah, absolutely.Jason Darling can coach.He's a good coach.You know, they, you know, they'll, they'll try and keep it going.Now that's like another one of those programs we're just kind of talking about like they were an 8 man.

26:14

Now they've kind of rehabbed up to D and, you know, good for them.Yeah.And so they're going to play Oak Hill, right?Yeah.Oak Hill beat Freeport 12.Tag to beat Freeport, Yeah.You know what Oak Hill was considered, I think maybe, you know, they were considered, if not the favorite, you know, 1A or 1B with Winthrop coming into the year and Oak Hills, you know, played some good football lately.

26:40

Yeah, so Winthrop is still alive.That so Oak Hill at Winthrop this week.Yeah, Winthrop's been.Quite good.I think so.I think it's Oak Hill at Winthrop.Or is it derigo?No, maybe you're right.I don't have the matchups in front of me.

26:56

I had it and I wrote it down, but I can't.Remember Morse?Then yes, you're right.Yeah, Derigo Morse.Yep.I keep forgetting what how many the the part where some people are in a quarterfinal and some people are in a regional final and some people are in a semi final is throwing me.

27:13

I keep like try to keep it all sort straight in my head.Yeah, Morse at Derigo.There we go and then Oak Hill at Winthrop and they're in the semi finals there.Yeah.OK.And so then the winner of that bracket is going to get Miranda Cook.It is at John Baps and then Madison is at Winslow.

27:33

And John Baps is undefeated.John Baps is undefeated and absolutely trounced Winslow in the regular season.Yeah.So those and those are the top 2 seeds.Yeah, they look pretty much unstoppable, except they almost lost.I think in Week 8 they won by one against somebody.

27:51

OK.So.Where is somebody in the state?What's their?What's their, what's their enrollment?It's it's under 100.They'll be starting their basketball season a week early.And I think it's an Aroostook County.It's one of those unorganized townships.

28:07

OK, that makes sense.Yeah, You know, there's six guys there and 12 moose.It's a very small town.Let's go to C How are you enjoying C?Because the consensus is that C is a lot of fun.Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's it's been pretty good.

28:25

It's been pretty good in which I think it's been the most competitive top to bottom right.You know where you you know, you have an 8 no Greeley team that looks really awesome.You know, Luke Piper's an awesome quarterback, a great line that stepped up great running game.

28:42

Like they look, they look really tough.Levitt battled them early in the year to pretty much A1 possession game at Greeley and Levitt's gotten a lot better.So you know, those are two teams that look pretty good.Herman certainly has a case, you know, for being undefeated, you know, if not for maybe a strange, you know, a strange call at the end of their game at Levitt, although that was, you know, not at the end of the game at Levitt, but a strange call that favored Levitt.

29:08

But you don't know how the rest of the game would have played out.So it's kind of hard, you know, that early in the game if there was a call that, you know, kind of changed, changed the direction of things.But but Herman certainly is is up in the conversation.You never count Wells out.

29:25

Gardner had a great year.Gardner beat some teams, You know, I who am I?I can't remember who I'm leaving out here.Foxcroft.Foxcroft.Yep, Foxcroft.You know, they're going to have tough sledding this weekend going 11, but and then madomic, which, you know, played better at the end of the year, it looks like.

29:47

Yeah, well, they got their running back back, which helps because they lost Jayden Ruiz for the first three weeks of the season to a hand injury.And then, I mean, they looked great against Old Town on Saturday, 62 to 6, which.

30:03

And it was, yeah, it was, that was over very quickly.And I have been spending a little bit of time with my Madonic people warning them about how good Greeley is.It's a lot of like, no, no, no, no, no.They're they're really, really good.So just be prepared for that.

30:21

If when you when you go down, they're just going to be offensively just.Real diversified, you know, they could run and win a game.They could pass and win a game.Yeah.And you know, so I was talking to some of dominant people, like how can they beat Greeley?

30:37

And I'm like, I mean, I think you got to get a lead.You got to get a break or two, you know, the the turnover, the the ball that bounces your way.And then it's football.You hope for the best.Yeah, they would have to probably dominate the line of scrimmage to be able to kind of, you know, tip the balance, you know, 'cause the skill guys, it, it really are really strong and a lot of them are under and a lot of them are underclassmen.

31:06

Yeah, Benjamin Kyle's had, I think, maybe the best catch I've seen all year against was it Levitt?No, it was the other game I saw where he fought through a defensive pass interference, like a flagrant defensive pass interference and somehow caught the ball in the end zone and it was just like, Oh my gosh, how did he even come up with that?

31:26

That's like, and it turned the game, really.They would have been down 14, seven going into the half and then suddenly there's a lot right at the end of the half.Suddenly they're tied and then they ran away with it in the second-half.So you got to stop those guys, which is going to be tricky.

31:43

Yeah, yeah.But no, C has been a lot of fun and I, you know, wouldn't be surprised if, you know, you get an upset this weekend changes, you know, changes the balance and the seedings and things like that.And, you know, yeah, there are a number of teams that could could win that, win that division.

31:59

Yeah, I mean, Wells and Gardner, they, they're going to have that rematch of that overtime game that they had whatever week that was.That could be a classic in the 4-5.Foxcroft could maybe give Levitt more than they can handle the comas.Hermann could be interesting.

32:15

There's, I mean, there's a lot of different ways that could shake out.I think the Nokomis play Herman pretty pretty tight.Not too long, like maybe week 7.I think so, yeah.And then they just trounced Madomic in the last game of the season.So Nokomis is, I feel like the team no one's talking about in this in this class, and I'm not sure why, but they've been there the whole time.

32:38

They have the MP.'S been hanging, yeah.They've just been hanging out and just sort of chugging along.All right, let's go to BB N looks less interesting.It's Coney and friends with Parker Morans just having an incredible year and continues to have an incredible year.

32:58

Yeah, he's putting up a lot of stats and they've run the ball.I mean, like they are.I don't.Where's the weakness?Yeah.Yeah.And I don't think anyone's gotten close to them, have they?I don't think so.Oxford Hills, Oxford Hills, right.

33:16

They were at Oxford Hills and I think that was a relatively close game.Yeah, so then the South, though the South is way more interesting.I think maybe the game of the week is Falmouth and Kennebunk.Oh, of course, yeah.So you got.The rematch thought that they were going to beat Falmouth in the state championship last year, so I think they were a little surprised.

33:38

Falmouth was super physical.You know, they were the much better team in that state championship game.I think Falmouth thought that they were going to beat Kenny Bunk in the opener this year.Yeah, Kenny Bunk was more physical and, and, and, you know, the better team that night.So, you know, do the math.

33:55

You know, I think the more physical team, you know on Friday is going to win this one.And from what I saw, I saw Falmouth late in the year against Freiburg and then just the scores they've been putting up, nobody's scoring on them in like the last like 4 weeks.Yeah, they're cooking.They're cooking.

34:12

It's it's been really impressive.They shut down Freiburg completely.I think they had 46 yards total in that game and that's a pretty good Freiburg offense.Yeah.And you know, and that's, that's without Eli Bush, who was a Allstate player last year, who's who's been hurt.

34:28

And, you know, I don't think he's coming back.And they've, they've made it work.They've made it work with the athletes they have.And, you know, they're tough.They are tough.They're, you know, if they can get the the offense crank and you know, that's a team that could, you know, could play Kony in, you know, in two weeks.

34:47

That is if they can get by Westbrook, who is one of the that is that one of the better stories of the of the football season?Yeah.Yeah, I know.I mean, for in my business, it's all about stories, right And right.You know, it's, it's tough, like football history is hard to find out there.

35:07

You it's kind of a lot of hearsay, you know, And then again, we've only really had, you know, NPA state championships for 40 or 50 years, even though football's the oldest sport in Maine, right?Playing it since, you know, for 130 years.

35:25

But it doesn't seem like they've ever played for a regional championship, according to like what people are saying.So if they were able to, if they were able to get by.Then Marshwood.Marshwood.Yeah, they really get by Marshwood, you know, and Marshwood, you know, Westbrook went down week, week one kind of announced that they are, you know, a contender by beating Marshwood week 1.

35:52

And they've, you know, done very little the, you know, to dissuade anyone from there.You know, they have their their only losses to Falmouth.And there were there were times that they were the better team in that game.They just couldn't score.So, you know, it's shaping up to be a good final four in that region.

36:12

Is it kind of a version of the noble basketball story two years ago when they were in their first?Like they hadn't been to the semi finals since like the 70s or something like that.Yeah, Yeah, that's a good.That's a good analogy, trying to think like, yeah, that's a good analogy.

36:37

All right, all right.You know, but, you know, it's hard.It's hard to tell.You know, does does Noble keep winning in basketball?You know, is or is this is this just the beginning for Westbrook?You know, coach Johnson, like, is this the beginning?You know, his his kids love playing for him And, you know, maybe they really get rolling here.

36:58

You know, it's, it's one of the neat things that you get is the bounce you get when you have a successful season, especially in football where you have a lot of people that don't want to play for a losing team.You know, nobody wants to play for a winner.Like especially in football, you know, maybe they get a bounce from this and you know, you get some guys playing that might not have played if if it wasn't for the success that this group has had.

37:22

It's always interesting to me when a team that's not been good for a while is suddenly good.And it's the question of because they always say they've fixed their feeder program or whatever, But then it's always the question of is this the start of a new stretch of good or did you just have like 3-3 good seniors come through at once and you just had this little blip.

37:44

So it's it'll be interesting for with Noble, especially in basketball with Westbrook and football, couple other programs of did you actually, is this actually going to be sustainable?Someone might have said that about Bonnie Eagle football 20 years ago, right?Yeah, exactly.

38:01

You never know.It's it's just sometimes it's the real thing and sometimes it's just a blip and then they're back down at back down in the basement in three years.All right, Speaking of Bonnie Eagle, let's move to a.It sure looks like this is Bonnie Eagle and Thornton Academy for the state championship.

38:20

Based on what we've seen, I'm guessing you've seen both of these teams for the regional.Championship.Maybe for the regional champion and then the regional, but the, you know, the everybody says this is actually the state championship game game.If they get there, yeah.I mean, Noble beat Bunny Eagle in the playoffs a year ago.

38:37

True, You know?And so you got to get there.You got to get there, you know, and Nobles had a nice season.And I don't think a lot of people thought that Noble was going to be, you know, as good as they've been, you know, because Jamir Rose was such a, you know, dynamic player last year.

38:59

But they've been excellent.They've had a good year.You know, I did have one Class A coach tell me like before the season.And I'll have to remind him when I run into him next that like, he was right.You know, Noble was Noble was a pretty darn good team.So Bone Eagles is going to have to work out for him there.And South Portland has, you know, a ton of talent.

39:17

They've got some really special players, you know, maybe they put it together and can upset Thornton.You know, Thornton's just they, they, they just maul you, you know.Yeah, they're so physical.They've got a great line.

39:33

You know, Connor Ayub is, you know, got to be one of the front runners for for the Fitzpatrick.I think I would think Cornell Jones are up there.But Ayub is just, you know, a 300 yard game last week or two weeks ago.I mean, how do you do that, you know?It's crazy.

39:48

He was incredible in that game too.He just, he kept churning like every time you thought he was down, he would pick up another 6 yards.It was like really, really impressive performance.So then on the other side, we have Portland is playing.Where do my notes go?

40:04

Portland Deering.Which Portland?Deering in a playoff game, which apparently doesn't happen that often.Yeah, I I will have to.I'll have to look it up.You're right.I know it's happened before, but it's been a long time.So that, yeah, that'll be interesting.

40:21

Portland kind of handled during the first time during had some injuries, you know, So if they're healthy, it'll be interesting to see how, you know, how Deering can do.You know, Brendan Scully is an awesome coach.He's going to have him ready to play.

40:38

You know, Cordell Jones looked really good last week throwing the ball.You know, you know that he can run the ball, threw the ball real well.So that'll be interesting.And then you get a rematch.Oxford Hills and Bangor, they, they just played last week, you know, so it's like, you know, don't tear up the scouting report.

40:58

How much so?That's always an interesting thing because they were kind of locked into their seeds.I think a little bit like you obviously are not going to throw the kitchen sink in the regular math game.You're the math guy.Like you didn't have the Crabtrees figured out ahead of time.

41:15

I.I I've been deferring to Andrew Hart on the Crabtrees because the heels I can do in my head and I can just sort of go, no, I don't think you can make it quite and I can sort of ballpark it even.But the Crabtrees throw me with the up and down of it all and the and the calculation of it.

41:34

But I but obviously you're not going to if you think you're going to play this team in the in the next rat in the playoffs next week, you're not going to show them much at all.Yeah, I don't know.Yeah, maybe not one of your special plays, but you know, I think, you know, I don't think you can over.

41:52

I think a lot of people overthink this stuff, right?You know, they're just kids playing a game.Go try and win the game and then go try and win it next week, you know, whatever it takes.I I've had.Coach and I think like in in my experience, the best coaches kind of have that philosophy.

42:12

You know, you see it in different sports.You know they're not, except in baseball, like sometimes you know, you won't throw your best pitcher against the team.You know, and some programs were like, we don't care.You can see our guy two or three times.We don't think you're going to hit him, you know, so.

42:30

I've had coaches say to me, like you, sometimes you forget that these are like 17 year old kids and 17 year old kids do weird things and you know are not.Don't mentally process the game like say, a professional athlete would.And sometimes you just.

42:47

It's really simple.With an adult, you know, Yeah.And you know, sometimes that gets lost because they're just kids and they're just out there reacting to things and it doesn't matter if they've seen the the opponent 6 times, they're just going to do the same thing.All right.

43:05

So I wanted to get a little bit of basketball.So last year you were the person who first said to me, hey, watch out for this bitter for girls team.And so I know 'cause you coach, I pay a lot of people maybe don't know this cause not in the 20 things slideshow of you that you coach fall ball and do a lot of work with youth programs coaching down.

43:29

And it's Yarmouth, right?So who are the teams that we maybe are not seeing yet that we we're not thinking of as being breakout teams this coming season?Jeez, breakout teams.

43:47

That's a tough one.Is there not a Biddeford?Oh my gosh, watch out for them.You know, let me think here.I think I think that like I think that the storyline that I'm looking at here is just, you know, the regrouping of Class A in the South and what that looks like when you could have a playoff in the South that has a for boys.

44:20

You know, Wyndham, which has been the king, right?And they've got, you know, a couple of really great players coming back leading the like there's in their senior class, AJ Moody and Tyree James.You know, you've got a Portland team that really looks loaded, you know?

44:37

Really.OK.Lucas Gage is just you know, he's had a really good career and he's still got one year left, right.He's he's a really good player and they've got some awesome complimentary parts around him.Thornton Academy is going to be really good.

44:56

Same kind of story.I don't know if it's if they have a star, but they've got a lot of really good players.You know, South Portland's going to be there with with Jackson, Darius Johnson, couple of their freshmen might help.They've got, you know, they've got some good guys back from last year that that team's going to be stacked.

45:16

You know, that's four really good teams right there.And I'm not even mentioning Chevre's.Chevre's is going to be good.Yeah, Chevre's will just always be there it seems.So I think it's going to create like a war in the in the regular season to try and battle for seating because you're trying to stay away from a couple of those teams until you get to, you know, you get to the end.

45:43

Right, right, right.Whereas in the old system, it didn't necessarily matter as much where you were for your eating because there weren't that many teams, right?Yeah, and then in the north, you've got Camden waiting for the winner, May potentially.

46:06

And you know, they've got a pretty good player up there.In the north, yes, though they've got a couple.Yeah, because, you know, no one, Ames and Camden are going to be strong.And then, you know, it'll be fun to see what Brewer does.

46:22

Brewer is one of the smaller, you know, schools in the big, in the big school division.And Ollie Higgins can really play right.So, you know, that's going to be, it's going to be interesting, you know, and Edward Little will be will have a good team.

46:40

So it'll be interesting, real interesting, you know, but I and I always and Lucas remind me because I've forgotten, oh, is it AA or is it a what have we rebranded all these now?It's ABCD and then the under one hundreds are s S.OK all.

46:56

Right S And they start a week early and then they start their tournament a week early.I for some reason, I think because of just not enough venues.Yeah, I think you're right.But I don't know if they're playing their quarterfinals.If it was still AA, ABCD and then like the smallest were D because of that.

47:16

But it's just ABCD and S and.Then S but I don't I don't know why it's called S it's.Going to take a long time to get used to that.It's.Joe Bailey and I were talking about this at a games like how late into the season do you think it'll be before we've all figured out where everybody is?

47:35

And I'm like, well, at least be Christmas.Yeah, I still something, you know, like we're talking about old guy brain.Like, you know, sometimes I remember a classification that's been gone for like 2, you know, two years and I still think that they're in that class.So I'm always referencing it or checking it 'cause I'm like, wait, what class are they in?

47:53

Yeah, yeah.And it's always fun when, like when they send Miranda Cook to be north and you're like, wait, what?Why is Miranda Cook in beaten?OK.All right.Sure.They've been everywhere.They're just bouncing around and it was when I when they were doing the reclassification, it was always interesting 'cause I saw a bunch of different plans and it was always there was those teams on the line and it was always interesting where they went like they had like the Mid coast teams, Lincoln Academy of Madomik and Oceanside.

48:20

They had them everywhere and every, it seemed like every plan I saw there was a different place that those three teams got sent in a different configuration.And then I just said at one point I was like, guys, you got to keep.At least if you got to try to keep those teams together, at least put them all in the same one.

48:37

They don't like each other.Like don't split them up.Send them all to the same venue, at least at minimum.Yeah, yeah, I know.I love that keep.You got to do your best to work the rivalries into it all.Yeah, that was I and you would they would go like, well, like Halldale is below the line and so we got to move him here.

48:56

I'm like, who cares?Move the line so you can keep the rivalries together.I don't.Is anyone like, really going to be upset about that?Yeah, probably.Yeah, probably.It's true.It's probably the correct answer.Someone will be upset no matter what you do, and everyone wants to play 18 home games and have the tournament be in their backyard.

49:20

Yeah, no one wants to get on a bus, No.One wants to get on a bus, yeah.Which is.Which is ironic because I think people forget that, like, when you're a teenager, a bus drive doesn't matter.You know, like, yeah, it's just more time with your friends.Like the bus situation is an adult thing.

49:37

It totally is an adult thing.It's the parent.Oh we need to go 2 hours to play a game?It's an like that's an adult problem, not a kid problem.It's, it's the problem is that you're in the car behind the bus and you've got the two younger siblings in the car for three hours who won't shut up.

49:56

And you're like, Oh my gosh.You know, I I am wondering if because you are every year you see the prelim thing where they're like they're like Old Orchard Beach has to drive to Jonesport Beals for a prelim game and you're like, can't we find somewhere in the middle?

50:14

Can't we make a rule where if it's 100 miles, Oh Joe earned.That right though, thanks to the heel points.I love it if people say that you're like, OK, but this is the 8-9 prelim and they won.They they're the eight seed by half of a heel point.

50:29

So I don't know if they're in that much of an advantage because someone over in Class C won a game that didn't involve either of them, you know?Yeah, I don't know, Lucas.That's your, that's your hill to die.On that's that's my hill to die on.I have lots of hills to die on.

50:46

That's that's how I have a podcast.I have hills to die on.And you have ATV show where you're broadcasting the highlights and interviewing people.And I saw, did I see the thing where you were wearing a wig the other day?I've, I've, I've done that before, yeah.OK, OK.

51:01

I was, I was like scrolling through social media and I'm like, did I just see that if I had too much to drink, maybe this is what's going on here.All right, before I let you go, I'm going to ask the question that I ask everyone here.

51:16

So this is your first time on the show.The MPA comes to you and they say, Travis, we are giving you unlimited power for one day.You have you can do whatever you want.Money is no object.Objections of other people is no object.What's the one thing you change?

51:37

Oh yeah, I don't know if the one thing I'd change is I'd ask for three more wishes.It's the genie in the bottle question.Yeah, the genie in the bottle question.I think I think the one that like stay I, I would, I would, I would, I would come up with serious, serious rules about transferring.

52:00

You know, there's a lot of free agency in high school sports and I don't think that's that's the right thing.Yeah, I think that you, you know, you if you transfer, you should be able, you should have to sit out a number of games.You know, don't totally take that off the board.But I think if you had a nominal penalty, you know, like on an 18 game season, maybe four games, you have to sit out, you know, on an 8 game season, maybe it's one or two.

52:30

But I think that that just maybe weighs into, you know, an athlete or a family's decision to, you know, take their free agency elsewhere rather than staying at home.You know, it's kind of crazy that there are kids commuting an hour to go play in another school, you know, and it happens, you know, all over the place.

52:54

That's not like it's not what the whole system is set up for, right?Supposed to play for the town you live in, the school you live in.That would be, that would be that I've, that's been something that I've, I've talked about, you know, to the MPA free for 20 years.

53:12

Yeah, you know, it's the very real.States have transferring rules, you know.Sometimes if you transfer you lose a whole year in some states.Wow.That's crazy because there's the very real situation where dad loses his job and he has to go get, you know, he's loses his mill job in Millinocket.

53:30

And then they, they moved to Bangor and well, OK, now we play for one of the Bangor schools because of you can't stay in, there's no jobs in Millinocket.And but then what happens?

53:47

What happens more with that or hey, all the guys I play AAU with or at the school, I'd like to go play with them?Yeah, I think 20 years ago it was Dad lost his job and now it's I want to play with my AAU friends or hey, this program looks like they're going to have a good year and we're not, so maybe I'll go over here.

54:08

Yeah, that's why I think that like it's it's just a, you know, four games for basketball or, or, you know, 3 for soccer or, you know, 2 for football is enough to make you say, all right, you know, that stinks that we've had this family situation where I have to move and I'm going to have to, you know, deal with that, that penalty.

54:32

But it also makes maybe someone think about a, you know, I live in Lewiston, but I'm going to go play basketball in wherever, you know, maybe I'll stay at Lewiston so I can play a full season.Yeah, Yeah, that makes sense.

54:48

I, I kind of like that.And then you could always have a hardship exemption if for like legitimate things.Yeah.All right.I think that's just about it.How's your phone battery holding up?

55:06

We're seconds away.OK.All right, Travis, thanks for doing this.Where can people find you other than do you have anything to promote other than watch the news?No, we got WMTW Channel 8.Come check us out late Nights for your football, basketball, all your sports and then our regular stuff on our on our website, wmtw.com.

55:30

Awesome.You guys do a fantastic job and thanks for doing this.All right, here's to another 20-5 more, right?Exactly.OK, that's the show.Thanks again to Travis for joining me and breaking down some stuff.You definitely want to go to that slideshow because the hair is Immaculate in some of those pictures.

55:52

Highly recommend it.It's in the show notes.And yeah, I believe that's going to do it.This has been a production of Maine basketballrankings.com, your source for the most comprehensive coverage of Maine high school basketball from Ashland to York and everywhere in between.

56:08

This podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts, at a bunch of places you don't.If you enjoy this, please leave a nice review because it does help out with algorithms.Tell your friends, tell your enemies.Thanks for listening.