Week 5 Overreactions (with Haley Jones)

Haley Jones majored in Diplomacy and World Affairs, so naturally she's writing about Maine high school sports for Sun Journal Sports. She's here to overreact to week 5 of the football schedule, including Wells' dramatic win over Leavitt. We also take a look at this week in Class C, the impact of TA's blowout of Portland, Bonny Eagle's defense, the potential Cony/Gardiner battle of unbeatens, and more!

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Transcript (auto-generated)

Welcome to the Maine Basketball Rankings podcast.I am your host, basketball data nerd, Lucas Mcnelly, and we've got a little bit a couple new things for you today.One, as you can see, I got a new microphone because I was tired of the old microphone and it wasn't great.And this one was on sale.So new microphone we're trying it out right now showed up yesterday.

0:20

We'll see how it goes.Also, today's show has a sponsor is brought to you by Vertical Rays.You know your sports teams, they need money for helmets and cleats and shooting shirts and maybe someday a shot clock.Well, Vertical Raise allows you to raise more money in less time.

0:37

Check the show notes for information on how you can start to elevate your fundraising to new heights with Vertical raise.All right, before we get started, make sure you're doing all the subscribing stuff.YouTube, Facebook, whatever, whatever, whatever.

0:53

You can see we got the basketball backdrop, even though this is the football overreactions pod, because the basketball bulletin is out and normally I'm the only person who cares about the basketball bulletin, but we have a big realignment, as you might have heard.We're back down to 4:00-ish classes.

1:10

Everyone's moving around.No one remembers who's in their region.No one knows where they're playing in the tournament.So everybody this year is very interested in the basketball bulletin.OK, So a couple things that we've have now learned that we that were rumored and thought they were going to probably happen, but you you never know.

1:28

And this bulletin is labeled as draft on the MP as website.And this is coming straight from the MP as website.So things could change.But here's where we are.It's enough of a draft that they uploaded.They don't just upload the first draft, obviously.

1:45

So first big thing is that class S, class S of, if you don't remember, is the under 100 students class.That's your Vinyl Havens, your Shed, your Washburns, your temples, Pine Tree.The small schools they are going to play, they are not doing statewide, they're doing regions North and South.

2:05

They are going to start a week early, so they're going to have their first practice is going to be November 10th as opposed to November 17th.For everybody else, their first countable game will be November 28th as opposed to December 4th like everyone else, which means more newsletters, which means more work for me.

2:23

That's OK.So then their last countable game is going to be a couple days early.I had that in front of me.Yeah, there it is.OK.The last countable game date for Class S is Tuesday, February 3rd.

2:41

The last countable game day for ABC and D is Thursday, February 5th.So small difference.Mostly they just need to have enough time to sort out the heel points and make sure Vinyl Haven remembers to report their scores and things like that.It's going to be a little bit of a scheduling difficulty, I guess, because for a week there S is only going to be able to play S and I guess those last two days will be to clean up any outstanding games that need to be finished because the S quarterfinals are going to start on February 10th.

3:17

What's February 10th, you ask?February 10th is prelim day for the girls.February 10th is prelim day for the boys.February 11th is prelim day.So Class S is going to be doing their quarterfinals, I believe at the higher seed during prelim week, which means more work for it really doesn't affect you at all unless you're in Class S, but it affects mostly people like me and our today's guest, Hayley Jones of the Sun Journal.

3:49

People who have to cover this, it's a little more, you know, stretches them a little more thinly, but it also gives SA little bit of a time in the spotlight.And then Class S S semi finals will be February 17th.

4:07

Their regional championships will be February 21st.That is the same day as the regional championships for everyone else.So they're going to sort of, yeah, those first couple days where every reason, quarterfinals, where S won't be playing.

4:24

And then when you get to semifinals and the schedule opens up a little bit more, S will sort of come back in line with everyone else.So they'll finish at the same time as everybody else, but they'll start a week earlier.And people have already started complaining about this on social media because we can't have anything without people complaining about it on social media.

4:42

So it's really simple.There aren't enough tournament sites.That's why AA has been playing for the last couple years, been playing their home.They're playing their quarterfinals at the higher seed because there's not enough time on the floors to do all of this in during vacation week.

5:02

So, so something has to give it, you know, and if, you know, if you've got to think of this as a money making venture, because this is the thing that funds lacrosse and the thing that funds soccer and the thing that funds field hockey is giving up those tournaments, dates of the AA, of the biggest schools, their quarter final games.

5:24

Giving up those gates is a lot of money for the MPA.And, you know, if we're going to get shot clocks, people, we got some money's got to come in the door somewhere.And this is one of the ways we do it.And also, you know, like I said, it keeps other sports funded, you know, 'cause I don't think lacrosse, I don't think field hockey's making a lot of money.

5:45

Yeah.So then the S So if you remember how normally the first we have on that Fri, yeah, yeah, Friday there's somebody has the solo tournament game and it's usually B, but not always, but it's usually B.

6:03

And then everybody else goes on Saturday.So this year, S&B sound, which sounds sound like a bank, will play at the Cross Center in Bangalore on the 27th.That's Friday.Class C&D will be at the Civic Center in Augusta on the 28th, and Class A will be at the hockey rink in Portland also on the 28th.

6:24

Not sure how the timing of that's going to work out.I don't know if they'll stagger it.They could in theory stagger it, I guess, so that everybody's got the solo spotlight for the for the state championship game.That would be kind of cool.No idea if it would work, but it would be kind of cool.

6:42

Yeah.So then the other thing is, where are we playing these tournament games?OK, this is a little weird.Up in Bangor, you're going to have BNCNDN&SN, that's the under 100.At the Civic Center in Augusta, you're going to have a NCSDS&SS.

7:05

That's the under one hundreds.Those normally those turn sites would have three regions.Now they have 4.Hence S going a week early.In Portland, you're going to have SA or a South and BS.

7:22

Remember there's no AA anymore.A South and BS at the Expo and the Cross Insurance Arena.So Augusta and Bangor are going to have four regions playing at one site, and in Portland we're going to have two regions playing in two sites, which is weird.

7:42

So I'm wondering if they're leaving some room here to flex something like, so you've got CS at the Civic Center.You know what if CS is, I don't really look at the list because I'm also not remembering where everybody is.

8:01

Let's say CS is you've got a game that's Wells and Trape.Maybe you flex that to the Expo.You know, maybe you flex a bunch of CS to the Expo.Maybe you flex DS some of DS to the Expo.

8:16

If it's say Old Orchard Beach versus NYA, maybe that goes to the the Expo and something like, you know, a Halldale or Halldale Winthrop leave that Augusta because, you know, I think that's I'm in play and I'm speculating based on just conversations I've had with people.

8:36

I have no one's told me that.So then why use the hockey rink or why use the the Expo?Why pretty sure the X the Expo's a better venue for than the hockey rink.The hockey rink, the BS quarterfinals.

8:52

The hockey rink would not be a good it wouldn't be a good atmosphere.And I'm wondering if the reason we don't have just everybody at the Expo is because that's Portland's home floor.And if Portland is indeed in a S, hey, look at that, they're back in the South, then you really can't have one team playing the tournament on their home floor for the whole tournament.

9:21

Like that's probably not going to fly with the other 15 teams in that region.So that might be why we have to go to the hockey rink.It's going to be a little tricky scheduling wise and bouncing around back and forth and we're not going to spend a whole lot of time in the Expo.

9:39

But again, this is a draft, so we'll see how that shakes up.I would say let's, you know, let's take DS to the Expo or something.Let's take.Yeah, we don't even have to worry about Vinyl Haven with the fairy because they're in, they're in South and that'll be in Augusta.

9:58

Take DS, take CS, take.I would say take one of those or maybe parts of both of those to the Expo.And then just, I know one of the concerns with that in the past has been what if grandma drives to the Augusta Civic Center and the game's at the Expo?

10:15

And that's a mess because you do not want to anger a main high school basketball grandmother and get in the way of her watching her grandson play.Or worse, she doesn't even have a grandson on the team.

10:30

She's just been going to these games for 95 years and she will be damned if she is going to miss a playoff game.All right, so enough about that.Let's talk a little bit of football.I'm going to keep the backdrop though, because I like the backdrop Game of the week.

10:49

This week was by everyone's consensus, everyone's confesses of Thornton Academy Portland, and wow, it was not.I went down to this.I sat in traffic for at Red Zeets for a good 15 minutes, just not moving, and the game was shorter than that.

11:10

Thornton Academy just dominated them and Portland did not help themselves.They shanked up their first punt of the game, gave Thornton Academy a short field.Then they gave they fumble, gave him another short field, went for a fourth down, didn't make it another short field and that was over.

11:28

It was over.Connor Ayoob was great in this game, but an absolute domination by Thornton Academy.So them they are now got to be one of the if not the front runner in a but I think, you know, it could still be Bonnie Eagle.

11:48

The model really likes Bonnie Eagle, like really likes Bonnie Eagle.They gave up eight points to Oxford Hills and that was pretty much double what no more than double what they've given up all year.I think something like that.

12:04

It was close to it there.They gave up eight points and their points allowed per game went up.So that gives you an idea of how good that defense has been.So really, Circle and Bonnie Eagle and Thornton Academy later in the year.Yeah.

12:21

And I think that's pretty much it.Hayley Jones is here to overreact to the slate from Week 5.And without further ado, let's go to that conversation with her.OK, My guest today.You know her from the Sun Journal.

12:36

Hayley Jones is here.Thanks for joining me.Thank you for having me.All right, so you are.I did a little bit of research and by a little bit of research, I went to your website.You were the first female sports writer in the history of the Sun Journal.

12:51

Or is it the history of The Maine Trust for whatever whatever it is this week, conglomeration.As I was told when I started, I'm the first full time female sports reporter in the state.That's what my editor told me.I know for sure at The Maine Trust and I think there's some people that kind of dabble in sports, obviously, but first full time, as I was told in the state.

13:12

Well, that's not true, I can tell you that.So I was lied to.Yeah, you were lied to cause the Lincoln County News, which is where I work, has Paula Roberts and she's been full time forever.Yeah, so.Maybe at a daily?That's a weekly, so maybe it's at a daily.

13:30

Right.This was a comment.Yeah, this was.And it was, I can't remember which editor told me, but it was like, oh, I think you're the first.So definitely don't take that as fact, but.OK, OK, we'll put it on your Wikipedia if it'll be there.Forever.Yeah, right.Yeah.Perfect, perfect.And then I think, and I haven't checked this because I don't know if this is an actual awards category, but I think you're the front runner for comeback Sports writer of the year since last year.

13:53

You broke your leg and now and now you're back full time.But I don't know if that's a main Press Association award category.We.Should.Should be.Because it was humbling.It was.Humbling.We can, you know, we can work on it.We can talk to some people.I know a few people there and we could see if that can get added.

14:10

Yeah, I'm gonna stick to like watching the skiing and not trying it myself because that.Didn't.Yeah.So is it?Is it like you all healed up and everything?For the most part I'm still in physical therapy but pretty much back to normal, yeah.OK, so I want to do a little bit of your biography you went to Occidental College in Los Angeles and studying let's say I wrote it down.

14:32

Diplomacy and world affairs did you look at the news 'cause there's plenty of diplomacy and world affairs going on at the.Moment did you look?Did you look at the news and go, you know what that is too much diplomacy and world affairs.I'm out.Yeah, yeah.

14:48

No, I was always.In high school soccer.Yeah.And I, I originally thought I was gonna be like ABBC political correspondent or maybe work at an embassy.And then, you know, I graduated and got out of the theoretical world and I was like, what am I thinking?No.And I moved to rural South Carolina, so.

15:03

OK.And then somehow you ended up in Maine.I did, yes.Do you do like a were you sports writing in South Carolina and then?Just no.I was, I was general assignment, so pretty much everything.But I was one of two reporters at the paper.It was a very small town.

15:19

So I did like crime.I did school board, I did business, like everything.But I never did sports because we had a yeah, it was awful.I mean, I was very grateful for what I learned there.But there was one day where I went to a male maximum security prison and they like took my phone, took my bag, and I think something like 35 inmates were getting baptized.

15:40

And so I covered the baptism and I kind of walked out and I was like, that was sick.But also like, this is not a normal day at work.I maybe maybe this was fun, but I'm out.Yeah, jeez, that's a that's.A long day.Sports is much more fun.Much more chill.Yeah.There's not a lot of time at maximum security prisons, you know, unless you're writing about, I don't know, Mike Tyson or somebody.

16:03

Right, Yeah, this was in Kershaw SC and some characters, but I I got some great stories from it, some lore, but.And then what is the pointer?Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship because it sounds very fancy.Very fancy.

16:18

It actually just ended because of funding issues.But the Pointer Institute is like this giant media conglomerate.They're kind of like a school for journalism.And they took a bunch of early career people and put us through a 10 month program with like people from bigger news orgs and people that had been in it forever.

16:37

And it was like I think 6020 somethings that got to go to a few conferences and learn about journalism.And they the appeal was they would pay half your salary to alleviate the burden on your newsroom since we have newsroom ghost rush then.So 'cause obviously they took my time, so they paid my newsroom and I got to go on fun business trips and learn a lot.

17:00

That sounds very helpful.Yeah, it was pretty fun.What's do you get any good stories from that, from those conferences like your turn around and they're like, Oh my gosh, this Tom Brokaw, Oh.OK, yeah, gosh, let me think.I remember fangirling over like some of the very niche people from Poynter.

17:22

Actually, funny enough, our now executive editor at The Maine Trust for Local News is very good friends and former colleagues with my mentor there.So it was more like kind of niche, not famous people per SE, but like, Oh my gosh, I read her work all the time online.Like, oh, I love what she does.

17:38

No one, like, super Famous is coming to mind.But I did have like, this mentor I did a few sessions with and he was the, like, TV reporter in Buffalo, NY that was the whistleblower on like a Catholic priest doing inappropriate stuff with like 200 kids.

17:55

So it was just kind of cool to like, hear the work people had done.But I don't know if I like really met him that Famous that would be reputable outside journalism.And now you get to rub elbows with Mike Mandel, so.Exactly.It's like famous people every day.Exactly, Yeah.

18:13

And then so how are you liking being in Maine so far?You've survived a winter at least.I mean, it nearly killed you, but.Let me tell you, yeah, my first winter I decided to drive in freezing rain because I'd never heard of it.

18:29

We don't have that down South because I'm from Georgia.And I was like, oh, the roads are empty.I have places to be quickly hit the guardrail and I was like, I see why the roads are empty.So that was like a new experience.But second winter, all was going well.And then let an ex-boyfriend teach me how to ski and the rest is history.

18:46

So we had some good time in the OR.Yeah.So yeah, we had, we had an interesting winter, but I love it.I mean, like right now during foliage, it's like nothing.You always hear people say that, but then when you truly experience it, like there's nothing like it.

19:03

I lived in Chattanooga for like a year and a half and it snowed like 1/2 an inch and this whole city shut down for two days.Like people think I'm exaggerating but it literally shut down.They were, it was.I remember it was Thursday and it had stopped snowing and they were, I was listening to the radios.

19:24

I was driving around because I had nobody on the roads and they had already cancelled school for Friday and.I'm like, yeah.Doing the roads are clear, it's fine.Yeah, I remember it was 2014.We like, called it Snowpocalypse.It couldn't have been.It was maybe an inch.But like, my dad's had to sleep in his office.

19:41

It looked like a scene from The Walking Dead, like people abandoning their cars on I-95.Like it was ridiculous.And I was out of school for two weeks.So I mean, my friends and I loved it.And I was, I think in middle school at the time, but I it was great.Wow.And now you're like, you guys are cancelling this game, right?

19:58

They're like it's 3 inches.Yeah, no, I mean, I'm shoveling the driveway.I'm like, what is this?At what point do we cancel?Yeah, it depends on where you are in the state and it depends really on how many open dates there are between the day and the end of the basketball season.

20:16

Because if it's December, cancel it that we can get that in in January sometimes if it's a week before the tournament we're playing.Exactly. 20 inches, we'll make it happen.Right.And like what might be dramatic to Portland is not going to be like that dramatic to up north.

20:31

So it's just it's interesting to see the spread.Yeah.What's been your first, like other than the weather?Your first like, oh, OK, I get it.This is Maine.I'm in Maine now.I like was it going to LL Bean or something?I did tear that up when I first moved here.

20:50

Yeah, I think honestly, because I, I, I did go to College in LA, but still like you have to drive everywhere.The closest beach for us was Santa Monica, which was like still a 45 minute drive.So I think my first, like true main moment was I was living in Portland to my first apartment and like I could walk 10 minutes to like the East End beach.

21:10

And I was like, oh, this is living in Maine and like, you know, the rocky beaches and like, I could go down to the old port and see like the boats on the water and just how waterfront it was like, oh, this is like what everyone raves about.People don't realize.People think that it's an overreaction of the driving in LA thing, but it's terrible.

21:29

It's so bad, yeah.Like not only are they slow, but then they like swerve and they're on their and then also the traffic like it's it truly does live up to like how bad it is.So I love hear that like the mileage is more than the minutes and I can just absolutely cruise when I anytime I have to go on a long drive, I'm like, this is beautiful.

21:45

Unless you have to go through his cassette and then.Yeah.You know, it's like being on the four O 5.Yeah, it is.Is that the bridge, like right by Reds eats where you like?The Reds eats traffic, yeah.It's so bad.Like I took my my parents visited and I took them there and we were there for two hours.

22:03

I was like, sorry I.Said no, that's why.That's why nobody goes to Reds Eats that's a local, because they're.All like.No, no, no, no.Absolutely not.All right, so let's pivot to football.You had probably the best finish this week.

22:19

You had Wells and Levitt, which was already an interesting game because Class C who knows what's going on in Class C, but like, tell people about the finish you got for that one.Yeah, so I going into it, it was kind of cool because I love like when a team has like a theme night, like more than just a student section theme night.

22:39

But this was their, and I'm forgetting the official name of it, but it's like this salute to veterans game.So I had like all the pop and circumstance before.So I get there and like my usual time like well before.And they haven't even started warmups yet.So I think talking to the guys in the Levitt sideline, they had maybe like 10 minutes to warm up by the time they'd finished all of the like, recognizing each veteran in the crowd, doing songs and stuff.

23:01

So kind of going into.That Wells or at Levitt?It was at Wells, and I know I'm sure we'll get to it, but one of the former coaches was had served as a commander and was a former Navy SEAL.So there was like extra, you know, emphasis on the game.But so, yeah, so the game itself, to preface, like I this is my first season covering football, so I'm like always a ball, of course, when I get there.

23:24

Yeah.And so when I first started at the office, I came October 2023, and I was in the middle of like the Noah Carpenter, Jason Egley Levitt run.So that's how I remember.Levitt is like that state championship powerhouse.That's how they usually are.Yeah, yeah.

23:40

And so it's kind of been interesting just to kind of see like some of the guys that were freshmen those years now really stepping up.But I remember like it was kind of, I don't want to say a Dole game.I mean, I know it's hard, but like there wasn't a ton happening.It was a lot of turnovers, a lot of like kind of waiting to see.

23:56

And then I remember Wells had the first touchdown and it was they had their new this season, quarterback Noah McDonough in and he I can't remember what happened, but I know Kevin Bulldock rim the ball in and got a touchdown.And so like, OK, we're getting somewhere, you know?

24:13

And then they went for two, missed and then Levitt fired back.They went got got a touchdown, got the extra point.And so then it was like A-76 game going into halftime.And this might be a hot take, but I mean, I just love like a close game.I feel like that's a very amazing cold take.

24:28

But I covered, yeah, I've covered a lot of blowouts.And like, I just much prefer this.It's like more interesting.Like as a sports fan, I love a close game.But then also as a reporter, I'm like constantly writing like, OK, who am I going to interview?What's the, like lead going to be?

24:43

So when it's that close I'm like I have like 7 different story versions at that point but so but if.It's a blowout.You can do all that by halftime.That's true.But then it's boring and like, you know, it's boring to write.It's boring to read.Like, I, I and I'm not getting colorful quotes.It's like having to walk up to a coach after they just lost 57 to 0 and be like.

25:01

And what were you most proud of?Like, it's just it's tough for everybody involved.Yeah.Which you do done differently, like everything.Exactly.Yeah, which I did have that.I've had conversations like that this season.I'm like, OK, I'll, I'll go away now.But yeah, so then kind of came down to like the final set of plays.

25:19

I know there had been like a couple back and forth turnovers on turnovers on downs for both sides.And it was like Levitt got really close and then they turned over.And then Wells got really close and then they turned over.And so it was like, still have my like stat sheet from that night.

25:36

But it was like, OK, so Noah threw an incomplete pass.Nothing happened.Throws it again, it gets intercepted by Levitt.And I didn't catch the number that intercepted it, but someone intercepted it.And then they fumble it.Then Wells recovers the fumble.And so I'm like, Oh my God, OK, what's gonna happen?It's like, I think there's at this point like less than a minute left in the game.

25:54

And I'm kind of like, I hope I don't go to overtime.Like as much as I love in overtime, I got a story to write.And so they they fumble it, Wells recovers it, then two more incomplete passes, one gets flagged for pass interference and then finally there's a complete pass.

26:09

So they get down to like the four yard line.They're in, obviously.Do you call that the red zone?I, I, yeah, yeah, they're in the red zone.And so then Noah finds number six, Colin Moody at around the four yard line, throws him and just like perfect run in right there.

26:27

And there's like 19 seconds left in the game at this point.So they score.They're all going crazy.And like I'm on the Levitt sideline at this point because I usually try to stand on whichever side has the chains and like you just see everyone was like Oh no cuz I mean it's what are you supposed to do with 19 seconds left?Not a lot.Return.

26:43

Yeah.And so then.Right.Exactly.And so then Levin gets the ball and then threw an incomplete pass and obviously that was game.But just like that coming down to the wire like that, like I'm biting my nails on the sideline.I don't know how they're feeling, but it was, I remember I was talking to one of the guys on the Levitt sideline, one of the coaches, and he was like, oh, I think it's going to be a good game.

27:01

And I was like, hopefully.And he kind of walked back over and he said, well, I was hoping it was going to be a good game for us, but it is a good game.Yeah.OK.I have immediate question.You said you'd like to stand on the side with the chains.Why the side with the chains?Because I was at Thornton Academy Portland and I started on the side of the chains just because that's where I put my bag down.

27:21

And then like 4 plays in, I was like, no, this isn't going to work.But partly might be there that that.And there were like 80 kids on the Thornton Academy side and only like 45 or something on the Portland side.And I'm like, I can't see anything over here.

27:37

You got the chain guys here.It's a whole mess.And so I went on the other side.Yeah, I I feel like when I cover football, I accept that.Like everyone's gonna kind of be in the way.But like with the chain guys, Steve Craig at the Press Herald was teaching me about football kind of how to do stat taking specifically.

27:53

And he was like, yes, you have the chains in the way that the ref will like will always stand in between the chains.He'll put his foot on the yard line of where the ball is starting because you know, we need it for, OK, they start at 46, they end up at 31.So he's like, you can always look at that ref and see where their foot is.And then that's how you know where they're starting in case, you know, the ball is far down or people are in the way.

28:11

So I always do that for my reference point, just for stats, because if I miss it, then I'm like, oh God, where are they?What's going on?What's funny is Steve Craig also was at the Thornton Academy game and also abandoned the Thornton Academy side for the Portland side because there was too much going on over there.

28:26

Yeah, yeah.I mean, by the time there's 80 people, it's just going to be miserable.But it's like, you know, you got, you got to pick your battles, I guess.Yeah, yeah.OK.So let's look at C because C, the consensus is this is a mess.Yeah.And I.I knew you were going to ask about C, Yeah.

28:43

So I grabbed the thing from Maine high school football from Andrew Hart's site. 10 teams get in.Yep.You have right now York at the 10 spot, so at top three are Gardner, Greeley and Herman.They're all undefeated.

28:59

And then you just have this mess of Wells to Brewer and you could throw madomic in there too at 2:00 and 3:00 where I I feel like madomic probably passes York unless York beats them this week.You may have what sort of heads or tails do you make of this?

29:19

Six get a buy.Yeah, you're asking what I who I think's gonna be in top ten.You're asking who I think's gonna edge in.I mean, like, what's your sense in general?So you've seen Levitt, you've seen Wells, I'm thinking you've probably seen somebody else in here.I went to Gardner's game against Oceanside, which I mean, I famously love an underdog, so I'm not even counting out Oceanside and Hampton yet.

29:42

Like maybe they'll they'll find their footing mid season.I guess we're in mid season, but.York seems to have found their footing.They'd be Brewer this week.Yeah, yeah.I don't know.I mean, I that's hard.I know.Gosh, I mean, it's.

29:58

Such a mess.I know like I don't, I don't even know where to begin.I mean I I haven't seen much of Old Town so I really can't like make an accurate assumption on them but.I saw Old Town.They're feisty.Yeah, yeah.I feel like with a team like York, like when you get that first win after a while, like that kind of is the fire you need.

30:17

So I don't know.I mean, I feel like it's gonna be kind of a battle between York and madomic.I genuinely feel kind of uneducated thus far on Class C just 'cause it changed.I I mean, Gardner, I feel like they're having a season maybe nobody expected but just the undefeated streak and Greeley as well.

30:35

And Herman, I mean, I guess they're all undefeated.But yeah, I mean I.Think Herman's been really good?Yeah, and didn't the Herman coach just get like his 50th win or something or 100th or something crazy?Something like that he got, yeah, he got his 50th.The madomic coach got his 50th.

30:54

Yeah, I think so, 'cause they started, he might be past his 50th.Right, something like that and I mean.Something like that.He's very good, very good coach.Yeah, right.And I don't have a madomic roster in front of me, but I know they did fairly well in the tournament and usually you see some carryover from basketball to football, so I remember.

31:11

They do have some basketball players, yeah.Yeah.So I mean, they have that on their side.Owen I've seen Madomic twice, and Owen Dosti, who was one of the, I think he was a starter most of the he's been playing receiver and safety, I think, and he's been good in every game.

31:27

I saw he had a pick against Levitt at the end of the half where Levitt tried to throw up a bomb with two seconds left in the half and he almost ran it back, which was which was fun, right?I mean, you got to love those last second plays.That's always what makes it fun.The trick with Madonic is, and I'm a Madonic guy, so I I have a vested interest there.

31:46

Their best player missed the first four games of the year or maybe the first three games of the year with a sliced up his hand like right before the season started.So he's he missed those first three games and he's been back and you know, they're slowly working him back in at running back.

32:05

So so they you know, they're the one if I had to pick a team that's from the bottom three that are the obvious choice to vault back into it because they also their schedule gets easier.They have York and Oceanside and then I think Nokomis is their last game.Right, right.

32:21

And I know, I think if I remember right, Lovett had some injuries out too.So I mean, it's always interesting to see you have wells.Yeah, you have like those early season people out and then just how they change it kind of because we're in week 5 or week 6 now.Like, you know, everyone feels like they kind of have an idea of how everyone's going to play.

32:38

And then you get that one rogue player.It's kind of like fantasy, right?You all of a sudden one of your tight ends is putting up 31 points.You're like, who I thought you were on my bench.Like, what's going?On Yeah, Yeah.And it's so short.It's only 8 games.You're just all ready going.Oh my gosh, there's only three games left.

32:55

Right.Yeah, No, I, I had that realization actually driving today.I was like, wow, like, you know, I, I feel like I've done some game stories this season and then I was like, wait, fall's almost over.Like when did that happen?All right, let's get rid of this.All right, so the game I went to was Thornton Academy Portland, which was a bust.

33:11

A complete and utter bust.It was.I was in red Zeats.I mentioned this in the open, which I already recorded.I was in red Zeats traffic longer than this game was competitive.It was yeah, Thornton.I thought it would be close and Thornton Academy just absolutely dominated both sides of the mall.

33:28

Yeah, it was a really tough week to have picked Port Portland in our in our weekly.Yeah, I picked it in Andrew Hart's thing and it didn't go well.I don't know how well I did.So TA is foreign one because they lost to a New Hampshire team.

33:47

Have you seen anyone in here 'cause it's not really your current Lewiston maybe, right?Have you seen?Lewiston Yeah, I haven't been to a Lewiston game.I am working on a story about Lewis and I haven't finished it though, so I won't say, I won't say more, but I did Edward Little Oxford Hills and I I'll keep it.

34:02

I'll keep it.Surprise.Edward Little Oxford Hills, which was also equally A blowout Oxford Hills wedding, obviously.And then I shouldn't.Obviously.I went to Ingorthwarton Academy.I didn't cover it, but that was kind of Steve showing me the ropes of football and South.

34:20

That was also a blowout.That was as well.That was, and then I've, again, I've done stories at Sanford, but I haven't actually seen a game, but I know I think they're the other two and three right now.So I this, yeah, I, I feel like Edward, the Oxford Hills was like, am I truly covered?

34:37

And then just kind of hearing about these other teams and, you know, I covered some of the State Games last year.So you got the, you know, when Cordell Jones was a receiver and now he's QB and definitely familiar with a lot of these guys.They were, they were very ready for that.

34:53

Thornton Academy was like, they gave him no space.He couldn't get out and he couldn't get out in space at all, couldn't get anything going.He had a fumble in the first quarter that set up a touchdown.And it was just they at one point I said to Michael Hoffer, I was like, have they cleared the 40 yard line yet?

35:11

Their own 40 yard line?And he's like, this is like in the third quarter and he's like, I, I don't think they have, but they had been to the 42.Apparently he looked it up and that's how it was going for them.My question here is, if you look at the points allowed, Bonnie Eagles given up 20 points, right?

35:29

That's nuts.Yeah.Yeah, that's crazy.Yeah, I mean, I I hope this is an offensive to Bonnie Eagle, but they're kind of a team.I like a school.Maybe I forget that exists.And then it's usually football season.I'm like, wait, Bonnie Eagle is really good and just.I mean people.

35:44

Looking at this, they're.Yeah, they're far, far away, doing better than everyone else.So I mean, they're always kind of like, I love an underdog and they're always like, wait a minute, Bonnie Eagle.Like they're really especially against a.Lot of the playing.Teams.Yeah, yeah.All right, do you have?So we'll, I just want to hit a a little bit because I know your coverage area also hits B.

36:05

So here I'm going to ask you the Rob Kennedy question.What do you think the likelihood of Coney and Gardner being 7 and O when they play each other on the final game of the season?Coney is just crushing it.Yep, they are.

36:21

They are I'm.Are you asking who I think is going to?Win.No, I'm just like the likelihood of, let's say, could they get to 7 and oh, each?And then how absolutely bonkers will that game be if they do?I mean, play each other at 7 and oh.

36:37

Yeah, absolutely insane.I think it's likely.I mean, I kind of have extreme respect for all these schools because I was actually looking through this before we started.And besides class AN and then eight man, every top team is undefeated and just to go five games undefeated alone is crazy.

36:57

But I mean, I kind of feel like once you've started that train, it's going to be interesting to see who would derail it because I think they've both had a particularly tough schedule thus far and like have played some pretty competitive teams and they've held their own.So I think A7 and O dual matchup is very likely.

37:12

But I mean, I, I don't know, I kind of, I love the story behind it.I kind of feel like with everything with John Wolfe, Graham Gardner's playing for him in a way, given he used to coach there.So I kind of feel like, you know, when I went to that Oceanside game with them, they were all very hype on like the seasons for him.

37:28

And so I, I love a back story.So I would probably go Gardner if we had that match up.If that comes around, who has dibs on covering that game?Like do you have a fight for it?Is it, is it like a rock, paper scissors thing?

37:44

Like do you have?Is there a bribery involved?Like maybe six or seven months ago, I would have said, oh, you know, Mandel or David Dyer, because that's really their area.But we're all really kind of poking around in each of those territories.Now I'm covering all schools that I've never been to, so it could be anyone's game.

38:02

I think I still would be hard to pry it from Mandel.I think he's probably got that on lock.But I mean, I just, I love the competitive game.Like, maybe I'll throw my hat and I have no stake in this.Like sure, send me there.You're like, I could, I could like we could double team it.Like I could do the one sideline, he could do the other sideline.

38:18

Exactly he does, you know, stats.I do video I'm throw me in wherever so.That's perfect.Yeah.So who else, Who else have you seen in here?Have you seen?I'm trying to think of your coverage area.Have you seen?Lawrence, Mount Blue's in our area.I haven't seen them yet.Yeah, the I haven't seen any of these guys in person.

38:39

OK, so far this season.But yeah, I think it was the Marsh.Was it Marshwood Chevrez where they won like 23 to 21?There was one game where Marshwood played somebody and they won two or three weeks ago.

38:57

And so I'm always surprised by them.They're kind of my Bonnie Eagle of Class B, and I'm like, wait a minute.They also lost to Noble this week.They were up 21, nothing and they lost 35 to 27, so they've been in some games.Right, right.Yeah.And yeah, yeah, no, none of these guys in person.

39:17

But yeah, no, it's, it's competitive for sure.Taking a quick break from the show to tell you why you should subscribe to mainebasketballrankings.com.Yes, it's an ad for the website, on the podcast, hosted on the website andyoullgetoveritso@mainebasketballrankings.com.

39:36

For 6 bucks a month, you get rankings that are very good and they hate your team without question.But it's all sorts of fun information about your team, about their strength of schedule, how they're they're scoring offense ranks, they're scoring defense, lots of things like that.

39:53

You also get heel points, which you can read because have you seen the other options for heel points?It's a disaster.You can read these, you can see that your schedule coming up be like, oh, that team's not worth a lot of points.Oh, this team's worth a lot of points.This is the game we have to win.

40:10

You also get a spread for every game on the schedule.Hey, we're only favored by 2 1/2 points tonight.That's ridiculous.Are you kidding me?We're 1 1/2 point underdogs.That's crazy.And then maybe you're wondering why your coach is coaching so hard down 15 in the fourth quarter.

40:29

Well, it's because he's a 13 1/2 point underdog and it doesn't matter.But he wants to beat the spread because we always want to beat the spread no matter who we are.So that's mainebasketballrankings.com six months a month.Or for the free version, you can get a daily newsletter during the season.

40:48

Now back to the show.I should mention, because I'll get yelled at if I don't, that Falmouth has come off the mat.They were one and two and they've won two straight in dominating fashion.So we were two weeks ago with Mark, I think Mark Kalman.

41:05

We were wondering Jesus, Falmouth's gonna make the play offs and they seem to have that locked down now.Right.And, you know, they went on that run last year and then obviously I don't know how many of the lacrosse guys are on football, but they had that really tough state loss.

41:20

So it was kind of like, I feel like our two schools we kept hearing about was Falmouth, Wyndham, just championship after championship.And so, yeah, I mean, I'll be interested to see.I know.I think I was listening to one of your other episodes where it was like Spencer Emerson had his first loss with them.

41:36

Yeah.So I mean, sometimes it takes, hey, it takes, it takes a few tough losses to really build you up.But I love another dog, as I've said.I don't know if you know the back story of that program where they had a long time coach and the players revolted and they're like, we're not playing for this guy anymore.

41:52

And so he resigned.And then they, like the season wasn't absolute unmitigated disaster, and they brought in Spencer Emerson and he just went undefeated and won the state championship, right?They're like this works.It really worked.Yeah.And then they won the basketball state championship.

42:08

And yeah, I was telling him at the tournament I was like, I think you're just good luck, man.Yeah.Yeah, I mean, he also, I know he came from U Chicago, I want to say, but I mean pretty competitive D small D3 program.So it's always interesting too when they move from the college level down to high school, it's like, you know, I'm always intrigued, like why maybe people see that as a step down, but it's like some of these main high schools are more competitive than some of the small colleges.

42:34

So it's like, what skills are they bringing and go to see some of the resources they bring into.I mean, if you're like the wide receivers coach at Colby or whatever and then you can you have the choice to move to like a pretty well financed, let's say pro school in Falmouth and be the head coach.

42:54

I mean, that's, I don't know if that's stepped down.That's at least a lateral move I would think, depending really on your priorities and life stuff and what do you want to do and yadda yadda yadda.Yeah, I mean, I, I saw that new Thornton Academy weight room on Instagram and that's nicer than any any facility I ever had at the college level.

43:12

So I'm like, you know what?That's hey.I mean, Dexter's going to have to win the $1,000,000 to rival that.I know I keep, I keep voting for them.I'm hoping they do.I've I've been seeing all the stuff about that, but it's it's not looking great.It's insane.It's insane.I mean, they're still going to get 25,000, so that'll go not very far, but it'll help, you know, and, and then, you know, they'll need to raise more.

43:37

And I, this is where I mentioned you don't know this 'cause I don't have the logo up as we're recording.But Vertical Rays is sponsoring this podcast.And so that's, you know, if they don't win the $1,000,000, go talk to Vertical Rays.And I don't know if they can help you raise $1,000,000, but yeah.Some number trying some number below that.

43:54

Yeah, it's.I mean, we know construction costs are ridiculous, but I recently learned how much it costs to like lay a turf field.Why is it $2,000,000?It's $2,000,000.It's at least in Georgia.I know we had like a, my high school, it was like a capital funding campaign or something.

44:10

And I was like, Oh yeah, we, we were raising money for the turf field.And somebody was like, yeah, just to lay the pellets and the grass alone, it's close to 2 million, so.Wow, that's I wonder how much that Greeley field cost, because Greeley's got a new field.That's really nice.Yeah, yeah, something outrageous, so and I know in our area like Lewiston has that beautiful field, El just did all those renovations.

44:29

I can only imagine what that cost so.The turf at Fitsy's a lot nicer now.Yeah, they got the fancy.Yeah.Yeah, that's good stuff.It's got they got a glow up there and actually.And of course, yeah, I mean, I don't have the stake.

44:44

I didn't go to Portland High School, but I think somebody wrote an opinions column about erasure of being an alumni and taking away your logo.I don't know if I feel passionately about my high school logo.Yeah.It's still on the scoreboard.It still says home of Portland Bulldogs on the scoreboard.

45:01

Right, exactly.They're still there.It's still near the campus, I mean.You could spray paint it.They do that at games.It's because spray paint the logo on it's.Exactly.Yeah, No, I mean, I don't think it's that deep, but you know, I people, I didn't go there so.People just want to be mad about things, that's all.

45:19

This, that's what I've learned doing this, is that like almost every episode, somebody finds something to be mad about and I'm just whatever, dude, OK, You just yeah, just go be you and I'm gonna just ignore you.Exactly.You know you're doing something right when you get your first hate e-mail, you're like, oh, OK, that that hit with a crowd.

45:38

I'm I'm doing my job right.Have you gotten any memorable hate emails?Yes.That you would and I be able.To share.Yeah, I, I have a folder on my desktop, like it's called work stuff.And then I save a little folder called like when you hate your job and it's all the like nice kudos I've gotten because if it's ever a particularly hard day, I need to kind of scroll through that.

46:00

But I, I don't know if I've gotten any super memorable being hate mail.Maybe I'm not doing it right yet, but I do right.I mean, I guess there was some general like comments towards media during the whole Lisbon hazing scandal.

46:18

I was kind of in the trenches working on that.And I think we kind of all parachuted in Nothing, by the way, thank you.Nothing personal came my way with that besides just a few people.Like no, I don't want to talk Go away.But I do remember specifically I did this like expose on the school board in South Carolina and I got some like 85 year old in my inbox.

46:40

Like you are a lazy journalist.You never do research.How dare you, you, you have the sauce.I'm like, dude, I just spent 7 hours at a meeting.I'm making $14.00 an hour.Like I just don't have time for you.Like go back to like your designer.It's really, it's like I don't have the energy to deal with you.

46:56

So I just, I always think about him.I won't name drop him in case he ever finds me, but I just he like it was like paragraph, paragraph just like ripping me to shreds And I I, I laughed.I was like, I actually like this made my day.Like I'm honored that you took the time to not only like get past the paywall, but then send e-mail.

47:13

That's excitation.And if you're really doing an expose that people don't understand how much work that is because your editor's not going to let you just wing it right and be like, yeah, I heard this guy's a jerk, so I'm going to write bad things about him because they're going to make sure that's buttoned up.

47:30

Like, I think I've done one of those.And it took a long time.It took months.And it was just like, Oh my gosh, this is exhausting.I'm just.Gonna.Broadcast where I can just talk.Right.And nobody talks about it, but it's like, you know, you write it, it gets edited and then you're not done once it publishes.

47:47

I'm like sweating.I'm pacing my house.I'm waiting for the Facebook comments to come in.And, you know, at some point you got to know your work was good, but you're also like, we also deal with the reception of stuff.And, you know, Lisbon specifically, it was not untrue what was written.But then, you know, we finish this and then I got to go stand at the cheerleading sideline or I got to go like walk right back in and kind of been something unfavorable written that you know what happened.

48:12

I got to be like, hey, how are you?And just kind of get past so.And you've got to worry that you missed something too, and that like, a shoe is going to drop and like, and you're like, you know, you did the work and, you know, you buttoned it up really, really well, but you're never 100% sure about that.

48:31

You know, someone could have lied to you, whatever.But yeah, I know the thing you're talking about because I'll like do a podcast or I'll do a newsletter or whatever and then I'll walk into a gym and I'll be like, oh, there's the guy.I just.Right.Yeah.And it's like you're like looking to like, do I talk to them or they do they hate me?

48:49

Like I am human too, so.Yeah, yeah.And I think once you've the first couple times people are like, oh, they've got an axe to grind.And then that, at least for me, I found it kind of goes away because you've come down negative on almost everybody eventually and said something positive about everybody eventually.

49:10

And then people just go, OK, well, they're just doing a thing.And it's they're just being as truthful or as honest or as fair as they can be.And then I think people get to the point where they go, you know what he they're covering us and they're talking about us.

49:27

And that's the most important thing.Right.And I think what's really cool too about Maine specifically in like The Maine sports world is I've only ever had an interview at postgame turned on once and I've covered of games.Yeah, I mean, I won't say who it was.

49:43

And it it wasn't even like a it was a regular season game.I think, you know, whether they had a busy schedule or they just weren't feeling it.That was the only time I ever had to write, like declined to comment.But like, win or lose, even some of these coaches that like get absolutely just blown off, just such a bad game.They're still like waiting for the media to like talk to us and like give us an honest favorite interview.

50:01

And just so nice, like just seeing people actually still like, OK, you know, I might not like what you write about me.I might not have liked help this game win.But I appreciate you being here.I appreciate you taking the time.And it's kind of this like indebted gratitude that goes both ways.

50:17

Like I appreciate you for, you know, taking the time to talk to us.Then also you're you're sitting aside the time you're sitting to like, you're waiting to talk to me.Like you probably want to go home after losing 76 to 0, but you're going to say.We want to go to the bar.Right, Exactly, exactly.And I'm walking up and I'm saying, and how did that make you feel like I'm your therapist?

50:34

So you know, it's it's it's a two way street, but they're it's just it's very nice.You're just the reception that people have to like, you know, people that show up to games time and time again.And also while I'm on this rant, I am shocked every time how the bleachers are absolutely full for like a regular season game.

50:51

Like people in Maine go hard for high school sports, and I didn't really appreciate that till I started working in it.Yeah, I, I think part of it is because we don't have professional sports, or at least, you know, it's Boston's kind of far.And we did about look how much people are showing up for Hearts of Pine.

51:08

And unreal, I mean.And how well the sea dogs draw.Yeah, yeah, it's crazy.I mean, it's really cool to see.And I can only imagine like being a senior guy that's like the quarterback, like just the amount of risk you have in your community.But it's just like, it's so cool to see like how invested everybody is.

51:26

And, you know, you talk to anybody and they can reflect on the time like they were on this team.And it's just, it's like a really cool thing to see and kind of unique to name.And you haven't been to basketball games in Aroostook County yet?You.Want to see some people who are crazy, like have you been to any of the Caribou games when they've come down for the States?

51:45

No, I've never.Seen those people are insane.Yeah.And I have said this on multiple podcasts and they have reminded me of it multiple times, but they're all always very cool about it.They're always like, yeah, man, we.Are insane.Yeah, they own it and I love that.Owning it.

52:01

Yeah, I I absolutely love that.I mean, I remember it was like last year, the Madeleine Dupre like final four seconds foul lying show.Hearing about that even was just everyone freaking out.And then it's just it's, it's, it's got to be so fun to play high school sports here.Well, what happened with that is the play happened and then the game was over and I was walking somewhere, just walking around, you know, getting up to walk around.

52:25

And one of the MPA guys goes, did you get video of the last free throw?And I go, yeah, he goes, I think she went over the line.So I brought it up and I'm like, you're right, she's over the line.And so then I, of course, put it on on social media because that's what you have to do there.

52:46

And then everybody got, then it blew up and people started arguing about it left and right.But it was an MPA person who was like, I know who I can ask who will stir the pot?Here.And you stir that.Pot kick the hornet's nest because I'll gladly kick the hornet's nest on that because it's fun.

53:05

Yeah, I, I think I was like 2 days out of surgery when this game happened.But I remember hearing about just the drama and my primary care doctor went to Caribou and played basketball.And I remember I was like 6 months later, I'm in for my physical and she's like, Can you believe that game?And I was like, girl, I know, I know.I had the Biddeford coach on after it and she was she like to your point of what you were talking about, she was very good at showing up on a long form podcast, which she absolutely did not have to do.

53:34

And talk about the game and talk about that play and talk about her emotions going through that in real time and then second guessing herself.And I was really impressed with her for doing that.Yeah, I mean everyone.I don't know if I would have done that.

53:49

You know, the most talented players, the winners, but I like, I mean, I don't want to call them losers, but the people that lose, the people that have those blowout losses, those are my favorite interviews.Or like, you know, the people that were secondary to the biggest play because those are always like the most well spoken, the most thoughtful interviews.

54:04

So that's always what I prefer.I always like the story when the team because when the team breaks the long losing streak, I always like that because I've been on some teams with some losing streaks and like the Wiscassi girls when they broke their like 8 year losing streak and Mick LaBelle for Lincoln County News just happened to think, you know what, I'm going to go on the ferry with them to North Haven because I think that'll be a cool story.

54:31

The whole we have to go on a ferry to go to a basketball game.And that was the game they won.And he like he didn't completely luck out because I was talking to him before and he's like, I think maybe this could they have a chance here?This could be competitive and then they won the game.

54:47

You got a great story out of it.Hey, and you know what?I'm here for Mount View's redemption arc.The day that Mount View just blows the roof off somebody, I am there at that game.Well, we had that last year with Belfast and Belfast beating Oceanside after, after the whole thing where Oceanside blew them out.

55:05

And the video from that was just nuts.Like people were losing their minds.You'd think they'd won the state championship game.It's unreal, Yeah.I mean, I, I just can't imagine too, you know, I not football, but Edward Little volleyball, kind of, I covered some of their games and I know they just became a program and they kept losing and I think they were like, oh, and 14 and then just seeing them go, I don't know their record now, but just like winning game after game.

55:32

It's like it's so fun to be with a team that like finds their footing.And I mean, you see that in so many sports.It's just, it's so fun.I've been going to volleyball games because Madonna has a new program and my niece is one of the starters and, well, I don't know, just a starter.They do the thing where they have the person with the different color jersey and.

55:50

Yeah.Yeah, yeah.So my niece is on the floor with the starters and is announced as a starter, and then she immediately comes out for the person in the other jersey and then rotates back in at some point.So I I think she's probably a starter anyway.They it's been fun to watch them.

56:06

Like the improvement they've made over the course of the year has been really impressive.And yeah, like, they had a game against MDI where it looked like in the first set that they were gonna get destroyed and it was competitive at the end.And some of those girls hit the ball really, really hard.

56:24

And I would want no part of that.I feel that way about several sports, like watching the Lions permission football and just thinking like I obviously never played football.Thinking about somebody coming at you full throttle, just absolutely decking you.No, no, thank you.And then, like volleyball, yeah, there's so many times where I'm, like, cringing on the sideline and they just get up and, you know, walk away.

56:45

And I just.I literally can't imagine going through that.Same with libel.You know, the libero was just absolutely diving to the ground and just, I mean, mad respect, but I that just seems absolutely awful to me.There's 5 or 6 football plays a game where I'm like, no, I would, I'd be done for a week.

57:02

I would, I would never get up again.They would just bury me there.They would just stick across in the ground right here and I'd be done.Literally or you know, you see like somebody's tackling kind of, you know, Morehead than body and you're like, Oh my God, they're definitely going to go down.Or somebody's clutching their knee and they're like, oh, it's just a cramp.

57:19

And I'm like, it's just every time I'm like, oh, I'm expecting to see bones.I'm I'm not ready.Yeah, yeah, yeah.All right, let's move on to D 'cause I know you've seen some D schools here.Have you seen Winthrop?Right 'cause Winthrop is really good.

57:35

Yes, haven't seen them yet this season.I haven't covered them past years.I have.They've also only given up 20 something points.Yeah, no, unreal.I mean, just the depth they have on that team and just, it's unreal.

57:51

And what Joel's done there, it's just crazy.And I, I mean, I feel like the craziest kind of, I don't know how recent this is, but Dirigo Hudson, Hudson Lufkin being out with an injury, you know, I know I heard rumors possibly ACL and obviously having just done that, that's a long recovery.

58:09

So, you know, you know, he's a competitive wrestler.You know that he's just, I remember interviewing Josh Newhall when he first started and he's like, I'm so excited to get to coach Hudson Lufkin and just you absolutely hate to see that.I I know he's not a senior, so he'll have that time to come back, but that's just a really tough go.

58:25

But this kind of early in the season and I've done some stuff with Oak Hill, I haven't covered a game yet.I know when they played Morse, I heard, I know they completely blew out Morse, but obviously they're too kind of looking at the bigger picture, getting to kind of dedicate this season to Isaac Graham passed away.

58:45

I remember one of the few games I covered last season was the Oak Hill.It was at Freeport and it was, I think it was a regional final.I can't remember exactly what it was, but like he had the game-winning catch and I got to interview him.So that's kind of a full like I know someone was on your podcast talking about when it's like bigger than just the game itself.

59:04

And that's kind of a cool moment.But they kind of have that story to play for Poland.I know it's been doing pretty well.They have David Martin, I want to say his name is.That's really, really good.And then I mean Lisbon I again, I love a redemption.I love AI, love an arc.

59:21

You know, we're O and 5:00, but that doesn't mean we're done.So I think you know Walter Poulton can really?I asked in the.Preseason if Lisbon could pull a Falmouth, and that take has aged poorly.And you know.What?Well.We can't all be winners.Yeah, They what they don't lack there is passion, and you know, it's it.

59:43

It's might not be their year.They're not done yet.Same with Mountain Valley.I know Pat Mooney's a very good coach.So again, you know, you're O and five.That doesn't mean you're done.You're you.They almost beat O Kill last week.Exactly.See.Yeah, they're they're still kicking.Yeah.

59:59

Let's see who else have we got?Let's see it NI mean John Baps.I will be honest, I don't know where John Baps is and that might be bad on me, but it sounds like Northern Bangorish Bangor area.OK, they.Play They play their home games at the cross at the Cross Insurance.

1:00:15

Oh, OK.Yeah, yeah, yeah.I feel like I was here of them with volleyball, not as much football but obviously being 5 and I was.Huge.Their girls soccer team is really good too.Yes, yeah, yeah.Yeah, or maybe it was their boys soccer team knows their boys soccer team won the region last year.

1:00:32

Right.Yeah, yeah, yeah, I do remember this, yeah.But yeah, I mean.I mean, they played.I'm definitely more familiar with S Yeah, sure.Yeah.And then do you guys have Miranda Cook in your region?They're more central Maine, so I've covered them in some stuff.

1:00:50

I haven't really touched them with football yet, but yeah, I know.I mean, I know them from lacrosse more so than football.Sure, and they have a very good basketball program.They do that.They do.They have a very good coach.How much?Here's a question, because you've come coming in from away.

1:01:08

How tricky is it to pick up the history stuff?Like like.Miranda Cook's coach is Travis Magnuson, who is one of, you know, on everybody's shortlist of best high school basketball players from Maine.

1:01:24

And like, so you're coming in as just this guy and like, people have to sort of explain all this stuff to you, right?Is it, is there a thing where people are explaining it to you?Or they're like, oh right, you don't know.Or they just assume you're going to know.Because obviously, you know.

1:01:39

Travis would be.It was great at George's Valley.How would you not know that?Right, right.And I'm like, I have no idea who you're talking about.It's interesting.George's Valley is.That's not.Even school.Anymore, Yeah.It's you definitely have to do your research extra.I think I kind of come into stuff like with an idea and I'm not always afraid to ask just because I mean, I think people are very receptive to questions and you know, I will find out something from an interview and I'll be like, wait, what was that name?

1:02:08

And then I'll spell it out and then I can go look it up after so.You're like Cindy.What?Cindy Blodgett.Exactly.Yeah.You know, I I I think I'm enough into it that I'm starting to find some familiar footing.I think my biggest thing is just why does Maine have so many awards?

1:02:23

Like, I don't know, like you got Mr. And Miss Maine basketball, Western Miss Vein field hockey, and it's just like, how many freaking awards are there, I think.Everybody does that.Not in Georgia, we don't.Oh, you don't, all right.No, no.So it's a that's been interesting.

1:02:38

But yeah, I mean, I think just like doing your research before the game, you know, sometimes it is nice to come in with a fresh perspective because, you know, I'm not going to write the same story that everyone else has written or that other people have written just because I don't always have that knowledge.But, you know, I talked to some of the guys on our team that have been here 30-40 years and just it's like a word vomit of like every record.

1:02:59

And then, you know, they'll be like, oh, my God, remember that state game in 1987?I'm like, no, I wasn't born.Like this is what are you talking about?So there's definitely moments where I'm like, oh, OK, this is like, I gotta really do my research here.There's the shorthand of it where you're like, what, what's going on?And like someone will probably be like, you remember the five overtime game and everyone's like, oh, yeah, the five overtime game.

1:03:18

Sure, yeah, sure.And you're like, you're like a game went to five overtimes, OK.Great, good for everybody.You know, that sounds it was easier before the MPA updated their website and I know they kind of did that right as we're doing our previews we're like where did all the historical data go?And it's kind of slowly working its way back, but.

1:03:35

There's a site for basketball, there's the Frank Spanky site.Have you found, Have you, Has anyone told you about that?I've heard of it, I've never used it.It's got like the heel points back to like the 40s and stuff.It's got all this archives and like 1000 point scores and stuff like that.

1:03:53

So you don't want to Google it on a work computer because bad things could happen, but that's how you have to find it.For how hard people like, remember stuff and just ride for me and I'm like, there's got to be like some old dusty binder in someone's like athletic locker room.

1:04:08

Like they can like, Oh yeah, I have everything from like 1800.So I was like, it's got to be out there somewhere.But.There's something.In the digital age, I was like, where is the NBA site?That's the Frank Spanky site.He's got like tourney results, like every tournament game ever played.I think he's got on there.

1:04:24

Right.And yeah, and the main high school football page is beautiful.I'm always on there.So you definitely, you got people that have backed it up.But when I when everything I know got kind of moved, I was like, oh God, oh, we're entering season blind.The new The new site has been an adventure.It has and I'm intrigued how we're naming categories and when we're changing them, why we're changing them because I'll it'll be one name one week and then it moves.

1:04:46

I'm like, where are we going?What's happening?So.I found a thing Sunday or Saturday where you can create custom filters of scores.And so like if for a coach, you could say show me all of the scores of Boys Be South and it will just have all those teams in Boys Be South and this will have every score involving those teams.

1:05:10

We'll be right there.And that I found was super helpful because I was having trouble finding older games and as opposed to just going to each school and looking at their schedule and be like, Oh my gosh, it's taking forever.So now I have a filter, all boys soccer, all girls soccer, all field hockey.

1:05:27

And then I can just hit that and scroll through it and be like, OK, here we go, right?So that's gonna help.I can even tell you like how many times I've printed out the heel page, heel point pages like I my poor printer, but it's like I'll just.Packs.Of them and then I'll just it's a process, but you know it's yeah I I love when you like discover a new feature like wait that makes my job so much easier.

1:05:48

So not to talk out of school, but I think you signed up for my site today.Have you looked at that heel point page yet?No, I haven't dug in.I was like, oh, I should probably subscribe to the podcast that I'm going to go to.So I I hit you, I hit Michael Hopper's page and all my subscriptions.

1:06:06

But no, I haven't.I haven't had the chance to dig around yet today.It's it's a much better experience.And I don't say that in boasting and that's just a factual statement, right?But it's much more helpful to see a team at a glance and a region at a glance and it's much faster, right?

1:06:24

So.And I love that so and that's why I'm subscribing.So you won't have.To print so much as much stuff out is what I'm.Saying beautiful.You can just have it on your phone and look at it really quickly and be like, oh, OK, they've got these games coming up.Great.Yeah, exactly.Let's move to 8 man.

1:06:39

We'll do eight man real quick, and then I'll let you go because it's late.It's like 1030, all right.Eight man large.So Camden Hills seems to be running away with the north.I saw them.They had a really great game against Mount Ararat where they were down at the half and then came back.

1:06:58

You've I'm guessing seen spruce and spruce and Lake Region are in your region.Right for.Your coverage area, so they're only four teams are getting in here on each side.Right, so so I was supposed to go to the Yarmouth GNG game because GNG is our area last week.

1:07:17

Yeah, G and GS our area.I think we kind of dabble as the impress Herald, but OK, show up Thursday at the stadium.They were going to play Yarmouth.I was like, all right, this will be my kind of my eight man preview of the season because I didn't actually get to 8 man until championships last year.But you know, I'm there and I'm standing there with a photographer and I was like, there's no football game.

1:07:35

And then I go on their Instagram and naturally it got moved fresh.I wish fine, whatever.But so I didn't get to see them, you know, we've got a Mount Ararat guy on the squad, so he usually is at those games.But yes, Bruce is our region GNG.I think that's it on here.

1:07:53

Lake Region's Herald.OK.So one of those teams is not going to the tournament because only four today.Yep, Yep.Oh, both sides, yeah.And N oh gosh.I mean.I mean, I probably feel like Waterville's out.

1:08:10

Probably Waterville, but again, as I've said tonight, you know the O and fives, they might find a resurgence.They might have that moment where you know, they lose.I don't I don't know if it's bad juju for them to say that somebody might have the yips, but maybe they lose the yips and they get her on.Hey.Hey, turnovers happened.

1:08:26

It's football.The ball bounces happened.Exactly.So, yeah, I would say probably Waterville in the North, just, you know, records speaking alone and then in, you know, in the South, I know I think GN GS got some talented guys.

1:08:41

I know somebody on your podcast said they could see like region as the champion.I'd be intrigued by that.I think that might I.Think that was Ryan McLaughlin.Ryan McLaughlin, yeah, some, yeah, which I mean, I love that too.Yeah, I don't know, I think I could kind of see definitely Cape not quite making it in and I it's going to be a toss up for me between Spurs and GNG.

1:09:05

So I think like region's kind of finding their way and I it's hard for me to say between Spruce and G&G, but I think it will come down between the two of them.And Yarmouth is going to have a test.They'll get Trape.They have to go to Trape this week after Trape. 86 to nothing.

1:09:23

Crime against humanity, apparently.Which and who was that against?Mount View.Which, OK, yeah, I mean, still I I would be shaking in my boots on that.So I'm a scrimmage just having to line up against them, like, no thank you, no thank you.

1:09:42

I just love when people get mad about the score, blow out scores because right, it's great content and it's great engagement and I don't have to pay attention to it because it's the same argument.Every time exactly, just post.It walk away.At some .1 team's just inherently better than the other, and it's not.

1:10:00

It's not that the other team's bad, they're just not as good.Yeah, yeah, it comes for us all.All right.So small school that there's trape maybe.Yeah.Wait, So Yarmouth.No, maybe it was Telstar who had.Yeah, it was Telstar.Who?Had yeah, Telstar was against Mountain View.

1:10:16

Yeah, I remember there about and somebody emailed us and said or it was either on Facebook or e-mail, but they were like, oh, like if you guys want to do a story that was the most points ever scored in an 8 man game, which I that's from the viewer, that's not from my mouth.

1:10:31

So that's absolutely not verified, but it would be.Comment was made that that was the most ever scored in an 8 man game.So that would be something interesting to dig into, I thought.Apparently not.Again, I, I, this is me spreading A rumor so I have not verified.

1:10:49

But yeah, I remember seeing OB at playoffs last year and they were really, really good and they had Brady Plant planted.I don't know how to say his last name, but did he?I think he graduated though.I I'm gonna get crucified for this if I get it wrong.

1:11:07

I think you're right.So you're on the slide, I think he was a senior I.Think you're right?I'm I can already hear the emails coming in.You're actually losing subscribers by having me.On yeah, yeah, people are like, he doesn't know.He can't keep track of every single team.

1:11:25

Yeah, yeah.You know, I'm calling for my team Mount View.I think they're gonna.I think I'm not.Gonna turn it around.They're gonna get one win, and that's gonna be bigger than, you know, Old Orchard's 5 S.Hey, Mountain View is still the Mountain View guys.I know some of the Mountain View guys and they are gonna be living off that tourney run where they went to the state game as the seven seed for the next 10 years.

1:11:48

They're fine.They're good.They are.They are loving every minute of that and they're good.Old Orchard Beach actually hosts Lake Region this week, which is an interesting match up.Which that feels like the makings of the game of the week.

1:12:05

That'll be a good one.Could be up there, could be up there.Could be up there, yeah, I mean Tel I keep.Meaning to you it's one of their games.Telstar's always an interesting game for us.It's always, I mean, they're always, I feel like what the coach is always calling us Devin Roberts, right?

1:12:21

I think he's always, you know, has some glowing score that they've done.So they're pretty successful usually and which is interesting 'cause I know Telstra doesn't really excel for compared to a lot of our other schools, but football, they seem to really, really be good.That's their thing.Every school's got their thing.

1:12:39

Everyone has their thing.And it's not usually.More than one.For some schools it's drama, but for some schools it's a sport.And you know, some of them, some schools it's, they have a really good, Camden has a really good mountain biking team and they've won like 27 state championships.

1:12:58

And I always ask, is anybody else competing in this?Is it just you guys?Is it like you guys and, and like one other school and you're just trading championships back and forth And no one has denied that.

1:13:13

So I'm going with it.I think that's what's happening there.But they're also good in basketball, so.An award's an award an.Award's an award, you can hang the.Band like I'm breaking my neck.So I'm I'm impressed.Hey, exactly.All right.Do you want to make any outlandish predictions for the rest of the football season that will definitely get put on a bulletin board and come back to haunt you?

1:13:37

Oh.OK, I'm going to think.I'm going to think before I speak, OK, Something I don't always do, OK, My outlandish OK kind of goes hand in hand with the story at Lewis that I'm working on.

1:13:56

But they have a couple guys.First time ever seeing or playing American football.I think we're getting pretty close to them popping off.So that might be my hot take.As you know, I was out of practice.They're definitely they've got the athleticism, they're getting the terminology down.

1:14:11

They might be O in five right now, but I see them kind of having a resurgence and at least getting a few wins.I'm not going to say playoffs, but I'm going to say like all of a sudden we're going to make wait, where are these guys?What's going on?Where do these guys come from?Yeah, I like it.Yeah.Yep, that's probably my hot take.

1:14:27

So that'll be a fun story to look forward to, because exactly that sounds great.A little snippet of something going on there, but yeah, you know, I love when kind of sneaks their way in mid season and you're like, wait a minute, like where did you come from?Where have you been?Mm hmm.There was a kid on Camden who it was the game I saw.

1:14:44

It was his second ever football game and it was a big dude.He was like 65 like and big like a defensive lineman.They're like, Oh yeah, he played soccer last year.I'm like, that's him exactly.He is jacked to be playing soccer.

1:14:59

I usually think there's tiny scrappy people.Yeah.Yeah.And that, you know that.So I was just going to say that reminds me, too.I know Wells, Tim Roche was saying that their quarterback was, it was his first season ever playing Tim.That guy had an arm on him like, Dang, watching some of his throws.But yeah, I guess the guy that they kind of were going to have in was like, Nah, I'm going to pursue other stuff instead.

1:15:20

And this guy, no, at McDonough was like sick.I'll play quarterback and you know, rest is history.I'll be the big.Man on the push down passes left and right so.Cool, cool.All right, So one more question for you.But before I asked you that where can people find your stuffs on journal obviously.

1:15:38

Sun Journal, Varsity Maine, Maine Trust for local news.It's a, we're kind of one big company, so we have our separate papers, but if you go to Press Herald, Central Maine Sun Journal, you can find all of our work there.And then I will plug varsity dot Maine on Instagram.That's where we post a lot of our video content and we'll do a lot of like highlight reels and fun interviews, post games.

1:15:58

So you'll get some of that too if you're more of a a watcher than a reader.Cool, cool.All right, so this is the question I ask everyone, but you probably aren't prepped to it because you just listened to people who'd already been on the show before and so they'd already answered the question like 2 years ago.OK, so here's the scenario.

1:16:15

The MPA comes to you and they go, OK, we're putting you in charge for one day.You have unlimited authority and power.You can do whatever you want.It will be implemented.What is the thing you choose?

1:16:33

Oh my God, wow.First off, you've made a mistake.If I'm in charge, but I think I'm going in, I'm going into winter ice hockey and I'm breaking up every Co-op.Why do we have 10 schools Co-op?That's unreasonable.

1:16:49

Why are we driving through three towns?And you know, you're seeing, I think one of our reporters was saying we're down to like 28 teams total.Why do we have so many cops?I want to see, you know, Winslow as its own team.I want to see Lewis and his own team.I'm co-ops cease to exist in hockey and we bring the sport back.

1:17:05

Interesting.How do these teams then have enough players?See, that's probably why they're co-ops.So we're we're going to recruit people, we're going to get them.On the part of your power is like you are playing hockey.Right, exactly.I'm no, you are actually not skiing.You're going to go on the ice, you're going to play.

1:17:22

Maybe they play three on three.Even better, see the eight man equivalent of hockey.I like it, I like it.That's a new one.No one's picked that one yet.There we go.And I've had some outlandish ones.So, so very nice.

1:17:40

I would love to see ice hockey.It's such an unfamiliar sport to me, but it's I sure love seeing them shove each other into the wall.And really just even the girls too.I mean, I didn't expect the girls to be as physical as the guys.Some of those games.I was like, you guys are more aggressive.Like, you know, that'd be great for anger management to just absolutely deck somebody against the boards.

1:17:57

And obviously they're not like the person alone.From watching JV girls basketball, you would expect them to bang into each other and throw each other against the wall because that's what they're doing there.Right, this is true.You know.Who said the girls gave isn't us physical, it's sometimes more.

1:18:13

It's more chaotic sometimes for sure.It's harder to do stats for, that's for sure right?Yeah.All right, I've taken up enough of your time.Thank you so much for doing this.Thank.You.Sunjournal.com and Varsity Main and all that.

1:18:31

Yes, sounds good.Thank you.Thank you.OK.Thank you, Haley, so much for joining me.That was a lot of fun.And that's pretty much going to be the show.No Movie Corner this week.Bring that back next week.Thanks to Haley or of the Sun Journal.

1:18:50

You can read her The Sun Journal.Thanks again to Vertical Rays for sponsoring this podcast.Because you're going to need to raise some money probably probably a month ago.You probably needed to raise money several weeks ago and you're just getting around to it.

1:19:07

So call, get Vertical Rays on the phone, get them in there to help you raise money.You won't.You won't regret it.OK?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.This podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts and a bunch of places you don't.

1:19:28

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