Whew! Busy month with high school basketball tournaments. Nothing like it! Games in Portland at the centuries-old Expo; the brand-spanking-new Civic Center; the cavernous Augusta Civic Center; and the Aw-I-miss-the-old-Bangor-Auditorium Cross Center in Paul Bunyan city. Like a buffet at a wedding reception.

Sitting courtside, only inches from all the action, your diligent correspondent sees much, hears more, and smells even more than that (!).

Here is what it is like tap, tap, tapping away on the old laptop while the drama plays out on the court with Jimmy and Susie experiencing the time of their lives, and mom and dad in the stands experiencing the melodrama of their lives…

Bonny Eagle vs. Portland Boys

“Dustin Cole goes left; Dustin Cole goes right; all bottled up; can’t possibly shoot; the shot’s up; it’s good!!” And he’s fouled. Goes to the line. Makes the foul shot I think he’s now about 293 out of 294 in foul shots. And now we learn he only has one good eye. Wow. Soon to be an HBO special…

In Between Games

Word is a popcorn machine is broken at one of the concession stands. Have to plot carefully. Go later and treat it like the icing on the cake? Or take no risk of being shut out? Decisions!

McAuley vs. Windham Girls

Slow start for McAuley. Swing and miss. Swing and miss. Swing and miss. Then, Allie Clement second half decides to pretend she is in her driveway shooting all alone. Click. Click. Click. Advantage Lions.

Have You Seen My Son?

A parent actually stopped by the media table, ostensibly to chat, but it soon came out he wanted us to have the correct spelling of his son’s first name. “I would hate to read your stories in the paper tomorrow and see it misspelled,” he said. Responded one reporter after Dad walked away: “Not to worry…his name will not be in my story.” Ouch! DNA complicates life.

Civic Center

Gorgeous court, but not the homey feeling of the Expo, or the we-are-right-on-top-of-the-action feeling that Bangor Civic Center fans got for decades. Oh, well. At least the WIFI connection was good.

Cheerleaders or Gymnasts?

Nowadays, cheerleaders are not what we used to call cheerleaders. They are more like gymnasts. Early in the McAuley game, I threw my lower back out just watching both squads. (I hope Obamacare covers it!).

Portland Bulldogs Are, Well, Bulldogs

The Portland vs. Deering game was my favorite of the tourney. For about three quarters, Deering was stubborn and stayed with Portland. The style of the game was, as former Westbrook College/UNE coach Jimmy Graffam would say, “Equal parts track meet, and fist fight.”

Like Deering Oaks, asphalt courts. Summer. Winners stay on. Loser sit 60 minutes.

You know what kind of intensity those games there have?

Yup. That was the Civic Center.

Season Over

By the time you read this, the tournaments all over the state will be over. The season will be over.

High school basketball is popular in many Maine towns, especially those with fewer bright lights, neon and honky tonk. Envy those towns where hoop is a big deal. It is real, and stays with you, and players, sometimes for decades.

Dan Warren is a lawyer in Scarborough. He can be reached at jonesandwarren@gmail.com.