LISBON FALLS

It is an exciting time to be part of the Lisbon High School sports scene.

Figure, a $500,000 bond is in place on the construction of a new, state-of-the-art track, fitting of the Class C boys state track and field champions, and soon ground will be broken for a new gymnasium that will house the Greyhound basketball teams, along with several other events.

Eric Hall, a 1994 graduate of Lisbon, will be front and center, recently accepting the position as vice principal/athletic director, replacing Nick Gannon, who is the new Lisbon High School principal.

“What it said to us as taxpayers and residents of Lisbon is that the stakeholders are invested in our students here, building a gym and track that will host big events and meets, along with being used by the community.”

This is not Hall’s first go-round with Lisbon athletics. Far from it! When he was a Greyhound student athlete, Hall jumped around a bit, running cross country and track and playing basketball his freshman year. He played soccer as a sophomore and football as a junior and senior for longtime Lisbon coach Dick Mynahan.

He has also coached at Lisbon, leading the boys basketball team from 2009-11. Times were tough for the Greyhound hoopsters, winning just three games during Hall’s tenure, with Jake Gentle taking over the program two seasons ago. But, the seeds for change were planted, and this past year, Lisbon qualified for the postseason, ending a long, frustrating run.

“Jake was the right man at the right time to be a new voice to lead them to that potential. Jake is a great coach, and I see him continuing to lead them.

“It is an awesome feeling, knowing I can relate to these student-athletes. They work hard and nothing is given to them.”

Hall is excited to see these new facilities take shape.

“We have been competing in a rundown gym, playing in facilities that are not as good. You always hear opposing coaches say Lisbon kids are well-coached, a tribute to the coaching staff that has been here for many years. I played for Dick Mynahan, so his philosophy has always been the same and he gets the most out of those athletes.

“It was definitely a situation I was interested in. I always wanted to work near home and come back to the high school that I graduated from. I wanted to work with the staff here and with this great coaching staff.”

Having the chance to watch his children, Lisbon students Bryan and Corbin, is a bonus.

“That is a plus to have the chance to see them compete. We live right around the corner from the high school and this is home.”

Hall taught and coached at Gardiner High School, and the past two years worked in Biddeford. But, the chance to come home was appealing to the Lisbon native, along with being close to his father, longtime track and field coach Dean Hall, who the new AD said he has learned a great deal from over the years.

“When I coached track and field at Gardiner, I used models from him. There is a lot of respect out there from other coaches with regards to him. When you win a state championship, where the facility is no where near what others have, it is a tribute to him and his coaching staff, Hank (Fuller), Dan (Sylvester) and Doug (Sautter). They motivate those student-athletes and are always well-prepared. He has been here 36 years, and every year he gets 60 kids out for track. That is impressive with the size of our school. If you asked him all of his individual state champions, he could list them to this day.

“We have a lot at this school, and this job is both assistant principal and athletic director, so you’re a school leader first and foremost, working with staff during the day, and then at night doing the athletic stuff. It makes for a full day.”

As for the school’s new track, with construction already under way, and the gym, Hall feels the time has come for Lisbon athletics to take the next step.

“When you win any state championship, it is a tribute. It has been 15 years since we have hosted a meet, going on a bus for every meet. It will be nice to have our own track and say that we are the state champions in track. The track will be completed in the fall, with digging happening right now, with a latex surface installed. We will break ground on the gym in September. We are looking forward to hosting as many things as possible and have facilities that we are proud of.”

Lisbon’s veteran coaching staff, according to Eric Hall, is a bonus. He is the fourth Lisbon athletic director in the last seven years, so he is relying on the coaching staff ’s experience to help in his transition.

“You have to ask them the questions because they know the answers. They have been through this drill before with somebody new coming in. We rarely replace coaches. Hank Fuller stepped down as cross country coach recently. He built a solid, strong cross country program, both boys and girls. It is good to have veteran coaches that can help you along the way so you don’t feel you will mess up every day. They do it for the love of sports, coaching multiple sports.”

“We are lucky to have the same coaches here. You need to have someone stable and here year after year. It can be hard for a veteran staff to have someone new come in. That is hard. This job seems to turn over every year.”

Hall said he feels a sense of pride in being a Lisbon Greyhound.

“It is a sense of pride when you go to games and see alumni who have graduated 30- or 40-years ago still coming to Lisbon games. Fans who cheered me on are still here, cheering those young athletes on. That is a message that our students need to understand. There are so many possibilities, but you always remember where you come from.

“I want to make sure we continue to have strong student/athletes here, working as scholars in the classroom and champions on the field, to maintain the tradition of being a Greyhound, working hard, competing to your ability and having the respect of other schools.

“We are sandwiched between bigger programs, Edward Little and Lewiston on one side and Mt. Ararat and Brunswick on the other. They compete against each other, and we’re in the middle of 196. When I talk to people, no one has heard of Lisbon and asks where it is located. In the next couple years, you will see a positive change with our new gym. Our school department does a great job with limited resources. We are on the move to bigger and better things.”