BRUNSWICK

Every high school winter sports season follows a similar pattern year-in and year-out during school vacation week.

This year is no different. Between driving between Augusta and Portland in chasing down high school basketball tournament games, to state action in swimming, indoor track and wrestling, this week has been crazy.

Yes, I should be used to it by now. Covering three games in a day, while the other Times Record sports writer has back-to-back days of state swimming action at Bowdoin College, has been the trend for as long as winter sports has taken place here in good old Vacation Land.

Let’s take a look at what the February vacation week brought us in 2016. From the ups and downs, it was a crazy…

State champs

Congratulations to David Bright’s Brunswick girls swimming team.

On Saturday at the University of Maine, the Dragons won their second straight State Class A title, this coming a week after the Brunswick boys and girls won their fourth consecutive Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championships.

On Monday, the Brunswick boys turned in a second-place performance, losing out to four-time Class A champ Cheverus despite a strong showing across the board from the Dragons.

The success of swimming in the Mid-coast of late is superb. For most, it starts with the training conducted through the Long Reach Swim Club at the Bath Area Family YMCA. Swimmers at Brunswick and Morse (boys won the KVAC title, the girls were second, with both finishing fifth at the State Class B meet) have made meets must-see events.

Now to wrestling, where Mt. Ararat/Brunswick 170-pounder Robert Hetherman captured the State Class A title at Noble High School last Saturday.

Here is a young man who boxes and has worked hard to improve his mat game, oftentimes on his own or by working with Eagles wrestling coach Erick Jensen.

The New England Qualifying Tournament takes place on Saturday at Mt. Ararat High School. If you want to see the best in the State of Maine, be in Topsham this Saturday.

Several area athletes stepped up during Monday’s State Class A Indoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham. Personal best times were turned in across the board, with Brunswick’s Keenan Welzel earning a State Class A title in the 800-meter run.

Thinking of superb track athletes, Chris Walfield of Morse finished off a successful indoor season by winning the two-mile run at the State Class B meet at Bates College in Lewiston this past Saturday. Walfield has one more sport to run in high school, as the outdoor track season begins in April.

Basketball

There were 10 area teams that made the field for the Maine Principals Association high school basketball tournaments. In fact, nine of them made it to the quarterfinals.

Two definitely stood out. The Brunswick Dragon boys shocked everyone, except probably themselves, by running past top-seeded Greely on Wednesday, 65-52. Here is a team that has come together at the right time, with players like Caleb Cost, Thomas Hanson, Jesse Devereaux, Corban Teel and Josh Dorr, to name a few, figuring things out.

Brunswick looks to punch its ticket to the state championship on Saturday as the Dragons take on No. 2 Falmouth at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland at 9 p.m.

In case you’re interested, the last time a Dragons team advanced to a state title game was the 2003/ 04 season. Led by Ralph Mims, the Dragons defeated Bangor in the Eastern A final before dropping a 69-63 overtime contest to Portland.

I knew Ralph Mims in passing, having worked with his dad, Clint, at Brunswick Naval Air Station. It was an exciting time for the community, and I’m sure Todd Hanson’s squad is excited and ready for the challenge of facing a very good Yachtsmen team on Saturday.

Another team that shined bright this season was the Morse girls. Here was a handful of bright-eyed, young ladies who had never played at the Portland Expo, taking on rival Brunswick on Monday. When the Shipbuilders took to the court, they looked nervous, but a couple Sierra Wallace baskets later Morse was on its way to a 42-37 quarterfinal win.

Then came a trip on Wednesday to Cross Insurance Arena. This time, the Shipbuilders had that “ been there, done that” look about them, singing classic rock songs while waiting to take the court to face undefeated and top-ranked York.

For three quarters, these young ladies gave as much as they took, trailing the talented Wildcats by five points heading to the final frame. York came away with the 52-33 win, but there were few sad faces as Morse left the court to the cheers of their adoring fans.

Hockey

With all of the swimming, wrestling, indoor track and basketball going on, ice hockey kind of got lost in the shuffle for a bit.

Don’t fret, as next week the quarterfinals begin, and the Brunswick boys are prepared to make a run at the Class B title.

The Dragons ended the season with a 9-8-1 record, but displayed the ability to play with the top teams in Class B South. Consecutive wins over Yarmouth, York and Kennebunk moved the Dragons up the standings, with Brunswick appearing to have clinched the No. 3 seed and a home quarterfinal against No. 6 Cape Elizabeth.

I will say this — Brunswick allows very few goals ( 59 goals in 18 games against), something that often plays out successfully come playoff time.

Cheers go out to Mt. Ararat/ Lisbon/ Morse first- year boys hockey coach AJ Kavanaugh. Yes, the Eagles will not be in the playoffs, mostly due to the schedule. But, an 11- win season, no matter the competition, is nothing to sneeze at.

Plus, the Eagles had that flare for the dramatic. Take the season-finale at Sukee Arena in Winslow against Lawrence/ Skowhegan. Down 3-1 in the third period, they rallied to force overtime before freshman Noah Austin gave Mt. Ararat/Lisbon/Morse the win a mere 15 ticks into the extra session.

I like the future here. This is a young team with the talent to make some noise in the coming years.

Rant

Lastly, I wanted to take a moment to be critical of the decision to play the southern high school basketball tournaments at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.

Before this season, many of our area teams went north to the Augusta Civic Center. For those of us who have covered our share of games there, the venue for basketball is second to none in this state. A close second, in my opinion, is the Portland Expo.

The reason you ask? The size is perfect, the noise-level is superb and the excitement seems to build game-in and game-out.

Cross Insurance Arena, the home of the Portland Pirates, is too big. Yes, if the Portland boys are going to play, Cross Insurance Arena works. The Expo would be too small. I get it.

But, take Wednesday’s action. In a 7,000- seat building, the two Class A South semifinal contests drew maybe 600 people. Even during the exciting moments of those two games, it was a quiet place.

Secondly, holding an afternoon session in the middle of a work-week is a recipe for disaster. Fans, media and even MPA officials can’t use the parking garage at the arena, as it is full and only allows those who have paid for a parking pass to enter. So to park in Portland, it cost $10.

Now before you say, “it is only $ 10,” understand that for media outlets covering these high school games, paying a price to just be there is wrong in my opinion. That is no different than being forced to pay for a program so we can get your son’s and daughter’s names spelled right in the paper.

I feel for the parents. Figure after paying $10 to park, $8 a ticket to watch the game (two adults $16, two kids $10) and spending $ 10- 20 for food, you might be in for around $50. A small price to pay I guess to watch your child doing what they love.

I did some checking. MPA officials volunteering to run the tournament are forced to pay $ 21 A DAY to park in Portland. If they are there five days, it costs them over $100.

There are so many things wrong with this that I don’t have the time to rant too much longer. All I can say is, Portland needs to wise up, and maybe the MPA needs to re-look at the reasons for hosting this tournament at Cross Insurance Arena.

On Saturday when Brunswick faces Falmouth, The Times Record will be there, having paid our $ 5- 10 to park so that we can give the best coverage possible to our local athletes. As wrong as it is to pay that price, it is more right to be there for this historic game for the Dragons.

Need to go to the ATM to get some cash.

BOB CONN is The Times Record sport editor. He can be reached at bconn@timesrecord.com