Mount View, Ellsworth, and Winslow Get Close Wins to Open Tournament

Great Opening NIght for 2010 EM Basketball Tournament

All the games at the Bangor Auditorium Friday night came down to the wire and could have gone either way.

#3 Mount View Mustangs started the night well by taking down #6 Old Town Coyotes 46-38. The Mustangs were led by Mike Cochrane’s 21 point performance. Cochrane received the McDonald’s Player of the Game and the U.S. Army Strong Player of the Game presented by WZON radio . Luke Bartlett, captain, paced the Coyotes with 17 points.

In game two, the #2 seed Ellsworth Eagles won a thriller in overtime over the #10 Rockland Tigers 66-65. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Eagles had a commanding eight point lead, 44-36, and Chris Nolan, senior, on the Tigers did not want to go down without a fight. Nolan had 11 points going into the fourth quarter and only two points away from scoring his 1,oooth point. Nolan hit three big throws with twenty seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime. He finished with 28 points in the losing effort. The Tigers had four great chances to finish off the Eagles in the final seconds, but could not get the close range shots to fall. Leading the soaring Eagles to victory was Senior guard Ryan Petros with a game high 33 points.

In the finale, the girls took the floor hoping to top the first two boys games of the 2010 high school basketball tournament. The #3 seed Winslow Black Raiders came into the game with a 16-2 record on the season and a five game win streak intact. Winslow played the #6 Camden Hills Windjammers who gave them one of their only two losses on the season falling to them back on January 7th 49-42. The Black Raiders, with no seniors on this year’s team, will be a powerhouse in Class “B” girls basketball for the next few years. Winslow had a 28-8 halftime lead, but by the skin of their teeth hung on to win 39-36. The Windjammers exerted excellent defensive pressure in the second half outscoring the Black Raiders 28-11, but still fell short.

Maranacook Softball Best Team in the State

The Maranacook Black Bears softball team has posted a 14-0 mark with only two games to go in the season. They hold the #1 spot in the Western Maine class “B” healpoint standings. The Black Bears are lead by star pitcher Sarah Maxwell and ms. automatic Heidi Shaw behind the plate. Not only can they play their positions well, but they are the top two hitters on the team as well.

Do not make a mistake thinking the Black Bears are only a defensive team they also can score runs and put lots of pressure on their opponents every game. Everyone in the lineup one through nine finds a way to get on base and all nine position players in the field are solid with their glove.

Red Sox Survive in Series

The Boson Red Sox have came back in American League Championship Series (ALCS) before, but this is one of the most historical victories of all time. In game 5 of the ALCS they were trailing 7-0 against the Rays going into the bottom of the 7th innning with seven outs left when the Sox caught fire. Pedroia started the rally in the 7th with two outs and runners on the corners; when he delivered a single that jump started the high powered offense. Following that big clutch hit Big Papi (David Ortiz) delivered a three run homerun into the right field corner by Pesky Pole that cut the lead to 7-4. The fenway faithful went absolutely nuts and the Red Sox were right back in the game and two batters ago they thought their season was over.

Papelbon in his second inning of work shut down the homerun hitting Rays in the 8th and then stepped in Jason Bay in the bottom of the 8th. The Tampa Rays bullpen struggled walking Bay and next to the plate was J.D. Drew. Drew smashed a crucial two run homerun in the 8th that cut the lead to 7-6 still with no outs in the inning. Three batters later Mark Kotsay came up and smashed a double to deep center just out of the reach of B.J. Upton the Rays center fielder. Dan Wheeler was really rattled at this time and Coco Crisp stepped to the plate the potential winning run. He had a great ten pitch at bat fouling off five or six pitches and finally delivering the game tying single. Announcers said this is one of best postseason at bats of all time; although he tried to strech it into a double and was thrown out at second. At the end of eight innings of play the game was knotted at 7-7.

In the top of the 9th Justin Masterson came out of the bullpen trying to put up a goose egg to give the Red Sox one final chance to put the Rays away. He put two men on base for the homerun hitting Carlos Pena and managed to get him to hit into a double to end the inning. The Red Sox had two men out with no one on base and Youkilis hit a single and a one base error by Longoria that allowed him to get to second base. Jason Bay was up and they intentionally walked him putting men on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the 9th. J.D. Drew stepped up to the plate and delivered a huge walk off single with a 3-1 count that allowed Youkilis to come around to score and send the series back to Tampa.

The Red Sox play game 6 tonight in Tampa at the Trop looking force a game 7. Beckett is trying to get his first victory of this year’s postseason and pitch them onto game 7.

Do you think the Red Sox will come back like they have in past and go onto win the World Series?

Red Sox onto ALCS to face Rays

The Boston Red Sox defeated the Los Angles Angels in game four of the American League Divison Series on Monday night 3-2. Red Sox are set to take on the Rays in Tampa on Friday night at 8:37 p.m in game one of American League Championship Series. They beat the Angels three games to one in a five game series.

The Red Sox are trying to defend their title winning last year in the World Series against the Colorado Rockies. Since then they have added a left fielder in Jason Bay and a full-time starter Jacoby Ellsbury in center field. Everyone knows that the Red Sox are dangerous in the playoffs.

Do you think the Red Sox will defend their title this year?

UMaine Cheerleaders Headed to NCAA National Championships

Yes, cheering is a sport requiring strength, stamina, and hundreds of hours of practice and workouts. My big sister Lauren was a great gymnast and she is the best cheerleader ever. Check her out! She spends most of the time in the front middle during dance portions and flying and tumbling the rest of the time. Our whole family is very proud of her amazing commitment to her team. Early morning workouts, college courses, working with 2-3 year-olds, and late night cheering practices are more than most people could ever handle. Go get ‘em Laur! You are the best!

Xavier Survives Scare in First Round

Xavier survives scare in first round of NCAA march madness tournament against the mighty bulldogs of Georgia. Josh Duncan led Xavier with 20 points and seven rebounds and for the bulldogs Terrance Woodbury with 16 points and seven rebounds. Other key players that help lead Xavier to victory Derrick Brown with 19 points and Drew Lavender with 13. Xavier shot 81% from the free throw line, which eventually lead them to victory over the bulldogs. The final score was 73-61 the Xavier Musketeers with the victory. The Musketeers will play the winner of the Purdue vs. Baylor game on March 22nd in the second of NCAA march madness tournament.

Hello world!

Welcome to Squibs’ Sports Road Show! I am excited to launch this blog this 4th of July to electronically share local and regional sports experiences. Maybe this blog represents the beginning of my professional sports career. Whether it is for money, or just the passion of following big sporting events no matter what the level. From professional to pre-school, there are great sports stories happening in stadiums and backyards. Eastern Maine sports are competitive and, like everywhere, there are many interesting side personal stories.

Over 18 years I have attended and taken part in hundreds (however, it seems like thousands) of sporting events including 1998 Atlanta Olympic Games, New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Boston Bruins, New England Revolution, four consecutive Senior Little League World Series (serving as umpire assistant), American Legion regional and state championships, 150+ Eastern Maine MPA-sponsored tournament contests while participating 10 years in Bangor Youth Hockey, several years of Little League playoffs (age 10-16), and local high school soccer, cross country, basketball, track, and baseball.

Yes, I am a sports nut.

And I am just nutty enough to decide to start this Kimball Sports Roadshow blog sharing game results and commentaries, giving an inside view of local sporting events while producing podcasts for those who prefer to listen. Please read, listen, and write comments. We am always looking for others to cover local sporting events from wherever you reside. If you love sports and attend/listen/watch games almost every day, you have great potential to be invaluable as a “Road Show” author. Start by making some comments to my articles. I hope all our readers will share in the fun and our love of sports.