This will be yet another exciting week of Maine high school basketball, and not just because teams have entered the second half of the regular season with the playoff tournament rapidly approaching.
This week’s schedule also includes several of Maine’s top rivalries, particularly in the North region where historic matchups and current top teams are colliding in a slate of promising contests.
At the top of the list is the longstanding rivalry between the Caribou Vikings and Presque Isle Wildcats, along with the raucous pairing of Mount Desert Island and Ellsworth.
Caribou vs. Presque Isle
When the Bangor Daily News asked readers for examples of their favorite high school basketball rivalries, there was no more common answer than the Caribou-Presque Isle matchup. These two towns have been battling it out on the court for generations, and the Vikings and Wildcats will renew that rivalry this week.
The girls teams will play first on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and the boys teams will follow on Wednesday at the same time, both in Presque Isle. Both Caribou teams are playing in Class C North after winning the Class B title a year ago. The Vikings boys are currently in first place with a 9-1 record and the girls are in fifth with a 6-4 campaign so far.
Presque Isle remains in Class B and both the boys and girls Wildcat teams are currently on the playoff bubble. The boys are in 10th place at 5-5 and are one spot out of playoff position right now, and the girls are 7-4 — good enough for the ninth and final playoff spot if they can hold their position in the standings.
Mount Desert Island vs. Ellsworth
Expect another spirited edition of this classic Down East rivalry, with the boys and girls teams from both MDI and Ellsworth among the top teams in Class B North this season.
The MDI boys, led by one of the best players in the state in junior guard James Witham, will host the Ellsworth Eagles on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. MDI is third in Class B North with a record of 9-1 and Ellsworth is fifth at 9-2.
The MDI and Ellsworth girls will play at 7 p.m. Wednesday night in Bar Harbor and are the fourth- and fifth-ranked teams in Class B North, respectively.
Bangor vs. Hampden
Rivals and neighbors Bangor and Hampden Academy are back in the same class, and will battle it out Tuesday night.
The Hampden girls are at the very top of Class A North with their 9-1 record, though the Bangor Rams aren’t far behind in fourth at 8-2. The two teams will face off at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in Bangor.
The Bangor boys have been seeing a resurgence this year after a couple of challenging 1-win seasons. The Rams are in sixth place at 5-5 and have already won more games this year than the past two seasons combined. The Hampden boys are currently on the outside looking in at the Class A North playoff picture, with their 4-5 record placing them 10th right now. The Ram and Bronco boys play in Hampden at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.