Answers to the Mid-Year Exam for the High School Sports Enthusiast

Earlier this week, I administered a mid-year exam to test your knowledge of high school sports.  Hopefully, you’ve had time to carefully compile your answers to the questions.  So, here are the awaited test answers.  Give yourself one point apiece for every part of the question you answered correctly.

1.  The six Maine high schools who have nicknames that do not end in the letter “S” are as follows:

  • Falmouth (Yachtsmen)
  • Hyde (Phoenix)
  • Mattanawcook Academy (Lynx)
  • Scarborough (Red Storm)
  • Spruce Mountain (Phoenix)
  • Stearns (Minutemen)

2.  I actually made an error to this question.  There are actually five schools who have played in all five classes.  If you named Erskine Academy, Fort Fairfield, Limestone, John Bapst, and Stearns give yourself a bonus point.

3.  Since 1958 only Wally LaFountain, Harold “Tank” Violette”, and Mike Siviski have guided the Winslow Black Raiders on the gridiron.

4.  Since guiding Madison to a share of the 1974 state championship, Coach John Wolfgram has won three state championships at Gardiner, four at South Portland, and two at Cheverus.

5.  Caribou won their only boys state basketball championship in 1969 defeating Westbrook in the title game.  Mike Thurston hit the shot from beyond half court to win it.

6.  In 1995, Brewer’s Jason Leighton hit a similar shot to propel Brewer to a double overtime victory over Mt. Blue in the quarter-finals.

7.  Ron Brown coached varsity basketball at Central, Penquis Valley, Piscataquis Community, John Bapst, Hampden Academy, Machias, Searsport (girls), Bangor Christian, and Narraguagus.

8.  In 1999, Harold Alfond Stadium at the University of Maine played host to the Class A football state championship game.  Portland’s Fitzpatrick Stadium has hosted the game ever since.  In the contest South Portland defeated Oxford Hills 24-10.  Oxford Hills’ Colin Loveless returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown.

9.  Since 1975, Gorham (’78-’81), Westbrook (’78-’81), Lawrence (’91-’94), McAuley (’11-’14), and Washburn (’11-’14) have won four straight state championships.

10.  Bangor, Skowhegan, and Cony were the only teams to defeat Lawrence during Cindy Blodgett’s four year high school playing career with Cony defeating the Bulldogs twice.

11.  Oak Grove Coburn won back to back class D state titles in 1978 and 1979.  The school where the Maine State Police Academy now sits also made state title appearances from 1983-’85.  In 1985 Derek Counts made the Bangor Daily News first team all-state team and went on to play at the University of New Hampshire.

12.  Valley High School of Bingham won six consecutive Class D state championships from 1998-2003.  Piscataquis in 2002 broke the Cavaliers’ 101 game unbeaten streak at Guilford.  Calvary Chapel broke Valley’s six year title reign in the 2004 state championship game.  Luke Hartwell is the current coach at Valley.

13.  Bob Kelley’s Bangor baseball teams won eight state titles during his tenure.  Matt Kinney helped pitch Bangor to state titles in 1994 and 1995 before embarking on a professional baseball playing career.  Kinney is now the head baseball coach at Hermon High School.  Bangor defeated Portland in both 1994 and ’95 to claim the state crown.

14.  Tony Hamlin won a state championship at South Portland High School in 1983 before returning to his alma mater, Penquis Valley.  Hamlin guided the Patriots to gold in 2000 and 2013 before retiring.

15.  Bangor in 2001 and Lawrence in 2006 were the only Eastern Maine schools to win the Class A football state championship under the MPA’s three class system.

16.  Bert Rich was the player who came off the bench late in regulation for South Portland to spearhead the comeback against Bangor in the 1992 state basketball championship game.  John Wassenbergh led South Portland with 43 points while Bangor was led in scoring by Mark Reed’s 34.

17.  Boys basketball coaches to have won five or more state titles include:

  • Ordie Alley (9)
  • Roger Reed (8)
  • Jeff Hart (6)
  • Dwight Littlefield (6)
  • Bob Cimbollek (5)
  • David Halligan (5)
  • Bill Mansfield (5)

18.  Steve LeVasseur won three gold balls coaching the girls and an additional two state titles while coaching the boys at Schenck High School.

19.  Joanna Hamilton led the Woodland boys to four consecutive tournament appearances from 1995-1998.

20.  Cony’s Paul Vachon led his girls teams to seven state championships.  Gavin Kane won six state titles with the Dirigo girls while Kane’s counterpart in many of those state title tilts, Bob McShane of Calais led his teams to five gold balls.

21.  Gabby Price’s final victory as head football coach at Bangor High School came in the 2000 Eastern Maine championship game against Oxford Hills.  One week later Massabesic, coached by John Morin, defeated the Rams in the state championship game.  Quarterback Jason O’Tash led the Mustangs down the field in the game’s final minutes for the winning touchdown.  O’Tash would go on to win the Fitzpatrick Trophy following that season.

22.  In 1990, Mountain Valley in their first year as a school defeated Rockland in the Class B boys state championship game.  Mountain Valley was coached by Mark Karter while Chris Elkington guided Rockland.

23.  The following 1990 Eastern Maine Class A basketball schools no longer compete in the state’s large school division:

  • Caribou
  • Gardiner
  • Medomak Valley
  • Nokomis
  • Old Town
  • Presque Isle
  • Stearns
  • Waterville
  • Winslow

24.  Waterville defeated Lawrence by 56 points in their final regular season encounter prior to the Bulldogs victory in the 1986 Eastern Maine Championship Game.  Freshman Troy Scott hit a clutch shot at the end of regulation to force overtime.  Scott would go on to become the boys head coach at Skowhegan.

25.  In the T.V. show Married…With Children, Al Bundy, played by Ed O’Neill, led Polk High to the city championship.  The highlight of his life was scoring four touchdowns in one game.

I hope you had fun taking part in this little brain teaser as we went down memory lane a bit.  Best success to all those students in the midst of taking exams this week.  Study hard or you too could end up like Al Bundy.

 

Bob Beatham

About Bob Beatham

Bob, a lifelong Bangor resident, has just completed his 21st season as the Public Address Announcer at Mansfield Stadium in Bangor. Bob is also the public address voice for John Bapst Crusader football. He also currently serves as the scorekeeper for John Bapst basketball. Bob is an avid follower of Maine high school athletics, particularly football and basketball. The University of Maine at Farmington graduate is the service coordinator at Aging Excellence, which provides in-home care for seniors..