The Maine Basketball Rankings Podcast

Pete Curtis’ first season at the helm of his alma mater couldn't be going better. The Bulldogs are 8-0 and clinched the top seed of B North ahead of the playoffs. He joins the podcast to talk about his approach to taking over a contender, the value of his time coaching offensive and defensive lines before being head coach, building out the youth program, and more.

Each week of the football season, I invite a media member to overreact to the week's results. This week, Varsity Maine's Dave Dyer joins me to discuss his columns reviewing concession stands around the state and what it takes to have a truly great concession stand. Then we try to sort out B South (lol), react to Thornton Academy's dismantling of Bonny Eagle, make sense of Lawrence and Cony in B North, try to see who can make a run in D, wonder if we'll get a repeat of OOB/Stearns, and pull a fire alarm in Class C.

Shirt courtesy of Valley Basketball

0:00 New Brackets and Gold Ball Odds on the Website3:53 Dave Dyer’s Guide to Great Concession Stand Food23:51 Lawrence Dominates, Cony Challenges in B North38:03 Unpredictable B South: Biddeford & Cheverus Shine46:44 Medomak’s Playoff Run & Volleyball’s Rise51:45 Thornton Academy’s Dominance & Oxford Hills’ Path1:09:47 Fire Alarms, Foxcroft, & the C Playoff Picture1:20:53 Winslow’s Reign & Dirigo’s Cinderella Potential 1:36:09 Yarmouth’s Dominance & OOB/Stearns Rematch1:45:55 Dave Dyer’s Bold Cinderella Prediction for the Playoffs

Yarmouth's offense caught the attention of the state when they scored 52 unanswered to beat Cape Elizabeth, but they've been putting up video game numbers all year, thanks to a dynamic duo of Iggy McGrath and Stephen Connolly. Clippers head coach Nick Orsi joins the show to take us inside the dynamic offense, why McGrath should be getting Fitzy consideration, his path to Maine from Chicago, and why he thinks there should be a game between an 8-man team and an 11-man team at the end of the year.

Each week during football season, I invite a member of the Maine high school sports media ecosystem to come on the podcast and overreact wildly to that's week's football results. This week, Jimmy James of Varsity Maine helps us make sense of Oxford Hills' shutout of Portland, Biddeford's win over Marshwood, Greely's win over Hermon, Lawrence's dominance over B North, the value of Heal Points, Yarmouth's video game offense, and a whole lot more.

To call B South an adventure this season is an understatement. Every week brings a new perplexing result. But through it all, Marshwood has stayed unbeaten, thanks to a dynamic run game and the steady leadership of first year coach Andrew Elwell. Elwell joins the show to talk about his interim label, a strong cast of seniors, his time at Noble, and the challenge of taking over for a legendary coach.

Each week during football season, I invite a member of the Maine high school sports media ecosystem to come on the podcast and overreact wildly to that's week's football results. This week, Andrew Hart of Maine High School Football helps us make sense of the ever-changing B South, (which might have a favorite?), apologizes to Portland, goes over the struggles of the old C North programs, and a whole lot more.

0:00 Setting the Stage for Week 6 Overreactions

1:15 Navigating Social Media and Preseason Apologies

15:49 The Broader Impact of Sports in Maine and Beyond

19:15 Portland and Bangor’s Surprises in Class A North

32:08 Thornton Academy’s Dominance and A South Playoff Picture

50:09 Cony and Lawrence Lead the Way in Class B North 

58:57 Marshwood’s Rise and the B South Playoff Scramble 

1:15:19 Greely, Hermon, and the North-South Football Divide 

1:32:11 Winslow’s Dominance and D North’s Schedule Weakness

1:36:58 Freeport, Winthrop, and the D South Playoff Picture

1:43:55 Old Town’s Explosive Offense in 8-Man Large North

1:48:30 Yarmouth’s Air Game and Old Orchard Beach’s Defense

2:05:18 Unpredictable 8-Man Playoff Scenarios and Podcast Conclusion 

No football team in the state travels more than Washington Academy, so I wanted to talk to coach Jon Solomon about the logistics of a long road trip on a bus and how to show up ready to play a football game after hours on the road. We talk about that, the charter bus WA can't use, WA's volleyball team, the value of the state's football coaching fraternity, and a whole lot more. With apologies for my spotty internet.

Each week during football season, a media member joins me to overreact to the weekend's results. This week, Spencer Emerson, formerly head coach at Falmouth and sometimes color commentator for WHOU, joins me to run through the state. We cover the insanity that is B South, the potential first round playoff matchups of B North, Greely's Luke Piper, Yarmouth's video game numbers, Portland's new coach, and a whole lot more.

Brooks football: https://www.brooksschool.org/football-1st

A couple of years ago, Greely football was basically nonexistent, contributing to a co-op with Falmouth. Now, they've won back-to-back titles, one in 8-man and then in 11-man. Head Coach Caleb King joins me to talk about that meteoric rebound, the transition from 8-man to 11, taking over a program without any prior coaching experience, and his plan for a stadium in Newport.

Each week during football season, a media member joins me to overreact to the weekend's results. This week, WHOU's Jarod Richmond joins the show to talk about that crazy Marshwood/Noble game, the wild, wild B South, Lawrence vs Cony this week in B North, Yarmouth's prolific offense, Hermon vs Leavitt in C, and a whole lot more.