McAuley brought a large crowd Saturday to the Cumberland County Civic Center. The home side of the building was close to full. And those were all Lions fans, since the Deering crowd hadn't arrived because of the MPA's separate admission policy for the Class A state finals.

For a school with an enrollment under 300, the crowd was impressive.

"We have a lot of alumni and parents of alumni who return to watch us play," said McAuley Athletic Director Joe Kilmartin.

Kilmartin also said the team has developed a loyal following over the years because of the program's success. He said many fans don't have any connection to the school, other that wanting to watch good schoolgirl basketball.

Of course, there were the parents of players and loyal faculty who attend all of McAuley's games.

When you have a program that just won its fourth Class A state championship, the crowds turn out.

About this Blog

VarsityMaine The Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram put a priority on high school sports coverage, and this blog is a place for all our reporters to put news and notes from around the state.

From football to field hockey, from cross country to volleyball, our goal is to keep you informed of the happenings in all high school sports.

Click below for sport-specific posts.

Baseball

Boys' basketball

Girls' basketball

Cheerleading

Cross Country

Field Hockey

Football

Golf

Boys' Hockey

Girls' Hockey

Lacrosse

Skiing

Soccer

Softball

Swimming

Tennis

Track

Indoor Track

Volleyball

About the Author

Maine High School Sports Bloggers

Paul Betit is an Augusta native and graduate of the University of Maine. He has covered Maine high school sports for more than 30 years and is entering his seventh season as a beat writer covering the Portland Pirates. In his spare time, Betit writes mystery-suspense novels. Occasionally, he tries to sink his second career hole-in-one.

Glenn Jordan came to Maine in 1994 to cover the nascent Portland Sea Dogs. After eight baseball seasons and three children – the last two within 18 minutes of each other – he became a part-time writer. Among the sports he covers are now are tennis, skiing, swimming and running. He has a degree in philosophy from Dartmouth, a decent forehand and a penchant for checkers.

Mike Lowe is a Massachusetts native who feels he's lived long enough in Maine (since 1982) to have roots here. He graduated from Boston University and has worked in New Hampshire and Maine, covering everything from the Little League World Series to the Summer Olympics. When he has free time – Ha! – he likes to read, collect comic books and watch the grass grow from his hammock.

Previous entries