BRUNSWICK

The short break that occurs between the fall and winter high school sports seasons has come to an end, with most area squads heading to the basketball court, hockey rink and pool this weekend, with indoor track set to begin on Dec. 15 for Brunswick, Morse and Mt. Ararat.

Friday, basketball courts across the state will be busy, going from the sounds of the ball bouncing on the court and the whistle of coaches to raucous fans ready to let loose with cheers as 3-pointers swish through the hoop or a shot is swatted away, leading to a fast-break layup.

At Mt. Ararat High School, Kelly LaFountain’s girls have high hopes after an Eastern Maine Class A semifinal appearance last season. The Eagles will surely find out pretty quick where they stand as the highly-touted Edward Little Red Eddies pay a visit to Topsham in the opener at 7 p.m.

“Until someone knocks EL off, they are the team to beat,” said LaFountain of the Eddies, who returns the bulk of last year’s squad. “The first game, everyone has high expectations. Everyone will be excited, nervous. Each athlete experiences different feelings.”

LaFountain recalled a recent exhibition game.

“We played our first scrimmage game and the girls had so much adrenaline that I had to call a timeout and say ‘slow down and take a breath.’ I’m sure the adrenaline will be pumping against EL,” said LaFountain.

Todd Hanson’s Brunswick boys hit the road to Augusta to take on Cony at 7 p.m. His Dragons rode a strong 4-1 start last season, including a season-opening home victory over the Rams (58-39) en route to an 11-7 season.

Elsewhere in Class A basketball, the Mt. Ararat boys visit Edward Little (7 p.m.), while the Brunswick girls entertain defending Eastern Maine Class A champion Cony at 7 p.m.

In Class B action, two new hardcourt coaches get their season debuts under their belts Friday, with Sam Hayes’ Shipbuilder boys at Gardiner (6:30 p.m.) and Becky Roak’s Morse girls home against the Tigers (6:30 p.m.).

“I am excited for our home opener,” said Roak, who was an assistant to LaFountain at Mt. Ararat before taking over at Morse this season. “I am working with a great group of athletes that are working hard each day to get a little better.”

Jim Seavey also coaches his first Western Maine Conference contest with Freeport after stints at Greely and Scarborough. The Falcon girls visit North Yarmouth Academy (5:30 p.m.), while at Lisbon, Jake Gentle and his Greyhounds face their first Mountain Valley Conference test at home against Mt. Abram (7 p.m.).

“I feel like I am little more mentally prepared due to my personal experience than I was back in 2003 when I began coaching the girls,” said Gentle, who coached the Lisbon girls for eight seasons, took one year off and returned this season to lead the Greyhound boys. “Especially in the opener, we need to keep our emotions in check. Sometimes, an athlete thinks a lot faster than his body can move, causing traveling violations and rushed, long shots.

“What I did was watch the jayvee games and sit behind the coach,” Gentle remembered from his playing days. “I would listen to the coach, and it made me feel like I was in the game, which helped relax me.”

Also in the MVC, both the Wiscasset boys and girls are at Bethel against Telstar (girls 5:30 p.m., boys 7 p.m.).

The Richmond boys and girls are home, with East- West Conference foe Greenville providing the season opening opposition.

“There is a lot that goes into the first game, but the game is no more important than all the others,” said Molly Bishop, whose Bobcat girls are the two-time defending Western D champs with loads of expectations again this season. “Our goal is to do well in the tournament, so we need to get there and work on things as the season goes along. It is OK to make a mistake. The important thing is to learn from it.

“I tell them if nervous, play good defense, which is a good way to get past those nerves.”

Elsewhere on Friday, the Lisbon wrestling team heads to Dexter for a four-team meet at 6 p.m., the Wiscasset swim team entertains Erskine Academy (6 p.m.) and Hyde School takes on Waynflete and Windham in a swim meet at the Bath Area Family YMCA (7 p.m.).

Also, the Hyde boys basketball team visits AR Gould in Portland at 7 p.m.

Saturday slate

The schedule on Saturday is not as busy, but a handful of squads get started.

The Freeport boys basketball team jumps right into WMC action at home against NYA at 12:30 p.m., Julie Wescott’s Lisbon girls host Mt. Abram at 7 p.m., and the Hyde boys and girls head to Freeport to take on Pine Tree Academy, with the girls at 5:30 p.m. and the boys to follow.

In high school hockey, Mike Routhier’s Brunswick Dragons jump right into Eastern A action, hosting Waterville at Sidney J. Watson Arena at the not-so-early time of 9 p.m.

“It will be good to be home, allowing us to have a comfortable routine,” said Routhier. “This week we have practices in the evening, so it will allow us to get used to playing at that time. The key is how well our veterans work with the young guys to get them past the nerves of opening night.

“For us, especially in an opener, it is important to keep the shifts short and play within yourself. I was a goalie, and it was good to touch the puck early to get into the game and allow the nerves to go away.”

In wrestling action, Mt. Ararat is at the Westbrook Tournament, while the Morse grapplers head to the Sullivan Tournament at York after both opened the season in the Morse-hosted Westlake Tournament last weekend.

Bowdoin College

The first semester for the Polar Bears comes to a close this week, with the college athletes taking a break during the holiday season.

The Bowdoin men’s hockey team (7-0-1), ranked eighth in the latest USCHO.com poll, plays two New England Small College Athletic Conference contests away from the friendly confines of Watson Arena, visiting Tufts (3-3-1, 1- 2-1 NESCAC) tonight (7 p.m.) and Connecticut College (1-3- 1, 0-3-1 NESCAC) on Saturday (3 p.m.).

Meanwhile, the Bowdoin women’s hockey team (3-1) is home for a pair of contests, entertaining Holy Cross (6-3- 1) tonight at 7 p.m., and thirdranked Norwich (6-1-2) Saturday at 4 p.m.

Farley Field House will be busy Saturday, with the Polar Bears hosting Westfield State and the University of Southern Maine, beginning at 1 p.m., while the Bowdoin swim team holds its annual Bowdoin Open at Greason Pool. The three-day event kicks off today and will continue on Saturday and Sunday.