BRUNSWICK

Long gone are the days when high school sports took a breather around the holidays.

There are festive tournaments galore, mixed with regular-season action to keep everybody busy through the New Year.

This year, Christmas falls on a Tuesday, meaning a tough time to schedule practices around vacations, family trips, etc.

The Brunswick basketball teams will play Bangor on Saturday (boys home, girls away) and are off until Dec. 28 for a Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference clash with Lewiston, boys at home, girls on the road.

The track team hosts a bunch of schools on Dec. 27 at Bowdoin College’s Farley Field House (9:30 a.m.).

The boys ice hockey squad visits Waterville on Dec. 27th (11 a.m.), and the girls skaters host a tournament on Wednesday and Lewiston at Sidney J. Watson Arena on the 28th (2:45 p.m.) for a regular-season clash.

For the boys, Brunswick and Waterville skaters will square off on the 27th (11 a.m.), with Winslow and Spaulding of Barre, Vt. to meet in the other game at Colby College. On the 28th, it’s Brunswick vs. Winslow at 11 a.m. and Spaulding vs. Waterville at 1 p.m.

The Dragon female skaters are hosting the second annual Dragons Girls Ice Hockey Holiday Tournament on Wednesday.

Pool A: Gorham, Brunswick, St. Dom’s.

Pool B: Edward Little/Leavitt, Mt. Ararat, Cheverus.

Teams will get two points for a win and one point for a tie.

The Wednesday schedule has Gorham vs. Brunswick (9 a.m.), EL/Leavitt vs. Mt., Ararat (10:15 a.m.,), Gorham vs. St. Dom’s (11:30 a.m.), EL/Leavitt vs. Cheverus (12:45 p.m.), Brunswick vs. St. Dom’s (2 p.m.) and Mt. Ararat vs. Cheverus (3:15 p.m.).

On Dec. 27 look for first place group A vs. second-place group B (9 a.m.), first-place group B vs. secondplace group A (10:15 a.m.) and thirdplace group A vs. third-place group B (11:30 a.m.), with the championship game at 12:45 p.m.

The Brunswick swimmers are off from Dec. 21 to Jan. 8 (home with Lewiston, 5:30 p.m.).

Mt. Ararat

The basketball teams will also be busy with KVAC clashes, with the boys going to Cony on Dec. 27 and visiting Lewiston on Jan. 2. The girls are home both dates.

“We will practice early on Monday, and later on Wednesday,” said Mt. Ararat coach Aaron Watson. “I wouldn’t mind having a holiday tournament as it would give us a chance to run all of the kids on our roster a little more than we would if it were a KVAC/League game.

“Depending on when Christmas occurs is the determining factor for schedules. I think that it would be great to have a little time off for families to plan get-togethers.”

The girls are in the same boat.

“As it stands right now we will have practice on Dec. 22nd and not again until Dec. 26th … the day before our Cony game,” said Mt. Ararat coach Kelly LaFountain. “Christmas on a Tuesday really throws a monkey wrench into the schedule. I feel the girls need to be with their families, and some families get together on Christmas Eve, so I stay away from practice on those days. It can go one of two ways for us.

“Either the rest and time away will be refreshing or it will make us a little flat. Only time will tell. I am hoping with the veteran group I have it will be fine. There’s always a question of playing holiday events are real games/exhibitions in a holiday event or regular-season contest so soon after the holiday.

“We have done both and I am leaning towards playing in regular-season games instead of holiday tournaments. When the practice times allow depending on which day Christmas falls on it gives us a chance to tweak some things that may not have worked so well in the first few games.”

Do coaches also worry about a letdown period during Xmas week?

“I noticed a letdown when we were not playing countable games,” said LaFountain. “I like having the girls build on the first few games and remain in that competitive mindset where we have to play our best each time out.”

Indoor track hosts Edward Little, Gardiner and Mt. View on the 28th. Boys ice hockey visits Cony on the 29th.

“We are also in the Gipper’s Tournament in Auburn on Dec. 21 and 22,” said hockey head coach Mike Bishop. “We play Edward Little on the 21st at 8:45 p.m.. The games on the 22nd are at 6:45 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. depending on how we do in the first game.”

The ice hockey girls host Edward Little/Leavitt on the 28th (1 p.m.).

The wrestlers will be competing in the Noble Tournament Dec. 28-29 and will be at Mt. View on Jan. 2.

Morse

Morse boys and girls basketball has games on the 27th (Maine Central Institute) and 29th (Belfast).

“It is tough having games so close to the holiday on so many levels,” said girls basketball coach Becky Roak. “I believe in family and understand the importance of the holiday in many families, but don’t like that it cuts into our progress as a team.

“Part of me would rather play in a holiday tournament rather than countable games because I will have athletes that will be away with their families for part of the break.

“As far as a letdown, I haven’t experienced a letdown at the collegiate level, so I am not sure what to expect from our squad. I am hoping there is not such let down. Hopefully, with the extra time away from school, the girls will be able to rest and recharge the battery so to speak.”

Morse wrestlers will be at the MCI Mid-State Tournament on Dec. 28 and host Mt. Blue on Jan. 2, while the swimmers host a meet with Lewiston today and are off until Jan. 4 (H, Mt. Ararat).

Lisbon

The Lisbon boys are at a Gray- New Gloucester event on Dec. 27, with games at 10:20 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.

On Dec. 28 the girls are playing at Central Maine Community College at both 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The Lisbon wrestlers are also at the Noble tournament Dec. 28-29.

Freeport

On Dec. 29, the St. Dom’s Boys/Girls Christmas Tournament will be held.

The schedule has St. Dom’s/Old Orchard Beach girls at 9 a.m., followed by St. Dom’s/NYA boys at 10:05 a.m., Mt. Abram/Old Orchard Beach girls at 11:10 a.m., Winthrop/Freeport boys at 12:15 p.m., Mt. Abram/Gray-New Gloucester girls at 1:20 p.m., Winthrop/NYA boys at 2:25 p.m., St. Dom’s/Gray-NG girls at 3:30 p.m. and St. Dom’s/Freeport boys at 4:35 p.m.

A concession stand will be available all day. All-day admission is $5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and students, and children under 5 for free.

Todd Flaherty is the former boys coach at Morse and now is at St. Dom’s. “We are giving the boys Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off from practice. After tonight’s game (Hall Dale, Monday) we will have 12- 13 practices and two holiday tournament games prior to our next regular season game.

“We are treating the break like a second preseason, re-emphasizing things that we feel are important, working on weaknesses that have been exposed in our first few games and adding a few things to our offense and defense.

“We are looking forward to the break because we will get some much needed practice time. We are playing in our own holiday tournament because it serves as one of our basketball fundraisers and should help keep the rust off.”

The Freeport girls are also at CMCC on the 28th, with games at 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Freeport’s Western Maine Conference slate is clear until Jan. 3 when the Falcons visit Yarmouth.

Richmond

The Richmond girls are at the Capital City Basketball Classic at the Augusta Civic Center on the 29th and plays Madison (9 a.m.) and Lawrence (2:30). The boys are off until Jan. 2 at Old Orchard Beach.

Wiscasset

The basketball squads have the boys hosting Spruce Mountain today and off until Jan. 3 (at Dirigo), while the girls host Spruce Mountain on Saturday and are off until Jan. 2 (at Dirigo).

The swimmers host Gardiner tonight.