BANGOR

Longtime Eastern Maine basketball official John Shoppe of Lamoine is in serious condition in the intensive care unit at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor after suffering a heart attack Friday night.

“He’s at EMMC. He had a serious heart attack,” confirmed longtime friend Dave Ames, the secretary of the Maine Basketball Commission and the supervisor of tournament officials. “He’s resting comfortably.”

Ames said he had spoken with Shoppe’s wife on the phone Saturday morning for news on his condition. An EMMC spokeswoman confirmed about 4:30 p.m. Saturday that Shoppe was considered in serious condition.

The 60-year-old Shoppe, who has been officiating for approximately 30 years, was working the Class B girls quarterfinal game between Camden Hills and Oceanside at the Bangor Auditorium when he became ill and asked to be removed from the game.

“He came to me about two or three minutes into the third period and he said, ‘I need a replacement, I’m having serious chest pains,’” Ames explained. “As soon as we got him out of the door, he looked terrible.”

Ames said Shoppe was attended to by Bangor Fire Department personnel at the Auditorium before was transported by ambulance to EMMC.

Chris Thornton was brought into the three-man rotation to fill Shoppe’s position in the crew for the remainder of the game.

Ames said some of Shoppe’s officiating friends were planning to go visit him at the hospital on Saturday.

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