HIGH SCHOOLS

Basketball title games coming to Portland’s CIA

The Maine Principals’ Association and America East have worked out an agreement that will allow the Class AA and Class A state championship games to be held at the Cross Insurance Arena this year.

America East will hold its tournament, including quarterfinal and semifinal games, at the CIA in Portland on March 3 and 4, with practices scheduled for March 1 and 2.

The MPA and America East agreed to have the practices end by 4 p.m. on March 1 and 2, allowing the Class AA and Class A title games to be played at the CIA later on those nights.

The Class A boys’ and girls’ title games will be held on Thursday, March 1, at CIA; the Class AA boys’ and girls’ title games will be held on Friday, March 2, at CIA with a split session.

“The concession that America East afforded us to that they decided to arrange all their practice sessions earlier in the day on Thursday and Friday, and they would give up the facility for the evening,” said Dick Durost, the executive director of the MPA. “This is something we’ve talked about for several months.

“This really is a win for everyone involved.”

The MPA was unable to hold any of its state championship games in Portland last year because of a conflict with the America East tournament schedule.

The Class B state championship games will be held in Bangor on Friday, March 2. The Class C and Class D state championship games will be held at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday, March 3.

PREP SCHOOLS

GIRLS’ SOCCER: Aaliyah Farid and Brayden Reed each scored twice as host Berwick (10-2-1) defeated Waring 6-1. Kenza Farid and Rayne Zimmerman also scored for the Bulldogs.

BOYS’ SOCCER: Tucker Smith scored twice as host Berwick (7-5) edged Lexington Christian Academy 2-1.

AUTO RACING

NASCAR: Martin Truex Jr. continued his winning ways at Kansas Speedway, capturing the pole for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series playoff elimination race.

With that prize came the chance to have pit choice at Martinsville, Virginia. The paper clip-like geometry of that track makes stall selection arguably the biggest advantage of any track all season,

FORMULA ONE: Season championship points leader Lewis Hamilton posted the fastest laps in two practice sessions for the U.S. Grand Prix, putting more pressure on title rival Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari, who spun into the gravel and completed just 11 laps in in Austin, Texas.

GOLF

CHAMPIONS TOUR: Bernhard Langer birdied the par-5 18th for a 5-under 67 and a share of the first-round lead in the Dominion Energy Charity Classic in Richmond, Virginia, the first event in the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs.

Seeking an unprecedented fifth Schwab Cup and fourth in a row, the 60-year-old Langer leads the season standings and has a tour-high five victories this season.

EUROPEAN TOUR: With the help of an albatross from 227 yards out, Joost Luiten shot a 1-under 70 to take a one-stroke lead over tournament host Sergio Garcia and two others at the Andalucia Valderrama Masters in Spain.

TENNIS

KREMLIN CUP: Julia Goerges will seek to end a six-year wait for a title when she faces Daria Kasatkina of Russia in Saturday’s final in Moscow.

Goerges beat Natalia Vikhlyantseva 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.