Members of the Mt. Ararat/Hyde football team line up for a drill on Tuesday. Cooper Sullivan / The Times Record

The Mt. Ararat/Hyde football team will field one of the deepest rosters coach Frank True had in his five seasons.

About 40 players are practicing.

“(The) guys are working hard. It’s impressive,” True said Thursday morning. “This is one of the biggest teams we’ve had and one of the hardest-working teams that we’ve had.”

True added that he and his staff are still finalizing a depth chart.

“We’re still trying to figure out our depth chart all the way around, because we got a lot of guys that are close,” True said after Thursday morning’s practice. “We’ve only had a couple of defensive practices, but things look good for our defense. We’ve got some guys that can play this year, and they’re motivated. They’ve been working hard, started in the offseason in January in the weight room and it’s showing out here.”

Per Maine Principals’ Association rules, Mt. Ararat wore just helmets the first two days of practice before working in shoulder pads on Wednesday. Full-pad practices come Friday, and on Saturday the Eagles will host Stearns/Schenck in a scrimmage at Stadium Field.

“They’re excited,” True said. “We’ve got a lot of new guys, and we’ve got a lot of guys that haven’t played before, so I think there’s some curiosity how it’s going to go, as well as some of the guys that have played. But they’re eager to hit somebody else.”

New Brunswick girls soccer coach adjusts

First-year Brunswick girls’ soccer coach Kevin Bachman is eager to see his team compete. Bachman, who is taking over from longtime head coach Martyn Davison, is no stranger to the Midcoast soccer community. He previously coached the Morse boys’ program for three years in the 2000s. Furthermore, he’s coached many of his current players on club and travel teams.

“Just getting a feel for what systems were in place, what things I have to change, bringing my philosophies in versus what was here before,” Bachman said about the challenges of adjusting to a new role. “I know that’s a little bit difficult for people who are used to that, but the transitions been pretty good. The biggest challenge was just trying to find all the equipment.”

Numbers are down this season, with under 40 players in the program. The Dragons in years past have featured numbers in the 40s and 50s.

Bachman said he plans to have only 16 or 17 members on the varsity squad, saying he doesn’t want to promise a player a spot if they won’t get playing time.

“The team is first, for sure,” Bachman said Thursday morning. “We play to win, especially on varsity, and the goal is a state championship. Individual development is important, but the team supersedes all that. I think that mentality, if we stick with that, we will be successful.”

Mt. Ararat field hockey has youth movement

The Mt. Ararat field hockey program is filled with underclassmen. Twenty of the 27 players are either freshmen or sophomores, and all four goalies have never played the position in high school. Nonetheless, Coach Krista Chase is excited for the challenge.

“They know they’re young,” she said. “They know nothing will be easy this season. No easy wins, no guarantees, nothing. They’re going to have to work their tails off. They know that, they own that and they’re working very hard to make sure we are developing as a team with so much youth.”

Lydia Hiltz, the Eagles’ leading scorer in 2023 (20 goals) returns as one of leaders. She’ll move from forward to midfielder to help stabilize the field.

On Saturday, the Eagles will travel to Winslow to participate in the Central Maine field hockey play day. On Aug. 31, the Eagles will host their 10th annual Drive Out Cancer tournament, an eight-team round robin that aims to raise money for the Maine Children’s Cancer Program.

Morse ready to roll

According to head coach Mike Dutton, Morse golf will field “one of the biggest, if not the biggest” teams in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference. Last year’s squad of 26 has grown to 30, including 13 seniors. Dutton and assistant coach Rick Marco said they have the 10-member varsity team sorted out, but rankings will emerge over the next week.

The Shipbuilders will be led by senior Caleb Harvey and junior John Johnston, who placed 28th and 34th place, respectively, at the 2023 Class B championships. Morse did not qualify for the team state championship, which Dutton says left returning players disappointed but determined for this year.

Morse golf’s first match of the season is against Leavitt at the Turner Highlands Golf Course on Aug. 28. Their first home match at Bath Golf Club is Aug. 30 against Gardiner.