Too bad every high school basketball game couldn't be as exciting and competitive as the Dirigo at Winthrop game Friday night. Then again, that's what separates these games from the regular season pack.

With Winthrop at 11-0 and Dirigo at 11-1, and a Div. I prospect on each team, the Winthrop gym was packed with fans, media and interested onlookers. Two radio stations covered the game along with two newspapers and a TV station. There was also a live stream on the Internet, courtesy of MBR gurus Tom Nolette and Carl Parker. University of Maine coach Ted Woodward was also there, presumably to watch 6-foot-8 Dirigo junior Thomas Knight and Winthrop senior point guard Sam Leclerc
Knight and Leclerc struggled in the first half, each perhaps trying to do a little too much. But both were around at crunch time and contributed key plays in this game won by Dirigo, 48-44.
The officiating from Jim Coffin, Dave Tourtelotte and Mr. Pelletier (I don't know his first name) was excellent. They were on top of every call and kept the game moving along. Pelletier's offensive foul call on Leclerc with four seconds left was right on the money, at least from my vantage point.
There's a good chance these teams will meet again next month in the Western Maine Class C tournament at the Augusta Civic Center. I can't wait.