Like a lot of small towns in Maine, and many larger ones, Richmond loves its high school basketball, even when the weather stinks. Friday night it stunk.

The 20-mile ride from Augusta took me 15 minutes longer than usual as the speed limit on I-295 was lowered to 45 miles an hour because of snow and blowing snow. I saw a couple of cars off the road on the return trip but was surprised to see a full gym when I showed up in Richmond. I covered the boys game, which the host Bobcats won handily over Vinalhaven. The visiting Vikings, who play a two-game set Friday night and Saturday morning, won the preceding girls game.

They brought a good crowd over from the island, one that requires a 1 hour, 10 minute ferry ride to Rockland in good conditions.

"It's always fun when we play them," Richmond girls coach Molly Bishop said.
It helps that the boys have lost just a couple of games in past three years. This season, they're 4-0 despite a relatively new lineup. But they've always turned out to support their Bobcats in Richmond, snow or not.