Weekend features preseason tourneys

Thanksgiving weekend is a busy one for local sports teams as they prepare for the beginning of the regular season. Several basketball teams will be in action for preseason tournaments, with the Presque Isle hockey team also getting a tuneup at a tournament in Bangor.    On Friday and Saturday, the annual Tip-Off Classic at Caribou High School and Presque Isle High School will feature Waterville and Oceanside as the opponents.
At Caribou on Friday, the Vikings will host the Panthers at 6 p.m. for the girls and 7:30 p.m. for the boys, while in Presque Isle, the Wildcats will entertain the Mariners, who are based in Rockland at the same times.
The game times on Saturday at 11 and 12:30 p.m. and the opponents are swapped. Oceanside plays the Caribou girls in the first matchup, with Waterville and PI tangling on the Wildcats’ home floor, with the girls’ game first.
At Washburn Friday and Saturday, four local boys’ teams will take to the court. On Friday, Ashland plays Central Aroostook at 5:30 p.m., followed by Washburn meeting up against Easton at 7 p.m.
In Saturday’s contests, Ashland squares off against Easton at 5:30 p.m., with Washburn taking on CA at 7 p.m.
The sixth annual Holiday Face-Off High School Hockey Tournament will take place Friday and Saturday as well, with the venue being Sawyer Arena in Bangor.
The weekend of hockey features teams from Bangor (both varsity and junior varsity), Brewer, Camden Hills, Houlton, John Bapst, Old Town/Orono and Presque Isle. Three games will be played on Friday beginning at 6:10 p.m., with Saturday’s games beginning at 7:30 a.m. and continuing through 8 p.m.
Presque Isle will take on Houlton in its first game Saturday at 9:50 a.m. The Wildcats’ opponent at 1:20 p.m. will be Bangor, while Brewer and PI meet up in a 4:30 p.m. start.
Admission is $5 per person and concessions and a warming room will be available.
The preseason concludes Monday and Tuesday with the Central Aroostook Girls’ Preseason Tournament in Mars Hill.
Washburn plays Houlton at 5:30 p.m. and CA tips off against Ashland at 7 p.m. on the first evening of games. On Tuesday, Ashland plays Washburn at 5:30 p.m. and the Shiretowners-Panthers matchup begins at 7 p.m.