On Monday I had the pleasure of talking to an old friend and former competitor while watching a junior varsity girls basketball game at Boothbay Region High School.

Don Brewer, Wiscasset High School class of ’73, was a very good basketball player and is a finer person. He and I reminisced about our playing days on the basketball court, and although he was a couple of years older than me, I did compete against one of those powerhouse Wiscasset teams of ’72-’73 during my sophomore year.

I brought up those games Wiscasset played against the even more powerful Jonesport-Beals teams for the Class D championships – Dwight Carver, Rickey Fagonde, Coach Ordie Alley and the others. We both agreed that J-B could’ve beaten most of the teams in the state in ’73. And Don was right on when he said “We lost to them by six the first year (83-77) and they beat us by 23 the second year (100-77).”  Good memory. I have a hard time remembering the score of the one and only tournament game I played in against Gould Academy at Edward Little High School. J-B won five straight championships from 1970 through 1974.

Don also brought up the game where my former teammate, Phil Page, scored 41 points (still a school record) against them in (I think) 1972, but Wiscasset still won the game.

My greatest memory of playing Wiscasset was during my senior year, after we had lost to them about nine or 10 straight games and we finally beat them at BRHS. Of course, Don and most of his championship teammates had already graduated.

Yes, despite the “rivalry” between Wiscasset and Boothbay during playing days, friendships do happen. And we have a common bond — basketball — to thank.

Now it’s on to the tournaments in about 10 days. Enjoy the excitement.