This probably will not surprise you, but having worked as a fish biologist for around 30 years I’ve heard a lot of fish stories. Sometimes I say, “Wow, that’s unbelievable!,” when my inner monologue is really saying, “Ok, now this is just not believable … but I’ll keep smiling.”

This year’s Moose on the Run events will be Sunday morning, Oct. 8 -- organized by the town of Greenville -- with the 1K at 9:30 a.m. and 5K walkers and runners departing at 10 and 10:30 a.m. respectively.

When the boys soccer teams from Dexter Regional High School and Penquis Valley High School met for the first time in 2017, on Sept. 15 in Milo, the visiting Tigers earned a 4-0 victory over the team’s regional rival. During the rematch in Dexter nearly two weeks later on Sept. 28 Dexter equaled its Harris Field scoring output in the first half.

Despite having not played a game in nine days, the Foxcroft Academy boys showed no ill effects from the layoff as the team broke open a 2-1 contest with four goals in the second half to defeat Caribou High School 6-2 in a Class B North matchup on Sept. 27. With the victory the Ponies earned the team’s fourth consecutive win to move to 5-2 on the season.

Foxcroft Academy dominated in all phases of the game for the first 40-plus minutes during a Class B North field hockey contest on Sept. 22 vs. Old Town High School.

Bucksport High School took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown and came up with an interception on the ensuing possession during a Sept. 22 game, but host Foxcroft Academy responded with three touchdowns and then a field goal and another touchdown after the second trip to the endzone for the Golden Bucks to win the Class D North matchup 45-18.

U.S. Cellular has announced the top 50 nominees for its Most Valuable Coach program, and Luis Ayala from Foxcroft Academy -- who leads the Pony boys soccer and wrestling teams -- is among them. After thousands of nominations were submitted, these 50 coaches are now listed and can be voted on TheMostValuableCoach.com.

-Members of the Foxcroft Academy cross country team got to enjoy some home cooking as the team hosted a Penobscot Valley Conference meet on Sept. 15. Both the Pony boys and girls would finish third among respective fields of three schools with full teams.

Legendary Dexter Regional High School field hockey coach Margaret Veazie is having the time of her life. Not only did the Tigers enter a Monday game against Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln undefeated, two of Veazie’s assistant coaches are daughters Kristy (Staples) and Brittany (McAllister).

Three goals coming in nearly eight minutes early in the second half helped propel Central High School of East Corinth to a 5-0 Class C North field hockey victory over Piscataquis Community High School on Sept. 13.

The Greenville girls hosted Penobscot Valley on Saturday, Sept. 9 in the team's first home game of 2017, and the visiting Howlers won 3-0.

GREENVILLE -- The Moosehead Lake Chamber of Commerce’s second annual Fly-In 5K was run on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 9 as part of the International Seaplane Fly-In.

Rivalry games often are fueled by emotion and momentum, and both were working against Foxcroft Academy on Friday night, Sept. 8 after neighboring Dexter Regional High School had stunned the Ponies with a touchdown 73 seconds into the third quarter to claw back into contention.

A pair of third quarter touchdowns helped the Dexter Regional High School/Piscataquis Community High School cooperative football team (the squad was playing its first varsity game under the arrangement) pull away from Hancock County cooperative Ellsworth High School/Sumner Memorial High School of East Sullivan and earn a 28-13 victory in a mutual season opener on the afternoon of Sept. 2.

The backfield trio for the Madison Area High School/Carrabec High School cooperative football team ran for over 150 yards apiece and accounted for all seven touchdowns as the visiting Bulldogs won a mutual 2017 opener 49-28 at Foxcroft Academy on the evening of Sept. 1.

Over the last four years, Foxcroft Academy football coach Danny White has welcomed the challenges playing in Class C North had presented his Ponies. This fall, with its drop to Class D, Foxcroft is going home, so to speak, to the Little Ten Conference.

Foxcroft Academy looked ready for the start of the regular season in less than a week as the Ponies defeated Belfast Area High School 35-6 in a preseason football contest on Aug. 25. The Ponies scored four touchdowns in the first half, with three coming through the air, and kept the home team off the scoreboard until the final play of the game when both squads had reserve units in.

As August fades away and we roll into the vibrant colors of fall, the fishing is sure to improve. I often think of September as the “playoffs” for salmon and brook trout fishing in the Moosehead Lake region.