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.

The Pirate boys soccer team prepared for the start of the regular season on Sept. 2 by hosting Schenck High School on Aug. 22.

On Saturday, Aug. 19 at the Hyde School the Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance (MAWA) recognized Rich and Cindy Johnson of Dover-Foxcroft as the MAWA People of the Year for their outstanding dedication and support to the sport of wrestling in Maine.

The Maine Basketball Hall of Fame is following a predictable growth pattern. Its first classes, beginning in 2014, inducted the most obvious influences on the state’s most popular sport. Subsequent classes -- including the fourth edition that was inducted during ceremonies on Aug. 20 at the Cross Insurance Center -- are bridging the divide between more historical figures and standouts from recent eras.

On Aug. 10 JSI Store Fixtures, Inc. and the Three River Kiwanis Club of Milo and Brownville collected $27,500 through the 13th annual Clayton Johndro Memorial Golf Tournament at the Katahdin Country Club.

Congratulations go to the Gravel Crushers for winning the Piscataquis Regional YMCA Adult Co-ed Softball League on Aug. 13 as the team defeated Save-A-Lot in the championship game to complete another successful season.

Again in 2017 the Bun Run 5K kicked off the second annual Maine Red Hot Dog Festival on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 12 as over 50 runners took part on the course through town.