Class A, B, C, D tournament quarterfinal matchups set

The Classes A, B, C and D schoolgirl quarterfinals have been established after preliminary round games were played on Tuesday night.
Quarterfinal round matchups fall into one of three categories: 1. Regional rivals that always play during the regular season; 2. teams from different regions that met in a crossover game or 3. teams that don’t meet during the regular season.
Sometimes, teams from the same region aren’t scheduled against each other.
The Class A matchups features four games pitting teams that did face each other during the regular season.
Two of the Class B quarterfinals involve teams that met during the season; just one C game will pit teams that collided during the regular season and none of the quarterfinalists in Class D squared off.
Here is a look at the matchups:
Class A, Augusta Civic Center, Friday
No. 6 Medomak Valley (11-7) vs. No. 3 Messalonskee (12-6), 3 p.m.: The defending state champion Eagles eked out a 45-44 win over Medomak Valley on Jan. 15. The Eagles come into the game with four wins in their last five games with their only loss coming to AA Edward Little of Auburn 47-44. Medomak Valley has lost five of its last seven.
No. 7 Nokomis (9-9) vs. No. 2 Skowhegan (14-4), 4:30: The Indians have registered two solid victories over the Warriors, 53-32 and 51-38. The junior-laden Indians are very athletic and enter the tourney with six wins in their last seven games. Nokomis has lost three straight but they were to Hampden Academy, Lawrence and Messalonskee by a combined 19 points. Nokomis beat Skowhegan in the semifinals last year.
No. 5 Brewer (11-7) vs. No. 4 Lawrence (11-7), 7 p.m.: Brewer posted a resounding 67-42 win over Lawrence on Jan. 11 and the Witches have won 11 of their last 14 games behind a senior-filled lineup. Lawrence owns an overtime win over top seed Hampden Academy among an impressive list of victories.
No. 8 Gardiner (9-9) vs. No. 1 Hampden Academy (16-2), 8:30: The senior-filled Broncos have won 13 of their last 14 games and own a 49-33 victory over Gardiner on Jan. 15. But Gardiner coach Mike Gray always has his Tigers well-prepared for the tourney as evidenced by his ninth-seeded team’s 2015 quarterfinal win over previously undefeated Mount Desert Island.
If Lawrence and Hampden Academy win, they would meet in the tourney for the third straight year.

Class B
Friday, Cross Insurance Center in Bangor
No. 6 Winslow vs. No. 3 Mount Desert Island (14-4), 5 p.m.: They did not meet during the regular season but both are coming in on a high. MDI has won five in a row, including triumphs over Aroostook County rivals Presque Isle and Caribou, while Winslow concluded its regular season with a 57-31 win over an MCI team that beat the Raiders by 17 points earlier this season.
No. 7 Waterville (14-5) vs. No. 2 John Bapst (14-4), 6:30: John Bapst went 4-3 down the stretch after a 10-1 start under first-year coach Chris Woodside but the Crusaders will have the home court advantage against a surprising Waterville team that did an outstanding job overcoming the graduation loss of high-scoring Jordan Jabar.
Saturday
No. 5 Presque Isle (13-5) vs. No. 4 Maine Central Institute (14-4), 10:35 a.m. : This is one of the most intriguing matchups of the tournament. Presque Isle is a perennial contender while MCI is making its first appearance in a quarterfinal in 17 years.
No. 8 Caribou (9-10) vs. No. 1 Hermon (16-2), 3:05: Hermon capped an strong 8-1 stretch run with a 47-41 win over John Bapst at the Cross Insurance Center on Feb. 6 which earned the Hawks the top seed. Hermon beat Caribou 56-41 on Dec. 9. Caribou snapped a five-game losing streak with a 53-40 win over Oceanside of Rockland in a prelim game.

Class C
Tuesday, Cross Insurance Center, Bangor
No. 11 Calais (14-5) vs. No. 3 Narraguagus (18-1): These Washington County rivals met twice during the regular season with eacgh winning on its home court. Calais won 50-42 on Dec. 16 but Narraguagus avenged the loss 61-51 on Feb.7. Both teams lost in the quarterfinals a year ago. Calais upset No. 6 Central Aroostook of Mars Hill 54-42 in a prelim game on Tuesday night.
No. 7 Fort Kent (13-6) vs. No. 2 Dexter (15-3), 11:05 a.m.: Defending regional champ Dexter has a youthful group fueled by three freshmen and will have its hands full with a Fort Kent team that beat No. 10 Fort Fairfield 51-35 in the prelims behind sophomore guard Desirae Hafford’s 21 points. They did not meet during the season.
No. 5 Central (17-2) vs. No. 4 Stearns (16-3), 7:05 p.m.: They didn’t meet during the season and are both coming off quality preliminary round wins as Central topped Penobscot Valley of Howland 46-23 and Stearns upended Hodgdon 65-36. Central lost in the Class B quarterfinals to Foxcroft Academy a year ago 52-44 while Stearns lost to Dexter in the C semis 47-44.
No. 9 Piscataquis Community High (15-4) vs. No. 1 Houlton (18-0), 8:35: PCHS had a noteworthy prelim win over a good Madawaska team and was a semifinalist a year ago. Houlton is a defending three-time regional champ, twice on B and once in C, and plays a tough schedule.

Class D
Saturday, Cross Insurance Center, Bangor
No. 6 Ashland (9-9) vs. No. 3 Deer-Isle Stonington (16-0), 7:35 p.m.: One of these teams will go further than they did a year ago as both were dispatched in the quarterfinals: Deer Isle-Stonington by Easton and Ashland by Shead of Eastport. Ashland played a tougher schedule than the Mariners.
No. 7 Schenck (10-9) vs. No. 2 Woodland (15-3), 9:05 p.m.: These teams were in Class C a year ago. Schenck lost in the prelims to Dexter while Woodland topped Fort Fairfield before losing to PCHS in the quarters. Woodland’s three losses all came to Class C schools. Schenck beat Easton in the prelims.
Monday
No. 5 Katahdin (10-8) vs. No. 4 Shead (10-8), 2:05 p.m.: Shead is the defending regional champ but was hit hard by graduation. Katahdin lost to Southern Aroostook in the quarterfinals in 2017. Shead had a four-game winning streak snapped by Woodland in the last regular season game. Katahdin had a two-game skein stopped by Southern Aroostook in its season finale.
No. 9 Jonesport-Beals (9-10) vs. No. 1 Southern Aroostook (16-2), 3:35: Southern Aroostook has been a team on a mission after losing to Shead 32-29 in the regional final. It only two losses were to Class C unbeaten Houlton. Jonesport-Beals upset No. 8 Washburn 49-38 in the prelims. J-B lost to Katahdin in the prelims a year ago.