By Kevin Mills,Staff Writer

AUGUSTA – Kevin Jenkins drives on the Maine Turnpike, looking forward to a fishing getaway just miles up the highway.

As he passes the various Augusta exits, he inevitably feels close to home. Just off the highway and through the trees, the Augusta Civic Center would appear.

“I’d go fishing up North, and I’d drive by and I’d look out and see the place,” said the veteran Gorham boys’ basketball coach. “I’d think I can’t wait to get back here.'”

Traveling to the ACC is an annual tradition for Gorham. Jenkins says his team has played more than 50 games in the building in 19 of his 21 years as coach. The girls team has made the playoffs 16 of the last 20 years and been to Augusta 10 times in the last 11.

That all ends this week. Gorham will move to Class A next year and play its tournament games at the Cumberland County Civic Center.

“For me personally, I’ve been coming here for 20 years,” said Jenkins. “So for me, it’s going to be a big change and for a lot of the community and the parents that have been up here for years. For the players, it’s a much shorter term. So they don’t have that history. But, I really love this venue. It’s a great place to play. It’s just the right size. There’s a lot of good memories here.”

Even without the rise in enrollment, Gorham would be playing its final games at the ACC. The Western B tournament joins Western A next year in Portland.

The other major change will feature the Eastern A tournament joining the Western C and D games in Augusta.

Jenkins says the changes make sense, and actually benefits his team, giving them a shorter drive to the venue in Portland.

“We’ll miss coming up here, that’s for sure,” he said. “It’s a double change for us because we’re not only moving south, but also moving out of the B tournament.”

That’s why Paul True is especially excited about his opportunity to coach at Lake Region this year. The former Fryeburg Academy standout had been coaching the Skowhegan girls’ before moving West to take the Lakers job. His club gets a crack at the regional title Friday before it joins the Western B field in Portland next year.

“It’s been special,” said True. “I grew up in this building and played in this building in high school. I was a little leery going to the Bangor Auditorium and coaching there. This, it’s pretty special for me. I’ve been away for a long time.”

True’s father was the former president of the MPA. That meant Paul spent a wealth of time on the floor at the ACC. After taking his Indians to the Eastern A tournament in Bangor, it’s a change to be back in Augusta.

“The atmosphere is so different in this building,” said True. “In Bangor, they’re right on top of you. The seats are right on the floor.I don’t know what kind of impact that will have on this arena.”

Eastern A heads south

Eastern A teams will make the same transition next year. Cony center Katie Rollins has played numerous games at both sights. The Rams are an annual presence in Bangor and host their Christmas tournament in Augusta.

“You can’t really get away from the tournament mood and the tournament atmosphere,” said Rollins. “Bangor is a one-of-a-kind arena though. It’s a great atmosphere. It had so much tradition for so many generations. I think that will definitely be a change. I’m kind of glad that it’s the last year in Bangor and also my last year. I’m glad I’ll still be able to play there.”

How the new tournament schedule will unfold next year has yet to be determined. Mike Burnham, the new tournament director at Augusta Civic Center, says that a new basketball committee will have to be formed.

“We’ve had a lot of discussion about it this week, but nothing has been determined,” said Burnham.

Andrew Dolloff, principal at Scarborough and Western A committee member, says he has a schedule drawn up and expects to present it to the committee members in March for review. He says it attempts to rotate the schedule over a four-year period to help highlight the various classes.

Replacing Class B schools with the larger Class A programs will create a number of logistical problems that will have to be dealt with in Augusta. The Eastern A tournament has often had split sessions in the afternoon and evenings to allow for larger crowds. The Western A tournament tried that last year to accommodate crowds. While the current schedule is likely to be altered, the influx of the larger schools should bring more excitement to the venue as well.

“I think Cony will have a 100-times more fans with it being so close,” said Rollins. “With Class A schools having bigger populations and much more fans, it will make the excitement grow.”

It might take some getting used to for Class A teams accustomed to the Auditorium. Rollins says the biggest differences between the two courts are the depth perception because of the space behind the baskets in Augusta and the seating, which feels right on top of you in Bangor.

“I think it might take some getting used to for some teams,” said Rollins. “It’s going to be a different atmosphere, but I think it will turn the Civic Center into something just like Bangor.”