The Houlton High School/Greater Houlton Christian Academy girls basketball team is currently in need of a coach. Ken Ervin resigned last Friday afternoon due to "personal reasons," as stated by Houlton athletic director Evan Clark. Ervin was in his second season coaching the team and declined to comment on the situation. Boys head coach Travis Gentle is currently coaching both teams. Clark mentioned that he has lined up some interviews and hopes to have a new coach before Christmas.

Last Season's Performance

Last season, Ervin led the Shires to a 7-11 regular season record in Class B North, earning them the 11th seed for the tournament. They were eliminated in the preliminary round by sixth seed Mount Desert Island with a score of 52-29. This shows that while they had a decent regular season, they faced challenges in the postseason.The Shires started this season on a rough note, going 0-4. Under Ervin, they had an 0-3 record with lopsided losses to Hermon (53-14), Caribou (60-19), and Presque Isle (59-14). These losses highlight the need for a new coach to turn the team's fortunes around.

Current Coaching Arrangements

Boys head coach Travis Gentle is currently handling both teams. This has presented some challenges as he has to divide his time and attention between the boys and girls teams. However, he has been on the bench for some of the recent games. Each team has two games remaining before Christmas, and Gentle will be able to be on the bench for both. His boys play at Presque Isle on Wednesday, and the girls don't play again until Thursday when they face rival Hodgdon.

Previous Coaching Histories

Two years ago, Houlton/GHCA was coached by Clyde Warman. He led the Shires to a 9-9 regular season record and a pair of tournament wins. However, they lost to Old Town in the semifinals. Before Warman, Shawn Graham spent 18 years coaching the Shires and compiled a 254-98 record. During his tenure, Houlton won four consecutive regional titles (2015-18) and state championships in Class C in 2015 and in B the following year. This shows the rich history and tradition of the girls basketball program at Houlton High School/Greater Houlton Christian Academy.

Current Team Situation

The current team has only 10 players and does not have a jayvee team. Five former varsity players did not come out for the team for various reasons, some due to injury-related issues. Despite these challenges, there is a lot of pride in the program, and Clark is confident that they will be able to land a quality coach. He also mentioned that there is plenty of support for the team.Both teams will travel to Bangor on Saturday for games against John Bapst. The boys game tips off at 1:30 p.m., and the girls game follows at 3 p.m. This will be an important test for the team as they look to improve their performance and build momentum.