Former University of Maine Assistant Basketball Coach Ed Kohtala has gotten his Bangor Rams out to an excellent 4-1 start with 4 consecutive victories after losing to a tough Hampden Team in the opening game of the season.

Bangor with no starters returning and with little real game experience except for Alex Campbell the Rams have reeled off 4 straight wins over Messalonskee, Skowhegan, Brewer and Brunswick. Brewer and Brunswick were back to back day games this past weekend with Brewer at home on Friday and then traveling to Brunswick on Saturday.

Bangor’s strength right now seems to be 3 point shooting and defense and the ability to comeback when behind in games as several of their wins have been comebackers.

Early voting in the KVAC North would certainly have to have Coach Kohtala the leading candidate for coach of the year honors.

After all he had no time to work with his team this past summer as he wasn’t hired to replace longtime legend, Bangor Coach Roger Reed until late August,

Then because of the new mpa rule that coaches cannot even pay, to attend fall Maine Athletic Club run by Mark leClerc, to watch their players play in the fall league on Sundays, he had only 3 weeeks to pick his team and get ready for the opening game.

He had just 15 days and right now it looks like he has more than met the challenge that several other Eastern Maine Coaches faced, but he is the only one at this time with a winning record that were found in this same situation.

Congratulations to the Rams and their new coach for an excellent pre-Christmas start.