"By the Numbers" has temporarily been relocated to the blog.

1 - loss each for the Cheverus and Thornton Academy boys basketball teams. Thornton handed Cheverus its first loss Tuesday.

9 - consecutive wins for the Marshwood girls basketball team, which started the season 2-5.

11 - wins for the Brunswick girls basketball team, fourth in this week’s Eastern A Heal points.

16 - goals given up this season by the Biddeford hockey team, which has scored 57 goals.

40 - points (24 goals, 16 assists) for Deering hockey player Nick Bartlett, Class A’s second-leading scorer behind Brewer’s Dylan Fitzpatrick (23-18).

The Maine Class A Coaches Association released this week's Class A ice hockey top-ten poll:

1. Biddeford
2. Lewiston
3. Kennebunk
4. Falmouth
5. Thornton Academy
6. Brewer
7. Waterville
8. St. Dominic
9. Brunswick
10. Portland

Others receiving votes: Bonny Eagle, Gray-New Gloucester/Poland, Deering

Greely forward Jesse Shavel gave props to freshman goalie Matt Labbe, who stopped 15 shots Tuesday in a 2-1 win over York in a Western Class B game at the Biddeford Ice Arena.

"He really kept us in it and for a freshman, that's huge," said Shavel, who scored both goals for Greely. "He's definitely picking it up and getting more confidence."

Four teams will meet Monday at the Cumberland County Civic Center to play in the second annual Fix Cup tournament, named after the late Frank Fixaris, one of the state's best-known sports broadcasters. The exhibition tournament began last year and is modeled after the legendary Beanpot Tournament in Boston.

Falmouth, the defending tournament champion, faces Kennebunk at 6 p.m. Monday, followed by Biddeford against Portland in the second semifinal.

The tournament semifinal is scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Civic Center, followed by the tournament championship game.

The Maine Class A Coaches Association released this week's Class A ice hockey top-ten poll:

1. Biddeford
2. Lewiston
3. Falmouth
4. Kennebunk
5. Brewer
6. Thornton Academy
7. Portland
8. Waterville
9. Brunswick
10. St. Dominic

Others receiving votes: Scarborough, Bonny Eagle

The Maine Class A Coaches Association has dedicated this season in memory of Bob Boucher, the former St. Dominic coach who died in April.

Players on the state's Class A teams will wear a sticker commemorating Boucher, who coached at St. Dominic for 25 years and leading the Saints to five state titles. Additionally, the Class A Coaches Association has designated its coach of the year honor as the Bob Boucher Coach of the Year Award.

... about several of the semifinalists for the James J. Fitzpatrick Trophy, given annually to the state's top senior high school football player:

Massabesic quarterback Jeff Elliott is a musician and a breeder of tropical birds, while Cheverus running back/defensive back Topher Pochebit participates in mock trial and is a science camp counselor.

And this year's winner, Lawrence quarterback Jack Hersom? Hersom became a quarterback because it meant he wouldn't get tackled by his older brothers during pickup games.

***

James J. Fitzpatrick is immortalized not only as an athletic achievement award but also in "The Iron Major," a 1943 motion picture that chronicled Frank Cavanaugh, Fitzpatrick's football coach at Boston College and a World War I veteran. In the movie, Fitzpatrick drop-kicked a field goal to give Boston College a 5-3 win over Yale in 1919.

Bangor hockey coach Ted Taylor and the Rams took the 2-hour trip down Interstate 95 Saturday to face Cheverus in one of its crossover games. Long trips are nothing new to the Rams, whose schedule includes games against Edward Little at Ingersoll Arena in Auburn, against Brunswick at Bowdoin College's Dayton Arena, against Lewiston and St. Dominic at the Colisee in Lewiston and against Cony at the Kennebec Ice Arena in Hallowell.

"Historically, we do better on the road," said Taylor, whose team left Bangor at noon for a 5 p.m. faceoff in Portland.

The average distance of a road trip for the Rams is about 80 miles, with the shortest trip across the Penobscot River to face rival Brewer. Remind me to check out Presque Isle and Houlton's trip logs sometime.

Check your calendars, kids. The start time of Saturday's Biddeford-Portland hockey game at the Portland Ice Arena has been rescheduled to 8:10 p.m.

***

Two Fitzpatrick Trophy facts, in preparation for Sunday's presentation of the honor, which goes to the state's top senior football player:

Before previous Fitzpatrick Trophy winners presented the award, presenters included former state governors, New England Patriots, a University of Maine chancellor and former U.S. Senator George J. Mitchell. You might be familiar with some of Mitchell's recent work regarding Major League Baseball, but also his work as the chairman of historic peace negotiations in Northern Ireland in 1998.

1996 was the first year that players from all three classifications could be considered for the award. Since then, only two winners have come from Classes B and C - the late Lee St. Hilaire of Winthrop in 2001 and Nick Tymoczko of Bucksport in 2004.

Wondering how tough the Portland hockey team's schedule will be over the next 2 1/2 weeks? Take a look:

Saturday: vs. Biddeford, 9:20 p.m.
Jan. 21: at Lewiston, 2 p.m. at the Colisee
Jan. 23: at St. Dominic, 8 p.m. at the Colisee
Jan. 26: at Cheverus, 7 p.m. (at the Portland Ice Arena - Cheverus is the designated home team)
Jan. 30: at Kennebunk, 4:30 p.m., Biddeford Ice Arena
Feb. 2: vs. Falmouth, 7 p.m.
Feb. 6: at Biddeford, 6:30 p.m., Biddeford Ice Arena

After Monday's snowstorm pushed back exams at Cheverus, the school readjusted its athletic schedule accordingly.

Cheverus' boys basketball game against Deering, originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. Jan 23 at Keegan Gymnasium.

The Maine Class A Coaches Association released this week's Class A ice hockey top-ten poll this afternoon:

1. Biddeford
2. Lewiston
3. Falmouth
4. Kennebunk
5. Brewer
6. Brunswick
7. Thornton Academy
8. Waterville
9. Portland
10. St. Dominic

Others receiving votes: Scarborough, Bonny Eagle

***

Cape is in the midst of arguably its most challenging stretch of the season, and dropped a 6-3 decision to York on Saturday at the Biddeford Ice Arena.

Cape faces Biddeford at 7 p.m. Monday before traveling to Aroostook County for games at Presque Isle and Houlton-Hodgdon, but Capers Coach Jason Tremblay isn’t losing sleep over Cape’s 1-3 record in the past week.

“We’re playing a lot of tough teams and we’ve been in one- or two-goal games and we’re just going to keep plugging, hopefully be in every game and at the end of the season, jump back into our division schedule,” Tremblay said.

He’ll lose minutes behind the bench, though – Tremblay was ejected from Saturday’s loss to York and will sit out Monday’s game against Biddeford.

Poland’s Nick Williams has been named the state’s Gatorade Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year, and is part of the inaugural Gatorade State Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year class.

Williams is a finalist for the Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year award, which will be announced later this month. Williams was the Class B champion and was named to the Maine Sunday Telegram’s All-State boys cross country team.

***

Yarmouth's Anna Makaretz has been named the state's Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, and is part of the inaugural Gatorade State Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year class.

Makaretz is a finalist for the Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year award, which will be announced later this month. Makaretz was the Class B champion and was named to the Maine Sunday Telegram's All-State girls cross country team.

***

The starting time of the Fitzpatrick Trophy banquet has been rescheduled to noon on Jan. 20 at the Holiday Inn By The Bay in Portland.

Patriots fans, you're in luck. There might be an AFC championship game worth watching later that afternoon if the Pats can get past Jacksonville this weekend.

***

The Maine Class A Coaches Association released its Class A ice hockey top-ten poll this afternoon:

1. Biddeford
2. Lewiston
3. Falmouth
4. Kennebunk
5. Thornton Academy
6. Waterville
7. Brewer
8. Portland
9. Brunswick
10. St. Dominic

Others receiving votes: Scarborough, Messalonskee, Lawrence

***

In Florida, Brandon High School's record of 459 dual meet wins ended Saturday when South Dade defeated Brandon 32-28 in the finals of the Jim Graves "Beat The Streak" tournament.

Brandon's winning ways stretched back to 1973 and included 18 state team championships.

***

To keep up with what's going on in Maine high school wrestling, go to www.mawaonline.org, the Web site of the Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance.

The next few weeks will test the mettle of the Cape Elizabeth hockey team. The Capers kick off a stretch of seven games that includes contests against Class A powers Biddeford, Scarborough and Kennebunk and two Western B opponents before heading to Aroostook County for a pair of games the weekend of Jan. 19.

Saturday: at Kennebunk, 9 p.m., Biddeford Ice Arena
Monday: 7 p.m. vs. Yarmouth
Thursday: 8 p.m. vs. Scarborough
Jan. 12: at York, 4 p.m., Biddeford Ice Arena
Jan. 14: vs. Biddeford, 7 p.m.
Jan. 18: at Houlton-Hodgdon, 6 p.m.
Jan. 19: at Presque Isle, 3:30 p.m.

Want to keep an eye on Class A's ice hockey teams? Go to www.mainehshockey.com to take a look at scoring leaders, team standings and the coaches/media poll.

***

Another New England community has been hit with budget issues that could affect high school hockey. In Montpelier, Vt., the school superintendent presented a budget proposal in December that, if passed, could eliminate the Montpelier High School hockey team, the high school dance program, teachers and courses.

The school board members will vote on the proposed budget Jan. 16. If approved, it will be put before voters on March 6.

***

Falmouth (4-0-1) and Biddeford (4-0) – second and third, respectively, in this week's Western Class A Heal points – meet at 8:15 tonight at the Family Ice Center in Falmouth.

The Somersworth (N.H.) ice hockey team won the inaugural Brian Doucette Memorial Holiday Tournament this past weekend in Rochester, N.H. Doucette's former team, Noble High, and Marshwood also played in the holiday tournament.

The tournament is named after Doucette, a former Noble and Berwick Academy hockey and football player who was killed in a car accident last January.

Doucette played youth hockey in the Somersworth-Berwick Youth Hockey Association.