Joe Johnson gets his opportunity to be a basketball head coach this winter after years as a high school and college assistant. Scarborough High recently hired Johnson as its boys' varsity coach.

Johnson, 34, will incorporate a little of what he's learned at previous stops with his own ideas. With a resume that has coaching, teaching and playing, Johnson arguably brings more experience than an average first-time head coach.

"I've picked up a few things along the way," said Johnson.

As a University of Southern Maine assistant under Karl Henrickson, Johnson was involved in game strategy, practice planning, recruiting and fundraising. His full-time job is as a behavior transition teacher, working with at-risk students at Saco Middle School.

Johnson will find out more about his team when tryouts start Nov. 17. The Red Storm are entered in preseason tournaments at Greely and Southern Maine Community College.

Johnson replaced Matt Townsend, who resigned.

"I'm looking to build on the foundation that Matt established," said Johnson. "Scarborough has a beautiful athletic complex. It's an attractive job. I can't wait to get things started."

The Red Storm are in the process of hiring a junior varsity and freshman coach.

Johnson said he plans to play an up-tempo game.

"We'll use our speed and quickness to our advantage," he said. "We'll pick up teams full court defensively, and offensively we'll run a lot of motion."

A University of Maine at Farmington graduate, where he played for Coach Dick Meader, Johnson was an assistant to Joe Russo at Portland after college. He also was an assistant for the Portland girls one season. That was followed by four years as an assistant for Bob Davies at Thornton Academy and the last two at USM.

Johnson counts his past eight summers at the Pine Tree Basketball Camp, run by Colby Coach Dick Whitmore, as invaluable.

"There are a lot of top college coaches from Maine and elsewhere who attend. I've picked up a lot from working there," he said.

Johnson played football and basketball at Portland, and also coached football at Portland and Thornton Academy.

Johnson lives in Portland with his wife and their two children.

WAYNFLETE SENIOR Adele Espy won the 2007 regional and state Class C cross country titles by staying behind the leader until starting her kick. At the Western regional Saturday, nobody in Class C finished within 2 minutes of her.

"I had to learn something new," she said of running alone in front. "I'm used to it by now. It's relaxing, actually."

Espy is likely to be lonely again Saturday at the state meet in Belfast, where no girl in Class C broke 20 minutes in the Easterns. On a tougher course at Twin Brook in Cumberland, Espy won in 19:09.

THE FIRST SEASON of girls' hockey sanctioned by the Maine Principals' Association gets under way Monday with practices. The girls' teams are starting ahead of the boys' teams to help alleviate the demand for ice time.

There are 17 schools with MPA sanctioned teams. In the West they are Biddeford, Cape Elizabeth, Cheverus, Deering, Falmouth, Gorham, Portland, Scarborough and York. Competing in the East will be Brunswick, Greely, Leavitt, Lewiston, St. Dominic, Winslow, Winthrop and Yarmouth.

The first countable game will be Nov. 22. The regular season ends Feb. 2, followed by playoffs. The regional finals will be Feb. 11 with the state final Feb. 14.

Staff Writer Tom Chard can be reached at 791-6419 or at:

tchard@pressherald.com