The northern Maine high school basketball tournament won’t be the same this year

By Larry Mahoney, Bangor Daily News Staff

The northern Maine high school basketball tournament at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor won’t be the same this season.

That’s because Jerry Goss won’t be there. The personable and engaging Goss passed away suddenly on Dec. 7.

If you ever attended a boys or girls tournament game, you saw Goss.

He was one of the individuals responsible for running the tournament, along with Allan Snell. Goss was named the co-director of the tournament in 2012 after serving as the tournament’s floor manager for several years. He was tall and thin and was constantly walking around the Cross Insurance Center making sure everything was on-schedule and running smoothly.

It is a daunting task. It’s not just a matter of getting the teams on and off the court. You have bands, cheerleaders, referees, and media you have to attend to.

And the old Bangor Auditorium had its share of issues, including dead spots in the floor and a leaky roof that caused delays. The 2013 tournament was the last one at the Bangor Auditorium before it moved to the Cross Insurance Center.

Goss was right in the middle of dealing with the problems.

“He orchestrated everything for us,” said Mike Bisson, the assistant executive director of the Maine Principals’ Association.

“I thought the world of him. He never got shook up no matter how difficult things got. He was always even-keeled. There wasn’t a situation he couldn’t handle,” Bisson said. “His calm demeanor really helped in a high stress environment like the basketball tournament.”

He also said Goss had a pleasant way about him and that Goss will be sorely missed. 

Earlier this year, Goss was awarded the Larry LaBrie Award for his outstanding long-term contributions to the MPA’s interscholastic division. He had also served on the MPA’s Swimming and Basketball Committees.

Jody Grant has been a regular at the tournament with the Dexter Regional High School girls basketball team. He is in his 19th season at the helm.

“The tournament has always been a first-class, well-run operation,” Grant said. “When Jerry was involved, he always came and found the coaches before the game and made sure everything was all set. Then he wished us good luck.”

He said in all his years coming to Bangor for the tournament, he can’t recall one time when something wasn’t taken care of.

“I never found myself saying ‘what if this happens and what if that happens,’” he said, in reference to how well Goss prepared for the tournament.

Grant simply had to worry just about getting his team ready for its upcoming game.

Goss was a very knowledgeable sports fan with a good sense of humor. He was a joy to talk to because he always had some interesting tidbits and genuinely cared about you and your well-being. He thoroughly enjoyed being involved with the tournament and ensuring everyone was taken care of. He loved watching the games.  

He enjoyed virtually all sports and was a long-time coach. The Brewer native eventually became the principal at his alma mater and the four-time mayor in Brewer.

Goss cared deeply about his alma mater and community and was a very active participant for the Heddericg Field Revitalization Committee, which has provided Brewer with a multiple-sport artificial turf surface field, tennis and pickleball courts.

Current Brewer Athletic Director Dave Utterback said “was a great resource and mentor.”

His lengthy list of awards included Principal of the Year, Educator of the Year, and a public service award from the Bangor city council. He was president of a lot of organizations and served on several boards. He made a positive difference in thousands of lives.

He was a devoted and loving family man. He was the proud father of two sons with wife, Jean, who was the former secretary for the University of Maine men’s hockey program. Goss was also a grandfather of three.

A year ago, he had the pleasure of watching his granddaughter, Addison Goss, help lead her Bucksport High School girls soccer team to the Class C state championship.

Jerry Goss will not be present at the tournament this season, but his spirit will always be there and his contributions will never be forgotten.