AUGUSTA — It’s not the traditional start date, but the newly laid floors, smell of fresh chicken tenders and Maine Principals’ Association labeling on press row left no doubt: Tournament time is here.

Wednesday marked the start of play at the Augusta Civic Center with the first Class S South regional quarterfinal games. Here are four takeaways from the afternoon and evening.

A NEW TOURNEY BEGINNING

For years, Maine’s smallest schools started play on Monday of February break week or the Saturday leading into it. Not so this year, and with Forest Hills in school Wednesday, longtime boys basketball coach Anthony Amero had a sudden realization.

“I was teaching third-graders on the computer and I realize, ‘Wait, I’ve got to catch a bus to the Civic Center,’” Amero said. “It was different but I’ll tell you what: I think it’s great. Being here for an afternoon game instead of in the morning, our kids were amped. It felt like a championship game coming here.”

There were varying sentiments about the new arrangement as Class S teams came to Augusta. Some called the tournament feel similar, while others were less enthusiastic after having grown accustomed to the old Class D schedule.

A member of Greenville’s state title-winning girls team in 2020, Tiegan Murray has fond memories in Augusta. Even though the start is now a Wednesday and Class D is now S, Murray, now Greenville’s coach, feels the magic is still there.

“Having it not during break is a little weird, but it still feels like tourney time,” Murray said. “We were at school until 11 today, and then we had a pep rally and a little send-off. … I really like what they’ve done with Class S; it’s something we’re excited about.”

Although Forest Hills’ Jaxson Desjardins agreed with Amero, the reaction at Somerset County’s other Class S school, Valley, was different. Boys coach Mike Staples and senior Harry Louis said they preferred the old format, while girls coach Gordon Hartwell and sophomore Liana Hartwell called the Wednesday night game an adjustment.

“I think having school the same day made it a little bit different, but we just focused all day on being mentally ready to play,” Liana Hartwell said. “Once we got out here, we just stayed focused and played our game.”

A DESJARDINS LEGACY CONTINUES

The Desjardins family keeps cranking out shooters — and as was clear after one of Jaxson Desjardins’ many baskets Wednesday, it can be tough to keep track of them all.

After a Desjardins 3-pointer in the third quarter of the Forest Hills boys’ 77-55 win over Temple Academy, public-address announcer Mike Hopkins inadvertently referred to Jaxson as “Mason.” With the sophomore possessing the same scoring acumen as his older brothers, Hopkins’ miscue was understandable.

“I didn’t hear it, but we were laughing about it in the locker room when (my teammates) told me,” Desjardins said. “It’s really cool. I got to watch them and follow them around, and now that it’s my turn, they’re supporting me.”

Desjardins scored 36 points, hardly unusual for an underclassman who’s already reached 1,000 for his career. His success follows that of Parker, a 2,085-point scorer who graduated in 2021, and Mason, a 2023 graduate who finished with 1,682.

Like his brothers, Jaxson Desjardins is a premier shooter. The family has a shooting machine set up in its home, and the brothers put it to good use.

“Five hundred shots per night, that’s the goal,” said Desjardins, who hit five 3-pointers Wednesday. “You’ve just got to keep practicing at it — working at it as much as you can.”

VALLEY BOYS, GIRLS AS GOOD AS ADVERTISED

The Valley boys and girls entered the tournament as heavy favorites to win regional and state championships. They showed why, the boys beating Greenville 70-16 and the girls topping Rangeley 82-13.

The Valley boys (17-2) forced the Lakers into 27 turnovers, taking a 41-2 lead into halftime. The Cavaliers held Greenville without a point from the 3:33 mark of the first quarter to the 4:47 mark of the third.

“We are defensive-driven; our offense runs on our defense, and if we get stagnant defensively, we get stagnant offensively,” Staples said. “I preach to them constantly that we’ve got to get out there, shut them down, and that will drive our offense, and it does.”

What the Valley girls (18-1) did might have been even more impressive. The Cavaliers forced 37 turnovers and recorded 30 steals — 12 by Liana Hartwell — and led 53-1 at one point to cruise to the semis.

RANGELEY’S MOMENTOUS RETURN

Despite the loss, just being here was a huge occasion for the Rangeley girls. Formerly a powerhouse in girls basketball, the Lakers went three years without a team from 2022-25 before finally returning to the court this winter.

At the start of the year, Rangeley coach Chip Smith said, the Lakers were expected to be the one team in the nine-team class that didn’t make the tournament. Rangeley beat those odds, and now, reaching this stage can be a building block.

“For us to be back here where Rangeley lore has been, it’s huge for us,” Smith said. “I told the girls to cherish it because not everyone gets this opportunity. We got here, and next year our goal is to be back here and win a game.”