AUGUSTA — Edward Little High School is venturing into territory few Class A boys’ basketball programs ever explored.

The Red Eddies will play in the Eastern Class A championship game for the fourth consecutive February when No. 3 EL (19-1) confronts No. 1 Bangor (19-1).

Tip-off is set for approximately 8:45 p.m., or 20 minutes after the conclusion of the awards ceremony for the preceding Hampden-Messalonskee girls’ final.

Not even Bangor, arguably the most consistent Class A power in Roger Reed’s long tenure, may boast of that accomplishment during that span.

Bangor has multiple runs of three straight Eastern A finals appearances since the early 1990s. Lawrence (1980s) and Brunswick (2000s) have done it, also.

But no Class A program has reached the final four years in a row since Caribou (now in Class B) made the journey every season from 1980 to ’83.

“I don’t know,” EL coach Mike Adams said when asked if he could remember anyone enjoying such a run. “I know I’d like to get to three straight state games. That’s going to be a tremendous challenge.”

EL lost to Bangor in the 2008 championship before eliminating Bangor in both the 2009 and 2010 semifinals.

Last year’s encounter went to overtime before Yusuf Iman, currently a freshman on the University of Maine at Farmington team, drained a buzzer-beater for the Eddies.

The Eddies topped Lawrence and Brewer in the last two title games.

EL is 73-10 against Eastern Maine competition since seniors Bo Leary, Timmy Mains, Brandon Giguere, Cody Nicholas, Ben Armstrong, Luis Rovayo, Garrett Weldon and Cam Bradbury first walked through the doors of the high school.

“At this point it almost feels like it’s expected in a way,” Leary said. “It’s hard to live up to those expectations. We’re very fortunate that we have the players and a great team and the community to support us.”

Because the two schools play in different divisions in the gigantic KVAC and were not selected as cross-over opponents, EL and Bangor have not played each other since last year’s tournament.

Each team breezed through the quarterfinal round before encountering a pesky opponent in the semis.

Bangor clamped down defensively in the first half, allowing only 11 points before turning away a late Mt. Blue rally in a 41-34 triumph.

Tristan Thomas and Zach Blodgett often are Bangor’s go-to performers.

Mt. Blue held the tandem scoreless after intermission, but big men Josiah Hartley and Patrick Stewart and 5-foot-8 guard Luke Hettermann may have played their best collective half of the season to keep the Cougars at bay.

Likewise, career nights from complementary players were necessary for the Eddies to advance.

EL weathered a storm of 12 Hampden 3-pointers and foul trouble that plagued Leary, a Mr. Basketball semifinalist, en route to a 70-65 win.

As was the case all season, the Eddies’ first two playoff opponents deputized multiple defenders to guard and harass Leary.

That strategy had dire consequences. Mains, Nicholas, Giguere and sophomore Quin Leary all joined Bo Leary in double figures against Hampden.

It was a sign of EL’s continued and somewhat surprising growth.

Counting the Eddies’ undefeated 2007 team that suffered a quarterfinal upset against Hampden, EL in the last five years has graduated seven players currently playing college basketball.

“Unbelievable. It’s incredible. If you told me before the year started that we’d be back in the Eastern Maine finals, no disrespect to this group, but when you look at this group of players, I would have been thrilled,” Adams said.

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