A week of memorable action and dodging raindrops concluded with a familiar state champion and just one city squad still alive in its title hunt.
With the spring sports season set to conclude Saturday, here’s a detailed look back at an unforgettable stretch of games:
Tennis
Waynflete’s Henry Kerr competes in the first singles match during the Flyers’ victory in last week’s Class C state final match. Shawn Patrick Ouellette / Portland Press Herald
Every spring since 2008, with the exception of 2020, when COVID wiped out the season, Waynflete’s boys’ tennis team has brought home a Class C state championship.
And 2023 was no exception.
The Flyers, ranked second in Class C South after a 10-2 regular season, beat No. 3 Spruce Mountain (5-0) in the semifinals, then ousted No. 4 Carrabec by the same score in last Monday’s regional final, played at Apex Racquet and Fitness in Portland.
Waynflete lost only two games outside of the No. 1 singles match, where senior Henry Kerr outlasted Carrabec senior Luke Carey 6-3, 7-5.
“You feel it a little bit,” Kerr said, of the pressure to extend the longest team-sport championship in Maine high school history. “We try not to talk about it and just take each match as it comes.”
Sophomore Theo Demetriou and senior Matt Adey posted singles shutouts. In doubles, juniors Max Shurman and Basil DiBenedetto won 6-1, 6-0, the same score as the one posted by teammates Jeff Adey and Charlie DiNapoli at second doubles.
“We are fortunate to have eight good ball-strikers, but you’ve got to know three things: how to hit the ball, where to hit the ball and where to move after you hit the ball,” said longtime Flyers coach Jeff Madore.
In the state final last Wednesday, also held indoors in Portland, Waynflete won its 15th successive crown, beating Orono, 5-0, to finish 13-2. In the process, the Flyers set a new state record, exceeding Old Town boys’ swimming’s 14 consecutive championships, set between 1985 and 1998.
The Flyers got doubles victories from DiNapoli and Jeff Adey at No. 2 (6-2, 6-0) and Shurman and DiBenedetto at No. 1 (6-2, 6-2). In singles, Kerr won 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1, Demetrious won 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (5) at No. 2, and Matt Adey won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3.
“There’s a lot of schools that get a lot of talent that don’t win 14-15 championships,” Matt Adey said. “We have been fortunate with getting skilled tennis players, but Jeff has really done a good job of putting us in good positions, keeping us competitive in practice and making us work for our spots.”
Waynflete’s girls, ranked fifth in Class C South, had knocked off No. 4 Boothbay Region (3-2) and top-seed Spruce Mountain (4-1) in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, but in last week’s regional final, the Flyers dropped a 3-2 decision to eventual champion Maranacook to wind up 9-6.
Waynflete swept the doubles matches in straight sets, with Anna Farmer and Jenny Morrill winning by shutout and Sara Levenson and Elefe Angle by 6-2, 7-5, but the Flyers couldn’t produce a win at singles and fell just short.
Boys’ lacrosse
Waynflete’s two-time reigning Class C state champion boys’ lacrosse team, ranked first for the postseason, had no trouble with No. 9 Gray-New Gloucester/Poland in Saturday’s state quarterfinals, rolling to a 13-0 victory behind six goals from Seth Cloutier and two goals apiece from Roan Hopkins and Jacob Woodman.
The Flyers (13-2) host No. 4 Oak Hill (9-6) in the state semifinals Wednesday at a time to be announced. Waynflete knocked off the visiting Raiders, 11-4, May 2. Waynflete is 4-1 all-time versus Oak Hill in the postseason, with an 8-4 victory in last year’s semifinals the most recent.
If the Flyers advance to the state final for the fourth time in five years, they will meet either No. 2 Wells (13-2) or No. 3 North Yarmouth Academy (10-5) Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland at a time to be announced. Waynflete downed the visiting Warriors, 6-4, back on April 14 and beat them in the teams’ lone prior playoff encounter, 21-10, in the 2013 Western B quarterfinals. The Flyers also defeated the visiting Panthers this year (3-1, in a weather shortened contest June 3) and are 3-1 all-time versus their rival in the playoffs, with last year’s epic 9-8, double-overtime victory in the Class C state final the most recent.
Deering and Portland also qualified for the playoffs and bowed out in the state preliminary round last week.
The Bulldogs, seeded eighth in Class A, dropped a 15-5 home decision to No. 9 Noble/Sanford to finish the season 7-8.
Deering, ranked 11th, was knocked off by No. 6 Windham, 16-8, to end up 6-9. Freshman Joey Foley had four goals, Andrew Burke added three and goalie Vinny Cavallaro made 13 saves.
“This is a good step in the right direction,” Foley said. “I do think we can build on this because we have a very young team.”
“From where we were day one of this year to where we are now, I’m very proud,” said Deering coach Geoff Arris. “(Windham) has a lot of upperclassmen, a lot of experience, tournament experience and they’re ready to roll. We’re so young. The future’s bright at Deering. We got ourselves on the map.”
Girls’ lacrosse
Waynflete’s Lydia Birknes (7) and Skylar Harris smother an NYA ball-handler during Saturday’s double-overtime loss in a Class C state quarterfinal. Michael Hoffer / The Forecaster
On the girls’ side, Waynflete, which was 1-7 at one juncture this season, surged into the playoffs on a six-game win streak, then, as the No. 7 seed, had no trouble with No. 10 Traip Academy in a Class C state preliminary round game last Wednesday, rolling to a 16-7 victory. Lydia Birknes and Tilsley Kelly both scored five goals and Skylar Harris added four.
Saturday, the Flyers went to No. 2 NYA, the reigning state champion, and in a microcosm of their season, dug an early hole, then roared back. Waynflete was down 4-0 early and 7-3 at halftime, but rallied to tie the score at 7-7, then after the Panthers went back on top, got two quick goals from Kelly to even it up at 10-10 and force overtime. There, a first, three-minute, “sudden victory” session didn’t produce a goal. Early in the second OT, Kelly (who had a game-high six-goals) had a look at a shot that would have capped one of the most inspirational wins in the history of the storied program, but it was denied. NYA then scored at the other end to prevail, 11-10, and ended the Flyers’ campaign at 8-8.
“The girls are amazing,” longtime Waynflete coach Cathie Connors said. “We left everything on the field. There’s nothing more they could have done. We just couldn’t get the goal in overtime. We started slow, but that happens. These girls are never out of it and they never give up. They worked as a team. We talked about how we’ve been behind before and women’s lacrosse is so amazing because you can score four quick goals and it’s never over until the final second.”
Waynflete parts with six seniors, but returns a lot of talent, especially on offense.
While the sting of this loss will remain, don’t be surprised if the Flyers parlay it into a championship run in 2024.
“We’re going to have a very solid team next year,” Connors said. “We have a lot to look forward to.”
In Class A, Cheverus and Portland took part in a thriller of their own in a prelim last Tuesday.
The eighth-ranked Bulldogs went up 5-2 early and held a 5-4 advantage at the half, but the ninth-seeded Stags seemingly took control with four straight goals to start the second half. Cheverus clung to a one-goal lead late, but Phoebe Knoll tied the score with 1:42 on the clock. Portland, which beat the Stags in overtime in the regular season, then had a chance to win it, but turned the ball over and with just 14 seconds to go, Reese Belanger scored her fourth goal (from Mackenzie Cash) to give Cheverus a palpitating 11-10 victory. Lucy Johnson led the way with six goals and goalie Elle Cooney made 14 critical saves.
“The ball went loose, Kenzie picked it up, I saw the opening and I went through and she hit me,” Belanger said. “It felt good.”
“I’m glad it didn’t go to overtime this time,” said Cooney. “I was stressed enough with 14 seconds left. This really boosts our morale to continue on. It brings us together. It was a complete team effort. Everyone hustled today.”
“It was definitely nerve-wracking, but we kept our composure and we played our game,” said Johnson. “We did really well off the draw control and contained ourselves on defense. We really executed well.”
“It’s amazing,” added Stags coach Sarah Varney. “I’m really proud of the team. This was so fun. This was our season. We’ve climbed out of deficits all season long. We had two overtime losses this season, so to finally have a game like this go in our favor is a testament to the girls and their heart.”
Cheverus then was blanked by top-ranked Kennebunk (18-0) in Saturday’s quarterfinal round to wind up 9-7.
Portland got three goals from Elizabeth Littell and two apiece from Knoll and Eliza Stein in the loss to the Stags, as they finished the year 9-6.
“It was a fun rematch and, although we didn’t come out on top this time, I really appreciated the tenacity from both teams,” said Bulldogs coach Beth Broderick.
Portland graduates 11 seniors, including its goalie and some of its top goal producers.
“We’ve grown a lot as a program,’ Broderick said. “There are more students trying lacrosse and they are coming for the culture these teams are building. This year, it wasn’t enough to get us to through the playoffs, but I believe the seniors are walking away with something more valuable than a record or outcome on the scoreboard. I’m grateful for the leadership on and off the field that celebrated kindness and effort.”
Portland’s cupboard won’t be bare next spring and you can expect another competitive team to make a run.
“We’ll be rebuilding again next year but the Bulldogs love a challenge and have plenty of hustle on reserve,” Broderick said.
Baseball
Cheverus’ Reis Stamaris is tagged out at home during last week’s Class A South quarterfinal round loss to Falmouth. Ben McCanna / Portland Press Herald
Cheverus’ baseball team, seeded eighth in Class A South, blanked No. 9 Noble, 3-0, in last week’s preliminary round, as Matt Connor threw a four-hit shutout, striking out eight. Devin Kelly had two hits and two RBI, while Noah Kennedy-Jensen and Lucas Soutuyo also had a pair of hits.
Friday, the Stags took on top-ranked Falmouth in the quarterfinals, in a contest moved to The Ballpark at Old Orchard Beach due to poor conditions on the Navigators’ field. Cheverus gave Falmouth all it could handle, grabbing an early 2-0 lead and after falling behind, 5-3, nearly tying the score on a line drive by Kennedy-Jensen with runners on second and third in the sixth, but a diving catch in the outfield squashed the rally and the Stags lost, 6-3, to finish 10-8. Soutuyo and Reis Stamaris doubled, Brian Connolly had a pair of hits and Connor, who was able to start due to the game being delayed a day by rain, battled throughout and only gave up three earned runs.
“We pushed (Falmouth) hard,” Stags coach Tony DiBiase said. “They’re a really good team. I thought we gave them a good game. I told the kids if you walked in the ballpark and didn’t know anything, you wouldn’t think it was a 1-versus-8 game. I give a lot of credit to Matt coming back on two days rest. He wanted to keep going. He didn’t have his best stuff, but he showed guts. Playing today helped us because (Matt’s) one of the best pitchers in the league. He wanted to go. He had a great year.”
Cheverus returns most of this year’s key contributors and hopes to build on Friday’s effort in 2024.
“We have seven guys coming back and two or three pitchers coming back and as long as they work hard, they should be effective,” DiBiase said.
Waynflete/NYA’s Cal Nice crushes a home run during last week’s quarterfinal round playoff win over Mt. Abram. Michael Hoffer / The Forecaster
In Class C South, the Waynflete/NYA co-op squad, ranked fourth, made history in the quarterfinals last Thursday by outlasting No. 5 Mt. Abram, 9-6, to reach the semifinals for the first time. Tanner Anctil and Cal Nice each had three hits, including a home run, Nice drove in four runs and Anctil scored three runs. Cole Lambert earned the victory, Cooper St. Hilaire pitched two innings of relief and Daxton St. Hilaire got the final three outs for the save.
“It means a lot,” said Nice. “We’ve been a good team for a few years now and we haven’t been able to get past this round. We’re really strong this year and we have a really good team with a lot of chemistry. We’re very confident in what we can do. I was confident the whole time. We had a couple missed balls, but I believe in our pitchers and fielders and I knew our bats would get it done.”
“This group comes out and fights every game and it took a team effort,” said Anctil. “It was a good team win today.”
“Our goal at the start of the season was to get further than we did last year,” added Waynflete/NYA coach Paul Grazia. “Last year, we were happy to get to (the quarterfinals) and we fell short. We’re so happy to take that next step this year. Our seniors have had tough playoff losses, so I’m so happy for them to get into the next round.”
Saturday, Waynflete/NYA went to top-ranked, undefeated Sacopee Valley, a team that it had lost two twice this spring by the 10-run mercy rule, and nearly sprung the upset of the tournament. Cooper St. Hilaire blanked the Hawks for five innings and Waynflete/NYA went on top with two runs in the top of the sixth, as Jack Byrne hit an RBI single and Cayleb Violette walked with the bases loaded. After Sacopee Valley tied it up with two runs in the bottom of the sixth, Waynflete/NYA scored a run in the top of the eighth on an error, but just three outs away from the regional final, the magic ran out, as the Hawks scored twice to prevail, 4-3, and end Waynflete/NYA’s fine season at 14-4.
“We have such a wonderful group of student-athletes and coaches and administrators who have helped put this together,” Grazia added. “Without the cooperation of both schools, it wouldn’t be possible. The kids have really bought into what we’re doing. We’re pretty even with players from both schools. They might compete against each other fiercely in other sports, but they come here and we’re one team.”
Softball
Cheverus pitcher Ashley Connor approaches catcher Bella Napolitano after striking out a batter to end the game against Marshwood in a Class A South softball preliminary playoff game last week. Ben McCanna / Portland Press Herald
Cheverus’ softball team, ranked ninth in Class A South, won a playoff game last week for just the fourth time in program history, knocking off No. 8 Marshwood, 11-6, in the preliminary round. The Stags fell behind quickly by scores of 3-0 and 5-2, but roared back. Madison Bunnell-Parker had three hits and two RBI, including driving in the go-ahead run, Delia Tremble added three hits and Ashley Connor earned the victory.
“I was kind of more dialed (in), there was less stress on my back to not let them get any runs,” Connor said. “Without that stress, I could breathe a little.”
“It’s crazy,” said Bunnell-Parker. “It was a new experience and it felt awesome.”
Cheverus then battled top-ranked Biddeford in the quarterfinals, but finished 9-9 after an 11-6 setback. The Stags fell behind 10-0, but came back to make things interesting. Bunnell-Parker and Hailey Lamontagne each hit a single and a double and Connor belted a triple.
Outdoor track
Bangor was the site Saturday for the outdoor track New England championships.
Portland’s 4×800 relay team (Charlie Brewer, Charlie Jacques, Elias Coleman and Jason Hargesheimer) came in eighth with a time of 8 minutes, 7.91 seconds. Myles Hang came in 10th in the 110 hurdles (15.19 seconds). Nathan Blades finished 13th in the mile (4:23.21). Andrew Johnson was 14th in the javelin (149 feet-9 inches). Hargesheimer placed 17th in the 300 hurdles (41.74).
In the girls’ competition, Portland’s Anneliese Collin finished 11th in the 300 hurdles (46.1). Ava Chadbourne was 18th in the two-mile (11:40.32). The Bulldogs’ 4×400 relay squad (Iman Alaari, Alisandra Lindos, Imas Alaari and Collin) finished 11th (4:09.87). Portland’s 4×100 relay team (Joy Mba, Iman Alaari, Adong Vincent and Inas Alaari) came in 17th (51.6).
Deering’s Lara Gin was 16th in the 400 (1:00.45).
Press Herald staff writers Drew Bonifant, Steve Craig and Glenn Jordan contributed to this story.
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at [email protected].
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