Lake Region High School
Football
Coach: Charles Loverin (first season)
Last year’s record: 2-7, missed playoffs
2008 record (as of Sept. 9): 0-1, lost 47-0 to Wells
Key players: seniors Nick Marcella (QB) and Carlo Oliveira (DE/OL); junior Steven Gorden (HB); sophomores Michael Shea (LB/FB) and Adam Shane (LB/C)
Key games this season: Oct. 10 vs. Gray-New Gloucester; Oct. 31 vs. Fryeburg Academy
Season outlook: Loverin, a former varsity coach in Massachusetts, takes over a very young team with only five seniors on the roster. He’s coached many of the players at the middle school level and is working to install a new offense with multiple sets and a new defense. “When you’re young, there’s a lot to learn,” Loverin said. “You’re going to make mistakes when you’re putting in a new system.”
The league is tough and Lake Region has to play Mountain Valley, Cape Elizabeth and York on the road. Those games may not be pretty. But it will be a learning experience for the players and the new coach. The Lakers will try to lay groundwork for the future.
Boys soccer
Coach: Don White (second season)
Last year’s record: 4-7-3 in the regular season; lost in West B semifinals 1-0 to Freeport after defeating Oak Hill in the prelims and No. 1 Maranacook in the semifinals
2008 record (as of Sept. 9): 1-1
Key players: senior Jon Norris (center halfback); junior Matt Langadas (goalie)
Key games this season: Sept 11 at Falmouth; Sept. 16 vs. Yarmouth
Season outlook: The Lakers have made the playoffs the past three seasons and are coming off a nice postseason run that included an upset of top-seeded Maranacook a year ago. Langadas is a three-year starter in goal and has played an integral role in Lake Region’s recent success, which, besides the playoff win over Maranacook, includes a tie against Falmouth last year and a win over Yarmouth two years ago. The schedule is very tough and the Lakers don’t have a lot of varsity experience, but the goal is a .500 season and another postseason berth.
“The younger players will need to learn to adjust to the faster speed of play, and our whole team will need to focus on our defense through the season,” White said.
Girls soccer
Coach: Lynne Harrison
Last year’s record: 5-7-2 in the regular season, lost in West B quarterfinals to Maranacook on penalty shots
2008 record (as of Sept. 9): 0-1
Key players: seniors Andi Mitchell (midfield) and Kari Cowperthwaite (defense); juniors Meghan Craffey (forward), Devin Fitzgerald (defense) and Chelsea Meyers (goalie)
Key games this season: Sept. 12 vs. Falmouth; Sept. 29 vs. York
Season outlook: Many of the Lake Region juniors saw playing time a year ago as sophomores, so with the senior leadership of Mitchell and Cowperthwaite, along with the talented members of the junior class, the Lakers have a veteran core. The question will be how well the young substitutes can adapt to the varsity game. If the younger players can step up, Harrison believes the team will be very competitive and will be capable of challenging the top teams in the Western Maine Conference, such as York.
Field hockey
Coach: Dagny Leland (seventh season)
Last year’s record: 9-4-1 in the regular season, lost to Leavitt in West B quarterfinals
2008 record (as of Sept. 9): 0-1
Key players: seniors Cassie Ratigan (sweeper), Casey Chaplin (halfback), Angie Adams (midfield), Carolynne Skarbinski (midfield/forward), Dore’e Bell (forward), Lauren D’Ascanio (halfback/midfield), Emily Cassidy (sweeper/halfback) and Rachel Curtis (goalie); juniors Corey Lynn Morton (forward) and Kayla Shane (midfield/forward)
Key games this season: Sept. 13 at York; Sept. 27 vs. Greely
Season outlook: With a senior-laden group coming off a strong season a year ago, the 2008 season should be a good one for the Lakers. The offense is skilled and experienced. There are some new faces on defense and Curtis is starting in goal for the first time, but Leland said Curtis is already showing the ability to communicate and lead the defense.
The team will work on being more patient in the early going, according to Leland. She believes the team will continue to improve throughout the season, and she knows her team will play hard each game, no matter the opponent. “Some teams will be tough but you can count on the Lady Lakers giving it their all and pushing to the very end,” Leland said.
Cross country
Coach: Dan Dors (ninth season)
Last year’s finish: girls placed 11th and boys placed 12th in Western Maine Conference Class B regional meet; neither team qualified for the state meet
Key runners: boys – senior Chris Roy; girls – seniors Sarah Cutting and Elizabeth Horan
Key meets this season: Sept. 26 at Gray-New Gloucester with Yarmouth; Oct. 3 hosting Poland, St. Dom’s and Gray-New Gloucester
Season outlook: Keeping injury-free will be key for the Lakers, both the boys and girls. “Hopefully we can stay healthy,” Dors said. “If we can, I think we can surprise some teams.” On the boys side, Greely, Falmouth, Cape and York look like the frontrunners, Dors said, while for the girls, Fryeburg, Cape, Falmouth and Poland will likely lead the pack.
The goal for both teams is to place in the regional meet and qualify for the state meet. “Fifth through eighth place (at the regional meet) looks to be wide open, so we hope we can squeeze in there,” Dors said.
Golf
Coach: Art Kilborn (fourth season)
Last year’s record: 7-3, did not qualify for state team tournament
2008 record (as of Sept. 9): 0-1
Golfers to watch: seniors Kurt Peterson and Brandon Chase; sophomore Quinn Allen
Key matches this season: Sept. 22 vs. Gray-New Gloucester; Oct. 3 vs. St. Dominic
Season outlook: Allen qualified for the individual state tournament last season as a freshman and is the No. 1 golfer for the Lakers this year. Kilborn believes Peterson and Chase – and maybe others – are also capable of qualifying as individuals in 2008. Gray-New Gloucester is Lake Region’s toughest foe in the division; at the Western Maine Conference level, they’ll also deal with Falmouth, Cape and York. It won’t be easy, but a state tournament berth for the team is the goal for the Lakers.
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