As the regular season for winter sports comes to a close, it’s a time to look back and realize that York County teams gave a lot of fans reason to cheer.
From basketball to hockey, wrestling to swimming, York County athletes and teams performed at tremendously high levels and made a lot of noise during the past three months.
It’s difficult to figure out which group to start with, but we’ll begin with the Old Orchard Beach boys basketball team.
The Seagulls started the season in a rut, going 1-7. Then, something clicked in mid-January. The Gulls went 7-1 to finish the regular season ”“ and they didn’t just beat teams, they crushed them. One of those wins included a 41-point victory against Sacopee Valley on the road. Sacopee had beaten OOB by one point earlier in the season at Old Orchard Beach.
The Seagulls rode their winning ways to the Western Maine Championship final, beating out No. 3 Boothbay Region, 78-48, and No. 2 Waynflete, 63-42, along the way.
Unfortunately for the Gulls, their season came to end when they lost to eventual Class C champ Dirigo in the regional final game.
Despite that loss, coach John Regan should be proud of what his team accomplished.
Old Orchard Beach was not alone in overcoming low expectations. The Biddeford Tigers, led by Southwestern Maine Activities Association Player of the Year Bobby Cote, reached the Western Maine Class A semifinals. They lost to eventual Class A champion Deering, but Biddeford gave Tigers’ fans a good showing.
Cote was the best league player all year, averaging more than 23 points per game. The Tigers, as a team, also pulled off a major upset when they beat one of the SMAA’s top teams, Bonny Eagle, 69-62, on the road.
The Tigers didn’t have a lot of size, but once again coach Mike Fecteau got his team to believe in itself and play the “Biddeford way,” as he said at the end of the season.
The Wells girls and boys basketball teams also gave Warriors fans a treat as both schools overcame youthfulness and injuries as they qualified for the Western Maine Class B tournament.
The Wells boys played the entire season without senior Paul McDonough, who was injured during the state championship football game and couldn’t play basketball. Despite a slow start to the season, the Warriors finished 12-8 and reached the regional quarterfinals.
The Warriors’ girls played mostly freshmen and sophomores this season. Prognosticators didn’t pick the girls to do much, but they proved critics wrong. This team reached the Western Maine Class B quarterfinals and finished the season 14-6. The team’s most memorable win came at Cape Elizabeth in January. The Warriors trailed 22-6 at halftime, but held Cape to only four points in the second half and won 33-26.
Basketball wasn’t the only bright spot for area teams this winter.
In track and field, Thornton Academy’s Marie Vermund won a Class A state title in the long jump, and teammate Carly McKenna won a Class A title in the high jump. It was Biddeford’s Ashley Belanger, however, who made the biggest headline at the state meet. The Tigers junior, competing in only her second year at the shot put, won the Class A title.
In wrestling, Wells’ Colin Sevigny won the Class B crown in the 120-pound weight class. Ethan Gilman won the 126-pound Class A title, and teammate Trevor Burns won the 145-pound title.
As a team, Massabesic finished second to Class A champion Marshwood.
York County victories were found in the swimming pool as well this season: Thornton Academy’s Tyler Goulden was at it again as he defended his Class A diving crown. He wasn’t alone. Kennebunk’s Tori Leonard also repeated as the Class A diving champ on the girls side.
Let’s not forget about the collegiate athletes in the area. The University of New England women’s basketball team won 20 or more games for the third straight year and won the Commonwealth Coast Conference regular season title. The Nor’easters also earned a bid to the NCAA Division-III tournament where it lost to Johns Hopkins in the first round on Friday night.
The year might finish with a team championship for York County, however, as one team remains in a title hunt. The Thornton Academy boys hockey team has rolled to a 19-1-1 record and is playing in the Western Maine Class A title game tonight against Falmouth.
Thornton won its first ever Class A title last season. If it beats Falmouth tonight, it will play Saturday in the state title game.
Regardless of what happens this week with the Golden Trojans, it sure was one great and fun winter season in York County.
An earlier version of this story was published with an error. This version reflects the correction(s).
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Today’s editorial was written by Sports Editor Al Edwards on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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