When Falmouth guard Thomas Coyne went down with an injury before the season, Jack Simonds knew he would have to assume more of the offensive load for the Yachtsmen. Simonds averaged 16 points per game as a junior, but he’d be asked to do more for a team that hoped to contend in Western Class A.

“I knew I had to become more aggressive,” said Simonds. But he wasn’t going to deviate from what he likes most about basketball – the team.

“The team always comes first,” said Simonds, named the Maine Sunday Telegram’s Player of the Year.

“Coach (Dave) Halligan always stresses that. That’s a main reason why I loved playing for him.”

In his three previous seasons, Simonds was teamed with several other scoring threats. As the main option this winter, the 6-foot-6 forward increased his scoring average to 23.4 points. He also averaged 10.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists.

And Simonds was even better in the postseason. He tied the Western Class A tournament record with 42 points against South Portland in the semifinals, and won the Vinall Trophy as the tournament’s top player/sportsman, even though Falmouth lost to Portland in the regional final.

Not surprisingly, he credits his teammates.

“They got the ball to me in good scoring positions,” he said of his outburst against South Portland.

Simonds played in three regional finals and one state final in his varsity career. Falmouth won the Class B state title in his sophomore year, then moved up to Class A. This season, the Yachtsmen finished 17-4 after their 57-47 loss to Portland in the Western final.

“This season was probably the most fun,” said Simonds. “We had players in their first year of varsity who stepped up. The community was completely behind us and we got better as the season went along. It was fun to see.”

For Simonds, a 13-game winning streak was a season highlight, but his No. 1 highlight was the senior class going 36-0 at home over four seasons.

Simonds, who will attend Bowdoin College, finished his career with 1,101 points, 612 rebounds and 104 assists. He won the Bob Butler Award as the outstanding player/sportsman in the Western Maine Conference and was a finalist for Mr. Basketball. His dad, Mike, won the Butler Award in 1992 at Scarborough High.

“Jack’s dedication to the sport of basketball stands out,” Halligan said. “His intelligence on the court is outstanding. He rarely made mistakes. Jack’s career is marked by unselfishness. He shared the ball with teammates. With Jack, the team always came first.”

Simonds showed he liked the spotlight when he came up big in the tournament as a freshman. Falmouth lost to Yarmouth in the Western Class B final, but won the state title the next year, with Simonds having another big tournament.

Falmouth lost to Bonny Eagle in the Western A semifinals last year.

“Jack helped us make the transition from Class B to Class A,” said Halligan. “What made him difficult to cover was his ability to play inside or outside.”

Ashley Storey trusted her Greely High teammates from the first day of preseason practice in November. She knew the Rangers had the potential to go far, perhaps even win the Class B state championship.

“And we did,” she said of Greely’s 56-39 win over Presque Isle.

Storey, a 6-foot-3 senior center, was the focal point. In being selected as the Maine Sunday Telegram girls’ basketball Player of the Year, she averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 3.5 steals and 3.5 blocked shots.

But that was only part of the story.

“You had to scheme your game around her – ‘How do we stop Storey?’ That often involved putting two kids on her,” said Gray-New Gloucester Coach Mike Andreasen. “But she could beat that with either a dribble or a pass. And the other players were great shooters because of Ashley. If she was not on the court, you could defend them one-on-one. With her on the court, you couldn’t.

“Very possibly, probably, she was the most important player to her team in the state of Maine this year, regardless of class.”

She showed that in many ways, said Greely Coach Joel Rogers. Maybe she didn’t talk a lot, but her actions told her teammates what they needed to know. Rogers spoke of a game against Yarmouth in which he had to pull his starters – including Storey – after 90 seconds of lackluster play.

“So Ashley comes to the bench and sits next to me,” said Rogers. “She knew why they were out. She didn’t mope. Instead she sat there and started cheering on the kids who were on the court. That’s leadership.”

Storey knew the spotlight would be on her more this year. She would be expected to score more, rebound more. She knew she had to do more.

“I felt I had to be a good leader,” she said. “I had to have confidence in everyone and I had to make sure everyone felt welcome.”

Storey will play at the University of New Hampshire. Rogers is certain she will contribute immediately.

But Storey knows there’s a lot of work to do. “You can always get better at every aspect of the game,” she said.

Those who watched her the last four years saw the improvement in ballhandling and shooting, where she has extended her range to beyond the 3-point line.

Rich Clark, the veteran coach at York, said her mental improvement was even more impressive.

“She just didn’t make any mistakes,” he said. “She didn’t get flustered when pressured, and two years ago you couldn’t say that. She really matured.”

Believe it or not, there was a time Ben Bragg had difficulty concentrating on his task.

“I got yelled at a lot by the coaches,” Bragg said. “It was tough to focus.”

Bragg often forgot to open the door to let his teammates get off the ice and back onto the bench. That was Bragg’s job as Scarborough High’s third-string goalie his freshman and sophomore seasons.

“They’d be skating over, yelling, ‘Let me in, let me in.’ I was pretty bad at it,” Bragg said. “I was always watching the game.”

Once Bragg got on the ice, however, as a starter in his junior and senior years, his focused peaked. He not only watched the game but played a major role in it.

Bragg mastered the position this season and was named the Maine Sunday Telegram’s Athlete of the Year in boys’ hockey after leading the Red Storm to their first Class A state championship.

He posted a 1.33 goals-against average during the year, helping a young Scarborough team become contenders. In the playoffs Bragg shined, including a 32-save performance in the Red Storm’s 2-1, double-overtime win over St. Dominic in the championship game.

Five of those saves came in the first 1:20 as the Saints peppered Bragg with quality chances. Then came a sensational save he made sliding over to snuff a two-on-one chance.

“Obviously they got some pretty good goaltending,” said St. Dom’s Coach Steve Ouellette.

Bragg help Scarborough soar in what looked like a rebuilding season.

”I knew it would be a different team from the last few years,” Bragg said. “We were younger. A state championship wasn’t in my head at all.”

But with Bragg, the Red Storm remained competitive.

“Ben helped build our confidence and success in the defensive zone,” said Coach Norm Gagne. “He was our rock back there. If we had a breakdown, more times than not Ben had the team’s back.”

Championship thoughts began drifting into Bragg’s head when he held Falmouth to one goal in a 3-1 regular-season victory Jan. 10. The Yachtsmen came in averaging seven goals a game.

“That gave us the confidence we needed,” Bragg said.

It’s just what Bragg likes about being a goalie – the team depending on him. It’s why he first strapped on the pads when he was 10.

“Knowing you’re the one who can affect the game the most, I like that,” Bragg said. “It’s a unique position. That’s why I stuck with it.”

Bragg hopes to keep playing and plans to try out for a couple of junior teams next month.

When the girls’ high school hockey season began, sophomore Sami Shoebottom suddenly found herself in the spotlight.

Having played a big part in Scarborough High’s 2014 state championship run, Shoebottom was expected to be part of a contender again, along with two fellow All-State forwards, Lizzie Gross and Alyssa Hulst. But both of them transferred to Berwick Academy.

“There was a lot more pressure (from defenses),” Shoebottom said of the extra attention. “But we had other girls fill in.”

But it was Shoebottom who elevated her offensive game to keep the Red Storm a contender. Her efforts earned her honors as the Maine Sunday Telegram Player of the Year in girls’ hockey.

“We didn’t have a whole lot of scoring power this season,” said Scarborough Coach Caitlin Cashman. “Sami took that role on and did everything in her power to get to the net.”

Shoebottom, daughter of former Maine Mariners and Boston Bruins defenseman Bruce Shoebottom, totaled 61 points – 46 goals and 15 assists – leading the Red Storm back to the West regional championship game. There, Falmouth beat Scarborough 4-2, with both of the Red Storm’s goals coming from Shoebottom.

She went from being part of a championship team to one of the leaders on a team trying to repeat.

“This season, Sami really stepped up and came out of her shell,” Cashman said. “She loves her teammates as much as she loves the game, and wanted to do anything she could to make this season successful.”

And Shoebottom loved this season.

“Last year was fun, but we felt the pressure having to succeed,” Shoebottom said of the undefeated 2013-14 team. “This year, going into it, we knew we weren’t going to be considered the best – but we were going to try.

“It was a lot more fun. We laughed a lot more.”

And, maybe, Shoebottom settled more comfortably into the high school game, despite the expectations on her to shine. She could have also moved on from the high school game, but did not want to miss out.

“I play high school for fun,” she said. “I think it’s just the pride of playing for your school and your town. (The competition) might not be the best of the best, but it’s fun.”

For increased competition, Shoebottom also plays for the well-established Assabet Valley program in Concord, Massachusetts. There’s plenty of travel, but Shoebottom thrives on it.

“It’s a lot of work but, to reach that dream, that’s what you have to do,” she said.

Dream?

“My dream is definitely to go D-I (in college hockey),” she said. “I have two more years to work towards it.”

The question was simple: Is Cody Hughes the best wrestler Matt Rix has coached in his 33 seasons at Marshwood High?

“Yes,” Rix said.

“It’s his intensity, not just in meets but in practice. If you score on him while drilling, he takes it personal and he’s going to come back and beat you up until he scores on you and gets that revenge.”

This season Hughes was scored on infrequently in compiling a 52-1 record. He was not taken down until the New England Championships.

Hughes claimed his fourth Class A championship when he won the 170-pound title, joining a select group that includes his longtime friend and teammate, Jackson Howarth.

Hughes, who signed a national letter of intent to wrestle at Division I Virginia Tech, set a state record for career wins with 212 (against nine losses). He went a third straight year without losing to a wrestler from Maine, placed third at New Englands and helped Marshwood win a fourth consecutive Class A title.

For those reasons, Hughes is the Maine Sunday Telegram’s Wrestler of the Year for the second straight season.

“He’s earned it,” said Noble Coach Kip DeVoll.”

Hughes’ connection to Marshwood wrestling is lifelong. He remembers going to Marshwood practices with his dad, Todd Hughes, then an assistant coach and the program’s first 100-win wrestler.

“At first I just watched. Then when I was 4 or 5, I started rolling around a little bit,” Cody Hughes said.

Hughes rolled into New Englands focused on winning after placing fifth, third and second in three previous trips.

Connecticut champion Anthony Falbo beat Hughes 3-1 in the semifinal.

“I do lose at other times in the year,” said Hughes, who often competes in national tournaments. “So I know how to handle (a loss). Still, that was tough, to bounce back and win two more matches but sometimes you just have to suck it up and show how much of a man you are and keep going.”

Hughes will compete against other seniors at the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in the 160-pound division, on March 27-29. As a sophomore, Hughes won the 152-pound bracket.

“What keeps pushing me is knowing I can be a lot better than I am now and I’m not satisfied with where I’m at,” Hughes said. “I just want to push for more.”

Hany Ramadan has been through many challenges. As a young child he moved with his family from Sudan to Egypt to escape a violent nation. Seven years later they moved to Virginia as his family sought a more peaceful home.

And just when life seemed simpler, Ramadan and his family moved to Maine at the start of his junior year of high school, putting the promising sprinter in one of the coldest states.

Through it all, the only thing that has slowed the Deering High senior is injuries. After a hamstring injury sidelined Ramadan for the 2014 indoor season, he took second outdoors in the 400 (49.52 seconds), then was on the final stretch of the 200 when he heard his quadriceps pop.

Ramadan, who had a personal-best time of 22.78 seconds, kept running to finish in 27.82 – 26th place.

“I said to myself, ‘I’m not going to stop.’ Because I had wanted the state record in the 400 and the 200,” Ramadan said.

After a summer off, the addition of a personal trainer and a full season of training, Ramadan is now one of New England’s top 200- and 400-meter runners.

He won both events at the Class A indoor state meet in February, with a state-record time (49.78) in the 400. Then he took third in the 600 (1:22.34) at the New England championships.

For his breakout season and dominance in Maine, Ramadan is the Maine Sunday Telegram boys’ indoor track athlete of the year.

With an easy smile and natural exuberance, he tells stories about growing up in Egypt and how he came to run track. He describes how a track coach in Cairo spotted him playing soccer at age 12 and challenged him: Run a 400 and earn a spot on my team.

Ramadan warmed up and without knowing how to pace himself, ran a 64-second quarter-mile.

“That’s pretty good for someone who had never run one before. He has a kick. He has another gear,” Deering Coach Gerry Myatt said.

Having achieved some of his goals, Ramadan’s next set has come sharply into focus. He wants one more state record, maybe two. And he wants to excel for an NCAA Division I school.

Ramadan’s personal best in the 400 is 49.52. The Class A state record is 48.58, but Ramadan believes he can get there.

“I’ve worked with Coach on speed, being powerful and explosive,” Ramadan said. “We’ve worked on my block starts. I’m much faster.”

Last year at the New Balance Nationals indoor track and field championships, Kate Hall of Lake Region smirked and snapped a photo in front of a board listing meet records. Her goal was clear: to break the mark in the long jump as a senior.

Classic Kate Hall. She checked that feat off her to-do list last weekend. Hall won the national title in the long jump with a leap of 20 feet, 11 1/4 inches, soaring 4 inches longer than the meet record and a full foot beyond her second-place finish at the nationals last year.

By setting records this season at the New England championships in the 55-meter dash (6.95 seconds) and the long jump (20-6), Hall was the clear choice as the Maine Sunday Telegram’s indoor girls’ track and field athlete of the year – even before her performance at the national meet.

But as Hall has done throughout her high school career, she continued to excel against the best in the country. In addition to becoming a national long jump champion, she took sixth in the 60-meter dash (7.47) to win All-American status in that event.

The truth is, Hall rarely falls short of her goals. Many who have followed her career have come to believe no matter what’s at stake, Hall will deliver.

“I am confident her consistent preparation, her mental toughness and her ability to rise up for the big meets has put her in a great position to earn this lofty title,” said Lake Region Coach Mark Snow before the nationals.

With the help of personal trainer Chris Pribish, who has worked with Hall since she was in the eighth grade, Hall could tell she was stronger this season.

From her first 20-foot jump – 20-1 1/2 at a meet in Gorham on Jan. 16 – she gained confidence that the meet record at the nationals was within reach.

“We could tell overall I was a lot stronger and more stable. My different jumps and plyometrics were looking quite a bit better. We knew it was going to be a good season,” Hall said.

“I was dead-lifting 230 (pounds) the other day and it felt so easy. I could have done 10 reps at 230. And I thought, ‘Wow, that has never felt so easy. That definitely is a change.’ ”

Hall, who will attend Iowa State on an athletic scholarship, swept all three of her events (55, 200 and long jump) at the Class B state championships, rewriting two state records.

In addition, Hall went through the entire indoor season ranked first in the nation in the long jump.

That was important to her. And yet she went into the national meet forgetting about any of her achievements – focusing instead on winning the title.

“That is the biggest goal I’ve been thinking about all season,” said Hall.

Check it off the list.

Leading up to the Class A swimming and diving championship meet, Brunswick Coach David Bright was trying to figure out which two individual events versatile junior Nate Samson should enter.

As a sophomore, Samson had won the 100-yard freestyle and 100 backstroke state titles. Back in December at the Morse Invitational, he won the 200 individual medley in a time – 1 minute, 57.01 seconds – that would hold up as the fastest in Maine this winter. Samson also had a blazing 50-yard free time of 21.51 from the KVAC meet, second only to Ellsworth junior Talor Hamilton.

Coach and swimmer settled on the 100 free – Samson delivered a Class A meet record time of 46.64 seconds, the only meet record to fall in either boys’ state championship – and the 200 free. “He kind of talked me into that,” Bright said. “He thought we needed a more balanced lineup.”

Competing against Falmouth senior Jake Perron and Cheverus junior Michael O’Donovan, Samson swam to a time five seconds better than that of the Class B champion and third-best in the state – but well behind Perron and O’Donovan. It was the only individual race of the season Samson didn’t win.

“I wondered,” Bright said, “if that was going to be my throw a pass from the 1-yard-line thing.”

Perhaps, had someone other than Samson been on the blocks for the anchor leg of the concluding 400 free relay.

With one point separating Brunswick and Bangor in the race for overall runner-up behind champion Cheverus, Samson hit the water nearly half a second behind Bangor. But he surged and finished more than three and a half seconds ahead of the Bangor relay team, securing second-place hardware for the Dragons.

“I like going fast,” said Samson, the Maine Sunday Telegram’s choice as Boys’ Swimmer of the Year. “The practices, they get boring going back and forth, but I love the feeling of racing.”

The upcoming YMCA Nationals in Greensboro, North Carolina, will mark the end of Samson’s swim season, one that started amid uncertainty because he broke his right foot last May when he slipped on stairs while wearing wool socks. He was in a cast from knee to toes for eight weeks, but even that failed to completely keep him out of the water.

“I had a rubberized boot that went around it and kept it dry,” he said. “I could swim with my arms.”

After hours of physical therapy and hard work, Samson returned to the level he attained last year (10th in the nation with a 49.99 time in the 100 backstroke).

He swam butterfly on the Brunswick medley relay team that set a state-best time in the season’s first dual meet, against Morse, and backstroke when the same quartet of Samson, Jacob Cost, Brian Hess and Henry Raker lowered it in early February to 1:38.18.

As snow mounds continued to expand this winter, so many Mainers’ thoughts drifted to Florida. Leila Johnston, a Mt. Desert Island senior, was no exception.

“Definitely,” she said. “I’ve been looking forward to it since I committed.”

Johnston isn’t just planning a short visit. She’s committed to a swimming scholarship at Florida State.

So, no more snow. Just a lot of swimming, something Johnston is used to. Her commitment to Florida State is simply another step in her dedication to the sport.

“She has more (drive) than anyone I’ve ever coached,” MDI Coach Tony DeMuro said.

That says something, considering the longtime success of DeMuro’s program.

Johnston’s focus turned her ability into victory. She won two individual events at each of the last three Class B state championships – and was named Performer of the Meet at the last two. Last month she set two state records and almost a third, and also was part of two relay victories.

Now one more honor: Johnston is the Maine Sunday Telegram’s girls’ swimming Performer of the Year.

“She’s obviously a great athlete,” DeMuro said. But what makes her so successful is “definitely her drive and her work ethic.”

Johnston began swimming when she was 5 because that’s what her older siblings did. She tried softball in middle school (a line drive to the face ended that ambition) and track for one season, her freshman year. But she’s always concentrated on swimming and it’s paid off.

At the 2015 state championships, Johnston began the meet by taking part in MDI’s winning 200 medley relay, swimming a 24.86-second split for her 50-yard butterfly.

In the next event, Johnston won the 200 freestyle in a state-record time of 1:50.63, winning by 12 seconds.

“I was really happy with that,” Johnston said. “I wanted to set the tone for the rest of the team.”

In the 100 freestyle, Johnston won in another record time of 51.02.

But she was not done. Johnston tried to break her own state record in the 50 freestyle by swimming the opening leg of the 200 free relay. She swam 23.59 – missing her 2014 mark by 0.03 seconds – but still led the Trojans to another relay victory.

Before the season, Johnston wrapped up her college search. From several offers, she narrowed her choice to Florida State, James Madison, Duke, Arkansas and Virginia Tech. Her visit to Tallahassee made up her mind.

“I really liked the team and the coach (Frank Bradley). They seemed interested in me as a person, not just my times,” she said.

While most of the team is from Florida, the program has reached out to Maine before. Laura Flewelling of Scarborough recently swam for the Seminoles, and Colby Harvey of Cape Elizabeth (and Waynflete High) is a freshman on the team this year.

After eight years, an era is ending at Biddeford High School. No more will the Tigers field an Alpine ski team.

Call it Paradis lost.

Curtis Paradis will graduate this spring having carried on a family tradition started by grandfather Howard (a 2013 Maine Skiing Hall of Fame inductee following a 35-year coaching career in Madawaska) and continued by father Mike (the 1977 skimeister state champion when ski jumping was also in the mix) and sister Erin (a 2011 graduate of Biddeford High who won SMAA slalom and giant slalom titles).

Erin paved the way as an independent skier. She was nominally aligned with Cheverus High (her Shawnee Peak coach also coached the Stags) and Curtis followed the same path for the succeeding four years. During that time he won three Class A state titles, including the giant slalom last month at Mt. Abram to go along with his 2012 and 2013 slalom victories.

He also won every SMAA Alpine race he entered this season and was the first Maine finisher in both slalom and giant slalom at the recent Eastern High School Championships held at Gunstock Ski Area in New Hampshire. At the EHSC Paradis was 12th among 99 slalom skiers and 19th out of 103 in giant slalom.

“I like taking risks and being on the edge and sending it to the post office,” said Paradis, the Maine Sunday Telegram’s choice as boys’ skier of the year.

Sending it to the post office?

“That’s just a term me and my buddies use,” he said. “You just lay down a really good run.”

Paradis, who also runs cross country and plays lacrosse, went over the edge last winter at Shawnee Peak with three gates remaining in his second Class A giant slalom run after posting the fastest time in the first run. He helicoptered, crashed and, after spitting up blood, wound up spending the night at Bridgton Hospital with a bruised lung.

He returned this winter and, aside from breaking a pair of skis midway through the season after jumping from the starting gate, was back on track. Then came the state meet, and Paradis fell in his first slalom run and missed the third-to-last gate in his second.

“I just figured it was in the past and I can’t let that carry on to the next day,” he said. “Right when I woke up in the morning I said I will not be doubting anything.” He won giant slalom by more than a second, posting the fastest time in both runs. Part of the reason for his successful comeback can be attributed to his visits to Madawaska with his grandfather.

“I usually go up for about eight weeks at a time,” Paradis said. “He used to be a marathon runner back in the day so every morning we’d go out for a run. I’d come back and lift weights, then go out mountain biking for an hour or two. He lives on a really big hill, so I’d roller-blade down that and do ski turns. He always says, ‘One more!’ when I’m gassed.”

Placing 55th out of 84 Nordic freestyle skiers at the Junior National Championships in Truckee, California, earlier this month wasn’t exactly what Kaelyn Woods had in mind.

Then again, she didn’t plan on passing out while climbing a steep hill late in the 4.9-kilometer course, which happens to be 7,200 feet above sea level.

“The really high altitude was getting to me,” Woods said. “So that was not fun.”

When someone suggested removing her skis and seeking medical assistance, Woods clambered up and finished the race, whereupon she collapsed again and this time was whisked to a hospital.

She recovered quickly, and was the top Maine qualifier for the Eastern High School Nordic Championships at Black Mountain in Rumford this weekend, where she was sixth in the 5K freestyle race.

A junior at Gray-New Gloucester High, Woods successfully defended her Class B state freestyle and classical titles as well as making her mark on the national stage.

She is our choice at Maine Sunday Telegram girls’ skier of the year.

“She’s an incredible athlete and she’s incredibly competitive,” said Jeff McEvoy, the Gray-New Gloucester Nordic coach who has skied with Woods since she was in elementary school. “She’s also a sweetheart, incredibly humble for as good as she is.”

In the season’s first meet, Woods placed second in a skate race to Freeport senior Elizabeth Martin. That was the only Maine high school race this winter Woods failed to win. She won nearly every race by more than a minute, including the chilly Class B classical race in Presque Isle. She followed that with a 31-second victory over Martin in freestyle.

“I didn’t really know what to expect,” Woods said. “I had been training in the fall with Lizzy and Sam Pierce and Fiona (Ahearne, both of Merriconeag) so I was interested to see how it was going to unfold.”

In addition to high school competition, Woods also raced NENSA’s Eastern Cup circuit with the Maine Winter Sports Center. This was her second year advancing to the Junior Nationals, where she rebounded from her freestyle bonk and placed 23rd of 85 girls in the 18-and-under 10K classical race.

“She had pretty similar years,” said MWSC racing director Will Sweetser. “In terms of Maine competition, she is head and shoulders above the rest of the field.”

Juggling skiing with the rigorous academics of her International Baccalaureate program, Woods still found time to assist McEvoy with GNG’s middle school meets. She also excels at soccer and softball and won the state skimeister title as a freshman before opting to focus on Nordic.

“It’s hard, definitely, and missing school is rough,” Woods said. “But my teachers are incredibly understanding.”