Coach: Jim Harmon
Last year’s record: Regional Champions, Class A State Champions
Key athletes: Colin Tardiff, Andrew Sholl, Connor Doherty, David Grover, Luke Grover, Shamus Malia, Sam Rusak, Andrew Goodwin
Key meets: Regionals, States
Outlook: “We should be one of the top SMAA teams if we can stay healthy,” says Harmon. “That will set us up for a run at the Regional and State Championship titles.”
Coach: Ron Kelly
Last year’s record: Class A State Champions
Key athletes: Sophie Lawsure (sr.), Laura Volan (sr.), Alexandra McCown (sr.), Morgan McKeown (sr.), Marisa Carbone (jr.), Kirsten Dennen (so.), Hannah Griffin (so.), Samantha Saraceno (so.), Bethany Sholl (so.), Elizabeth Tardiff (fr.)
Outlook: The Storm have experience on their side, as they return their top seven from last year’s team. The No. 5 slot on the roster is currently up for grabs, though, indicating the level of talent of even their new players. The team looks forward to testing its mettle against top teams like Massabesic, South Portland and Bonny Eagle.
Coach: Kerry Mariello
Last year’s record: 18-0, Class A State Champions
Key players: Emma Hall, Grace Bailer, Caitie Coombs
Key games: “All of them!” says Mariello.
Outlook: “We graduated a tremendous amount of talent, but have some young players who are ready to step into those roles,” Mariello says. Expect the Storm, consistently one of the state’s top programs, to make a run at the top prize again this year.
Coach: Lance Johnson
Last year’s record: 5-5, fell in A West semifinals to TA
Key players: Jack Hughes (sr., QB/DB); Mahlon Glidden (sr., OL/DL); Josh Reed (sr., C/DE); Jacob Gardner (sr., TE/DE); Griffin Madden (sr., WR/DB); Dakota Joy (jr., OL/DL); Aren Dickman (jr., RB/LB); Anthony Simoneau (jr., RB/DB); Tim Carion (jr., WR/DB)
Key games: Portland, Bonny Eagle, South Portland, TA, Cheverus
Outlook: “Our goal is to make a deep playoff run,” says Johnson. To that end, Scarborough returns quite a few starters from last year’s team, which began slow, but gathered steam as the season progressed. The team means to pick up where they left off in 2014, and will look to their veterans for guidance in doing so. Johnson expresses faith in his upperclassmen. “Our senior class is a motivated group of outstanding leaders,” he says. “We will play an exciting brand of wide-open football.”
Golf
Coach: Mike Murphy
Last year’s record: 10-0, Class A State Champions
Key players: Drew Kane, Mitchell Wedge
Key matches: Falmouth, Cheverus, Deering, South Portland, Portland
Outlook: The Storm return a “very solid group,” Murphy says, though they do have two key slots from last year’s squad still to fill. Expect the team to have another good season.
Boys Soccer
Coach: Mark Diaz
Last year’s record: 15-1-1
Key players: Josh Morrissey, Matt Caron, Jacob Kacer, Garrett King, Nick Lorello, Sam Jacob
Key games: Gorham, Cheverus, TA, South Portland, Deering
Outlook: The Storm lost some important boys to graduation in June, but also return enough experience to build a solid team. “The league will be very competitive, and our goal is to improve every week,” says Diaz.
Coach: Mike Farley
Last year’s record: 14-2-1
Key players: Mary Farnkoff (sr., DM); Emma Smith (sr., CB); Maddie Chen (sr., AM); Elise O’Reilly (sr., LB/RB); Bryce Nitchman (sr., B); Emma Koukos (sr., DM); Molly Lecomte (sr., G)
Key games: Windham, TA, Gorham, Deering, Sanford
Outlook: “I’ve been very impressed with the way this year’s team has approached the summer and preseason,” Farley says. “This may be the fittest team I have ever coached.” The Storm didn’t lose many bodies to graduation in June, but the losses they did suffer were strong, flexible players. “Three All-State players and three role-players off the bench,” says Farley. “We not only have to replace the playing ability, but the leadership they provided last year.” Luckily, the girls who return this fall bring with them significant experience. Lecomte is a veteran in net, and three of the team’s four backs. “This year’s team will have veteran players on the defensive side of the ball,” Farley says, so look to the Storm to post tough protection. The squad also has good experience in the midfield, especially in Farnkoff. On the attack, Chen in particular is of note; she had seven goals last year, many of them critical. Beyond that, “We need players that have been in a supporting role to jump out and become stars,” says Farley. Aggression up front will help the Storm make up for their inexperience there. “We hope to start the season with a consistent level of play and try to be playing our best come playoff time. I know this team will embrace the pressure the big games will bring and really try to challenge the top teams in the league.”
Volleyball
Coach: Jon Roberts
Last year’s record: 11-4
Key players: Emily Hanson (sr., L); Taylor Marinko (sr., MH); Chloe Gorey (sr., DS); Jordyn Cowan (jr., MH); Caroline Goodwin (jr., S); Abby Snow (jr., DS); Lilly Young (jr., S); Kacey Foerster (jr., OH); Jillian Harvie (jr., OH); Emma Budway (jr., DS)
Key matches: Cape Elizabeth, Greely, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Biddeford, Gorham
Outlook: “This will be the deepest team I’ve ever had,” says Roberts, “and I have a lot of confidence in every player on the roster.” Roberts’s optimism is especially meaningful considering that the Storm graduated a large group of seniors for the second year in a row, this past June, and thus don’t return many veteran starters. “We have a lot of players who have been competing hard in practice against strong players for the last couple years and they can’t wait to make this team their own,” Roberts says. “We even have some great players in our JV group ready to be called up to varsity if they are needed. The entire group is determined to support each other and not get hung up on the labels of ‘starters’ and ‘bench players,’ and I plan to play a lot of kids. I think the potential is sky-high for this season.” The Storm still have areas in need of improvement, but are embracing the challenge of constantly bettering themselves in a way that impresses Roberts deeply. “I can’t remember a team that has bought into the idea of making changes to get better more than this one. Now we have to prove we can play with the top teams in the state night after night.”
Jack Hughes carries the ball in 2014 action versus Bonny Eagle. Hughes returns at QB/DB for the Red Storm this fall.
Seen here in rainy-day action last October at Bonny Eagle, the Red Storm’s Grace Bailer returns to the field for her senior season this coming fall.
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