Winter Previews: Bonny Eagle

Alpine Skiing (Bonny Eagle sends a skier to compete alongside Gorham and Massabesic)
Coach: Sean Munkacsi
Key returners: Jacob Polchies, Nolan McCullough, Sam Cousins, Griffin Loranger, Jack Cunningham, Ryan Castonguay, Aubrey Denico, Estelle Ballard, Claire Munkacsi
Outlook: “On the boys’ side, senior captain Jacob Polchies was our points leader last year,” Munkacsi says. “In addition, we expect strong results from returning skiers Nolan McCullough, Sam Cousins, Griffin Loranger and Jack Cunningham. They will be challenged in every race by a group of freshmen who are looking to establish themselves early on. The girls will continue to be led by their top scorer for the last three years, senior Estelle Ballard. She and Claire Munkacsi, a junior, finished in the top 15 in last year’s State Championship Slalom race and are expected to push each other to improve even more. They will be joined by several new girls who will make them competitive in the SMAA.”

Boys Basketball
Last year’s record: 18-4, Class AA State Runners-Up
Key players lost: Will Hendrix, Jack Bean, Logan Fogg
Key returners: Zach Maturo, Jake Humphrey, Nate Ferris, Cam Gardner
Key newcomers: Ethan Pike, Eliott Bouchard, Juwaun Teel
Key matchups: “Every game will be a big game for us,” Trull says.
Outlook: “We’re looking to build off a successful [2018-19],” Trull says. “We’ll rely on senior leadership as we have eight seniors on our roster. We lost our last game last year – just like every other team, other than Bangor – so we will be hungry and motivated for this season.” The Scots return much of their talent from last year (Maturo and Humphrey are especially unstoppable scorers) and a mountain of experience. BE will likely be one of the best teams in Maine this winter; expect a strong run from them – including a major playoffs presence.

Girls Basketball
Coach: Scott Regan
Last year’s record: 13-7, fell to South Portland in AA South Semifinal
Key players lost: Sam Averill, Mackenzie Emery, Tayor Johnson
Key returners: Emma Abbott (sr., G); Lexi Theberge (sr., G); Avianna Rath (sr., G/F); Emily Bartash (jr., C)
Key newcomers; Spring Parsons (jr.), Meaghan Champagne (so.), Jillian Faulkner (so.), Allie Hegarty (so.), Kaitlyn Regan (so.), Kaitlyn Bartash (fr.), Ember Hastings (fr.), Elora Larrivee (fr.)
Key matchups: Noble, Gorham
Outlook: “We return a core of nine players from last year’s team,” Regan says, “all of which played some time throughout the season. We have some better depth, but will be very young, with seven sophomores and frosh. Our hope is to get some experience under our belt early in the season, so that we can really pull things together towards the end.” Abbott is the team’s top defender; Theberge shoots strong from the perimeter – a spot on the floor from which Hegarty, Kaitlyn Regan and Larrivee also present threats. Emily Bartash has real height, and came into her own as a central figure last year, even making the SMAA’s All-Rookie team. Champagne and Parsons will both see time at point guard, while Hastings, Faulkner and Kaitlyn Bartash (like her sister, extremely tall) will each work the post. “Our goal is to be playing our best basketball in late January/early February,” Regan says. “We open with a tough stretch before Christmas which should be a great indicator of where we belong. Our first three games are on the road with a very solid Noble team, followed by Biddeford and Gorham.” Noble and Gorham, along with South Portland and Scarborough, should be top contenders in AA South.

Cheerleading
Coach: Whitney Wyman
Last year’s record: 10th at Regionals
Key athletes lost: Julia Swett, Yvette Chervin
Key returners: Megan Arsenault, Isabell Ylonen, Sydney Gaudet
Key matchups: Regionals
Outlook: “We are a young team this season,” Wyman says, “but the girls are already looking strong and adapting well to the change of pace.”

Boys Hockey (for the first time, a co-op with Windham and Westbrook)
Coach: Greg Leclair
Last year’s record: 3-14-1
Key players lost: Derek Corbett (F), Sean White (G), Tommy Lekousi (F)
Key returners: Holden Anderson (jr., F, Windham); Travis Brown (jr., F, Windham); Austin White (jr., F, Westbrook); Aiden Hartwell (so., D, Windham)
Key newcomers: Christ Westgate (jr., F/D, Bonny Eagle); Tommy DuPont (sr., F/D, a transfer from North Yarmouth Academy); Logan Caron (so., D, Bonny Eagle); Grayson Krause (jr., F, Bonny Eagle); Isaac White (fr., G, Westbrook); Porter Krause (fr., G, Bonny Eagle)
Key matchups: Marshwood/Noble/Traip/Sanford, Gorham, Biddeford/Old Orchard Beach/Massabesic, South Portland/Freeport/Waynflete, Lake Region/Fryeburg/Oxford Hills, Cheverus
Outlook: “Windham/Westbrook has added Bonny Eagle to their co-op team and will compete as the Windham/Westbrook/Bonny Eagle Trail Blazers for the upcoming season,” Leclair says. “The Trail Blazers will rely on a large contingent of juniors along with a handful of seniors, all of whom bring a couple of years of varsity experience to the roster. We’ll need a couple of players to develop into consistent scorers in order to compete with the top teams in Class A. We’ll also need to be disciplined in the defensive zone as the Trail Blazers will be young in net. Freshmen Isaac White and Porter Krause will compete for time between the pipes. Their ability to acclimate themselves to the faster-paced high school game will be key to the team’s success.”

Girls Hockey (a co-op with Gorham, Massabesic and Westbrook)
Coach: Nat Germond
Last year’s record: 3-14-1
Key players lost: Isis Adams, C. C. Cochran, Anna Rathbun
Key returners: Izzie Wareham, Anna Nault, Phoebe Richards, Brooke Guimond
Key newcomers: Cadence Howard
Key matchups: Biddeford/Thornton Academy/Wells/Sanford, Mt. Ararat/Morse/Lisbon, York/Traip/Marshwood
Outlook: “With seven returning seniors, we’re hoping to improve on last season’s record and achieve a postseason berth,” Germond says. “The schedule is front-loaded with top-ranked teams. If we can show steady improvement and maintain a positive attitude through the early season, we have a legitimate shot at returning to the playoffs.”

Boys Indoor Track & Field
Coach: Mike Burleson
Last year’s record: 11th at Southwesterns, eighth at States
Key athletes lost: Zack Allocca, Andrew Pendleton
Key returners: Aiden Willey (sr., distance); Justin Tomison (sr., distance); Cody Plumley (sr., middle distance/relays); Sam Kovacs (jr., middle distance/relays)
Key matchups: Falmouth, Gorham, Massabesic, Deering
Outlook: Aiden Willey and Justin Tomison look to battle with the top athletes in the State and should be key scorers for the Scots,” Burleson says. “Willey, with a personal best of 4:33 in the mile and 9:59 in the two mile, will be one of the best [in Maine]. Tomison made some major improvements on the track a year ago and is ready to mix it up with the top athletes this season. Look for Cody Plumley and Sam Kovacs to continue their outdoor track success in the 400 as individuals, and to work to build a 4×400 relay team that should be able to compete with anyone in the SMAA. The Scots also have a strong group of underclassmen and new athletes looking to make a name for themselves this season and look to make an impact in both the regular and postseason.”

Girls Indoor Track & Field
Coach: Ryan Dyer (first year)
Last year’s results: Fourth at Southwesterns, sixth at Class A States
Key athletes lost: Ami Beaumier, Kayla Raymond, Lucy Weyand
Key returners: Delaney Hesler, Hannah Stevens, Gretchen Biegel
Key newcomers: Emily Jackson, Isabella Roberts
Key matchups: Gorham, TA, Cheverus, Scarborough
Outlook: “As in years past, our distance program will once again be extremely strong,” Dyer says. “Leading the way will be our top three from the State Champion cross country team, Delaney Hesler, Emmaline Pendleton and Hannah Stevens. Hesler a year ago scored in two events at the State Meet, highlighted by her runner-up finish in the Mile. Stevens returns this year as a member of the defending champions in the 4×800, while also having credit for a third-place finish in the Open 800. After a stellar cross country season, look for Pendleton to move up the ranks and compete with some of the best runners in the State. Adding in another state scorer in the 800 in Gretchen Biegel, the distance squad runs very deep once again. On the sprint side, our talent is very young, only having two seniors on this year’s squad. Led by a healthy Emma Noonan, the team looks eager to work hard and improve each week. Noonan, who had an injury-filled outdoor season a year ago, looks to cap off her senior year with improved finishes at both the Southwestern and the State meets in the Long Jump, while helping lead our team to improved team finishes in the postseason meets.”

Wrestling
Coach: Josh Lund
Last year’s record: Third at Regionals, seventh at States
Key wrestlers lost: Andrew Thomas
Key returners: Caden Frost, Cam Frost, Colby Frost, Jake Harriman, Tristan Day
Key newcomers: Trevor Perkins, Ashton Day
Key matchups: Marshwood, Massabesic, Kennebunk, Noble
Outlook: “Only losing one senior last year, we have a solid group of guys coming back,” Lund says. “That along with the freshman class/newcomers who have joined, I am confident that we will be able to fill weight classes and compete with the best. Everyone on the team is excited to get this year started. With the numbers growing and a close group of guys returning, I think we have a great shot to finish among the top teams in the State…Colby is a returning State Champ, Caden a returning state placer. The Frost boys will be the backbone of this young squad trying to make some noise. Jake Harriman is another key guy returning at heavyweight. Tristan, a Sacopee Valley wrestler, has the potential to make some noise at 220. Trevor is a freshman who was a great middle-school wrestler and will make an immediate impact and serve as a serve as a solid point-scorer for the team. Ashton is a Sacopee Valley wrestler; though he doesn’t score points for BE, he will be a solid wrestler at whatever weight class he lands on.”