Male:

Chris Saadé, Senior-Basketball

 

• Team MVP
• Captain

Saadé was everything a most valuable player and captain should be, coming through in the clutch and leading the Flyers to yet another successful season and it’s an understatement to say his impact will be greatly missed next winter.

Saadé, who grew up in Windham, started playing basketball at the age of five and came to Waynflete in the eighth grade. Saadé, who has also been a member of Waynflete’s juggernaut boys’ soccer team and rows in the spring, has many reasons that he’s a basketball aficienado.

“Apart from the team aspect and the camaraderie that is built between the players, I really love basketball because of how fluid the game is played,” Saadé said. “Unlike some sports, no moment is the same as another, anything can happen and the game is built upon the spontaneous and creative nature of its players.”

Saadé joined the Waynflete boys’ basketball varsity team as a freshman, joining his older brother, Alex, and was willing to do whatever it took to ensure the Flyers were posting sparkling records and making deep playoff runs.

While his senior season was short and didn’t include a postseason, Saadé made the most of it, averaging a double-double (15 points, 11.5 rebounds per game). He was a captain for the second year in a row and had many highlights, including 14 points in a season-opening win over Cape Elizabeth, 16 in a loss to the Capers, 15 points in a victory over Westbrook, 16 points in a win over North Yarmouth Academy, 16 in a victory over Berwick Academy, 13 in a second win over NYA and 13 in a season-ending victory over Old Orchard Beach.

“I think we’ve done the best we could with what we have,” Saadé said. “I was able to play every day with my friends and I loved it. Times are tough, but we have basketball, so that makes it so much better.”

“Chris steadily assumed more and more of a leadership role on the team over his four years on the varsity but was always someone who I could count on to be ready to play, to work really, really hard and lead by example,” said longtime Waynflete coach Rich Henry. “I’m really, really glad that we were able to salvage a good senior season for Chris as well as the other seniors on the team that have done so much for Waynflete basketball over the years.”

Saadé plans to row and study government at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut next year.

Coach Rich Henry’s comment: “In terms of what Chris has meant to the program, you’d run out of space in your digital edition before I ran out of superlatives about this young man. He will go down as one of the best pure post-up players I’ve had the privilege of coaching at Waynflete because of his combination of strength, quickness, outstanding footwork and sheer tenacity. There were times over the past two years in particular where I’d look at the way an opposing team was matching up with us and sort of chuckle to myself  knowing they’re going to have to double him pretty quickly or change assignments and it was like clockwork every time. One of the accolades coaches use to describe players is how ‘big’ they play and Chris was always playing bigger than his pure physical stature. A college coach who saw him play on video thought he was 6-foot-7 when he’s really 6-3. A lesser known thing about Chris was that he is also a terrific leader in terms of being vocal, with a great sense of humor and timing. Chris always seemed to say the right thing depending on what the team needed to hear and I love walking into the huddle during a time out to hear Chris saying something to the guys. He benefited from playing on the team with his older brother and I think that helped him see the sorts of things that needed to be said within the team, to help maintain focus.”

Previous winners:

2019-20 Ben Adey (Alpine skiing)

2018-19 Mitchell Adams (hockey)

2017-18 Diraige Dahia (basketball)

2016-17 Willson Moore (Nordic skiing)

2015-16 Milo Belleau (basketball)

2014-15 Milo Belleau (basketball)

2013-14 Serge Nyirikamba (basketball)

2012-13 Serge Nyirikamba (basketball)

2011-12 Luke Jeton (swimming)

2010-11 Joe Veroneau (basketball)

2009-10 Nate Niles (Nordic skiing)

2008-09 Hassan Jeylani (basketball)

2007-08 Tom Reagan (Nordic skiing)

2006-07 Lucas Milliken (Nordic skiing)

2005-06 Lucas Milliken (Nordic skiing)

2004-05 David Wells (swimming)

2003-04 Jeff Bates (Nordic skiing)

Female:

SARAH MORGAN, Sophomore—Nordic Skiing

Morgan has long loved being on skis and the Waynflete program has been the beneficiary of her devotion. This winter, despite limited opportunities to compete, she continued to stake her claim as an up-and-coming star.

Morgan has literally been skiing almost all of her young life and began competing in middle school in Auburn.

“My parents put me on skis as soon as I could walk and up until then, I rode in the pulk (sled) behind my mom while she skied,” Morgan said. “I have pretty much grown up on skis. I love the feeling of freedom that I get when I am skiing and I also enjoy being out in the beautiful woods of New England. I love being a part of the Waynflete Nordic team because all of our coaches and teammates are so positive and it is such a fun group to be around. From running around Portland in December wishing for snow, all the way out onto the course where we have the loudest cheering squad at meets, it is such an encouraging and uplifting environment to be in.”

Morgan, who came to Waynflete as a freshman, also runs cross country in the fall and takes part in crew in the spring, as well as Pinan-Do Karate outside of school, placed 14th in the Class C freestyle as a freshman and was poised for big things this winter as well. Morgan did come in 10th at the Western Maine Conference meet and made the Eastern High Schools squad.

She still has two more years to turn heads as well.

“I have a lot of goals for skiing that I am hoping to accomplish in my remaining time in high school, the most basic being to continue to lower my race times,” Morgan said. “I would also like to keep my spot on the Maine Eastern High School Championship team in the coming years and I would like to break top 10 at states next year.”

Don’t bet against her. Sarah Morgan, Waynflete’s Winter Female Athlete of the Year, is on an upward trajectory and her lifelong love of skiing allows her to dream big.

Coach Ben Lewis’ comment: “Sarah skied consistently all winter and trained hard all last summer and fall. She missed lots of practice because of remote learning, but she showed up way more than expected, skied independently a lot, stayed humble, encouraged new skiers, even sacrificing scant training hours to help teach newbies, was always smiling and always positive. She’s a soft-spoken charger.”

Previous winners:

2019-20 Clara Sandberg (Nordic skiing)

2018-19 Clara Sandberg (Nordic skiing)

2017-18 Lydia Giguere (basketball)

2016-17 Annika Brooks (basketball)

2015-16 Kelley Frumer (Alpine skiing)

2014-15 Helen Gray-Bauer (basketball)

2013-14 Colby Harvey (swimming)

2012-13 Martha Veroneau (basketball)

2011-12 Martha Veroneau (basketball)

2010-11 Martha Veroneau (basketball)

2009-10 Morgan Woodhouse (basketball)

2008-09 Annie Cutler (basketball)

2007-08 Margaret Veroneau (basketball

2006-07 Margaret Veroneau (basketball)

2005-06 Margaret Veroneau (basketball)

2004-05 Holly Whitney (Nordic skiing)

2003-04 Betsy Critchfield (Nordic skiing)

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter:@foresports.

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