A little over a year ago when The Forecaster chose the top 10 boys’ lacrosse teams from our coverage area over a 20-year span, it was a time to celebrate the past, as the present was discouraging (the 2020 spring sports season had been canceled) and the future was unknown.

Thankfully, that future came into focus in a positive manner and led to a nearly normal 2021 campaign, which produced three local champions including one that is primed to shoot near the top of our countdown.

Cape Elizabeth won its first Class A state title in overwhelming fashion and wasn’t just the best team in the state this spring, but was one of the very best ever to suit up.

Here’s a look at the original list:

Honorable mentions (in chronological order):
2012 Falmouth Yachtsmen (Class B champions)
2013 Scarborough Red Storm (Class A champions)
2015 Brunswick Dragons (Class A champions)
2015 Cape Elizabeth Capers (Class B champions)

Super-six
6) 2009 Portland Bulldogs (Class A champions)
5) 2014 Cape Elizabeth Capers (Class B champions)
4) 2009 Yarmouth Clippers (Class B champions)
3) 2004 Yarmouth Clippers (state champions)
2) 2002 Cape Elizabeth Capers (state champions)
1) 2011 Falmouth Yachtsmen (Class B champions)

The 2021 Cape Elizabeth Capers deserve consideration as one of the state’s all-time finest squads. Long the gold standard in boys’ lacrosse, the Capers moved up to Class A in 2018, but lost in the regional final to eventual champion Thornton Academy that season and again in 2019 before losing out on the 2020 season altogether due to the pandemic.

This year’s squad was highly touted in the preseason and somehow exceeded expectations, bludgeoning their 12 regular season foes by a composite 199-47 margin, as the likes of Colin Campbell, Oskar Frankwicz, Keegan Lathrop, Caden Lee, Tiernan Lathrop and Archie McEvoy lit it up offensively, Gus Huffard excelled in the faceoff circle, Nate Patterson and Gavin Simopolous anchored an imposing defense and Charlie Whitney was a reliable last line of defense in goal.

Cape Elizabeth continued to steamroll the opposition in the first two rounds of the playoffs, beating No. 7 Noble (22-1) in the quarterfinals and No. 3 Gorham (18-2) in the semifinals. In the regional final at top-ranked Berwick Academy, the Capers got their lone stern test and passed it, barely, holding on for an 11-9 victory. The Class A state final versus Falmouth was a breathtaking coronation which saw Cape Elizabeth lead 8-1 after one quarter and 15-1 at halftime before going on to a 19-6 victory to cap a 16-0 campaign and produce the only missing item on the program’s resume, the Class A crown.

“This means a lot,” said Capers coach Ben Raymond. “These guys play hard each and every day for themselves, for their teammates, for all the kids who played before them. They’re tight with the group who didn’t get a season last year. It means a lot to these guys to represent themselves the same way the other guys did before them and be a class that leaves as state champions. It’s super for our entire program. Statistically, this is probably the number one group we’ve ever had. As lacrosse players, they’re pretty darn close. We had some other great teams that would probably argue.”

Honorable mentions

Portland Bulldogs, 2009 Class A state champion

Portland completed its rise from a start-up program to champion and after several close calls, won an elusive state title in dominating fashion, riding the talents of All-Americans K.R. Jurgelevich and Dylan Kenney, as well as many other key contributors. The Bulldogs went 11-1 in the regular season, outscoring the opposition, 176-40, then dominated Massabesic (21-2), South Portland (20-2) and Scarborough (14-1) to win the regional title. In the state game, Portland downed Brunswick, 9-3, behind three goals from Jurgelevich and a pair from Caleb Kenney.

Falmouth Yachtsmen, 2012 Class B state champion
The second-best team in Falmouth history can certainly stake a claim for being higher on this list. The Yachtsmen sent goalie Cam Bell, Charlie Fay, Mike Ryan, Willy Sipperly and Mitch Tapley on to star at the college level (Ryan, Sipperly and Tapley were each All-Americans that year). After losing its opener, Falmouth won 14 straight, including playoff wins over York (13-1), Cape Elizabeth (10-9) and North Yarmouth Academy (7-4) to repeat as Class B champion.

Brunswick Dragons, 2015 Class A state champion
This was the best Brunswick team of them all and for one season at least, it was the best that the state had to offer. A perfect regular season included victories over Yarmouth (14-8) and eventual Class B champion Cape Elizabeth (a 15-14 overtime epic, on Owen Ginty’s goal). After out-scoring the opposition, 205-73, in the regular season, the Dragons rolled through the regional playoff field, downing Mt. Ararat (21-4, behind seven goals from Ryan Croatti), Cheverus (18-8, as Croatti and Matt Brooks scored five times apiece) and Messalonskee (21-4, thanks to seven goals from T.J. Sullivan). Brunswick then avenged its state game loss to South Portland from the year before, beating the Red Riots, 13-9 (Brooks had four goals, including the go-ahead tally and Cam Glover scored five times helping his father, Don Glover, win a second championship).

Cape Elizabeth Capers, 2015 Class B state champion
The spring of 2015 also witnessed a transcendent season in Cape Elizabeth, where the Capers redefined the phrase “family dynasty.” Not only did Connor, Griffin and Owen Thoreck, the sons of athletic director Jeff Thoreck, star (Griffin Thoreck was an All-American), but they were joined by freshmen Ben Carroll, son of longtime program assistant Charlie Carroll, and Finn Raymond, son of longtime head coach Ben Raymond, to help make up a championship-winning juggernaut. After a 10-2 regular season capped by a stunning home loss to Falmouth, Cape Elizabeth beat Kennebunk (16-2, behind six goals from Ben Shea and five from Owen Thoreck) in the semifinals before getting revenge against the Yachtsmen, 12-4, in the regional final. The state game versus Yarmouth proved to be more of a struggle, but Cape Elizabeth went ahead to stay in the third quarter on J Bottomley’s goal, then held on, 7-5, to make it three straight crowns.

Super-six

6) Cape Elizabeth Capers, 2014 Class B state champion

The third Cape Elizabeth team to finish undefeated during the Maine Principals Association-sanctioned era met every challenge and repeated as Class B state champion. After out-scoring the opposition, 142-48, during the regular season, the Capers, led by All-American Griffin Thoreck, scoring machine Ben Shea and All-American defenseman Tom Feenstra, had no peer in the postseason either. Eight goals from Shea produced a 19-1 win over Greely in the semifinals and Cape Elizabeth held off Falmouth, 11-8, in the regional final, thanks in part to Griffin Thoreck’s four goals and three more from Noah Haversat. In the state final, the defense sparkled in a 6-3 win over Yarmouth. Griffin Thoreck had two goals and the Capers only allowed eight shots.

5) Yarmouth Clippers, 2009 Class B state champion

Some would argue this was Yarmouth’s best team of all, just the second to go undefeated and capture a championship, starting and finishing with wins over Cape Elizabeth. The offense, led by All-Americans Rob Highland and Steven Petrovek, along with Evan Henry, scored 178 times in the regular season and the defense, featuring standout goalie Cam Woodworth, only surrendered 39 goals. After devastating St. Dom’s in the semifinals, 26-1, (behind four goals apiece from Highland, Petrovek, Mike McCormack and Colby Shields), the Clippers eliminated rival NYA, 15-4, in the Eastern B Final (Henry and Peter Erickson both scored three times). Cape Elizabeth awaited in the state game, but Yarmouth was too much, prevailing, 12-9, as Henry, Highland and Petrovek all had three goals.

4) Yarmouth Clippers, 2004 state champion

This was the team that finally put Yarmouth atop the lacrosse mountain, one that beat Cape Elizabeth not once, not twice, but three times and finished a perfect 16-0 in Craig Curry’s first season as coach. One year after dropping an OT heartbreaker to Cape Elizabeth in the state final, the 2004 Clippers (featuring All-Americans Chris Hichborn, Todd Lawrence and Jon Miller) had a single purpose and went out and reached the pinnacle. Yarmouth scored 179 regular season goals, then ousted Conly (23-4), NYA (11-3) and Brunswick (13-3) to punch its ticket to the state final against Cape Elizabeth, which the Capers won, 11-6.

3) Cape Elizabeth Capers, 2021 Class A state champion

2) Cape Elizabeth Capers, 2002 state champion

One season after an 11-year title reign came to a close with a loss to NYA in the state final, Cape Elizabeth returned to the pinnacle in perfect, dominating fashion. The Capers boasted premier players at multiple positions (including All-Americans Mike DiFusco, Matt Ranaghan and Dean Scontras) and were only seriously tested once in their perfect run to the title. Cape Elizabeth scored 162 goals in the regular season, then crushed Waynflete (16-4) and Marshwood (20-8) and held off Kennebunk (11-7) to return to the state game. There, versus Brunswick, the Capers prevailed, 15-7, behind five goals from DiFusco.

1) Falmouth Yachtsmen, 2011 Class B state champion

Falmouth’s first championship team not only dethroned Cape Elizabeth and fell just one goal shy of perfection, it also produced multiple players who excelled at the high school level, then went on to make an indelible mark as collegians as well. The Yachtsmen featured all-star caliber talent in goal (Cam Bell), on defense (All-American Mike Ryan), in the midfield (faceoff specialist Abyn Reabe-Gerwig, as well as scoring threats Jack Cooleen and Willy Sipperly) and on attack (All-Americans Nick Bachman, Charlie Fay and Mitch Tapley). Falmouth’s lone regular season loss came by a goal in overtime at Cape Elizabeth, but in the playoffs, the Yachtsmen wouldn’t be denied, crushing Waynflete in the semifinals (17-1), then holding off Cape Elizabeth in the regional final, 11-9, to reach the state game for the first time. There, Falmouth had no trouble with NYA, winning, 15-4, behind four goals and four assists from Tapley; three goals apiece from Bachman, Cooleen and Sipperly; and Reabe-Gerwig’s brilliance in the faceoff circle (he won 17 of 21 opportunities).

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

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