Freeport Falcons Fall Sports Preview

GOLF

As a freshman, Eli Spaulding helped Freeport’s golf team win its first state championship. Spaulding will be a top player for the Falcons again this year. File photos.

Coach: Jason Ouellette (third year, one state championship)

2020 results: (Class B state champions)

Top returners: Finn Sharpe (senior), Gabe Silva (junior), Elliott Spaulding (sophomore)

Coach’s comment: “Elliott and Finn should qualify to play in the state tournament and both should be in the running for the individual state championship. We’re a bit inexperienced this year and hope to be in contention by the end of the season.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: The Freeport program completed its dizzying ascendance last fall by winning a state championship for the first time. The Falcons have some holes to fill this season, but should remain one of the top teams in the conference and in the state.

Class B individual champion Matt Kempf and state match scorer T.J. Whelan graduated, but Freeport returns a pair of standouts in Spaulding, who shot an 81, tied for fifth individually, a year ago at states and excelled this summer on the junior circuit, and Sharpe (87, good for 17th). They’re joined by Silva, who looks to make his mark, and a pair of newcomers, sophomore Dylan Foerster and freshman Terrence Snow, to make up what is still a formidable squad.

A lot of things have to go right to win a state title and the Falcons had that good fortune a year ago. While it will be tough to repeat, don’t be surprised if Freeport gets to the final Saturday of the season again and does very well.

FOOTBALL

Senior Danny Casale is a top returner for Freeport’s football team.

Coach: Paul St. Pierre (sixth year, 21-23 overall record)

2020 results; No season
2019 record: 7-2 (Lost, 48-12, to Leavitt in Class C South semifinals)

Top returning players: Danny Casale (senior), Tony Casale (senior)

Pivotal games: Sept. 25 @ Lisbon, Oct. 2 POLAND, Oct. 22 OAK HILL

Coach’s comment: “We had fun with seven-on-seven last year, but it’s great to be tackling again. It’s a lot of hard work. We have to go back to the basics. After last year, my whole perspective has changed. I want to get a competitive football season under our belts. We hope to win more than we lose. We’ll see what we can do.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Freeport won a Developmental League title in 2018, then outlasted Cape Elizabeth in a quarterfinal for the ages in 2019 before losing to Leavitt in the semifinals. Last season, the Falcons weren’t able to play a single game due to the pandemic. This fall, they’re primed to shake the rust off and return to varsity action in Class D. There are a lot of unknowns, but expect this proud group to remain competitive.

The Casale twins are the veterans. Tony Casale will see a lot of time at running back and will play wide receiver as well. Danny Casale also plays wide receiver. juniors Jordan Knighton and Nick White will also have an opportunity to turn heads at running back and receiver. senior Jackson Carr and junior Aidan Heath will see time at quarterback. The line features seniors Cody Arsenault and Cam Desrosiers.

Defensively, Arsenault and Desrosiers are on the line, Tony Casale and White lead the linebacker contingent while Danny Casale and Knighton are in the secondary.

Freeport will have to figure out where it stands against the new teams on its schedule. This group is a work in progress, but there are enough athletes on the roster to suggest that big things could lie ahead.

BOYS’ SOCCER

Junior Bobby Strong will be in the middle of the action all season for Freeport’s boys’ soccer team.

Coach: Bob Strong (fourth year, 23-14-7 overall record)

2020 results: 2-6-2 (no postseason)
2019 record: 9-4-3 (Lost, 2-0, to Yarmouth in Class B South semifinals)

Top returning players: Eli Andreson (senior), Alec Gideon (senior), Owen Howarth (senior), Keigan Shea (senior), Bobby Strong (junior)

Pivotal games: Sept. 7 @ Yarmouth, Sept. 9 GREELY, Sept. 17 @ Cape Elizabeth, Sept. 27 YARMOUTH, Oct. 1 WAYNFLETE, Oct. 12 @ Greely, Oct. 19 CAPE ELIZABETH

Coach’s comment: “We are excited to play a full schedule against teams from our conference. We hope to be able to compete with the top teams. We will approach this season from a day-by-day perspective and hope to be playing our best at the end of October.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Freeport was more competitive than last year’s record suggests and the Falcons will likely be a top contender in Class B South this autumn.

Up top, look for Andreson to do his share of goal scoring. Howarth and Shea will be tough matchups as well from their midfield position. Strong does whatever it takes to help the team succeed. Gideon is a top defender in front of senior Colin Cronin and junior Rowan Bradford, who both saw time in goal last season. senior Nathan Abbott will also play between the pipes. A trio of sophomores, Ivan Lyons, Garrett Richeson and Thomas Roy, could step right in and make an impact.

Life in this region is never easy, with the presence of Cape Elizabeth, Greely and reigning champion Yarmouth, and Freeport will see plenty of those teams, as well as Class C powerhouse Waynflete, in the weeks to come. Look for the Falcons to learn from those games and become a much stronger squad by the time the postseason arrives. By then, no one will want to have to beat Freeport to keep their season alive.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

Coach: David Intraversato (fourth year, 23-14-4 overall record)

2020 results: 4-5-1 (no postseason)
2019 record: 11-4-1 (Lost, 4-0, to Cape Elizabeth in Class B South semifinals)

Top returning players: Megan Driscoll (senior), Helen Pope (senior), Riley Simon (senior), Savannah Tracy (senior), Ellie Whittier (senior), Mia Hornchild-Bear (junior), Emily Olsen (junior), Taryn Curry (sophomore), Rosie Panenka (sophomore), Pearl Peterson (sophomore)

Pivotal games: Sept. 4 YORK, Sept. 7 YARMOUTH, Sept. 9 @ Greely, Sept. 17 CAPE ELIZABETH, Oct. 5 @ York, Oct. 7 @ Yarmouth, Oct. 12 GREELY, Oct. 19 @ Cape Elizabeth

Coach’s comment: “Our hope this season is to be a very competitive team that will work extremely hard to achieve our goals. We have a young nucleus with mostly sophomores and juniors. I see them getting stronger as the season goes on. We may even see some talented freshmen step up. There is a group of seniors and juniors here that recently got to taste what its like being in a state final just months ago playing lacrosse, falling just short of the prize. They are very hungry and know what it takes to get there. They came into this season with focus and are pushing the underclassman to be their best. Our senior leadership is going to be the key to our success.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: The Falcons have been very competitive in recent seasons and while the departure of standout Rachel Wall will hurt and while it’s still looking up at two-time reigning Class B champion Cape Elizabeth (as is everyone else), Freeport’s got the pieces in place to be very strong from start to finish.

Driscoll brings experience to the offense and she’s joined by potential top scorers Curry, Olsen, Peterson and Panenka, who turned heads as a freshman. In the midfield, Pope, Tracy and Whittier all demonstrate athleticism and leadership. On defense, Hornchild-Bear and Simon are top returners. In goal, the Falcons could use junior Lily Whalen (a two-year back-up), junior Lauren Roussel or sophomore Amanda Panciocco. sophomores Lucy Bourgeois and Maya Carignan are other newcomers to watch.

Class B South has no shortage of strong teams, so Freeport will be tested every time out. The Falcons are up for the test and if the pieces fall into place, another successful campaign could be the end result.

FIELD HOCKEY

Senior Kyla Havey is a top returner for Freeport’s field hockey team this fall.

Coach: Marcia Wood (ninth year, 67-47-6 overall record)

2020 results: 9-1 (no postseason held)
2019 record: 10-4-2 (Lost, 3-2, in double-overtime, to Fryeburg Academy in Class B South semifinals)

Top returning players: Victoria Balla (senior), Kyla Havey (senior), Piper Williams (junior)

Pivotal games: Sept. 1 YORK, Sept. 6 @ Yarmouth, Sept. 15 GREELY, Sept. 29 @ York, Oct. 5 @ Greely, Oct. 7 YARMOUTH

Coach’s comment: “It’s a very different team this year. We graduated 14 seniors who played a lot. This year, we have 21 girls, 10 who are freshmen. We’re working on improving. We look forward to the challenge. I think we’ll make some connections as the season goes on. The next few years, we’ll see classes that are heavy in numbers and talent. We want to get everyone stronger. We want to understand the game and improve.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Freeport is coming off arguably the best three-year stretch in program history, losing by a goal in the regional final in 2018, by a goal in overtime in the semifinals in 2019, then going 9-1 with a deep, fabulous senior-laden squad a year ago, but not having a postseason to compete in due to the pandemic (the Falcons went 32-8-3 in that three-year span). The recent past was glorious and the future is bright with an abundance of talent waiting to enter the program the next few years. This season will be one of building and growth, as there is limited varsity experience on the roster.

Havey is the returner with the most experience. She’ll play forward and in the midfield and could be a top scorer. Balla and Williams each saw time in goal last fall and will have their opportunity to shine again. senior midfielder Lily Welsher, junior forward Ava Gervais, junior defender and midfielder Chloe White and sophomore forward Ellie Foss hope to make an immediate impact.

While Freeport might not be a favorite this season, expect to see a lot of improvement in the weeks to come. The Falcons will be much more competitive by the end and could be a very difficult out when the playoffs arrive.

CROSS COUNTRY

Coach: Brian Berkemeyer (15th year, two state championships)

2020 results; No state meet (girls’ team qualified)
2019 results:
(Boys) 8th @ Class B state meet
(Girls) 5th @ Class B state meet

Top returners:
(Boys) Sam Robinson (senior), Al Dawson (junior), Jack DiRusso (junior), Henry Horne (junior), Will Spaulding (sophomore)
(Girls) Tessa Enrico (senior), Eleanor Batterbee (junior), Jillian Wight (junior), Caroline Carter (sophomore)

Coach’s comment: “We’ve had a pretty good preseason with a lot of base mileage. I have 14 girls and 18 boys. Both teams have a solid first five, but we will be looking to make that a solid seven or more. Henry will lead the boys’ team. On the girls’ side, Jillian should be close to the top in the state followed by Ellie. Preseason rankings put us somewhere in the top five for both teams. It would be great to have both teams return to the state meet. After that goal, it’s up to the kids.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Freeport’s program remains strong and the Falcons boys and girls will be among the top squads in Class B.

The Freeport girls qualified for states in 2020, but the meet was canceled at the last minute by a COVID surge. Despite losing Elsa Blease and Jane Dawson to graduation, this year’s team returns some strong runners in Wight, who was fifth at last year’s qualifier, along with Batterbee (14th) and Errico (48th). Carter also has experience and freshman Josephine Spaulding is primed to step right in and make an impact. The 2019 squad placed fifth at states and there’s every reason to believe that this autumn, the Falcons can match or better that finish.

On the boys’ side, Horne leads the way. He came in 13th at last year’s qualifier and should move up. Spaulding (28th), Dawson (37th), DiRusso (39th) and Robinson (46th) are other veterans of note. Freshman Owen Dawson adds depth. If a few more runners can emerge, Freeport can be as strong as anyone and extend its streak of 11 straight (normal) seasons of qualifying for the state championships.