The football regular season has finished, but field hockey, soccer and volleyball got a head start and have begun their playoffs, to largely positive results.

The postseason excitement continues this week as football joins the fun and local teams will be in the middle of it all.

Here’s a glimpse at what’s transpired and what’s to come:

Boys’ soccer

All five local boys’ soccer teams were alive and feeling optimistic heading into the week.

Reigning Class A champion Falmouth, which ended the regular season with a 3-1 loss at Portland (Mason Quiet scored the goal), wound up fifth in Class A South. The Navigators then began their playoff run with a 3-0 home win over No. 12 Kennebunk in the preliminary round last Friday. Charlie Adams scored twice and Ben Pausman had the other goal. Falmouth (11-2-2) was at No. 4 Marshwood (12-2-1) Friday for the quarterfinals. The teams didn’t play this season.

If the Navigators advanced, they would go to No. 1 Windham (14-1) or host eighth-ranked Portland (10-5) in Friday’s semifinal round. Falmouth lost to both teams in the regular season, falling in overtime at the Eagles, 2-1.

The Class A South Final is Wednesday of next week at Thornton Academy.

Reigning Class B champion Yarmouth ended its season with a 1-1 home tie against two-time reigning Class C champion Waynflete last Tuesday. Steve Fulton (from Steve Walsh) scored the goal and keeper Cole Snyder made six saves. The Clippers finished first in Class B South and had no trouble with No. 16 Morse in Friday’s preliminary round, winning, 8-0, to improve to 13-0-2. Aidan Kamm scored twice, while Fulton, Zhi Cowles, Owen Gillian, Isaac Grondin, Truman Peters and Matt Robichaud added one goal apiece.

Yarmouth hosted No. 8 York (7-6-2) in the quarterfinals Tuesday. The Clippers won both regular season meetings, 4-0 away and 6-0 at home. Yarmouth was 10-5 all-time versus the Wildcats in the playoffs, with a 4-0 victory in the 2018 Class B South quarterfinals the most recent.

If the Clippers advanced to this weekend’s semifinal round, they’ll host either No. 4 Greely (10-3-2) or No. 5 Freeport (10-4-1). Yarmouth swept the Rangers, 2-1 at home and 2-0 in Cumberland, and beat (4-0 at home) and tied (1-1 away) the Falcons during the regular season.

The Rangers wound up fourth in the region after settling for a 1-1 tie at York in their regular season finale last Tuesday. Greely couldn’t convert a late penalty kick and, as a result, wound up in Yarmouth’s bracket. The Rangers did knock off No. 13 Lincoln Academy, 6-0, in last week’s preliminary round, as Ethan Njitoh and Owen Piesik had two goals apiece and Thomas Bennert and Liam Sheff also scored.

Freeport finished the regular season with a 1-0 home win over Cape Elizabeth. The Falcons then eliminated No. 12 Lake Region, 7-3, in the preliminary round, as seven different players scored goals.

The Falcons and Rangers split two prior playoff meetings, with Freeport’s 3-1 win in the 2018 Class B South semifinals the most recent. The teams also split during the regular season, with the Falcons prevailing at home, 2-1, Sept. 10 and the Rangers pitching a 2-0 shutout Oct. 12.

The Class B South Final will be Wednesday of next week in Lewiston.

In Class D South, reigning regional champion North Yarmouth Academy finished the regular season 8-4-2 and earned the No. 3 seed in the tournament. The Panthers hosted No. 6 Buckfield (6-5-2) in the quarterfinals Tuesday. The teams didn’t meet this year and played just once previously in the playoffs, a 7-0 NYA win in the 2018 Class D South semifinals.

If the Panthers advanced, they’ll go to No. 2 Richmond (10-4) or host No. 7 Searsport (6-7-1) in the semifinal round Friday. NYA blanked Richmond twice this year, 1-0 on the road and 5-0 at home. The Panthers didn’t face Searsport.

The Class D South Final is Tuesday of next week at Messalonskee High School in Oakland.

Girls’ soccer

On the girls’ side, Falmouth posted a 12-1-1 regular season record, its best since 2007, after closing with a 1-0 home win over Portland last Tuesday (Elise Gearan scored the goal, from Whitney Adams). The Navigators finished second behind Windham in Class A South and beat No. 15 Sanford, 5-1, in Saturday’s preliminary round. Gearan had two goals and Adams, Abbie Ford and Mackenzie Verlee also scored.

Falmouth hosts No. 7 Marshwood (8-5-2) in Wednesday’s quarterfinal round. The teams didn’t meet this fall. The Navigators won the lone prior playoff encounter, 2-1, in overtime, in the 2016 Class A South quarterfinals.

If Falmouth moves on to Saturday’s semifinals, it will host either No. 3 Gorham (11-1-3) or No. 6 Cheverus (10-5). The Navigators settled for a 0-0 draw against the visiting Rams and beat the host Stags, 2-1, during the regular season.

The Class A South Final is Wednesday of next week at Thornton Academy.

In Class B South, Yarmouth closed with a 3-0 win at Wells (Ava Feeley had two goals and Katelyn D’Appolonia scored the other) and finished as the second seed behind two-time reigning state champion Cape Elizabeth. Friday, the Clippers improved to 13-1-1 with a 6-0 home win over No. 15 Poland in the preliminary round. Feeley scored twice, while Macy Gilroy, Taylor Oranellas, Neena Panozzo and Aine Powers also tickled the twine.

Yarmouth welcomes No. 7 Freeport (8-7) for the quarterfinal round Wednesday (see theforecaster.net/sports for game story).

The Falcons, who closed the regular season with a 4-0 loss at Cape Elizabeth, advanced by virtue of a 4-0 home win over No. 10 Gardiner in Saturday’s preliminary round. Abigail Martin, Emily Olsen, Rosie Panenka and Ellie Whittier all scored once.

“The theme for us going into playoffs was to play with no regrets,” said Whittier, a senior co-captain. “Our mindset is to play hard like every game is our last, and we want that last game to be states.”

“(The defense) did a great job back there,” said Freeport coach David Intraversato. “We had a few players step up due to injury this week. They were very organized and calm, something you have to be in the postseason.”

Yarmouth beat Freeport twice this year, erasing deficits each time, 5-2 on the Falcons field and 3-2, in overtime, at home, on a Feeley game-winner.

The Clippers are 2-1 all-time versus the Falcons in the playoffs, with a 3-2 victory in the 2018 Class B South quarterfinals the most recent.

“We have some unfinished business with Yarmouth,” said Whittier. “We are very much looking forward to playing them again.”

The Freeport-Yarmouth winner will face either No. 3 Medomak Valley (13-2) or No. 6 Wells (9-5-1) in Saturday’s semifinal round. The Clippers would host either potential foe, while the Falcons would be on the road. Neither Freeport or Yarmouth faced Medomak Valley this season. The Falcons blanked visiting Wells, 2-0, while the Clippers won their finale at Wells, 3-0.

Greely, the No. 8 seed, improved to 7-6-2 with a 2-0 victory over No. 9 Leavitt in the preliminary round. Carly Asherman and Allie Martin scored the goals. The Rangers go to top-ranked Cape Elizabeth (13-1) for the quarterfinals Wednesday. Greely lost twice to the Capers this year, 3-0 on the road and 4-0 at home. The teams have squared off 20 previous times in the playoffs, dating to 1985, with each squad winning 10. The most recent was a 6-0 Cape Elizabeth win in the 2019 Class B South quarterfinals.

If Greely springs the upset, it will either visit No. 4 Erskine Academy (11-3-1) or No. 5 York (10-4-1) in the semifinals Saturday. The Rangers didn’t face Erskine this year and tied (5-5 on the road) and lost (2-1, at home in overtime) to the Wildcats.

The Class B South Final is Wednesday in Lewiston.

Two-time reigning Class D champion NYA finished 13-0-1 after last week’s 1-0 overtime win at Traip Academy (Angel Huntsman had the goal) in the regular season finale. The Panthers, who posted their best regular season mark since 2004, earned the top seed in Class D South and hosted No. 8 St. Dom’s (4-10) Wednesday in the quarterfinals. NYA swept the Saints this year, 6-1 at home and 5-0 in Auburn. The Panthers took the lone prior playoff meeting, 1-0, way back in the 1999 Western C semifinals.

If NYA advances, it will host either No. 4 Richmond (9-5) or No. 5 Temple Academy (7-7) in Friday’s semifinal round. The Panthers don’t face Temple Academy in the regular season. They beat the Bobcats twice this year, 5-0 at home and 7-1 away.

The Class D South Final is Tuesday of next week at Messalonskee High School in Oakland.

Field hockey

Four of five local field hockey teams were still alive at press time.

Falmouth finished fifth in Class A South, then improved to 10-4 last Thursday after a 4-0 home win over No. 12 Marshwood in the preliminary round. Chloe Bush and Valerie Rand both scored twice. The Navigators advanced to the quarterfinals, where they visited No. 4 Massabesic (13-2) Tuesday evening. On Sept. 24, Falmouth lost, 3-2, at the Mustangs. The Navigators lost two of the prior three playoff meetings, with a 2-1 overtime win for Massabesic in the 2016 Class A South semifinals the most recent.

If Falmouth advanced to the semifinals this weekend, it would either go to top-ranked Cheverus (14-0) or host No. 8 Kennebunk (8-6). The Navigators didn’t face the Stags this year and beat the visiting Rams, 4-1.

In Class B South, Yarmouth is the No. 3 seed after an 8-4-2 campaign and after being off for more than two weeks, the Clippers host No. 6 Freeport (8-7) in Wednesday’s quarterfinal round (see theforecaster.net/sports) for game story.

The Falcons advanced by virtue of a 6-0 win over No. 11 Gray-New Gloucester in the preliminary round, as Ava Gervais scored three goals and Sophie Bradford, Ellie Foss and Kyla Havey finished with a goal apiece.

Yarmouth twice beat Freeport by 2-1 scores this fall, Sept. 6 at home and Oct. 7 on the road. The teams have met five previous times in the playoffs, with the Clippers capturing all of them, but the most recent was way back in the 1998 Western C quarterfinals (1-0, in the 18th round of penalty corners).

The Freeport-Yarmouth winner will either go to No. 2 Cape Elizabeth (11-2-1) or host No. 7 Morse (7-6-2) in the semifinals Friday or Saturday.

The Clippers tied the Capers during the regular season, 1-1, and didn’t face the Shipbuilders.

The Falcons lost twice to Cape Elizabeth this year, 5-0, on the road and 3-2, in double-overtime, at home, and didn’t play Morse.

Greely finished ninth in Class B South after closing the regular season with a hard-fought 1-0 home loss to Cape Elizabeth. Goalie Savanna Harvey made 19 saves to keep it close.

“What we’ve battled against all season is getting offensive opportunities,” said Rangers coach Burgess LePage. “The defense is so solid and they understand each other well. They can persevere and of course, Savanna is special. I don’t feel stressed when we’re on defense with her back there.”

Greely then dropped a regional final heartbreaker at No. 8 Lake Region, 2-1, on the first round of penalty corners in the preliminary round to finish the year 4-11. Daphne Campo scored the Rangers’ goal.

In Class C South, the North Yarmouth Academy/Waynflete co-op team, ranked third, hosts No. 6 Lisbon (5-8-1) in the quarterfinals Wednesday afternoon (see theforecaster.net/for game story). The teams don’t play in the regular season. If NYA/Waynflete (10-4) advances, it will either go to No. 2 St. Dom’s (11-1) or host No. 10 Telstar (2-13) in the semifinals this weekend.

The Class A South, B South and C South Finals will all be held Wednesday of next week at Freeport High School.

Volleyball

Three local volleyball teams, including a pair of reigning champions, were still in the title hunt at press time.

Yarmouth, which won Class B in 2018 and 2019, went 14-0 for the first time in program history during the regular season and earned the top seed for the tournament. The Clippers hosted No. 8 Ellsworth (7-8) in the state quarterfinals Tuesday. The teams didn’t meet during the regular season and played just once previously in the playoffs, a 3-0 Yarmouth victory in the 2017 Class B state quarterfinals.

If victorious, the Clippers will host either No. 5 Mt. Desert Island (9-6) or 13th-seeded York (6-8) in the semifinals Wednesday or Thursday. Yarmouth didn’t play MDI this year, but did twice beat the Wildcats by 3-0 scores.

Greely finished with the No. 6 seed in Class B after 9-5 regular season, then eliminated No. 11 Messalonskee, 3-1, in the state preliminary round last weekend. The Rangers went to No. 3 Cape Elizabeth (11-4) for the quarterfinals Tuesday. Greely lost both regular season matchups by 3-1 scores. The Rangers were 0-2 all-time versus the Capers in the playoffs, with a 3-0 loss in the 2017 Class B state semifinals the most recent.

If Greely sprung the upset, it would either visit No. 2 Gardiner (15-0) or host No. 7 Gray-New Gloucester (8-7) in the state semifinals Wednesday or Thursday. The Rangers didn’t face the Tigers this year and the teams have no playoff history. Greely edged the Patriots, 3-2, during the regular season. The teams have never played in the postseason.

The Class B state match is Saturday in Lewiston.

Falmouth, the two-time reigning Class A champion, which went 5-9 in the regular season, wound up eighth for the tournament and eliminated No. 9 South Portland in straight sets (25-20, 25-21, 25-11) in Saturday’s preliminary round. Emily Charest had 24 assists and 20 digs, Victoria Abbott added four aces and eight digs, and Kylee Armer finished with three kills and 16 digs.

The Navigators advanced to face top-ranked Biddeford (15-0) in Tuesday’s state quarterfinal round. Falmouth lost, 3-0, at home to the Tigers in the regular season. Falmouth was 4-2 all-time versus Biddeford in the playoffs, with a 3-1 victory in the 2018 Class A state semifinals the most recent.

If the Navigators sprung an upset, they’d go to either No. 4 Marshwood (12-3) or fifth-ranked Bonny Eagle (9-6) for the semifinals Wednesday or Thursday. Falmouth beat the Scots, 3-1, during the regular season and lost, 3-0, to the Hawks.

The Class A state match is Saturday in Lewiston.

NYA finished 3-11 and didn’t take part in the playoffs.

Football

Freeport’s football team finished the regular season with a record of 5-2 after downing visiting Oak Hill Monday, 41-19.  Danny Casale returned an interception 67 yards for a touchdown on the game’s first play to open the scoring.

“That gave us the jolt we needed,” Casale said. “Last week (a loss at Winthrop) the secondary, including myself, had a terrible game. Today I needed to prove why I’m a starter and why I’m a senior captain.”

After another Casale interception, Jared Knighton scored his first touchdown, on a 5-yard rush. Knighton then added a 39-yard scoring run for a quick 20-0 lead. The Falcons stretched their lead to 34-13 at halftime behind an Aidan Heath to Tony Casale 20-yard TD pass and a Jacob Benjamin 67-yard fumble return for a score. Knighton’s 26-yard touchdown run in the third period accounted for Freeport’s final points.

“The schedule over the past week has thrown us all off,” said Freeport coach Paul St. Pierre, whose team was playing its second consecutive game on a Monday. “Things will be back to normal this week with the bye.”

The Falcons will be idle this week, then will take part in the Class D playoffs the first weekend in November.

Falmouth/Greely didn’t play last weekend, as its originally scheduled game versus Brunswick was canceled. The Navigators, who went 3-3 during the regular season, will be the No. 5 seed in Class B North and go to No. 4 Skowhegan (4-4) for the quarterfinals Friday. Falmouth/Greely lost at home to Skowhegan, 60-0, Sept. 24 at home. The teams have no playoff history.

In the eight-man large division, sixth-seeded Yarmouth finished 1-7 after a 52-12 loss to No. 3 Spruce Mountain in the quarterfinals. The Clippers trailed, 8-0, after one quarter and were down, 24-12, at halftime, as Jackson Delfini had touchdown runs of 38-yards and 2-yards. The Phoenix then broke it open with two touchdowns apiece in the third and fourth periods.

Times Record Eli Canfield contributed to this story.

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

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