There were fewer COVID-related postponements last week, which is a most positive sign.

Even better, the games that were played resulted in drama and even some history.

With just a couple weeks left in the regular season, the fun is just beginning.

Here’s a glimpse of the week that was and where locals stand in the big picture:

Boys’ basketball

It was an up-and-down week for local boys’ basketball teams.

Yarmouth, playing without key seniors Sutter Augur and Peter Psyhogeos, suffered its first loss last Wednesday, 35-32, to visiting Lake Region, then, with Augur and Psyhogeos back in the lineup, bounced back for wins at Freeport (57-31) and Brunswick (50-31) to improve to 11-1 and second behind Spruce Mountain in the Class B South Heal Points standings at press time. Matt Waeldner scored 12 points in the setback. Against the Falcons, Psyhogeos scored 23 points and added 11 rebounds, while Waeldner added 12 and Stevie Walsh finished with nine.

“It’s great to be back,” Psyhogeos said. “I was bored at home all week, so it’s awesome to be back with the team. I was really happy to play today.”

“That loss was the best thing that could have happened to us,” said Clippers coach Jonas Allen. “I didn’t really feel we were a 9-0 team. We had the best practice we’ve had all year yesterday. It’s hard to get kids’ attention sometimes when you’re winning. We had their attention yesterday.”

In the win over the Dragons, Psyhogeos had 18 points and Waeldner finished with 11. Yarmouth goes to Gray-New Gloucester Thursday, visits Greely Saturday (see theforecaster.net/sports for game story) and has a pivotal showdown at Cape Elizabeth Tuesday of next week.

“We’re excited and we have to keep working hard,” Psyhogeos said. “We know it will only get tougher from here.”

In Class A, Falmouth returned from a two-week COVID pause last Friday with a 47-44 loss at Portland. The Navigators never led and roared back within one point in the fourth quarter before falling just short. Brady Coyne had a team-high 11 points, but Falmouth made just 1-of-20 3-point shots.

“I’m pleased with the effort, but didn’t like the result,” said longtime Falmouth coach Dave Halligan. “We have some grit. You could tell we hadn’t played in 15 days. You can practice all you want, but it’s not the same as a game. As badly as we played, we were right there at the end. Portland’s gritty. This is why you play the best teams. Maybe that balance will pay off for us in the long run.”

Monday, the Navigators improved to 7-2 with a 57-49 victory at Marshwood. Coyne scored 25 points and Jack Stowell added 16. Falmouth (third in Class A South at press time) was at Brunswick Tuesday, hosts Thornton Academy Friday (see theforecaster.net/sports for game story) and welcomes Mt. Ararat Tuesday of next week.

“We have some good teams to play,” Halligan said. “We have to get ready for the tournament.”

Freeport lost at visiting Yarmouth (57-31) last Friday, then improved to 6-5 after a 52-46 win at Brunswick Monday. Colby Arsenault had a team-high nine points against the Clippers, but the Falcons dug an early 20-8 hole and couldn’t respond.

“Offensively, Yarmouth did a great job of keeping us on one side of the court,” Freeport first-year coach Tyler Tracy said. “They’re quick and rotate well together. We struggled to create any space. Defensively, we lost track of shooters early and struggled to finish off possessions on the boards. We need to be better at responding when we get down. We work hard but revert to bad habits when things don’t go our way early.”

Against the Dragons, Danny Casale scored 17 points and Blaine Cockburn added 11. The Falcons (sixth in Class A South at press time) host Cape Elizabeth Thursday, go to Waynflete Friday and welcome Gray-New Gloucester Tuesday of next week.

“It’s been a up and down year for a lot of teams,” Tracy said. “We can easily be on the up when guys get into rhythm with each other and a few adjustments.”

Greely played its first game in 13 days last Friday and dropped its fifth in a row, 65-52, at Cape Elizabeth. Andrew St. Hilaire scored 21 points in defeat. The Rangers (4-5 and seventh in Class A South) were at Poland Tuesday, go to Wells Thursday, host Yarmouth Saturday and visit Fryeburg Academy Tuesday of next week.

In Class C South, North Yarmouth Academy lost at home to Waynflete (57-45), then evened its record at 5-5 by downing visiting St. Dom’s (40-38) and host Rangeley (79-20). Against the Flyers, Joaquim Bila had 14 points and Bryce Poulin added 11, but the Flyers pulled away late.

“We were right there,” Panthers coach Jason Knight said. “Basketball’s a game of runs and we had our share and Waynflete responded and had one more run in them than we did at the end. You have to maintain possession of the ball and we can get better at that.

“We got better today and that was the message in the locker room. We haven’t pieced it all together for 32 minutes yet. We’re still building. We have to learn to play better in big situations. They made timely shots and stretched the floor really well.”

NYA then avenged an early loss to the Saints, as Bila had nine points and five steals,;Eliott Oney added nine points, seven rebounds and five assists; and Poulin finished seven points and 10 rebounds. In the win over the Lakers, Oney paced a balanced attack with 19 points, while Logan Welch added 14 points, Moses Semuhoza had 11, Cal Nice 10 and Poulin nine.

The Panthers (eighth in the region) host Richmond Thursday, go to Poland Saturday and welcome Old Orchard Beach Tuesday of next week.

“We have to take better care of the basketball and make smarter decisions,” Knight said. “That’s the key thing. We’ll keep refining and getting better. It doesn’t really matter what your record is going in (to the tournament) as long as you’re playing your best ball the first or second week of February. I’m confident that this group will piece it together in the next couple weeks. We just want to get better every day.”

Girls’ basketball

On the girls’ side, Greely improved to 7-2 and extended its win streak to five after a 47-30 home win over Cape Elizabeth last Friday. Asja Kelman had 13 points, Kaiyla Delisle added 12 points and Sophia Ippolito finished with 10. The Rangers (second behind Brunswick in the Class A South Heals at press time) were home with Poland Tuesday, host undefeated, reigning Class B champion Wells Thursday (see theforecaster.net/sports for game story), go to Yarmouth Saturday and welcome Fryeburg Academy Tuesday of next week.

Falmouth was 6-3 and fifth in Class A South after splitting a pair of games last week, losing at Gorham (48-41) and holding off visiting Portland (40-35). Anna Turgeon had 17 points in the loss. In the victory, Sloane Ginevan and Maddy Christman both scored 12 points. The Navigators hosted Brunswick Tuesday, visit Thornton Academy Friday, welcome South Portland for a makeup game Monday and travel to Mt. Ararat Tuesday of next week.

Freeport fell to 3-7 and seventh in Class A South after Saturday’s 65-45 loss at Yarmouth. Mason Baker-Schlendering scored 17 points in defeat. The Falcons go to Cape Elizabeth Thursday, welcome Waynflete Friday and visit Gray-New Gloucester Tuesday of next week.

In Class B South, Yarmouth was 6-3 and fourth in the Heals after a 44-35 home loss to Wells, a 65-45 home win over Freeport and a 42-40 home loss to Brunswick. Against the undefeated Warriors, Katelyn D’Appolonia and Neena Panozzo each had eight points, but the Clippers could never quite catch up.

“I don’t know if I could be more pleased than I am tonight,” Yarmouth coach David Cousins said. “Considering everything this team has been through, coming out like this against a great team and playing them tough was just what we needed.”

In the victory over the Falcons, Maya Panozzo scored 22 points and Cate King added 12. Against the Dragons, Maya Panozzo scored 16 points and D’Appolonia added 11. The Clippers welcome Gray-New Gloucester Thursday, host Greely Saturday and welcome Cape Elizabeth Tuesday of next week.

“I have all the faith in these kids,” Cousins said. “It’s just being exposed to big situations. We’re definitely optimistic. There aren’t any cupcakes on the schedule. We just have to keep playing. We want to be ready for the tournament and tonight was a good sign.”

In Class C South, NYA was 7-1 and third in the standings following a 58-18 win at Waynflete last week. Madilyn Oranato had a team-high 14 points. The Panthers go to Richmond Thursday, host Poland Saturday and visit Old Orchard Beach Tuesday of next week.

Boys’ hockey

On the ice, Greely’s boys, the two-time reigning Class B champion, hosted Scarborough Saturday for its first game in two weeks and improved to 6-1 with a 6-2 victory. After going to undefeated Edward Little Wednesday, the Rangers (first in the Heal Points at press time) visit Leavitt Saturday.

The Cheverus/Yarmouth co-op squad was 5-3 and fifth in Class B South following a 3-0 win at Gorham last Thursday. Ryan Franceschi, Wyatt Header and Andrew Cheever scored the goals and John Wallace earned a shutout in net. Cheverus/Yarmouth is home against Falmouth Thursday (see theforecaster.net/sports for game story) and goes to Cape Elizabeth Saturday.

In Class A, the South Portland/Waynflete/Freeport co-op team was 6-3 and fourth in the Heals despite losses last week at home to Scarborough (2-1) and at Biddeford (5-4). Cullen Adams had the goal and Jasper Curtis made 27 saves against the Red Storm. SP/Waynflete/Freeport hosts York Thursday and visits Lake Region Monday.

Falmouth was 4-5-1 and fifth following Saturday’s 2-1 win at Thornton Academy. The Navigators go to Cheverus/Yarmouth Thursday, then travel to reigning Class A champion Lewiston Saturday.

Girls’ hockey

On the girls’ side, Falmouth was 6-4 and fourth in the South Region Heals at press time following a 5-2 loss at Scarborough Monday, the Navigators’ first game in 16 days. Falmouth hosted Biddeford Tuesday, goes to Cape Elizabeth/Waynflete/South Portland Thursday, welcomes Winslow Saturday and plays host to Mt. Ararat Tuesday of next week.

In the North Region, Yarmouth/Freeport was 5-4 and sixth after a 6-2 win at Brunswick and a 3-0 home loss to York last week. In the victory, Yarmouth/Freeport erased an early 2-0 deficit and got two goals and two assists from Sadie Carnes and two goals from freshman Drea Rideout. Yarmouth/Freeport welcomes Mt. Ararat Saturday and goes to reigning state champion Lewiston Monday.

Greely was 3-8 and eighth after an 6-1 home win over Portland/Deering and a 9-1 setback at Lewiston. After going to Edward Little Wednesday, the Rangers host Brunswick Thursday and go to York Saturday.

Indoor track

In last weekend’s indoor track action, Freeport’s girls were second in a 13-team Western Maine Conference meet, while Yarmouth finished third, Greely fourth and NYA 13th.

In the boys’ meet, won by York, Yarmouth finished third, Freeport sixth, Greely seventh and NYA 13th.

In the SMAA, Falmouth’s boys and girls were both fourth in a four-team meet which also included Noble, Thornton Academy and Deering.

Skiing

Local Nordic ski teams took part in the Maranacook Wave race Saturday in Readfield. Falmouth’s boys were fifth and Greely was 11th.

In the girls’ meet, Falmouth came in seventh and Greely placed 10th.

In Alpine action, in a giant slalom meet last week, Yarmouth’s girls were first among five teams, as Brooke Boone was the top individual with a two-run combined time of 1 minute, 9.42 seconds. Greely placed fifth.

In the boys’ competition, Yarmouth was second to Fryeburg Academy, as Asher Lockwood was first individually in 1:06.44.

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

Copy the Story Link

Comments are not available on this story.