Northern: Winter Coaches of the Year

Boys’ team

DAVE HALLIGAN, Falmouth basketball

File photo

Halligan has won for decades and he’s never more dangerous then when he’s an underdog. This winter, the wily veteran nearly sprung an epic upset in the season’s final game.

Falmouth made it back to the Class A state final, was once again an underdog and were it not for a last-second layup, would have shocked Brewer in front of a huge crowd at the Augusta Civic Center.

For leading the Navigators to the cusp of what would have been the program’s most improbable title and for being so good for so long, Dave Halligan is The Forecaster’s choice as our Northern edition Winter Coach of the Year, of a boys’ team.

Halligan was also selected in the winter of 2015-16 as well as in the fall of 2003, 2006, 2012, and 2019 for soccer.

Halligan is a Falmouth native, who played soccer, basketball and baseball in high school. After attending the University of Southern Maine and the University of Maine and coaching in Cape Elizabeth and Portland, Halligan came home to Falmouth in 1987 to coach soccer and basketball and the rest has been triumphant history.

As of this writing, Halligan has 581 basketball victories and six state titles (three in Class C, two in Class B and one in Class A) and 502 soccer victories (including a dozen state titles).

Falmouth was the dominant team in Class A South in 2021-22, but was no match for Cooper Flagg and Nokomis in the state game. This winter, the Navigators were expected to come back to the pack in the region, but instead, wound up the top seed again after going 14-4.

Then, on the eve of the tournament, junior big man Chris Simonds broke his ankle in practice, apparently compromising Falmouth’s chances, but instead, the Navigators, featuring seniors Judd Armstrong, Lucas Dilworth and Paul Dilworth and a strong supporting cast, completely put the clamps on Mt. Ararat, Westbrook and Marshwood to repeat as regional champions.

Falmouth was a decided underdog when it took on Brewer in the state final and quickly dug a 10-point hole, but Halligan settled his team down, the Navigators rallied and led much of the second half before falling, 42-41, as Armstrong’s runner at the horn fell just short.

“I’m awfully proud of this group of boys,” said Halligan. “The adversity we’ve been through, we weren’t even supposed to be in this game. We’re disappointed we lost, but we understand we gave our all and that’s all we asked.”

There will be more Gold Ball games and more championship trophies in Falmouth’s immediate future. As long as the maestro, Dave Halligan, our Northern edition boys’ team Winter Coach of the Year, is pulling the strings, and there’s no indication he’s going to stop anytime soon, triumph will be the theme.

Previous winners:

• 2021-22 Jonas Allen (Yarmouth basketball)
* 2020-21 Jonas Allen (Yarmouth basketball)
• 2019-20 Tip Kimball (Falmouth skiing)
•2018-19 Barry Mothes (Greely hockey)
•2017-18 Bill Ridge (Freeport basketball)
•2016-17 Travis Seaver (Greely basketball)
•2015-16 Dave Halligan (Falmouth basketball)
•2014-15 Dave St. Pierre (Yarmouth hockey)
•2013-14 Rob Hale (Greely swimming)
•2012-13 Deron Barton (Falmouth hockey)
•2011-12 Adam Smith (Yarmouth basketball)
•2010-11 Adam Smith (Yarmouth basketball)
•2009-10 Marc Halsted (Yarmouth hockey)
•2008-09 Barry Mothes (Greely hockey)
•2007-08 Craig Sickels (Freeport basketball)
•2006-07 Adam Smith (Yarmouth basketball)
•2005-06 Jorma Kurry (Falmouth track)
•2004-05 Scott Rousseau (Falmouth hockey)
•2003-04 Barry Mothes (Greely hockey)
•2002-03 John Maloney (Yarmouth basketball)
•2001-02 Scott Matusovich (Yarmouth hockey)

Girls’ team

DAVE INTRAVERSATO, Yarmouth/Freeport hockey

Contributed photo

Dave Intraversato entered the 2022-23 season believing his Yarmouth/Freeport co-op girls’ hockey team had what it took to enjoy a special campaign.

The squad wound up one goal shy of a state title.

In light of Yarmouth/Freeport enjoying the best season in program history, Dave Intraversato is The Forecaster’s choice as our Northern edition Winter Coach of the Year, of a girls’ team.

Intraversato grew up playing hockey and started coaching girls’ soccer in Freeport in 2018, took over the Yarmouth/Freeport girls’ hockey program in 2019 and turned the latter squad into a top contender in short order.

“We have eight really good defenders and not many teams in the league have rolled out three lines of talented players over the past few years, but this year, we will,” said Intraversato on the brink of the season.

Intraversato was proved correct, as Yarmouth/Freeport started 8-0, then wound up 15-2-1, easily the best mark in program history.

As the top seed in the North region, Yarmouth/Freeport dispatched Brunswick in the semifinals, then held off Penobscot in the final to make it to the state game for the first time. There, Yarmouth/Freeport took an early lead over Cheverus, then fell behind by two goals, before getting a third period goal only to fall short, 3-2.

“We put the program on the map this year,” Intraversato said. “We returned the same players we had last year. We have great senior leadership. I started the same time they did and they created a great team culture. They welcomed the freshmen and they really stepped up for us. The season was phenomenal, winning 17 games after winning six last year.”

What do you do for an encore after the best season in program history? You take the final step and with Dave Intraversato, our Northern edition girls’ team Winter Coach of the Year, pulling the strings, it’s only a matter of time until Yarmouth/Freeport celebrates a championship.

Previous winners:

•2021-22 Todd Flaherty (Greely basketball)
* 2020-21 Todd Flaherty (Greely basketball)
•2019-20 Dawn Armandi (Falmouth basketball)
•2018-19 Seth Farrington (Freeport basketball)
•2017-18 Mike Hart (Freeport basketball)
•2016-17 John Folan (Greely track)
•2015-16 Christina Strong (Yarmouth basketball)
•2014-15 Joel Rogers (Greely basketball)
•2013-14 Jeff Haley (Yarmouth/Freeport hockey)
•2012-13 Nate Guerin (Greely hockey)
•2011-12 Jay Lowery (Yarmouth basketball)
•2010-11 Mark Ouellette (Greely Alpine skiing)
•2009-10 Rob Hale (Greely swimming)
•2008-09 Billy Goodman (Greely basketball)
•2007-08 Nick Nash (Yarmouth basketball)
•2006-07 George Conant (Falmouth basketball)
•2005-06 John Keyes (Falmouth swimming)
•2004-05 John Folan (Greely track)
•2003-04 Jim Seavey (Greely basketball)
•2002-03 Jim Seavey (Greely basketball)
•2001-02 Eric Austin (NYA basketball)