The spring sports regular season has just over a week to go and the playoffs loom.

We’ve already gotten a small taste of the postseason and the best is yet to come.

Here’s an overview:

Tennis

The tennis state singles tournament wrapped up at press time.

Waynflete’s Henry Kerr defeated Madawaska’s Carson Cyr, 6-0, 6-2, in the first round, then upset ninth-ranked Max Friedlander of Mt. Desert Island, 6-1, 6-1, and downed Andre Violette of Yarmouth, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, in the round of 16 before falling in the quarterfinals to top-ranked/eventual champion Xander Barber of Falmouth, 1-6, 0-6.

Deering’s Daniel Landry, seeded fifth, defeated Evan Ankrom of MDI, 6-0, 6-0, in the second round, then was upset by Greely’s Charles Segal, 6-7 (5), 2-6.

Waynflete’s Jeff Adey defeated Bangor’s Jackson Haskell, 6-1, 6-1, in the first round, then knocked off Hampden Academy’s Finn Castrucci, 6-4, 7-4, in the second round before losing to third-seeded Terry Ma of Thornton Academy, 1-6, 2-6, in the round of 16.

Waynflete’s Matt Adey downed Skowhegan’s Mattia Rota, 6-2, 6-4, in the first round, then was eliminated by Westy Granholm of MDI, 2-6, 1-6, in the second round.

Portland’s Will Guerin beat Brunswick’s Jacob Scrapchansky, 7-5, 6-4, in the first round, then was ousted by Skowhegan’s Drake Turcotte, 3-6, 6-4, 0-1 (2), in the second round.

Waynflete’s Theo Demetriou lost to Greely’s Segal, 4-6, 1-6, in the first round.

Cheverus’ Anton Behuniak was ousted by Camden Hills’ Liam O’Dwyer, 3-6, 7-5, 0-1 (8) in the first round.

On the girls’ side, Waynflete’s Lucy Hart defeated Caribou’s Emberlie McIntyre, 6-0, 6-0, in the first round, then was eliminated by Greely’s Isobel Wright, 3-6, 3-6, in the second round.

In team tennis, Waynflete’s 13-time reigning Class C boys’ state champion was 9-2 entering Tuesday’s finale at Lake Region.

The Flyers girls finished the regular season 7-5 after a loss last week to undefeated Greely.

Portland’s boys were 8-3 entering Monday’s finale at Windham.

The Bulldogs girls were 1-10 going into Monday’s final match against Windham.

Deering’s boys were 7-4 entering Tuesday’s home finale versus unbeaten Falmouth.

The Rams were 0-11 going into Tuesday’s final match against undefeated Falmouth.

Cheverus’ boys were 5-6 entering Tuesday’s finale versus Gorham.

The Stags girls were 4-6 going into their final match at Gorham.

The team tennis playoffs begin with the preliminary round Friday. The quarterfinals are Tuesday of next week. Those matches will be held on the courts of the higher seeds.

Baseball

On the baseball diamond, the Waynflete/North Yarmouth Academy co-op team, improved to a program-best 12-1 and third in the Class C Heal Points standings after wins last week at Traip Academy (7-2), at St. Dom’s (8-4) and at Maine Central Institute in a doubleheader (6-3 and 6-1). Against the Rangers, Nico Herrera and Daxton St. Hilaire drove in two runs apiece and Herrera, Tanner Anctil, Cole Lambert and Lincoln Smith all had multiple hits. In the win over the Saints, Cal Nice had three hits and drove in four runs,  and Jack Byrnes added two RBI. In the first game of the doubleheader, Oscar Twinning threw a one-hitter and Byrnes and Cooper St. Hilaire both scored twice. In the nightcap, Daxton St. Hilaire allowed just two hits in four innings and fanned four, while Nice had two hits and two RBI and Cooper St. Hilaire drove in two runs. Waynflete/NYA hosted Old Orchard Beach Monday, visits Richmond Wednesday and closes at Sacopee Valley, the lone team to beat it, next Tuesday.

In Class A South, Cheverus was 8-4 and sixth after an eight-inning loss at Scarborough (5-4) and wins over visiting Gorham (11-7) and at Deering (8-1). The Stags led the Red Storm, 4-0, with two outs and no one on base in the bottom of the seventh, but somehow let the game slip away despite two hits apiece from Brian Connolly, Devin Kelly and Chris Murphy. In the win over Gorham, Kelly homered, Noah Kennedy-Jensen had two hits, three RBI and scored three times and Lucas Soutoyo had three hits and drove in four runs. Against Deering, Rilan Smith went the distance, striking out eight, Kelly had three RBI, Matt Connor had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored and Liam Backman added three hits. The Stags were home versus Thornton Academy Tuesday, visit Falmouth Thursday (see our website for game story), welcome Biddeford Saturday, then finish the regular season at home versus Marshwood Tuesday of next week.

Portland was 2-11 and 16th in Class A South following a 17-11 home loss to Gorham, a come-from-behind 5-4 home victory over Deering an 11-10 setback at Massabesic and a 6-1 home loss to the Red Riots. Against Gorham, the Bulldogs couldn’t erase an early 8-0 deficit despite three hits from Henry Bibeau and two apiece from Andrew Brewer and Liam Fay-LeBlanc. In the victory, Portland scored twice in the bottom of the seventh, as Reegan Buck singled with one out, stole second, took third on a wild pitch, then scored on an error, before Brewer singled in Bibeau with the winning run. Fay-LeBlanc went the distance, striking out 13. In the loss to the Mustangs, the Bulldogs couldn’t hold a seventh inning lead and lost despite three hits from Brewer, two hits and three runs scored from Fay-LeBlanc, two hits and three RBI from Finn Tidd and three RBI from Cam Allen. Portland then hung tough with the Red Riots most of the way before South Portland scored four times in the seventh inning. Lucas Milliken hit an RBI single. The Bulldogs were at Scarborough Tuesday (see our website for game story), host Westbrook in the home finale Thursday, then close at Noble Saturday.

Deering dropped to 0-12 and 17th in Class A South after losses last week to visiting Massabesic (17-0, in five-innings), host Portland (5-4), visiting Thornton Academy (11-1, in five-innings) and visiting Cheverus (8-1). Against the Mustangs, the Rams managed just one hit, a single from Jackson Forrest. In the loss to the Bulldogs, Forrest had two hits and an RBI, but Deering couldn’t hold a seventh inning lead and Avery Lawrence was the tough-luck loser. Against the Golden Trojans, Zade Smith produced the Rams’ lone hit, a single. Tavian Lauture had two hits in the loss to the Stags. The Rams were at Gorham Tuesday, visit Sanford Thursday, welcome Scarborough Tuesday of next week and close at home versus Falmouth Wednesday of next week.

Softball

Cheverus’ softball team appears to be the lone city squad bound for the playoffs. Entering play this week, the Stags were 6-6 and ninth in Class A South after a 14-3 (five-inning win at Portland), a 6-3 home loss to Gorham, an 8-4 home victory over Massabesic and a 12-0 (six-inning) setback at Kennebunk. Against the Bulldogs, an 11-run second inning broke it open and Ashley Connor homered and drove in two runs, Hailey Lamontagne had three hits and two runs scored, Anna Goodman drove in a pair of runs and Anna Kennedy-Jensen and Eadie Nadeau added two hits apiece. Goodman drove in two runs in the loss to Gorham. Against the Mustangs, Connor threw a three-hitter and Lamontagne hit a home run. The Stags hosted Falmouth Monday and welcome reigning Class A champion Biddeford Wednesday before going to powerhouse Windham Friday and closing at Bonny Eagle Tuesday of next week.

Portland fell to 3-9 and 11th following five-inning losses to visiting Cheverus (14-3) and host Windham (11-1) and an 11-3 home loss to Thornton Academy. Against the Stags, Sadie Armstrong had three hits and Ainsley McCrum added two, with two runs scored. In the loss to the Eagles, Hadleigh McPartlan drove in the run. Against the Golden Trojans, Hannah Hawkes had two hits and scored twice. The Bulldogs were at Scarborough Monday, host Noble in the home finale Wednesday, go to Marshwood Friday, then play at Marshwood against next Tuesday.

Deering was 1-12 and 14th in Class A South after losses last week to visiting Noble (9-1), at Marshwood (12-3) and at home to Gorham (14-3, in five-innings). In the loss to the Knights, Adelyn Blackburn drove in the run. Against the Hawks, Isabella McBrady had two RBI. Sophia Hill and Kira Siteman had multiple hits in the loss to Gorham. The Rams were at Biddeford Monday, visit Bonny Eagle Wednesday and close at home versus Falmouth Tuesday of next week. 

Boys’ lacrosse

Waynflete’s boys’ lacrosse team, the two-time reigning Class C champion, improved to 8-2 after wins at Traip Academy (17-3) and at home over Gray-New Gloucester (18-1) last week. Against the Rangers, Roan Hopkins scored six goals and Seth Cloutier added five. In the victory over the Patriots, Cloutier went off for seven goals, Hopkins added four and Jacob Woodman finished with three. The Flyers (second behind Wells in the state-wide Heal Points standings at press time) were at Cheverus Tuesday, go to Class B power Yarmouth Friday, welcome Gorham Tuesday of next week and close with a home showdown against rival NYA June 2.

In Class A, Portland was 6-5 and ninth following a 7-5 home win over Cheverus and a 7-4 setback at Scarborough last week. In the victory, Harry Rubin had two goals and four assists.

“We knew we have what it takes to beat them,” Rubin said. “We just had to stay together, I think. I was just finding my guys (in the crease). They were moving pretty well. As long as they keep doing that, I can keep getting them the ball.”

“(Rubin’s) a leader for us out there at midfield,” said Bulldogs coach Mike DiFusco. “He sets the tone for us up top and we rely on him to control the ball,”

Portland couldn’t hold an early 3-0 lead at the Red Storm and lost, despite two goals from Brady Toher. The Bulldogs hosted South Portland Tuesday, welcome Bangor Friday and close at home versus Windham Saturday.

Deering had a 5-5 mark and was 12th in Class A following a 10-9 overtime loss to Cheverus and a 22-8 home win over Westbrook. Joey Foley scored three goals in the setback, while Coleman Ballweg, Andrew Burke and Corbin Burke all added two goals. In the victory, Andrew Burke led the way with seven goals, while Ballweg, Corbin Burke, Dom Bixler and Trip Marston added three apiece. The Rams hosted Windham Tuesday, go to Gorham Saturday, visit Westbrook May 31 and close at Lake Region June 2.

Cheverus was 4-6 and 14th in Class A after sandwiching losses at Portland (7-5) and Windham (9-4) around a 10-9 overtime win at Deering. Against the Bulldogs, freshman goalie Cameron Day made 11 saves.

“(Day) made a lot of saves and kept us in it,” Cheverus coach Will Tuttle said. “A lot of really good defensive play from our guys and our older guys on offense stepped up.”

The Stags were home versus Waynflete Tuesday, welcome Bonny Eagle Thursday, play host to Falmouth Saturday and close at home against Biddeford June 1.

Girls’ lacrosse

On the girls’ side, don’t look now, but the Waynflete Flyers are hitting their stride and winning games. Last Monday, the Flyers lost, 13-7, at Freeport, despite four goals from Tilsley Kelly and a pair from Lydia Birknes. Waynflete then turned around and improved to 3-7 by downing visiting Gorham (10-7) and Lake Region (15-6). Against the Rams, Kelly scored six times and Birknes added four as the Flyers got some key Heal Points.

“I think we’ve been mixing things up a lot and finding where everyone should be and this win showed us what’s working,” Kelly said. “It all pieced together.”

“I think we came out really strong,” Birknes said. “We’ve been a second half team, but this game, we played both halves. I think our defense really came together. Our energy was up. We went after it and really hit a turning point.”

“I’m psyched,” longtime Waynflete coach Cathie Connors added. “This will help us. I’m super-proud of them. The girls knew this was big for us and that we had to win today to get to playoffs.”

In the win over the Lakers, Skylar Harris had a career-high six goals and Kelly added five. The Flyers (seventh in Class C) were at Fryeburg Academy Monday and hosted Gray-New Gloucester Tuesday. After going to Lake Region Friday, Waynflete closes at home versus York Wednesday of next week.

“We’re getting confidence,” said Connors. “Now, we hope to string some wins together.”

In Class A, Portland won its seventh straight game last Tuesday, edging visiting Cheverus in an overtime thriller, 12-11. Elizabeth Littell tied the score with 28 seconds left in regulation, then, after a clutch save from goalie Eva Smith, Eliza Stein scored her sixth goal of the game to win it.

“It was nervewracking,” Smith said. “I liked it because we didn’t lose, but I didn’t like it because it really does come down to me and the other goalie and that’s terrifying.”

“We’re 3-0 against Portland teams (Cheverus, Deering and Waynflete) this year,” said Stein. “No one really counted us in this year, but we’ve come out with a lot of fire. We’ve done it together. The second we played our first game, I knew we’d be a threat.”

“We took some hits last year and we’re proud of what we’ve learned and are able to put on the field this year,” added Portland coach Beth Broderick. “That’s really coming through. I’ve been coaching Portland for awhile now and I’m a big Portland fan, so I always come into the season believing in us and we’ve been putting some nice things together.”

Saturday, the Bulldogs fell to 8-2 and eighth in the Heals after an 11-9 home loss to Scarborough. Stein had three goals and Littell added a pair. Portland is at Marshwood Wednesday, visits two-time reigning Class  champion Kennebunk Thursday, hosts Falmouth Tuesday of next week, then closes at home versus Sanford June 1.

“We’re excited about what we’re putting together,” Broderick said. “We have some big games to come to get through, but we’re thrilled for the opportunities. We have to keep working hard and building our bench.”

Cheverus entered Monday’s home showdown/playoff rematch versus reigning Class A North champion Yarmouth at 6-4 and 12th in Class A following a 12-11 overtime loss at Portland and a 16-6 home win over Westbrook last week. In the setback, Sophia St. John scored four goals, Reese Belanger added three and goalie Elle Cooney made 13 saves, but the Stags couldn’t hold a lead in the final minute.

“We had our opportunities,” said Cheverus coach Sarah Varney. “I’m really proud of our team. When we were down, we were able to come back and we were able to take the lead at different points in the game. We had sparks of greatness on the field. It was beautiful lacrosse. Portland played amazing too. It’s the way you want to see games. I want all Maine lacrosse games to be like this.”

St. John and Mackenzie Cash both scored three goals against Westbrook. The Stags go to Brunswick Wednesday, host Noble Friday and play host to Kennebunk in the regular season finale Tuesday of next week.

“I think we’re going to peak at the right time,” said Varney. “We’re sorting through challenges during the regular season to prepare for playoffs. We have such an athletic team. I love coaching these girls. They have heart.”

Deering fell to 0-10 and 22nd in Class A following losses last week at Bangor (13-11), Gray-New Gloucester/Poland (14-7) and Noble (17-8). Shay Rosenthal had three goals against the 26ers. The Rams tried again for their first victory Monday at Bonny Eagle, then host Sanford Wednesday, welcome South Portland Friday and close at Mt. Ararat Wednesday of next week.

Track

The outdoor track regular season wrapped up last week.

Portland joined Kennebunk and Marshwood at South Portland. The Bulldogs girls came in first, while the boys were second to the Red Riots.

Deering hosted Cheverus, Falmouth, Scarborough and Windham. In the boys’ meet, won by the Red Storm, the Stags came in fourth and the Rams were fifth.

In the girls’ competition, also won by Scarborough, Cheverus placed fourth and Deering finished fifth.

The Southwestern Maine Activities Association championship meet is Friday at Gorham.

The Class A state championship meet will be held June 3 in Topsham.

Press Herald staff writer Travis Lazarczyk contributed to this story.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. 

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