The fall sports regular season has featured thrills and some surprises as well.

At press time, the regular season was coming to a close and by this weekend, the postseason will be underway in every sport but 11-man football.

Local squads are very much in the title hunt across the board and here’s where things stand on the brink of the most exciting time of the year.

Football

Yarmouth’s football team, the reigning eight-man, large division state champion, secured the top seed for the South Region playoffs after a 64-20 home win over Brunswick Friday, which capped a 6-1 campaign. Michael McGonagle continued his assault on opposing defenses and the record book by running for 472 yards and six touchdowns on 48 carries, giving him 2,247 yards and 27 TDs in the regular season. McGonagle had touchdown runs of 40- and 34-yards and Sam Bradford hit Adam Pelotte for a 42-yard score for a 20-8 lead after one quarter. In the second period, Bradford and Pelotte hooked up again from 47 yards out, while McGonagle scored on a 12-yard run to make it 36-20 at the break. A 1-yard Bradford-to-Pelotte TD pass and a 47-yard McGonagle touchdown run extended the lead to 50-20 after three quarters, then McGonagle put it away in the fourth period with touchdown runs of 4- and 38-yards. Bradford completed 7-of-14 passes for 191 yards and three scores, all to Pelotte. The Clippers have a bye this weekend and will begin their title defense Oct. 27 at home in the regional semifinal round.

Greely completed its late-season surge with a 22-16 win at Gray-New Gloucester Friday to wind up 4-3 and second in eight-man, large division South. Brayden Van Pembrook gave the Rangers an 8-0 lead with an early 2-yard touchdown run and subsequent two-point conversion rush. Greely took that advantage to the second half, but the Patriots drew even before the Rangers took the lead back, 14-8, when Ben Kyles caught a 51-yard pass from quarterback Andrew Padgett on the final play of the third quarter. After Gray-New Gloucester went on top, 16-14, Greely rallied to go on top on a 1-yard Padgett run with 6:39 to play, then added a safety to account for the final score.

“Coming off the big Yarmouth win, we came in here and thought we would roll over them,” Van Pembrook said. “Obviously, that wasn’t the case.”

“It was kind of a sloppy football game,” said Rangers coach Caleb King. Not the kind of game you like to see. We’ve got to be more disciplined. That starts Monday for us.”

Greely also has a bye this weekend and will host a regional semifinal Oct. 27.

In Class B action, Falmouth fell to 1-6 with a hard-fought 31-22 home loss to Cony in its home finale. The Navigators (ranked sixth in Class B North) close the season at Skowhegan (2-5) in a regional final rematch Friday.

Freeport fell to 2-5 and fifth in Class D South following its fifth consecutive setback, 56-6, at Foxcroft Academy. The Falcons’ points came on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Teddy Peters to David Ulrickson. Freeport closes the regular season at home against 1-6 Cape Elizabeth Friday.

Boys’ soccer

Yarmouth’s boys’ soccer team will be the top seed in Class B South yet again after a 12-2 regular season. Last week, the Clippers enjoyed victories at Freeport (3-1) and York (4-1) before closing with a 3-1 home loss to Cape Elizabeth Monday. Against the Falcons, Matt Gautreau scored in the eighth minute, Luis Cardoso added a first half goal (from Jonny Fulton) and Zach Kelly put it away with a second half goal.

“They’re great competition every time, but we always get a result,” Fulton said. “It was a tough challenge.”

“We’re a really confident team,” said Gautreau. “We stayed composed and deliberate and passed quickly. Coach (Mike Hagerty) emphasized playing quickly and utilizing our speed. We did that.”

“I was happy to come over here and win,” added Hagerty. “There’s not a lot of love lost and we know we’ll get their best effort. They’re due (to beat us), so I’d be glad to not see them again (in the playoffs).”

Against the Wildcats, Adam McLaughlin had two goals while Binda and Justin Dawes also found the net. In the loss, Fulton scored in the first half, but the Capers came back with three goals in the second half to end the Clippers’ 12-game win streak.

“We played a great first half, then they outplayed us in the second half,” Hagerty said.

The Clippers will begin their quest for a fourth straight state championship next week at home against a foe to be determined.

“Every season has ups-and-downs,” Hagerty said. “We’ll adjust and be fine.”

Greely was 8-4-1 and fifth in Class B South heading into Tuesday’s regular season finale at Wells. Last week, the Rangers won at Gray-New Gloucester (5-0), then lost at home to undefeated Class C South power Mt. Abram (1-0). In the victory, Sam Dudek had two goals, while Aaron Park, Owen Partridge and Owen Piesik had one apiece.

“It all started with my team, down the right flank, they served great balls,” Dudek said. “I was in the right position at the right time. I just tapped it in.”

“We were opportunistic tonight,” Greely coach Mike Andreasen said. “I got on them at halftime because I didn’t think they played a very good first half, but in the second half, they got deeper and then played the ball across into the middle. We just had guys running onto it. It was pretty textbook stuff.”

Freeport finished the regular season 7-4-3 after a 3-1 home loss to Yarmouth and a 4-3 victory at Cape Elizabeth. Against the Clippers, Emmanuel Ekogha scored the goal, but it wasn’t enough.

“Yarmouth came out with energy and we didn’t match it the first 10, 15 minutes,” Falcons coach Bob Strong said. “We fixed things and got on the board, but we couldn’t finish it off. They were really well organized in the back. That third goal header was sensational. We created some opportunities the last 10 minutes from guys off the bench. That was nice to see.”

“We know we’ll be in the playoffs and we’ll learn and get better,” Strong said. “There’s a lot of parity in the league this year. We’ll host a first round game and we know anything can happen. We’re healthy and that’s important. We’ll take our chances. We’re overdue.”

In Class A South, Falmouth was 7-4-2 and seventh entering Tuesday’s home finale versus Sanford. Last week, the Navigators blanked visiting Noble (4-0) and host Massabesic (3-0). Against the Knights, Michael Christman scored twice, while Evan Mayo and Sam Yoon added a goal apiece.

Defending Class D champion North Yarmouth Academy, now in Class C South, fell to 3-10 and eighth after losses last week at Wells (3-0) and at home to Traip Academy (4-0). The Panthers hoped to snap a nine-game losing streak when they closed at home versus four-time reigning Class C champion Waynflete Tuesday.

The boys’ soccer playoffs begin this weekend on the fields of the higher ranked teams.

Girls’ soccer

On the girls’ side, reigning state champion Yarmouth went to Cape Elizabeth Tuesday for a regular season finale that would determine the top seed in Class B South (see our website for game story). Last week, the Clippers improved to 11-1-1 after beating visiting Freeport (2-0), Wells (3-1) and York (2-0). Against the Falcons, Aine Powers scored twice and goalie Regan Sullivan saved a penalty shot.

“We have a big week this week,” Powers said. “We have to stay strong and healthy to get us through these tough games.”

“We’ve spent a lot of time together on and off the field, our team chemistry is through the roof and you can see that on the field,” Sullivan said. “I feel like we’re ready for anything. We’ve got the momentum.”

“It was all the kids,” said Clippers coach Andy Higgins. “Freeport’s fantastic. They’re tough and they’re aggressive and they present a lot of problems for us. The kids got dialed in and focused. We have a lot of kids who play a lot of sports and have played in big games and they rise to the challenge.”

In the win over the Warriors, Sonja Bell, Brooke Boone and Kadin Davoren all scored once. Powers had both goals against the Wildcats. Yarmouth took the top spot in Class B South into Tuesday’s finale.

“You can never underestimate this team,” said Higgins. “The way our senior class guides and leads these kids, we’re very fortunate. It’s a fun group. It’s going to be a fun few weeks.”

Freeport wound up 7-4-3 and third in Class B South after a 2-0 loss at Yarmouth and a 2-1 home setback to Cape Elizabeth. Against the Clippers, the Falcons took six corner kicks and had a penalty kick denied.

“It was frustrating not being able to score when we had opportunities,” Freeport coach Dave Intraversato said.

Pearl Peterson scored in the loss to the Capers, but a potential game-tying shot hit the post and the Falcons fell just short.

Greely was 6-5-2 and fourth in Class B South entering Tuesday’s home finale versus Wells. Last week, the Rangers downed visiting Gray-New Gloucester (4-3) and host Hall-Dale (1-0). Against the Patriots, CC Berthiaume, Shaylee O’Grady, Lili Pierce and Sami Santerre all scored once.

In Class A South, Falmouth finished 9-3-2 after a 9-1 win at Massabesic, a 1-1 tie at Gorham and a 5-0 home setback to reigning state champion Scarborough. Mackenzie VerLee had the goal against the Rams. The Navigators only managed three shots in the loss.

“We gave (Scarborough) some easy goals,” lamented Navigators coach Ben Johnson. “The first and second goal were our mistakes. Against a team like that, it’s going to cost you a game. It’s a good lesson because in the playoffs, you’ll go home when you make those mistakes.”

Falmouth was ranked sixth in the region at press time and will host a preliminary round playoff game Friday.

“We just have to figure some things out,” Johnson said. “It’s not the end of the world. Our path is a little more difficult. It’ll be interesting to see who we land with. We have to regroup. It’s on to the next one.”

NYA, the four-time reigning Class D champion, now playing in Class C South, beat host Traip Academy (2-1) and Monmouth Academy (5-0) last week and entered Tuesday’s pivotal regular season finale at rival Waynflete (see our website for game story) second behind reigning regional champion Maranacook in the Heals. Lyla Casey scored both goals in the win over the Rangers. Casey, Alicia Fontana, Ella Giguere, Natasha Godfrey and Lily Rawnsley all had one goal against Monmouth.

The girls’ soccer playoffs commence this weekend on the fields of the higher ranked teams.

Field hockey

Yarmouth’s field hockey team will be the top seed for the Class B South playoffs. Last week, the Clippers improved to 11-1-1 with victories at Fryeburg Academy (4-0) and Lake Region (1-0). Sophie Smith continued her spectacular season with three goals against the Raiders and Colleen Lynch also scored. Celia Zinman had the lone goal in the win over the Lakers. Yarmouth closed at home versus St. Dom’s Tuesday.

Freeport, the reigning Class B South champion, wound up 10-3-1 and will be second for the tournament following shutout victories at Gray-New Gloucester/NYA (4-0) and Cape Elizabeth (2-0) and a 6-0 home win over Fryeburg Academy. Against the Patriots, Emily Groves scored three times and Liza Flower also rattled the cage. In the win over the Capers, Flower and Anna Maschino did the scoring honors. Against the Raiders, Flower and Sophie Bradford had two goals apiece, while Maschio and Ellie Foss each scored once.

Greely finished 7-7 after beating host Poland (3-2) and visiting Traip Academy (10-1) and falling at home to visiting GNG/NYA in overtime Monday on Senior Day, 3-2. Against the Knights, Lauren Hazard scored twice and Maya Tracey had the other goal. In the win over the Rangers, Tracey had a hat trick, Hazard and Grace Belanger each scored twice and Rachel Miles, Evelyn Stewart and Helen Zimmerman added one apeice. Tracey twice pulled Greely even against GNG/NYA, but the Patriots scored late in the first overtime to win it.

“That’s the first time we’ve had overtime this season,” said Greely coach Burgess LePage. “We were ready for them, but they have great players and they come strong. They never gave up. They beat us to critical balls.

“Our regular season was great. We had some setbacks, two season-ending injuries, and we had to adjust. Our depth revealed itself. I’m proud that we pushed through. Playing a calm game has defined us. Our motto is, ‘Calm in our end and chaos in theirs.’”

The Rangers were clinging to the No. 6 spot in Class B South at press time.

“Getting in (the playoffs) was the first goal,” LePage said. “We need to believe that any team can win (the regional title) and that we can be that team. We have to make sure that belief spreads and we’ll use that to propel us. We’ve had a lack of belief the last few years, but the seniors believe and push everybody on. Once we really cement that belief, we’ll propel it forward. We’re excited. It’s going to be fun.”

In Class A South, Falmouth was 8-4-1 and fifth heading into Tuesday’s finale at Gorham. Last week, the Navigators were blanked by visiting Scarborough (2-0) and settled for a scoreless draw at Thornton Academy. Falmouth couldn’t score on its six shots against the Red Storm.

“We struggled, but (Scarborough) outplayed us today, plain and simple,” said longtime Navigators coach Robin Haley. “They stopped every free ball we had. We had our opportunities in the circle and their goalie came up with some great saves. I thought the fourth quarter, we played as we know we’re capable of.

“I think we just have to start out stronger. We have to be more consistent. We’ve been better than middle-of-the-pack and we’d like to make a playoff run. We’re capable, but we have to put all the pieces together.”

The field hockey playoffs begin this weekend with preliminary round games on the fields of the higher ranked teams.

Volleyball

Don’t look now, but Yarmouth’s four-time reigning Class B champion volleyball team is surging at the right time. The Clippers extended their win streak to eight matches last week by beating host Gray-New Gloucester in four games (25-16, 25-17, 19-25, 25-17), sweeping visiting Wells (25-19, 25-8, 25-17), then winning in straight sets at both Mt. Desert Island and Ellsworth. Grace Keaney and Annie Vinnakota both had 10 kills against the Warriors. The Clippers (10-3 and third in the Class B statewide Heals) closed the regular season at rival Cape Elizabeth Tuesday.

Greely was 9-4 and sixth in Class B following a straight set (29-27, 25-16, 25-16) home win over Lake Region, a 3-0 victory at Westbrook and a 3-1 home loss to York. Molly Mulligan had 11 kills versus the Lakers. The Rangers closed at Gray-New Gloucester Tuesday, then will host at least one playoff round.

Falmouth finished the regular season 9-5 following a 3-0 home loss to Gorham, a 3-0 home win over Windham and Monday’s 3-0 loss at Scarborough. The Navigators were seventh in Class B at press time and will host a preliminary round match.

In Class C, NYA fell to 1-12 and 10th (only eight teams make the playoffs) following losses at home to Maranacook in four sets (11-25, 22-25, 25-14, 16-25), at Calais (3-0) and at Woodland (3-1). The Panthers closed at Lake Region Tuesday.

The volleyball state playoffs begin Thursday with the preliminary round on the courts of the higher seeded teams.

Cross country

Several local teams took part in the Western Maine Conference championship meet last week in Standish.

Freeport’s boys came in first, while Greely placed fifth, Yarmouth seventh and NYA tied Fryeburg Academy for 12th. Individually, the Falcons were led by Alex Gilbert (third, 17 minutes, 8 seconds) and Will Spaulding (fourth, 17:12). The Rangers top finisher was William Coull (fifth, 17:32). The Clippers were paced by Cameron Pernal (21st, 18:52). The Panthers top runner was Cam Noreika (66th, 21:53). Maine Coast Waldorf didn’t score as a team. Quinn Chessa placed 54th (20:57).

Greely won the girls’ meet, while Freeport finished third, Yarmouth fourth and Maine Coast Waldorf was seventh. MCW’s Soren Stark-Chessa had the fastest time (19:16). The Rangers were led by Rowan Barry (seventh, 21:19). The Clippers top finisher was Chloe Bibula (10th, 21:49). NYA didn’t score as a team. Acadia Guliani had the 19th-best time (22:36).

The regional championships will be held Saturday at Twin Brook Recreation Center in Cumberland.

Press Herald staff writer Travis Lazarczyk and Sun Journal staff writer Nathan Fournier contributed to this story

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. For game updates and links to game stories, follow him on Threads: @foresports2023

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