MOLLY MULLIGAN, Senior – Volleyball
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• WMC All-star, first-team
* Captain
Greely returned to prominence this fall and the excellent play of Mulligan was a big reason why.
Mulligan lost out on her freshman season due to COVID, but quickly became a top player for the Rangers, earning all-star honorable mention status as a junior.
This season, Mulligan was a force, not just at the net, but all over the court, registering 117 kills, 93 digs and serving at an 84 percent clip with 28 aces. Greely, which won 10 state titles between 2003-2016 but hadn’t reached the state semifinals since 2017, soared back up the standings.
The Rangers went 10-4 in the regular season, their best mark since 2016, and defeated Mt. Desert Island in four games in the preliminary round (Mulligan had 11 kills and two aces) before sweeping Kennebunk in three straight sets in the quarterfinals, as Mulligan had 10 kills and seven service points, including a pair of aces. Greely’s run ended with a loss at undefeated, top-ranked Washington Academy in the semifinals, but the Rangers are back in the title hunt.
While she’s set to graduate this spring, Molly Mulligan, Greely’s Fall Athlete of the Year, has set the Rangers up for even more success in the immediate future.
Coach Autumn Vargo’s comment: “Molly is such a great player. She listens, asks questions, tries to make changes and is a true leader on the court. She had so much drive this season and it really stood out on and off the court. She led by example, she helped her teammates and was the epitome of what we as coaches look for in a captain.”
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Prior winners:
• 2022 Ruth Weeks (golf)
* 2021 Savanna Harvey (field hockey)
* 2020 Hannah Perfetti (field hockey)
• 2019 Marin Provencher (cross country)
• 2018 Rachel Smith (golf)
• 2017 Sydney Meredith-Pickett (field hockey)
• 2016 Kayley Cimino (volleyball)
• 2015 Izzy Hutnak (soccer)
• 2014 Katherine Leggat-Barr (cross country)
• 2013 Kirstin Sandreuter (cross country)
• 2012 Haleigh Roach (volleyball)
• 2011 Maggie Bradley (volleyball)
• 2010 Kirstin Sandreuter (cross country)
• 2009 Erin Cadigan (volleyball)
• 2008 Hillary Cederna (volleyball)
• 2007 Mackenzie Ross (field hockey)
• 2006 Aly Robinson (soccer)
• 2005 Amanda Gray (volleyball)
• 2004 Rachelle Doucette (soccer)
• 2003 Hayly Ross (field hockey)
• 2002 Kim Alexander (soccer)
• 2001 Amanda Chase (field hockey)
ANDREW PADGETT, Junior – Football
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* Eight-man, large school, South region first-team all-star, quarterback
* Captain
Andrew Padgett believed his Greely football team could do great things this year. He believed that even after a winless season a year ago. He believed even after the Rangers began the 2023 campaign 1-3 and were written off by everyone outside of Cumberland and North Yarmouth. And in the end, his belief paid off, as Greely came from nowhere and shocked the eight-man world by winning the South region title, thanks to an abundance of pivotal plays, and great leadership, from Padgett, the quarterback.
Padgett, who also plays basketball for Greely and was on hand last winter for a state-record eight-overtime contest, is a dual threat behind center on the gridiron, equally adept at airing the ball out to his talented receivers, or keeping it, taking off and leaving the opposing defense in his wake.
Little went right for the Rangers in 2022 and while the team was very competitive early this autumn, some frustrating losses left Greely seemingly out of the hunt at the midway point, but the Rangers would finish strong.
Padgett would throw for over 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns and he ran for six more scores. Highlights included 312 passing yards and four TDs in a season-opening win over Lake Region (Greely’s first at the eight-man level), a timely 45-yard touchdown pass and a pair of two-point conversion rushes in a momentum-turning overtime win at Waterville, a game-clinching first down run in a stunning upset victory over reigning state champion Yarmouth and a TD run and touchdown pass in a regular season-ending win over Gray-New Gloucester.
That victory gave the Rangers the number two seed for the playoffs and a bye into the semifinals, where Greely avenged an earlier setback by blanking Mt. Ararat, 38-0, as Padgett threw a pair of long touchdown passes and ran for another score. After top-ranked Yarmouth was upset by Brunswick in the other semifinals, the Rangers were able to host the regional final and never trailed the Dragons, prevailing, 40-22, to win a championship trophy for the first time. In that one, Padgett left Brunswick frustrated by running away for 60- and 70-yard touchdowns and throwing for another long score. Greely’s title dreams were then dashed by Mt. Desert Island in the state final, as Padgett was injured and had to leave the contest, but what a ride it was.
With Andrew Padgett, Greely’s Fall Athlete of the Year, under center, you can rest assured that there are plenty more highlights to come.
Coach Caleb King’s comment: “Andrew had a fantastic year for us this year, leading our dynamic offense all the way to the state championship game. Andrew was one our six captains who was elected by his teammates. He was the only junior, exemplifying what a leader is both on and off the field. Andrew was always the last to leave the locker room, win or lose. Andrew was a steady force for us on the field, with his calm demeanor and positive attitude. If we were down, he would continue to fight us back into the game. If we were ahead, he made sure we kept our foot on the gas.”
Courtesy Brady King
Prior winners:
• 2022 Ethan Njitoh (soccer)
* 2021 Ethan Njitoh (soccer)
* 2020 Andrew Klein (golf)
• 2019 Aidan Melville (soccer)
• 2018 Joey Cassella (football)
• 2017 Quinn Molloy (soccer)
• 2016 Paul Buchanan (football)
• 2015 Sam Peck (football)
• 2014 Aidan Roberts (golf)
• 2013 Matt Crowley (soccer)
• 2012 Svenn Jacobsen (football)
• 2011 Stefan Sandreuter (cross country)
• 2010 Jon Higgins (football)
• 2009 Logan Price (cross country)
• 2008 Steven Chase (soccer)
• 2007 James LePage (cross country)
• 2006 Oliver Blum (soccer)
• 2005 Greg Frost (soccer)
• 2004 Casey Diehl (cross country)
• 2003 Will Robinson (golf)
• 2002 Ben True (cross country)
• 2001 Ben True (cross country)
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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