BOYS’ BASKETBALL

Coach: Kevin Millington (ninth year, 123-36 overall record, two state championships)

2022-23 record: 19-3 (Beat Portland, 52-42, to win second consecutive Class AA state title)

Top returning players: Gabe Galarraga (Senior), Manny Hidalgo (Junior)

Pivotal games: Dec. 8 @ Gorham, Dec. 12 @ Cheverus, Dec. 14 @ Scarborough, Dec. 19 FALMOUTH, Dec. 22 PORTLAND, Dec. 28 @ Edward Little, Jan. 4 DEERING, Jan. 6 @ Thornton Academy, Jan. 15 SCARBOROUGH, Jan. 20 @ Portland, Jan. 27 THORNTON ACADEMY, Jan. 30 @ Deering, Feb. 2 GORHAM

Coach’s comment: “We’re young and inexperienced. We’ve lost a lot of guys the past couple years, but we still have players who will keep us competitive. We’re very athletic. We can get up and down the floor and use our size to our advantage, but we’re green around the gills. We have to figure out our depth. Any combination of kids can play. We probably won’t go 0-18, but there are no easy games this year. We’ll be in the mix.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: After three decades of near-misses, South Portland is now in a golden age, having won back-to-back state titles for just the third time in the program’s illustrious history (1928-29 and 1979-80 were the others). After losing J.P. Estrella and Owen Maloney following the 2021-22 season, the Red Riots surprised some by getting back to the pinnacle last winter. Standout Jaelen Jackson (now at Bates College) then graduated, along with playoff hero Ben Smith and Joey Hanlon, and when point-guard-in-waiting Jayden Kim transferred to Kents Hill and Nafees Padgett transferred to Tilton Academy in New Hampshire, that clearly left some holes to fill, but as Coach Millington likes to say, no one will feel sorry for South Portland, which trust me, will be just fine.

What this team does have is a certified big man in the 6-foot-6 Galarraga, who has come up huge in big spots the past couple seasons. Galarraga was a first-team league all-star last year after averaging 11.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. He will make life miserable for the opposition at both ends of the floor. Hidalgo, a member of the SMAA All-Rookie team in 2022-23, will play a much bigger role this season, replacing Jackson at point guard. He’ll look to up his scoring too. Senior Chris Keene and juniors Tom Maloji and Carmine Soucy provide depth in the backcourt. Sophomore Darius Johnson (who is 6-5) will be another big body looking to wreak havoc in the paint.

Everyone will be gunning for the Red Riots again, even with their new look, and the schedule will do the team no favors. It will take some time for Millington to figure out the best rotation, but he’s not exactly starting from scratch. This group knows the expectation is to keep the good times rolling and if all goes well, the program might just accomplish a first. Winning three straight Gold Balls.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

Coach: Lynne Hasson (11th year, 137-56 overall record)

2022-23 record: 9-10 (Lost, 50-34, to Scarborough in Class AA South quarterfinals)

Top returning players: Emma Travis (Junior), Caleigh Corcoran (Sophomore)

Pivotal games: Dec. 8 @ Gorham, Dec. 12 CHEVERUS, Dec. 15 SCARBOROUGH, Dec. 23 @ Portland, Jan. 6 THORNTON ACADEMY, Jan. 15 @ Scarborough, Jan. 27 @ Thornton Academy, Feb. 2 GORHAM

Coach’s comment: “I tend to be overly optimistic and I’m trying to be a little more realistic this year, but I think we have the potential to compete at the end of the season. We have size going for us and a couple of guards who can step right in. We can work the ball inside or go up-tempo. A best case scenario for us is balanced scoring. If we can develop and stay injury-free, we’ll be in the mix.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: South Portland suffered a disappointing home playoff loss to end last season, but this year’s squad believes it could be one of the stronger teams in a very deep Class AA South.

The Red Riots return Travis, who was an honorable mention all-star and a member of the league’s All-Rookie team last winter after averaging 9.4 points and 5 rebounds per game. She’ll be a top contributor who looks to up her scoring. Corcoran also made the All-Rookie team in 2022-23. She’ll be a force on the glass (6.6 rebounds per contest, as well as 3.5 steals per game in 2022-23) and on defense and also hopes for more point production. South Portland will be formidable in the post behind sophomores Nyeerah Padgett (who is 6-foot-2) and 6-foot Destiny Peter (8.1 ppg and 6.3 rpg last season). They’ll look to clean the glass and get some easy points in close. Sophomore Stella Henderson will be a point guard. Junior guard Victoria Wright will play a bigger role this winter. Freshman guard Mya Lawrence could see some key minutes. Then there’s freshman Annie Whitmore, the youngest from a family of standouts, who is poised to make an immediate impact as starting point guard. She can get to the basket and finish as well.

South Portland has some interesting pieces and a lot of promise. It will take some time to put it all together and a brutal early season schedule won’t help matters, but as the season progresses, look for the Red Riots to become a tough team to match up against and they might be primed to make a playoff run when February rolls around.

BOYS’ HOCKEY (co-op with Deering and Portland)

Coaches: Joe Robinson (17th year, 146-143-12 overall record) and Jeff Beaney (eighth year, 48-64-3 overall record)

2022-23 record: 12-9 (Lost, 5-3, to Thornton Academy in Class A state final)

Top returning players: Tobey Lappin (Senior), Jackson McArthur (Senior), Ben Palson (Senior), Parker Sipos (Senior), Hewitt Sykes (Senior), Daniel Fitzgibbon (Junior), Ian House (Junior)

Pivotal games: Dec. 9 @ Scarborough, Dec. 14 FALMOUTH, Jan. 4 @ Falmouth, Jan. 6 LEWISTON, Jan. 10 @ Edward Little, Jan. 31 @ Thornton Academy, Feb. 8 SCARBOROUGH,

Coach Robinson’s comment: “The kids are great. They get along really well. There’s still a lot of work to do. The returning guys are fired up after last year. There’s not much depth, but the core we have is good. We may start out slow, but we’ll play the long game. I think we’ll be competitive. We’re definitely a playoff team.”

Coach Beaney’s comment: “South Portland is coming off a very exciting year and (Portland/Deering) has players who have played a lot. We have a tough schedule, but as we get more familiar with each other, we’ll become more consistent.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: The Portland/Deering co-op joins the highly successful South Portland squad this season, a year after the Red Riots (who also had players from Freeport and Waynflete) made a run to their first-ever state game. While they came up short, it was a huge step for the program and now, bringing in Deering and Portland kids who weren’t able to play a varsity schedule in 2022-23, will potentially make for an even better squad, one now known as the Beacons.

The top returner is South Portland’s Lappin, who made the All-State team last winter. Lappin is a top forward and he has plenty of company when it comes to putting the puck in the net. He’s joined by South Portland’s Fitzgibbon, Palson and freshman Michael McMains, as well as Deering senior Connor Green, Portland senior Hunter Temple and junior Lucas Milliken and senior Henry Cossaboom, who attends Casco Bay High School. Defensively, the Beacons feature House, McArthur, Sipos and Sykes from South Portland, as well as Portland sophomore Jack O’Connell and freshman Jackson Nalli. South Portland junior Michael Zaccaria will be in goal and he should be very strong as the last line of defense.

The Beacons will have to navigate a challenging schedule and might struggle at times early in the year, but with all this talent on the roster, it’s only a matter of time before the squad jells. This group hopes to be at its best in February and March and that goal is attainable.

GIRLS’ HOCKEY (co-op with Cape Elizabeth, Portland and Waynflete)

Coach: Bob Mills (12th year, 105-91-8 overall record)

2022-23 record: 11-8 (Lost, 4-3, in overtime, to Gorham in South Region quarterfinals)

Top returning players: Becca Good (Senior), Erin Winship (Senior), Marina Bassett (Junior), Jane Flynn (Junior), Libby Hooper (Junior), Hartson Mosunic (Junior)

Pivotal games: Dec. 14 CHEVERUS, Dec. 23 @ Penobscot, Jan. 11 GORHAM, Jan. 18 PENOBSCOT, Jan. 25 @ Cheverus, Jan. 27 @ Gorham, Feb. 3 YARMOUTH/FREEPORT

Coach’s comment: “We have a highly skilled set of returning starters and a deeper bench than we’ve had in the past. If we stay healthy, we should be very competitive. Our goal is to be playing deep into the playoffs.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: One of the most successful co-op teams around gets even more robust this winter, as Cape Elizabeth/Waynflete/South Portland adds some talented players from Portland as well. Now known as the Beacons, the squad is already off to a dazzling 4-0 start, defeating Greely, Winslow, Yarmouth/Freeport and York by a composite 33-14 margin, and the best is yet to come.

The offense will be prolific thanks to South Portland’s Bassett (30 goals and 19 assists during an all-state campaign last winter) and Portland’s Flynn (37 goals during an all-state season). Cape Elizabeth’s Hooper (14 goals, 11 assists) and Waynflete’s Good (3 goals, 4 assists) are other top threats. Cape Elizabeth senior Evelyn Agrodnia, the soccer standout and former ice skater extraordinaire, is new to hockey but figures to make an impact as well. Flynn is technically a defender and will help shut down the opposition along with Cape Elizabeth’s Mosunic (4 goals, 4 assists last season) and Waynflete freshman Alexis Turner. Portland’s Winship will be strong in goal.

The Beacons are poised to do great things. Like everyone else, they’re chasing defending state champion Cheverus, but by season’s end, there might be no one better than this collection of talent.

INDOOR TRACK

Boys’ coach: Dave Kahill (16th year)
Girls’ coach: Matt Toothaker (third year)

2022-23 results:
(Boys) tie-10th @ Class A state meet
(Girls) 19th @ Class A state meet

Top returners:

(Boys) Matt Frey (Senior), Ryan Gildart (Senior), Henry Risch (Senior), Che-Hao Saito (Senior), Matthew Berry (Junior), Tyler Bryant (Junior), Gedeao Buanza (Junior), Brady Edwards (Junior), Jeremy Jacoby-Roberts (Junior), Gavin Nicholson (Junior), Fischer Petrlik (Junior), Arnaud Sioho (Junior), Evan Small (Junior), Michael Lawlor (Sophomore), Caleb Ramsell (Sophomore)
(Girls) Christie Cole (Senior), Sam Clyde (Senior), Ella Nickerson (Senior), Iris Young (Senior), Makayla Edwards-Burwell (Junior), Ellie Bisson (Sophomore)

Coach Kahill’s comment: “We’ve got great numbers again at 68 guys, which is even larger than last year, and that includes 27 freshmen that are bringing dynamic energy and enthusiasm. We have a small but exceptional group of seniors to lead the team and they have been tremendous role models of respect, positive attitude, competitiveness and detailed event focus. We have a number of talented returning athletes who have competed well in SMAA & state championship competition in the past. Additionally, our junior division should be very good with so many talented newcomers on the team. We will look to build our experience and character throughout the season and hopefully compete for a top three finish in the league championship again.”

Coach Toothaker’s comment: “Our main focus is to make improvements on what everyone did last season. We had a tremendous year when looking at our overall performance at regular season meets, finishing third at our SMAA championship, and earning team-wide personal bests. We have a really amazing group of seniors leading the team this year. They have all grown so much over the past three years and are ready to compete. We only lost three seniors. Our returning group is large and experienced and with the help of some newcomers, we have a ton of potential to improve on last year’s team performances. We’re focused and hardworking. This is a really great group and I’m excited to see what we can achieve this season. My hope is that everyone is able to achieve personal bests in their respective events and that we grow not only as athletes but as individuals as well.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: South Portland has an abundance of talented athletes and expects to move up the standings this winter.

The boys’ squad is led by Sioho, who was second in the triple jump and seventh in the long jump last season. He hopes for even bigger things this year in the jumps and will also compete in the sprints and hurdles. Bryant (sixth in the high jump last February) is another top returning jumper. He’ll also be a force in the shot put. Small is the other returning state meet scorer. He placed eighth in the two-mile a year ago. After a stellar cross country campaign which saw him named South Portland’s Fall Athlete of the Year, Small looks to be one of the league’s elite distance runners. Other returners of note include Berry (jumps, sprints), Buanza (sprints), Edwards (hurdles), Frey (sprints, pole vault), Gildart (distance, hurdles), Jacoby-Roberts (pole vault), Lawlor (distance), Nicholson (jumps, pole vault), Petrlik (middle distance/distance), Ramsdell (hurdles, sprints, jumps), Risch (shot put) and Saito (hurdles, sprints, jumps). The Red Riots will also mix in an exciting group of newcomers, who will provide depth and some points as well. That group features senior Curtis Metcalf (sprints, jumps, pole vault), sophomores Manace Khelendende (jumps, sprints) and Joyce Otshudi (jumps, sprints) and freshmen Devin Berry (hurdles, sprints, jumps), Lamed Khelendende (sprints, hurdles, jumps), Jared LaRose (jumps, hurdles, pole vault), Finnian O’Connell (sprints and jumps), Chris Salamone (jumps, hurdles, sprints, pole vault) and Umar Weise (shot put). South Portland is chasing perennial champion Scarborough, as well as powers Bonny Eagle, Falmouth and Portland, and will hold its own against those teams this season.

On the girls’ side, Nickerson (seventh in the long jump) is the top returner. She’ll also compete in the sprints. Bisson, Clyde and Young, along with freshmen Maegan Berry, Jillian Edgar and Annalise Soucy are other jumpers to watch. Edwards-Burwell is a top thrower. On the track, the sprinting contingent features Berry, Bisson, Cole, Edgar and Soucy. Edgar, Soucy and senior Francesca Amorosa hope to score in the hurdles. Clyde and senior Gabrielle Archibald are distance runners of note. The Red Riots have their hands full with the likes of conference rivals Gorham, Portland and Scarborough, but this is a team that will be at its best when it matters most.

SWIMMING

Coach: Ryan Green (10th year)

2022-23 results:
(Boys) 4th @ Class A state meet
(Girls) 7th @ Class A state meet

Top returners:

(Boys) Gavin Olsen (Junior)
(Girls) Amelia Hughes (Senior), Lola Strom (Junior), McKenzie Smart (Sophomore)

Coach’s comment: “We have a small team this year, having graduated 35 girls and boys the past two years. Eight of the 11 boys’ team members are in their first year on the high school team. We’ll be looking for big improvements from our new swimmers to field competitive relays. The girls are versatile enough to fill all the events and have at least five individual scorers at states.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: South Portland has been hit hard by graduation in recent years, but there are some promising swimmers ready to earn their moment in the limelight.

The boys’ squad is led by Olsen, who will compete in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly. Freshmen Iker Penaloa (fly and freestyle) and Matthew Kasianov (backstroke and 100 breaststroke) are newcomers to watch.

On the girls’ side, Hughes is a top returner. She placed fourth in the 500 free and seventh in the 200 free a year ago. She can also compete in the fly. Smart (200 individual medley and backstroke) and Strom (sprint freestyle) are veterans, while freshmen Mina Dagorova (fly, backstroke) and Ali Maksimova (fly, IM, backstroke) are poised to make their mark.

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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