1. Scarborough: Coach Mark Diaz has arguably the top offensive threat in the SMAA in junior Zander Haskell (23 goals in 26 career games) and one of the best defenders in junior Noah Flagg. Senior Nick Connelly and junior Parker Killard solidify the defense and senior Evan Kelleher is part of a deep core of midfielder/forwards. “We’re going to be pretty good defensively, which we have been the last few years. This year we feel we can apply more pressure on teams offensively,” Diaz says.
2. Yarmouth: The Clippers won the 2019 Class B title and five of the last six championships. Once again they are the favorites in Class B, led by strong, athletic and fluid midfielder Steve Fulton, who Coach Mike Hagerty considers “one of the top two or three players in Maine.” Twin brothers Aidan (defense/midfield) and Kevin Kamm (center back) are versatile players. Junior Truman Peters, who missed 2020 because of an injury, is another key midfielder.
3. Gorham: Consistently among the top teams in the SMAA, the Rams appear loaded for Coach Nick Viola’s first full season at the helm, returning 14 seniors. Senior forward Andrew Farr is a four-year varsity player. He will team with powerful Josiah Irish, an adept finisher, at the top of the Rams’ attack. Curan Bassingthwaite and Colin Albert are key seniors in the midfield, while third-year varsity player Asa Farley leads the defense.
4. Falmouth: The 2019 Class A champs should again have a high-powered offense. Senior Charlie Adams, a starter as a sophomore, will move across the field to try to create mismatches and confusion. Seniors Mason Farr and Andrew Christie are two more scoring threats. Junior center backs Ben Pausman and Jackson Boyd will lead the defense. Coach Dave Halligan says, “we don’t have the depth we’ve had in the past, but we have some good seniors and a very good group of younger players.”
5. Portland: The Bulldogs lack much returning varsity experience after an 8-2 season in 2020 but showed well in the preseason, beating both Cheverus and Deering in one-goal games to win the Casco Bay Cup. Coach Rocky Frenzilli believes his team will defend well, led by senior goalie Jose Kiala, junior back Oliver Hettenbach, and midfielders senior Jack Lannon, junior Nicky Paterniti and sophomore Martin Kalala.
6. Cape Elizabeth: With a mix of 11 seniors and talented younger players, Cape Elizabeth had a solid preseason, including a 4-1 win against Cheverus in its final tune-up. Senior captain Tiernan Lathrop will be a difficult player to contain, with his combination of strength and speed. Expect senior Tucker Livingston, a third-year varsity player, to lead the defense at center back. Sam Cochran, a sophomore midfielder, is skillful and athletic and played varsity during the 2020 season.
7. Cheverus: Coach Bill LeBlanc likes his team’s overall talent and its strong senior leadership and believes the Stags can improve on their 2019 season, when they went 5-6-4 and lost in the preliminary round to Westbrook. Wyatt Roy, a 6-foot-4 junior who transferred from Falmouth after the 2020 soccer season, “could be a really elite goalie,” LeBlanc said. The offensive thrust will be directed and often finished by senior midfielders Emmet Schuele and Brady Hoglund.
8. Waynflete: The 2018 and 2019 Class C state champs went 10-0 in 2020 and have lost just two games the past three years. Coach Brandon Salway’s team graduated eight starters, but the Flyers should challenge for another gold ball. Senior captains Henry Hart (midfield) and forward Samir Sayed are offensive threats. Juniors Matt Adey (center back) and Roan Hopkins (midfield) are returning starters. Sophomore keeper Nico Kirby is inexperienced but has plenty of athletic potential.
9. Greely: The Rangers are relatively inexperienced entering the fall, but Coach Mike Andreasen believes his team will join Cape Elizabeth and possibly Freeport as one of the few clubs with a chance to oust Yarmouth in Class B South. Junior third-year varsity midfielder Thomas Bennert is among the top players in the area. Ethan Njitoh, a junior forward, led Greely with four goals and five assists in the 10-game 2020 season. Team captain and senior Maclain Madore is the defensive leader.
10. Marshwood: In 2020, York County teams had a rushed three-week season because of pandemic restrictions. That could put some of the county’s teams at a developmental disadvantage, especially in the deep Class A ranks. Marshwood (5-0 in 2020, 9-2-3 in 2019) is the York County team best positioned to be a Class A threat come playoff time, behind midfielders Trevor Wozny and Connor Sullivan and defenders Connor Walker and Danny Thim, all of whom are third-year varsity players.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
