MITCH HAM, Senior – Hockey
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- • Travis Roy Award winner
• Class A All-State
• Captain
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Ham not only teamed with classmate Aaron Higgins to make up an unstoppable scoring combination and led Falmouth to the dizzying heights of a 17-game win streak and the top seed for the tournament, he was also selected the state’s finest senior player at season’s end.
When Ham took to the ice at a young age, a prolific career seemed a million miles away.
“To my mom and dad, I will never forget when I was 4 years old, I was crying on the floor because I didn’t want to go to skating lessons,” Ham said in his Travis Roy Award acceptance speech. “Eventually, you persuaded me to go, and now 14 years later, here I am today, and I can’t thank you enough.”
Ham made the Falmouth varsity as a freshman, had his sophomore year shortened by COVID, then emerged as a star as a junior, scoring 19 goals and adding 22 assists.
This season, Ham was even better, scoring 24 times, dishing out a whopping 41 assists and scoring the game-winning goal on seven occasions, as the Navigators overcame an 0-2 start with win after win after win.
Highlights included two goals and two assists in a victory over reigning state champion Scarborough, a goal and a pair of assists in a win over Edward Little, two goals in a victory over Lewiston, a goal and an assist in a win over St. Dom’s and four assists in a second victory over Lewiston.
As the top seed, Falmouth knocked out Lewiston, 8-1, in the Class A state quarterfinal round, but was upset by South Portland/Freeport/Waynflete in the semifinals, 5-1, as Ham had one final assist.
“Just every day going to the locker room, and, obviously, we had a lot of success this season, but the memories and the bonds that we created with all my teammates is going to last forever,” Ham said.
Ham then edged Higgins and three others to win the Travis Roy Award, becoming the fifth Falmouth player to do so.
“I had no idea that I was going to win it,” Ham said. “It helped to have the role models of my previous teammates that have been up here before.”
Now, Mitch Ham, Falmouth’s Winter Athlete of the Year, will be the player everyone who takes the ice in a Navigators uniform will model their game after.
Sun Journal staff writer Nathan Fournier contributed to this story.
Coach Deron Barton’s comment: “Mitch just has improved all the way through (despite) not being the biggest player on the ice. He has adapted to the competition, adapting to the speed and the heaviness of play, faceoffs, but most importantly, he does two things that I haven’t seen anybody do in a very long time: Number one, he controls the game. When you control the puck, you control the game. Number two, he makes everybody on the ice with him better.”
Previous winners:
- • 2021-22 Andrew Christie (Alpine skiing)
* 2020-21 Owen Drummey (hockey)
• 2019-20 A.J. Noyes (Alpine skiing)
•2018-19 John Auer (track)
•2017-18 Theo Hembre (hockey)
•2016-17 Connor Perron (swimming)
•2015-16 Thomas Coyne (basketball)
•2014-15 Jake Perron (swimming)
•2013-14 Joe Lesniak (Alpine skiing)
•2012-13 Tom Wilberg (basketball)
•2011-12 Jack Cooleen (basketball)
•2010-11 Reid Pryzant (track)
•2009-10 Stefano Mancini (basketball)
•2008-09 Mike Chase (hockey)
•2007-08 Tom Winger (track)
•2006-07 James Tolan (hockey)
•2005-06 Bryant Barr (basketball)
•2004-05 Peter Gustavson (hockey)
•2003-04 Brandon Bonsey (track)
•2002-03 Jon Hutchins (hockey)
•2001-02 Garrett Weliever (basketball)
ANNA TURGEON, Senior – Basketball
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- • Class A South Player of the Year
• Class A South All-Conference, first-team
• Class A South All-Academic
• Maine McDonald’s Senior All-Star
• Miss Maine Basketball semifinalist
* Captain
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Turgeon was always the opposition’s focal point this winter and she almost always left the opposition frustrated and often, defeated as well in the wake in another stat-stuffing performance.
Turgeon, who also played field hockey at Falmouth, made the basketball varsity as a freshman and was a second-team all-star selection. Her sophomore season was cut short by COVID, but as a junior, Turgeon teamed with classmate Sloane Ginevan to lead Falmouth to the regional semifinals, earning first-team all-star honors after averaging nearly 15 points per contest.
Ginevan had to sit out this season due to a knee injury suffered last spring, so Turgeon became the go-to player this winter and she rose to the occasion, averaging 18.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 2 assists and 2 blocked shots per contest en route to being named the finest player in the region.
Highlights were plentiful.
Turgeon set the tone with a 23-point, 13-rebound performance in a win over Biddeford in the opener. She then had 20 points in a victory over Kennebunk, hit the winning basket in the waning seconds at South Portland, had 26 points in a win over Mt. Ararat, produced a career-high 35 points to go with 11 rebounds in a victory at rival Greely, upped that career-high to 39 points in a win over Portland and scored 20 points in a victory over Westbrook.
The Navigators held off Marshwood, 48-39, in the Class A South quarterfinals, as Turgeon had 22 points and 12 rebounds. Falmouth then lost to eventual regional champion Brunswick in the semifinals, as Turgeon bowed out with eight points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
Turgeon will attend Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts, where she hopes to play basketball.
Her time in high school will long be hailed. Anna Turgeon, Falmouth’s Winter Athlete of the Year, knew all eyes were on her and she dazzled night-in, night-out.
Coach Dawn Armandi’s comment: “Anna’s just unbelievable. She’s a competitor out there. People underestimate that aspect of her. She goes out there and does it on both ends. It’s not just offense. She gives us double-doubles all the time. She’s tough and aggressive. It’s rare to be able to do that at both ends of the floor. She’s that good all the time. If anyone doesn’t think she’s one of the best players in our conference, they don’t know what they’re talking about.”
Previous winners:
- •2021-22 Kate Kinley (hockey)
* 2020-21 Sloane Ginevan (basketball)
•2019-20 Anunthaya MacDonell (wrestling)
•2018-19 Kayla Sarazin (hockey)
•2017-18 Eva Clement (skiing)
•2016-17 Evie Clement (hockey)
•2015-16 Charlotte Janelle (diving)
•2014-15 Ally Hickey (basketball)
•2013-14 Anna Morin (skiing)
•2012-13 Charlotte Janelle (diving)
•2011-12 Megan Fortier (hockey)
•2010-11 Nicola Mancini (diving)
•2009-10 Sarah Abramson (skiing)
•2008-09 Kristin Jackson (swimming)
•2007-08 Kristin Jackson (swimming)
•2006-07 Alicia Hahn (swimming)
•2005-06 Gina Mancini (swimming)
•2004-05 Emily Sheldon (swimming)
•2003-04 Alison Tozier (swimming)
•2002-03 Gina Mancini (swimming)
•2001-02 Megan White (diving)
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter:@foresports.
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