Northern: Postseason set to begin, if Mother Nature allows

The weather might suggest otherwise, but June is upon us and a bevy of postseason action is on its way.

In multiple sports.

If you blink, you’ll miss it, so here’s what’s happened and what’s to come with the conclusion of the spring season right around the corner.

Rain, rain, go away.

Tennis

Yarmouth’s Quinn Federle returns a shot against Lincoln Academy during the Clippers’ regional final victory Monday. Shawn Patrick Ouellette / Portland Press Herald

Falmouth’s boys and girls, Greely’s girls and Yarmouth’s boys are all on the brink of tennis state championships after regional final victories Monday.

The Navigators boys, ranked first in Class A South after an undefeated regular season, blanked No. 8 Deering in the quarterfinals and No. 5 Scarborough in the semifinals by 5-0 scores before beating No. 2 Kennebunk, 4-1, in the regional final.

Falmouth won quickly at No. 3 singles (Charlie Wolak, 6-2, 6-0) and second doubles (Karl Chamberlain and Eli Sidhu, 6-0, 6-0) before Daniel Kim and Raymond Li pinned the season’s first defeat on Kennebunk’s Jaxon Redmond and Matt Durcan, winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 at first doubles to clinch. Sam Yoon then edged Kennebunk freshman Alberto Cutone 6-4, 7-6 (7-1) at second singles to leave everyone watching Xander Barber, the state singles champion, taking on George Cutone in a powerhouse first singles match. Cutone won, 6-3, 6-4.

“I’m not taking anything away from him,” Barber said. “He played well. Obviously I could have done some different things, played better, but he played smart against me.”

The Navigators (15-0) will battle Skowhegan (15-0) in the state match Wednesday in Lewiston as they seek their first championship since three-peating in 2019.

Falmouth’s girls, also ranked first after a perfect regular season, blanked No. 8 Marshwood in the quarterfinals and did the same against No. 4 Thornton Academy in the semifinals before edging third-ranked Kennebunk, 3-2, in the regional final.

The Navigators swept both doubles matches (as Audrey Holland and Jenna Nunley won, 6-0, 6-1, and Elise Gearan and Gwen Long prevailed, 6-1, 6-2), then clinched the title when Charlotte Williamson completed a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Kennebunk’s Emilia Ilyas.

“I felt a lot of anxiety when I’ve played in the past, so I was trying to think as little as possible,” Williamson said. “It was some of the best I’ve played in a while.”

“Anytime you get to the state finals, it’s a great experience for the kids and I’m very happy for them,” Falmouth Coach Larry Nichols said. “It’s even more special when you have to play a team like Kennebunk, because it was close from start to finish. That’s what you ask for. Their kids played great, our kids played great, it was good tennis. That’s what you hope for.”

The Navigators (15-0) take on Brunswick (15-0) in Wednesday’s state match.

Greely’s Ruth Weeks returns a shot in the second doubles match during Monday’s regional final win over reigning state champion Lincoln Academy. Cullen McIntyre / Portland Press Herald

Greely’s girls, ranked first in Class B South after an undefeated regular season, beat eighth-ranked Morse in the quarterfinal and fourth-seeded Yarmouth in the semifinals by 5-0 margins. In the regional final, the Rangers downed No. 2 Lincoln Academy, the reigning regional champion, 4-1.

In a battle of foreign exchange students at No. 1 singles, Greely senior Anne Alfaro (Spain) beat Lincoln Academy junior Sarah Kockzius (Germany). Emma Lindsey (6-0, 6-1) and Isobel Wright (6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (10-6)) won at second and third singles, respectively. Greely seniors Ruth Weeks and Chloe Pierce, who share the same June birthday and have been buddies since third grade, delivered the clincher at second doubles, 6-3, 6-2, despite feeling the effects of little sleep following their graduation Sunday.

“Chloe got five hours (Monday) morning and I got four,” Weeks said. “We lacked a lot of finesse that usually comes with being prepared. (Lincoln Academy’s Olivia Crooker and Noa Burchesy) were good players as well. They took advantage of our weaknesses, but weaknesses that we don’t usually have if we’re not exhausted.”

“It’s really nice to be able to at least get to the finals,” Pierce said, “knowing we’re playing with each other, knowing that we won with each other.”

Greely (15-0) meets Foxcroft Academy (10-5) in the state final Wednesday.

Yarmouth’s boys, the three-time reigning state champions and top seed in Class B South, are on the brink of a fourth consecutive crown after beating eighth-ranked York (5-0) in the quarterfinals, eliminating No. 4 Cape Elizabeth (4-1) in the semifinals, then blanking No. 2 Lincoln Academy (5-0) in the regional final.

The Clippers won every set against Lincoln Academy, with senior Quinn Federle wrapping things up 6-3, 6-4 at No. 1 singles against Casey Duncan.

Nearly all the seniors playing were running on fumes because of Project Graduation celebrations that began Sunday night and extended into the wee hours of Monday morning.

“Me and three other seniors got in at 2 a.m. last night, so I’m a little tired and I’ve been a little sick,” Federle said. “It was a little tough. Just trying to play my best and stay focused.”

The Yarmouth matches not involving seniors went quickly, with Andrew Violette winning 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 singles and Andi Cobaj winning 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 singles.

Seniors Will Best and Ethan Lombard (6-2, 6-0 at first doubles) and Nate Hagedorn (who teamed with freshman Alexander Gordon to win 6-4, 6-1 at second doubles) also prevailed.

The Clippers (15-0) face Foxcroft Academy (14-1) in Wednesday’s state match.

Greely’s boys, ranked sixth in Class B South, lost, 3-2, to No. 3 Medomak Valley in last week’s quarterfinals to wind up 6-7.

NYA’s girls, the No. 7 seed in Class C South, upset No. 2 Winthrop (3-2) in the quarterfinals, then lost, 5-0, to third-ranked Maranacook in the semifinals to finish 5-9.

Yarmouth’s girls, ranked fourth in Class B South, defeated No. 5 Cony, 3-2, in the quarterfinal round, then were eliminated by top-ranked Greely, 5-0, to finish 8-6.

Baseball

Yarmouth’s Liam Hickey throws a pitch during last week’s regular season-ending loss at Cape Elizabeth. The Clippers are ranked second in Class B South for the playoffs. Shawn Patrick Ouellette / Portland Press Herald

Forecaster Country baseball teams are looking strong heading into the tournament.

In Class A South, Falmouth finished on a 15-game win streak, wound up 15-1 and first in the final Heal Points standings after closing with an 11-1 (six-inning) victory at Gorham and an 11-0 (five-inning) win at Deering. At Gorham, Brennan Rumpf went the distance to earn the victory while Peyton Mitchell had three hits and three RBI and Tyler Simmons added three hits. Against Deering, Eli Cowperthwaite earned the win, Ethan Hendry had two hits and Jacoby Porter hit a two-run single.

The Navigators will host either No. 8 Cheverus (9-7) or No. 9 Noble (8-8) in the quarterfinals Thursday. Falmouth beat the visiting Stags, 11-3, on May 25. The teams split two previous playoff encounters with a 5-4 Cheverus win in the 2018 semifinals the most recent. The Navigators beat host Noble, 5-1, May 4. The teams have no playoff history.

The Class A South semifinals are Saturday, on the fields of the higher seeds. The regional final is Tuesday of next week at USM in Gorham. The Class A state game is Saturday, June 17, also in Gorham.

In Class B South, Yarmouth finished second after an 11-5 campaign, capped by a 1-0 loss at top-ranked Cape Elizabeth last Tuesday. In that one, the Clippers were unsuccessful squeeze bunting home the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh, then the Capers managed to get a bunt down in the bottom half to end it. Liam Hickey was the hard-luck loser.

“We didn’t come out with a win, but we learned a lot from today,” Hickey said. “It was a lot of fun. It’s great practice for playoffs. We’ll have an environment like this for every game in the playoffs.”

“It was a great game,” said Yarmouth coach Marc Halsted. “Cape vs. Yarmouth is always fun. The first thing I said to the guys was, ‘Are they demonstrably better than you? Cape’s a really good baseball team. Yarmouth’s a really good baseball team. Let’s go to the playoffs and see what happens with 0-0 records.’ We hope to see them again.”

The Clippers will host a quarterfinal round game Thursday afternoon against either No. 7 Freeport (8-8) or No. 10 Leavitt (8-8). Yarmouth split with the Falcons this year, losing 4-1 in Freeport April 26 and prevailing at home, 10-1, May 22. The teams have no playoff history. The Clippers didn’t play the Hornets this season. The teams have split two prior playoff encounters with an 8-1 Yarmouth win in the 2017 preliminary round, en route to the state title, the most recent.

“This is a fantastic Class B right now,” Halsted said. “York (ranked 11th) could win a state championship. Wells, the way they played last week against us, they’re tough. Greely could win a championship, 100 percent. It’s so much fun. In (our nine-game win streak) we scored 75 runs. If we swing the bats and score eight runs a game, we have a very good chance and I’ll look like an intelligent coach. We’ll start with Matt Gautreau (leading off) Thursday and see what happens.”

Greely wound up 9-7 and sixth in Class B South after a 3-1 home win over Freeport to end the regular season. Sam Almy was the winning pitcher, allowing no runs on four hits with eight strikeouts in five innings. Alex Gamache had two hits.

The Rangers met No. 11 York (9-7) in the preliminary round Tuesday. The game was scheduled to be played on Greely’s home field, but poor conditions moved it to a turf field at Central Maine Community College in Auburn (see our website for game story). The Rangers beat the host Wildcats, 11-1 (in five-innings) on May 10. Greely entered the contest 2-1 all-time versus York in the postseason, with an 11-2 win in the 2015 semifinals the most recent.

If the Rangers advance to Thursday’s quarterfinals, they’ll visit No. 3 Wells (11-5). Back on April 20, Greely lost at home to the Warriors, 4-1. The Rangers beat Wells in two of three prior playoff meetings, with a 3-0 victory in the 2021 semifinals the most recent.

Reigning regional champion Freeport finished 8-8 and seventh in Class B South after a 3-1 loss at Greely in the finale. Liam Emmons drove in the run.

The Falcons welcomed No. 10 Leavitt for a preliminary round contest Tuesday. The teams didn’t meet this season and had no playoff history. The winner goes to Yarmouth for the quarterfinals Thursday.

The Class B South semifinals are Saturday, on the fields of the higher seeds. The regional final is Tuesday of next week at St. Joseph’s College in Standish. The Class B state game is Saturday, June 17, in Bangor.

In Class C South, Waynflete/NYA finished the regular season with a stellar 13-3 record, despite last week’s 10-0 (five-inning) setback at Sacopee Valley in the finale.

Waynflete/NYA earned the No. 4 seed and will host No. 5 Mt. Abram (12-4) or No. 12 Madison (4-11) in the quarterfinals Thursday. Waynflete/NYA didn’t face either potential foe this year. If victorious, the squad will travel to No. 1 Sacopee Valley (16-0) or host No. 8 Dirigo (10-6) or No. 9 Hall-Dale (6-10) in the semifinals Saturday.

The Class C South Final is Tuesday of next week in Gorham. The Class C state game is Saturday, June 17 in Gorham.

Softball

NYA’s softball team, which didn’t even play a varsity schedule in 2022, had no peer in Class D South this season, finishing first after a capping a program-best 15-1 campaign with an 18-2 (six-inning) victory at Sacopee Valley last week. Jordan Nash had two hits and three RBI, Hayden Wienckowski had three hits and drove in a pair of runs, Michala Wallace scored three runs, had two hits and two RBI and Kailyn McIntyre added two hits, two RBI and two runs scored.

The Panthers earned a bye into the semifinal round Saturday, where they will host either No. 4 Valley (12-2) or No. 5 Richmond (9-7). NYA beat the Bobcats twice this season, 11-1 (in five-innings) at home May 16 and 10-0 (in five-innings) May 24 on the road. The Panthers lost both prior playoff meetings, with a 10-0 setback in the 2005 semifinals the most recent. NYA didn’t play Valley this year. The Panthers won two of three previous postseason encounters, with a 7-3 victory in the 2021 quarterfinals the most recent.

The Class D South Final is Tuesday of next week at St. Joseph’s College in Standish. The state game is Saturday, June 17 in Brewer.

Greely and Yarmouth also qualified for the postseason in Class B South.

The Clippers got the 11th and final spot after capping a 7-9 campaign with a 12-4 win at Cape Elizabeth last week. Drea Rideout hit a double and a single, walked twice and drove in four runs and Emma Butsch had three RBI.

Yarmouth, which won just once in 2022, went to No. 6 Medomak Valley for the preliminary round Monday and its season came to a close at 7-10 with a 12-2 (five-inning) setback. Butsch singled and had an RBI.

Greely wound up 6-10 and 10th after winning five of their final seven contests, including a 7-2 home victory over Freeport in the finale last Tuesday.

The Rangers were at No. 7 Leavitt (11-5) in the preliminary round Tuesday. The teams didn’t face each other this year and split two prior playoff meetings, with a 10-4 Leavitt victory in last year’s preliminary round the most recent.

If Greely sprung the upset, it would go to second-ranked Gardiner (14-2) for the quarterfinals Thursday. The teams didn’t play this year and had no prior playoff history.

Freeport finished 3-13 after a 7-2 loss at Greely last week. The Falcons wound up 15th in Class B South, but only 11 teams qualified for the playoffs.

In Class A South, Falmouth ended up 0-16 following a 12-1 (five-inning) setback at Deering in the finale last week. Miranda Birks and Eve Chace had two hits apiece. The Navigators wound up 15th in the region, where just 10 teams made the tournament.

Boys’ lacrosse

North Yarmouth Academy’s Brayden Warde tries to get around a Waynflete defender during last week’s loss. Shawn Patrick Ouellette / Portland Press Herald

Falmouth’s boys’ lacrosse team wound up the highest seeded local squad, finishing second in Class A following a 12-2 campaign, capped by a 10-2 home win over Scarborough last Wednesday. Joey Guerrette scored four goals and Cyrus Boothby added three.

The Navigators will host either No. 7 Bangor (9-5) or No. 10 Scarborough (5-9) in the state quarterfinals Saturday. Falmouth didn’t meet the Rams this year. They beat Bangor, 17-3, in the 2019 quarterfinals. The Navigators and Red Storm have no postseason history.

In Class B, Yarmouth will be seeded fourth following a 10-4 season, which was capped with a palpitating 10-9 overtime win at crosstown rival NYA last week. The Clippers erased a five-goal fourth quarter deficit, then won it on Colton McCann’s third goal of the game, 45 seconds into OT. Killian Marsh and Aksel Yeo also had three goals apiece.

Yarmouth will host either No. 5 Marshwood (9-5) or No. 12 Kennebunk (5-9) in the state quarterfinals Friday. The Clippers didn’t face either prospective foe this season. Yarmouth beat the Rams in the teams’ only prior playoff encounter, 8-5, in the 2006 Class B state final. The Clippers are 2-0 all-time versus the Hawks in the postseason, with a 13-10 victory in the 2021 state game the most recent.

Greely finished 10th in Class B at 6-8 following a 13-3 setback at two-time reigning Class A champion Cape Elizabeth in the finale last week.

The Rangers were at No. 7 Gardiner (8-6) in the preliminary round Tuesday. Greely beat the visiting Tigers, 10-5, May 26. The Rangers won the only prior playoff meeting, a 19-5 victory in the 2018 state quarterfinals.

If Greely advanced, it will go to No. 2 Brunswick (10-4), the reigning state champion, Thursday night. The teams didn’t play this season. They have split four prior playoff meeting, with a 19-2 Dragons’ victory in last year’s preliminary round the most recent.

In Class C South, NYA wound up 9-5 and third after losses to visiting Yarmouth (10-9, in overtime) and at two-time Class C champion Waynflete (3-1, in a weather-shortened contest).

Against the Clippers, the Panthers couldn’t hold a big fourth quarter lead and fell just short despite two goals apiece from Zach Leinwand and Brayden Warde. In the loss to the Flyers, NYA got an early goal from Leinwand, but fell behind in the second quarter and with 3:24 left in the first half, thunder was heard in the vicinity, mandating a 30-minute delay. When thunder persisted, the game was called.

Normally, a high school boys’ lacrosse game has to enter the second half to be considered official, but since it was the regular season finale and since there was no option to make it up Saturday on the final makeup day, due to SAT testing and proms, the schools’ athletic directors agreed beforehand that if bad weather ended the contest, the team that was leading would be deemed the winner.

“It’s super-disappointing,” said Panthers coach Peter Gerrity. “We’ve had this circled on our calendar all year. This game in particular. It was vitally important to get a lead. We felt OK with just the one. We got a little bit of the jitters out. They play so aggressive on defense that it took us a minute to adjust to it. We just needed to do more on offense.”

NYA will host No. 6 Lincoln Academy (7-7) in the quarterfinals Saturday. The teams didn’t meet this season. They met just once before in the playoffs, a 12-1 Panthers’ win in the 2010 Eastern B quarterfinals.

“We’d absolutely like to see (Waynflete) again,” said Gerrity. “We just need to polish some stuff and make sure we do everything right. If we make a mistake against a team like (Waynflete), it’s a goal. We feel good about our chances.”

Freeport ended up 6-8 and seventh in Class C following a 17-9 victory at Fryeburg Academy in the regular season finale last week.

The Falcons host No. 10 Traip Academy (5-9) in Wednesday’s state preliminary round. The teams didn’t meet this year. They did square off in last year’s preliminary round, a 15-1 Freeport victory.

If the Falcons advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals, they’ll go to No. 2 Wells (12-2). Freeport lost at home to the Warriors, 11-8, April 26. The Falcons are 0-2 all-time versus Wells in the postseason, with a 12-5 setback in last year’s quarterfinals the most recent.

Looking ahead, the Class B state semifinals are Tuesday of next week and the Class A and Class C state semifinals are Wednesday of next week, with those games being contested on the fields of the higher seeds. The Class B state finals are Friday, June 16 at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland. The Class A and Class C state finals are Saturday, June 17, at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Girls’ lacrosse

Freeport’s Emily Olsen, left, sophomore Mia Levesque and sophomore Julia Whitten play smothering defense during last week’s home win over Scarborough. Michael Hoffer / The Forecaster

On the girls’ side, Freeport wound up first in Class C after capping the best regular season in program history at 13-1 following home victories last week over Cape Elizabeth (12-4) and Scarborough (11-6). Against the Capers, Mia Levesque scored five goals and Kate Tracy added a pair of goals (including the 100th of her career) and three assists. In the win over the Red Storm, the team that Falcons coach Marcia Wood coached for a decade and led to four state titles, Freeport broke open a close game in the second half and went on to victory. Eight different players scored, with Tracy, Maddie Knight and Emily Olsen leading the way with two goals apiece. Goalie Piper Williams made eight saves.

“It’s great to end our season with a 13-1 record,” said Olsen. “It’s really exciting. We lost a lot of seniors last year, but this year, we’ve focused on building team chemistry and it’s come through. We just want it so badly.”

“Everyone wants to win on Senior Night and it was a great feeling to pull it off,” Williams said. “We had momentum on our side.”

“It’s nice and it’s validating,” Wood added. “It would be different if we won there or if I knew the (Scarborough) girls, but some of the names sounded familiar from when I did youth there. We played great, we just needed to clean it up. Once we got some draws, we were fine. I always want to beat the B teams and the A teams. Those have been some of our best games.”

Freeport will host either No. 8 Oceanside (4-10) or No. 9 Erskine Academy (5-9) in the quarterfinals Saturday. The Falcons didn’t meet either team this year or ever in the postseason.

“We’ll have competition,” Wood said. “NYA has shown us stuff. Waynflete, I’m really nervous about. We’ve been so close (the last couple years). We have to stay focused. I’m going to try to keep the girls entertained and focused. I’ve got nine seniors and they’re ready to win.”

Defending state champion NYA is second after a 9-5 campaign, which culminated with a 9-8 win at Gorham last Thursday. Leah Dube led the way with three goals.

The Panthers begin their title defense Saturday at home in the quarterfinals against either No. 7 Waynflete (7-7) or No. 10 Traip Academy (5-8). NYA opened the season with a 14-8 win at the Flyers. The Panthers are just 2-5 all-time versus Waynflete in the playoffs, but last year, in the quarterfinals, they prevailed, 8-6. NYA won, 16-1, at Traip Academy May 23. The teams have no playoff history.

In Class B, Greely, the reigning state champion, is the top seed after a 12-2 campaign.

Friday, in the quarterfinals, the Rangers will play their first countable game in two weeks when they host No. 8 Mt. Blue (8-6). The teams didn’t meet this spring. Last year, en route to the championship, Greely beat the Cougars, 23-0, in the quarterfinals.

In Class A, Falmouth finished second after closing on a 13-game surge and winding up 13-1 after a 12-4 victory at Portland last Tuesday. Lucy Taylor led a balanced attack with three goals and Peaches Stucker finished with three assists.

The Navigators welcome No. 15 Massabesic (3-11) Wednesday afternoon in the state preliminary round (see our website for game story). Falmouth beat the visiting Mustangs, 20-6, May 24 at home. The teams’ lone prior playoff meeting resulted in a 10-7 Falmouth victory in the 2018 Class A state final, the program’s first crown.

If, as expected, the Navigators advance, they’ll host either No. 7 Biddeford (10-4) or No. 10 Oxford Hills in the quarterfinals Saturday. Falmouth beat both teams this spring, downing the host Tigers, 17-5, back on April 28 and beating the visiting Vikings, 17-6, May 5. The Navigators have no playoff history versus either prospective foe.

Yarmouth is the No. 3 seed in Class A after capping a 10-4 campaign last week with an 18-2 home win over Lake Region. Lauren Keaney led the way with six goals, Aine Powers added four and Brooke Boone had three.

The Clippers host No. 14 Cape Elizabeth (4-10) in the state preliminary round Wednesday (see our website for game story). Yarmouth beat the Capers twice this year, 14-3 at home April 26 and 16-6 May 26 in Cape Elizabeth. The Clippers are 3-2 all-time versus Cape Elizabeth in the tournament, with a 17-4 victory in the 2021 Class B state quarterfinals the most recent.

If Yarmouth advances to Saturday’s quarterfinals, it will welcome either No. 6 Windham (10-4) or No. 11 Gorham (8-6). The Clippers began the season with a 16-6 win at the Eagles April 14. The teams have no playoff history. Yarmouth didn’t face the Rams this spring and the teams have never squared off in the postseason.