BOYS’ TEAM

Caleb King – Greely football

When Caleb King took over the new stand-alone Greely eight-man football program in 2022, he believed the Rangers would immediately compete for a state championship.

Instead, his team didn’t win a single game.

As it turned out, he was just a year off.

Fast forward to 2023, where Greely won its opener, then lost three games in a row.

And had the large school South region right where the Rangers wanted it.

Greely caught fire over the second half of the season and went on to make history by winning a regional title for the first time and while the Rangers fell short in the state game, Caleb King gets The Forecaster’s nod as our Northern edition Fall Coach of the Year, of a boys’ team.

King played football at Greely, back when it was an 11-man program, always undermanned but always competitive, then went on to play at Husson University in Bangor.

When the Rangers returned to varsity play, King was eager to take on the coaching challenge and nothing came easily in 2022, as Greely was manhandled in most contests.

But this year would be different, as even the early losses were competitive and after a palpitating overtime win at Waterville, the Rangers upset undefeated, defending champion Yarmouth to turn the corner for good. Greely then closed the regular season with a win over Gray-New Gloucester, giving it the number two seed in the South Region and a bye into the semifinals.

With King utilizing an abundance of standout athletes in multiple ways and getting them to believe that the sky was the limit, the Rangers then blanked Mt. Ararat in the semifinals and defeated Brunswick in the regional final to win a trophy for the first time in the history of Greely football. The Rangers would lose, 28-0, to Mt. Desert Island in the state game, but the season was a rousing success.

“I’m super proud of the guys,” King said.  “They made a commitment to be a good football team and they did that. Losing a state game obviously hurts, but if we take a step back and look at what this group was able to accomplish this season and even over the last two years, it is something that I hope they are really proud of. Last year, we didn’t win a single game. This year, we won six and made it all the way to compete in a state championship game. We hosted Greely’s first-ever regional football championship, won the first-ever regional championship and went to our first-ever state championship game. By all accounts, this is the best football team Greely has ever had.”

And the Rangers aren’t going anywhere. With Caleb King, our Northern edition boys’ team Fall Coach of the Year, pushing all the right buttons, look for Greely to kick in that championship door sooner than later.

Prior winners: 

• 2022 Jim Hartman (Yarmouth football)
* 2021 David Cousins (Yarmouth golf)
* 2020 Jason Ouellette (Freeport golf)
• 2019 Dave Halligan (Falmouth soccer)
• 2018 Martyn Keen (NYA soccer)
• 2017 Mike Hagerty (Yarmouth soccer)
• 2016 Paul St. Pierre (Freeport football)
• 2015 David Higgins (Greely football)
• 2014 Brian Berkemeyer (Freeport cross country)
• 2013 Mike Andreasen (Greely soccer)
• 2012 Dave Halligan (Falmouth soccer)
• 2011 Spike Herrick (Falmouth golf)
• 2010 David Higgins (Greely football)
• 2009 Jim Hartman (Yarmouth football)
• 2008 Mike Hagerty (Yarmouth soccer)
• 2007 Mike Andreasen (Greely soccer)
• 2006 Dave Halligan (Falmouth soccer)
• 2005 Joe Heathco (Freeport soccer)
• 2004 Mike Hagerty (Yarmouth soccer)
• 2003 Dave Halligan (Falmouth soccer)
• 2002 Bob Gilman (Falmouth cross country)
• 2001 Mark Luthe (Falmouth golf)

GIRLS’ TEAM

From the outside, Yarmouth’s field hockey team was viewed as an up-and-coming contender this season.

Inside the program, the Clippers had much higher aspirations, as new coach Bre Morrill had them believing they could win a state championship.

And they almost did.

Yarmouth was the best team in Class B South in the regular season and got all the way to the regional final, but despite a valiant effort, lost in double-overtime to eventual champion Freeport.

And while that loss was painful, the journey was spectacular and in that light, The Forecaster is naming Bre Morrill as our Southern edition Fall Coach of the Year, of a girls’ team.

Morrill is no stranger to success with Yarmouth’s field hockey team, as she was a standout prior to graduating in 2016. Morrill then served as the program’s middle school and varsity assistant/junior varsity coach and also coaches top teams in the Maine Styx travel program.

The Clippers went 8-7 in 2022, losing in the quarterfinals. This fall, Yarmouth made a powerful, immediate statement with a 4-3 victory at Freeport, the reigning regional champion. The Clippers then captured eight more games for a start that no one saw coming.

Well, almost no one.

“I’m not necessarily surprised,” Morrill said at midseason. “I knew this team had endless possibilities for this year.”

Yarmouth would stumble at Edward Little, a Class A contender, and tie York, but its 12-1-1 mark gave it the top seed for the Class B South playoffs. After blanking Wells in the quarterfinals, the Clippers survived York in an epic semifinal, on an overtime goal from senior standout Sophie Smith. That set up the rematch versus Freeport and while Yarmouth had some great chances to capture its first regional crown this century, it eventually lost in double-overtime, 2-1.

“It’s agonizing, but I’m incredibly proud,” Morrill said, after the setback. “The girls gave everything they had. We’re bringing home some hardware and got some medals.”

Earning hardware could become a regular occurrence as long as  Bre Morrill, our Northern edition Fall girls’ team Coach of the Year, is leading the Clippers. Yarmouth has established itself as a championship contender and is poised to break through. Soon.

Prior winners:

• 2022 Andy Higgins (Yarmouth soccer)
* 2021 Ricky Doyon (NYA soccer)
* 2020 Marcia Wood (Freeport field hockey)
• 2019 Jim Senecal (Yarmouth volleyball)
• 2018 Marcia Wood (Freeport field hockey)
• 2017 Chris Coleman (Yarmouth soccer)
• 2016 Nora Krainis (NYA volleyball)
• 2015 Bob Morse (Yarmouth cross country)
• 2014 Tracy Quimby (NYA field hockey)
• 2013 Gary Powers (Falmouth volleyball)
• 2012 Kelvin Hasch (Greely volleyball)
• 2011 Jim Senecal (Yarmouth volleyball)
• 2010 Rich Smith (Yarmouth soccer)
• 2009 Gary Powers (Falmouth volleyball)
• 2008 Julia Littlefield (NYA field hockey)
• 2007 Jeff Thoreck (NYA soccer)
• 2006 Kelvin Hasch (Greely volleyball)
• 2005 Cathy McGuire (Freeport cross country)
• 2004 Robin Haley (Falmouth field hockey)
• 2003 Robyn Thayer (Greely field hockey)
• 2002 Bob Morse (Yarmouth cross country)
• 2001 Melissa Anderson (Falmouth soccer)

Press Herald staff writer Drew Bonifant contributed to this story.

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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