Newsletter #55...Second half dash begins
The calendar has flipped to October and the fall sports season has reached its midway point.
That means the best is yet to come.
The second half of the campaign features huge matchups virtually every day and there are many questions still to answer.
By this time next month, volleyball champions will be crowned, we'll be days away from the soccer and field hockey state finals and football will be down to a select few squads.
For a deep dive on the season at its midway point, check out this week's HHSS Podcast:
Michael Hoffer
Game stories
Links to game stories you might have missed since last week:
Cheverus beats Biddeford in field hockey showdown
South Portland edges Cheverus late on the gridiron
South Portland girls surge in second half to beat Deering
Cheverus holds off Thornton Academy's upset bid
Cheverus volleyball makes history with win at Gorham
Falmouth South Portland boys settle for scoreless tie
Windham field hockey scores early and often in win over Massabesic
Windham and South Portland battle to dramatic draw
Milestones
Another week, more fall sports milestones.
Westbrook girls' soccer junior goalkeeper Greta Krantz reached the 200 career save mark earlier this season in a 3-0 loss to reigning regional champion Scarborough, a game in which Krantz made 19 saves.
Deering senior volleyball standout Blake Gayle produced her 500th career kill Tuesday night in a 3-2 home win over Lewiston.
North Yarmouth Academy's Kenlie Nadeau, who's a senior captain on the Gray-New Gloucester/NYA co-op field hockey team, reached the 100-career point mark Wednesday when she assisted on the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over York.
Yarmouth girl wins inaugural golf event
Yarmouth's Kate Geary won the inaugural Southern Maine High School Women's Invitational last week, shooting a nine-hole score of 43.
Other local scores of note include Greely's Bailey Begin shooting a 52, Yarmouth's Annalyse Wingard shooting a 66 and Brynlea Loring of Greely shooting a 67.
Maine Sports Hall of Fame inductees
The 2026 Maine Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held Sunday at the University of Southern Maine.
The ceremony had a decidedly Yarmouth feel, as legendary Clippers Nordic ski and cross country coach Bob Morse, former Yarmouth girls' basketball coach Christina Strong (who was a high school standout in soccer and basketball and went on to play basketball at the University of Maine) and YHS graduate Davis Hughes, a two-time Olympic sailor and seven-time world champion, were among the 11-person class.
Another inductee with a local connection was Gabe Hoffman-Johnson, a one-time Falmouth boys' soccer standout who is now better known as the founder and Chief Community Officer of Portland Hearts of Pine soccer club.
Features
Every Monday, HHSS, in conjunction with partner cPort Credit Union, will name a "Player of the Week." This week's selection is Greely senior volleyball standout Annabelle Talley.
Michael Hoffer
Each Tuesday, HHSS releases Super-Six polls for football, field hockey, boys' soccer, girls' soccer and volleyball. Here's this week's rankings:
Michael Hoffer
Media
Last Friday's spot on Middays with Mannix and Mannix:
https://thebigjab.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/MMM-9-25-26-Michael-Hoffer.mp3
Tuesday's WGAN spot:
https://wgan.com/morning-news/hoffers-high-school-sports-35/
Predictions
This week's popular, prescient Patriots pick (3-0 to date):
Bills 27 Patriots 17
Until I saw this week's injury report, I was going to pick a much closer score, but if Gonzo and Barmore are out, an already impossible task becomes that much more daunting. There's no sugar coating this, Drake Maye has been abysmal and the bloom is off the rose from last year's Super Bowl run. I don't see where enough offense will come from to outscore Josh Allen and Company. I hope to be pleasantly surprised, but I have my doubts.
Closer to home, here are my picks for this week's high school football games (10-2 last week, 35-10 to date):
Cape Elizabeth over Waterville
Kennebunk over Deering
Marshwood over Falmouth
Freeport over Morse
Greely over Medomak Valley
Edward Little over Scarborough
South Portland over Sanford
Westbrook over Biddeford
Bonny Eagle over Windham
Cheverus over Gorham (Saturday)
Thornton Academy over Portland (Saturday)
Yarmouth over Mt. Desert Island (Saturday)
Upcoming
Looking ahead, the next week features an abundance of compelling games.
Friday's gridiron action includes Falmouth taking on undefeated Marshwood, Freeport playing host to Morse in a key Class D South contest and Windham welcoming always-tough Bonny Eagle. Greely goes to Cape Elizabeth for an important field hockey tilt.
Saturday is a day of showdowns, starting with Portland traveling to Thornton Academy for a rematch of last year's Class A football state game and a possible preview of this season's final. There are multiple compelling soccer games as well, as the Scarborough boys welcome Gorham, Greely's boys play host to Camden Hills and the on the girls' side, Scarborough plays host to Kennebunk and Cape Elizabeth welcomes Yarmouth in a possible Class B South Final preview.
Monday sees Cape Elizabeth and Greely play in both boys' and girls' soccer.
Tuesday, can't-miss contests include Freeport at Yarmouth girls' soccer at 4, followed by the first Freeport at Yarmouth field hockey showdown of the season at 6:30. Scarborough and Gorham do battle in a possible volleyball state match preview.
Wednesday is highlighted by Thornton Academy visiting Gorham in boys' soccer.
Thursday, Freeport football goes to Wells, while on the pitch, South Portland visits Scarborough in girls' action. Freeport at Cape Elizabeth could be an interesting field hockey battle.
Enjoy the weekend, everyone. See you right back here, next Friday.
Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffersports@yahoo.com
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