Newsletter #11...Fall sports season getting closer

We're still a month away from the start of a new fall sports season, and a new school year, but the summer hasn't been devoid of news.

T-shirts galore

In recent weeks, four local athletes were chosen as respective Players of the Year for their sports. While they highlighted our all-star team articles, those athletes also got to receive a bonus in the form of a t-shirt.

And they all wore them well.

Erik Swenson, Scarborough (baseball)

Addison DeRoche, Cheverus (softball)

Gio Guerrette, Falmouth (boys' lacrosse)

Mia Levesque, Freeport (girls' lacrosse)

And while there were no games in July, there was still plenty of content, courtesy the aforementioned, first-ever, Hoffer's High School Sports/cPort Credit Union all-star teams.

While Swenson was named the Player of the Year in baseball, there were 11 additional all-stars, Class B champion Greely was named Team of the Year and Greely's Derek Soule was selected Coach of the Year.

Full story here: https://www.hoffershighschoolsports.com/hhss-baseball-all-star-team/

DeRoche was chosen the Player of the Year in softball, but Class A champion Windham was named the Team of the Year and Windham's Darcey Gardiner was selected Coach of the Year. Eleven other standout players were also honored.

Full story here: https://www.hoffershighschoolsports.com/hhss-softball-all-star-team/

Guerrette was named the Player of the Year in boys' lacrosse and his Falmouth team, despite being stunned in the Class A state final, was chosen Team of the Year. Thornton Academy's Ryan Hersey, who masterminded the state game upset, was selected Coach of the Year. Eleven other standout players were also honored.

Full story here: https://www.hoffershighschoolsports.com/hhss-boys-lacrosse-all-star-team/

On the girls' side, Levesque was chosen Player of the Year and she had great company in the form of 11 other all-stars. Windham, on the heels of its first state championship, was named Team of the Year, while Matt Perkins of the Eagles was selected Coach of the Year.

Full story here: https://www.hoffershighschoolsports.com/hhss-girls-lacrosse-all-star-team/

Goodbye to a legend

Some sad news to report.

Sister Edward Mary Kelleher, the longtime head of Catherine McAuley High School, passed away earlier this week.

It was clear to anyone fortunate enough to be along for the ride for either of the two-part McAuley girls' basketball dynasty earlier this century that Sister Edward Mary was synonymous with the Lions' success.

Warm and welcoming to all, Sister Edward Mary was simply beloved by the girls she looked after and never was that more evident than in the moments after a Gold Ball was bestowed when the Lions would rush, en masse, over to her for a group hug and celebration.

Rest in peace, Sister. The word legend doesn't even begin to tell the story.

What's to come

While no one is wishing away summer, the reality is that the days are getting shorter and now that the calendar has flipped to August, our leisure time is coming to an end.

On the 18th of this month, practices begin for fall sports. There will be a lot of new faces in new places, both on the field and on the sidelines, with a lot of standouts back to again steal headlines.

Starting that week, we'll take a look at some of preseason storylines, which will lead up to what for me will be my 25th Fall Sports Preview, either with The Forecaster or now here on Hoffer's High School Sports.com. You can look for full previews of every football, soccer, field hockey and volleyball team in our coverage area.

Weekly newsletters will resume at the end of August and there's a podcast on the horizon.

Countable games begin the first week of September and it promises to be a memorable year.

Thanks for indulging me as I interrupt the summer reverie. Have a wonderful August everyone. You'll be hearing from me again soon.

Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffersports@yahoo.com