Newsletter #27...At last!
The early portion of the winter sports season has featured multiple local teams snapping long losing skids.
Greely's girls' hockey squad didn't win a game in 2024-25 and started this year with four more setbacks, but last week, the Rangers prevailed for the first time since Dec. 1, 2023, beating Winslow, 2-1, behind 57 saves from junior goalie Charley Louie (more on her later).
Greely snapped a 39-game winless streak.
"That win meant a lot to our program," said Rangers coach Meg Finlay. "This is a group that has worked extremely hard every day, even when the results haven’t been there. They’ve been counted out and underestimated, but they keep showing up and competing. Since my assistant, Emily Bovino, and I took over, our numbers have grown a lot, which says a lot about the girls and the culture we’re trying to build. Getting that first home win was really special and something this group definitely earned."
Then there's Cape Elizabeth girls' basketball, which entered the season on a 37-game skid before opening with a 30-25 win at Fryeburg Academy, the Capers' first victory since Feb. 3, 2023.
"It felt like we won a state championship when we beat Fryeburg," said longtime Cape Elizabeth coach Chris Casterella. "We hope it's more of an equal playing field this year, but we know we have to bring it."
The Capers then added a second victory, 50-42, at home over Lincoln Academy.
"The girls know any night we step on the floor, the goal is to compete and if we play well, we can get the 'W,'" Casterella said "It's a learning process. They have to have short memories. They have to put mistakes behind them and play the next play. We still have a long way to go and we have to earn it."
North Yarmouth Academy's boys' basketball team, which didn't win last winter, snapped a 21-game skid last Saturday by downing host Old Orchard Beach, 58-51.
Congratulations to all of these feel-good stories!
Tourney time
With Christmas right around the corner, it's time again for the annual Christmas Classic basketball tournament at the Portland Exposition Building.
Games will be held Friday, Dec. 26 and Saturday, Dec. 27 and after a day's rest, there will be contests Monday, Dec. 29 and Tuesday, Dec. 30 as well.
The schedule is as follows (RS signifies regular season, countable games):
Lacrosse signing
Cape Elizabeth senior Callum Mitchell announced Wednedsay that he plans to play lacrosse at St. Michael's College in Vermont, a Division II program.
"I'm super-lucky to be able to do this," said Mitchell, who expects to play defense and hopes to study business administration. "I'm super-thankful for my coaches and family for getting me to this point. The school size, athletic program, it all just fit.
"Playing here has meant the world. We have top-of-the-state coaching. It doesn't get much better than Cape lacrosse. Wearing that crest on my chest every day has a special weight."
Portland football coach steps down
Portland football coach Nick Cliche announced Wednesday that he was stepping down after one season.
Cliche said, "It was a great experience coaching PHS," but the demands of his job as Scarborough's Community Services Director and his desire to spend time with his wife and their 7-year-old daughter led to the decision.
Cliche led the Bulldogs to a 9-3 record and a trip to the Class A state final, which they lost to Thornton Academy, 28-0.
"It is with sincere sadness that I announce my resignation as Portland High School Head Football Coach," said Cliche, in a prepared statement released on social media. "Being a part of this program for the past three years, and leading it in 2025 has been one of the greatest honors and rewarding experiences of my life.
"I talked specifically late in the season to our kids about emptying their tank and leaving it all out there, and that they did. I'd like to say without hesitation that I've emptied my tank and given this program and the others I have been blessed to coach at all I can possibly give at this point in time."
Honors for Falmouth soccer
Falmouth soccer legend Roger Levesque, left, Class of 1999, was recently inducted into the inaugural class of The Maine Soccer Hall of Fame.
FHS junior Simon Wissink was named an All-American at the same honors banquet.
Levesque was Falmouth's first All-American.
In case you missed it...
Game stories from the past week...
Cheverus girls pull away in second half to beat Sanford
South Portland boys hold off Portland
Greely girls need overtime to down Yarmouth
Windham boys knock Westbrook from unbeaten ranks
Cheverus bests Brunswick in state rematch
Greely gets late hoop to edge Cape
Media
Tuesday's WGAN spot with Matt Gagnon:
https://wgan.com/morning-news/hoffers-high-school-sports-13/
Last Friday's Middays with Mannix & Mannix spot on WJAB:
https://thebigjab.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/MMM-12-12-25-Michael-Hoffer.mp3
Starting Five podcast appearance earlier this week:
Prediction
My popular, prescient Patriots pick (9-5 for the season).
This week's guess:
Ravens 28 Patriots 20
A bad, bad matchup for a team that's reeling from a bad loss and will likely be short-handed. We're going to see way too much Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry running free. Ravens are desperate and it's a tough spot. Could be a lot like Week 9 in 2019.
Hope to be wrong.
Features
Hoffer's High School Sports, in conjunction with cPort Credit Union, named Greely girls' hockey goalie Charley Louie as our Athlete of the Week Monday.
Michael Hoffer
Tuesday brought the latest Super-Six polls for basketball and hockey:
Michael Hoffer
Thursday, our weekly Hoffer's High School Sports podcast featured longtime Gorham girls' basketball coach Laughn Berthiaume.
Michael Hoffer
And finally...
Each fall Player of the Year gets some HHSS swag. Cape Elizabeth girls' soccer standout Noelle Mallory got her t-shirt earlier this week.
Enjoy the weekend, everyone.
See you again right here, next Friday.
Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffersports@yahoo.com
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