15 May 2026 7 min read Newsletters

Newsletter #43...A beehive of activity

We're essentially at the midpoint of the 2026 spring sports season and while some teams have played more than half their games and others fewer, we're beginning to get a pretty good sense of how things look for local squads.

And for the most part, the outlook is promising.

The top of the boys' lacrosse standings is populated with familiar names, as, at press time, Falmouth and Thornton Academy appear on course for a state game rematch, as they're number one and two, respectively. Yarmouth, Cape Elizabeth and Deering are next.

On the girls' side, while Kennebunk's the clear favorite at this point, hot on the Rams' heels are Falmouth, Thornton Academy, Windham, Cheverus and Scarborough. Greely is second in Class B.

On the diamond, Cheverus has surged to the top of the Class A South standings, with Gorham, Thornton Academy and South Portland just behind.

Turning to softball, Cheverus is leaving the field in its wake, but while the Stags are leading the way in Class A South, Gorham, Scarborough, Windham, Westbrook and South Portland are also in the mix.

It promises to be an exciting final couple of weeks of the regular season and rest assured, that we'll have full coverage of the biggest showdowns.

Group signings

The past week has seen several schools hold signing ceremonies for athletes who play to compete in college.

At Greely, 11 athletes took part in a ceremony Tuesday.

That group included...

Front row (from left): Avery Bush (Skidmore, soccer), Landon Dominski (University of New England, soccer), Audrey Ingersoll (Western Connecticut State, lacrosse), Connor Skillin (University of Southern Maine, soccer), Katie Wallace (Trinity, softball) and Sean Justice (Salve Regina, (football).

Back row (from left): Amelia Savoy (Johnson and Wales University, soccer), Gehrig Donnelly (Clark University, baseball), Isaac Barr (Bates College, swimming), Dominic Martone (Plymouth State, football) and Rowan Barry (Cornell, cross country and track and field).

Not pictured, but also planning to compete at the next level are Jordan Young (Wheaton, swimming), Hunter Caiazzo (UNE, soccer), Elena McKenzie (Lesley University, volleyball) and Ben Kyles (Saint Anselm, football).

At Thornton Academy Thursday, Trinnity Hall committed to playing lacrosse at Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts, while Maggie Tripp signed to run track at the University of Maine.

"It means a lot to me, finally having all my hard work pay off," said Hall. "It's always been a dream of mine. I started paying in eighth grade. I had a good amount of schools on a list, but it wasn't a hard decision for me. I felt very welcome at Assumption with the community and the opportunities they had there. They have a really good team and a great nursing program. I'm hoping to make the most of the rest of the season and get to the state game."

"Ever since I was little, I dreamed of being a D1 athlete and getting a full scholarship," said Tripp, who is undecided on a major. "You have to work for this and it means a lot to me. I wanted to stay close to home. Ever since I visited U. Maine, I had a good feeling about it. The coaches and other girls were so nice. I'd like to win a couple more titles this spring outdoors."

Wednesday at Falmouth, five athletes enjoyed their moment in the limelight. That group included Tres Walker (McGill University, football), Luke Roy (McGill, football), Frederick Brill (Bowdoin College, track and field), Thomas Willoughby (Husson University, football) and Caden Berry (Lesley University, soccer).

Milestones

Deering senior boys' lacrosse goalie Vinny Cavallaro, the program's all-time leader in saves, reached the 600-save plateau last week. Thanks in part to Cavallaro's excellence, the Rams are one of the top contenders in Class A.

At North Yarmouth Academy, senior boys' lacrosse standout Gavin Thomas recently eclipsed 100 career goals. Thomas was a hero in the Panthers' run to the Class C state championship a year and has his team on track for a repeat run this spring.

Turning to NYA softball, senior Jordan Nash passed the 100 career hit mark. Nash has played an integral role in the Panthers' dominance during her time in high school, twice helping the team capture a Class D state title.

Nash's teammate, senior Cami Casserly, recently crushed her first career home run. Casserly, a catcher, has also been a part of two state title-winning squads.

Back at Thornton Academy, junior girls' lacrosse star Oceanna LaMarre, one of the state's elite talents, recently reached the 100-point mark for her career. LaMarre, who is also a standout in the draw circle, can score or set up teammates with equal ability.

In case you missed it

Game stories from the past week...

Waynflete girls lose at home to Massabesic

Yarmouth girls earn statement win over Windham

Yarmouth boys handle Deering in Saturday showdown

Cheverus softball still perfect after beating Gorham

TA boys roll at Cape to stay perfect

NYA boys survive Freeport in overtime

Falmouth girls strike late to shock Cheverus

South Portland softball earns revenge win at Scarborough

TA girls overcome the elements, Scarborough

Media

Tuesday's radio spot with WGAN's Matt Gagnon:

https://wgan.com/morning-news/hooffers-high-school-sports/

Friday WJAB spots return today at 11:30, when I join Jeff and Taylor on Middays with Mannix and Mannix. I'll have a link in next week's newsletter.

Features

Hoffer's High School Sports, in conjunction with cPort Credit Union, named South Portland senior baseball star Hudson Iacuessa as our Athlete of the Week.

Tuesday brought the latest polls for baseball, softball and lacrosse:

Thursday's Hoffer's High School Sports Podcast featured Westbrook first-year baseball coach Andy Coulombe.

What's on tap

The action heats up over the next week with some key showdowns.

Friday, weather permitting, Gorham and Falmouth meet in baseball, while South Portland at Windham is a top softball matchup. The best boys' lacrosse game comes from Scarborough, where the surging Red Storm meet powerful Yarmouth. There are a couple of girls' lacrosse showdowns as well, as Yarmouth and Greely do battle in Cumberland and Falmouth travels to Saco to battle Thornton Academy in a contest rife with Heal Points implications.

Saturday, on the diamond, Cheverus goes to Windham for the teams' second softball showdown of the spring, and likely not their last.

Monday, there's a terrific softball doubleheader, as Scarborough plays host to Westbrook in the afternoon, then Windham goes to Gorham for a showdown under the lights. Cape Elizabeth at Greely could be a fun girls' lacrosse battle.

Tuesday's slate sees a rematch of last year's Class A girls' lacrosse state game, as Windham goes to undefeated Kennebunk. Cheverus also goes to Scarborough while Freeport, the reigning Class B champion, visits Yarmouth. On the boys' side, Falmouth might get its first test when it plays at Cape Elizabeth. NYA visits Freeport one week after the teams went to overtime in Yarmouth in a game won by the Panthers. If nighttime baseball is your thing, check out South Portland visiting Gorham.

Wednesday, Greely baseball goes to Cape Elizabeth. Expect a much closer game than the Rangers' 11-2 victory this week. Freeport at Cape Elizabeth is a compelling girls' lacrosse matchup.

Thursday, Falmouth finds itself involved in a couple of huge contests. On the diamond, the Navigators host Scarborough. Up the hill, the girls' lacrosse team welcomes Kennebunk.

Play of the week

Let's wrap this up with the play of the week...Yarmouth senior Celia Zinman scores late to beat reigning champion Windham