Newsletter #56...You never know
High school coaches have stated since the beginning of time that you never know what might happen when teenage athletes compete.
Sure, the vast majority of the time, the favored team prevails, but every once in awhile, we get shocking results.
Two of which happened last week.
Last Thursday, South Portland's volleyball team took its 4-4 record to perennial powerhouse Scarborough, a squad that Red Riots coach Bob Weiner insisted was the team to beat heading into the season.
Final score: South Portland 3 Scarborough 2.
You never know.
It was the Red Riots' first-ever victory over the Red Storm.
"We're young, but the group seems to be moving together in the right direction," said Weiner. "Now that we've beaten a top team, something we didn't do last season, (the girls) believe they can beat anybody. Maybe they can.
"The important thing is that we have one senior and this group is only going to get better. It's just happening a little quicker than I thought it would."
Saturday afternoon, Gorham's football team went to Cheverus carrying an 0-4 record, having been outscored, 144-12, and having scored in only one of its four games.
The Stags, a preseason favorite, were picked by pundits of all stripes (including this one, who is often wrong) to win.
Final score: Gorham 19 Cheverus 17.
The Rams hung tough at halftime, trailing, 10-6. Wyatt Walker's 4-yard touchdown run put Gorham back in front, but with a minute to go, Colton Jewett scored on a 2-yard TD run for the Stags and a competitive yet painful defeat appeared to be the end result.
But on the ensuing kickoff, the Rams returned the ball 57 yards. Walker then hit Isaac Vail for a 33-yard go-ahead touchdown pass.
Vail intercepted a last-ditch Stags' pass to seal it.
Like I said, you never know.
RIP, Coach Flynn
If you were fortunate enough to cross paths with Jack Flynn during his decades as football coach, athletic director, standout athlete, husband or father, you knew he was something special.
Professionally accomplished for certain, but more importantly, a wonderful human being.
Last Friday, Flynn passed away at the age of 88, leaving behind a void among other places, in the high school football world.
Flynn spent a couple of decades coaching South Portland, leading the Red Riots to the state game eight times.
All losses.
Then, just before the turn of the century, Flynn came out of retirement to help launch the Scarborough varsity program and in his final season as coach, Flynn guided the Red Storm to their first state championship.
And fittingly, he went out on top.
A year ago, Coach Flynn was kind enough to join me for a podcast to talk about his career.
His final words were, "It's been a dream."
Click here to listen to Coach Flynn (this podcast is free and available to all):
Michael Hoffer
Condolences to Coach Flynn's family.
Game stories
Links to game stories you might have missed since last week:
Freeport football milks clock, beats Morse to stay atop Class D South
Duncan's OT goal lifts Scarborough over Kennebunk
Cape girls avenge lone loss, blank Yarmouth
Second half burst leads Yarmouth boys past Cape
Cape boys respond, edge Greely
Yarmouth girls bounce back with win over Freeport
Yarmouth avenges regional final loss by dominating Freeport
Gorham, TA boys settle for draw
Scarborough girls hold on to beat South Portland
Features
Every Monday, HHSS, in conjunction with partner cPort Credit Union, will name a "Player of the Week." This week's selection is Scarborough junior girls' soccer star Josie Duncan.
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
This Tuesday's WGAN spot:
https://wgan.com/morning-news/hoffers-high-school-sports-36/
Predictions
This week's popular, prescient Patriots pick (3-1 to date):
Patriots 24 Raiders 21
I was very glad to be wrong last week. Hopefully winning in Buffalo sparks a nice stretch of triumphant football going forward. The Raiders are off to a great start this year and I believe are a contender, but playing them in Foxboro, at 10 a.m. Pacific time, should give the Patriots an advantage. If Drake Maye takes care of the ball (always a big if), the end result should be a winning record for the first time this season.
Closer to home, here are my picks for this week's high school football games (10-2 last week, 45-12 to date):
Wells over Freeport (Thursday)
Cape Elizabeth over Spruce Mountain
Deering over Westbrook
Falmouth over Gorham
Greely over Oceanside
Portland over Bangor
South Portland over Massabesic
Thornton Academy over Noble
Windham over Edward Little
Yarmouth over Mt. Ararat
Scarborough over Sanford (Saturday)
Marshwood over Cheverus (Saturday)
On a heater
The following teams have won at least five games in a row at press time:
Cheverus field hockey 11 (28 dating back to last year)
Cheverus volleyball 7
Falmouth volleyball 6
Greely field hockey 8
Greely volleyball 8
Scarborough girls' soccer 6
Thornton Academy football 5 (14 dating back to last year)
Thornton Academy volleyball 8
Waynflete field hockey 5
Yarmouth football 5
Yarmouth boys' soccer 6
Yarmouth field hockey 10
Upcoming
Looking ahead, the next week features an abundance of compelling games.
Friday's gridiron action includes South Portland hosting Massabesic in a contest critical for playoff positioning, as well as Portland looking to bounce back when it welcomes Bangor and Falmouth going to Gorham in a game critical for Class B South playoff rankings.
Saturday, Scarborough's girls' soccer team looks to stay red-hot when it goes to rival Gorham. Cheverus' football team desperately needing a win, hosts undefeated Marshwood.
The Cheverus-Marshwood game will feature a special contest at halftime, sponsored by cPort Credit Union and featuring yours truly.
Monday sees Greely welcome Edward Little in a field hockey interclass battle.
Tuesday, can't-miss contests include Cheverus' field hockey team going to Biddeford for yet another chapter of their memorable rivalry and Thornton Academy welcoming Sanford/Kennebunk in another pivotal field hockey showdown.
Wednesday is highlighted by Greely at Yarmouth field hockey and Falmouth at Scarborough and Gorham at South Portland boys' soccer.
Thursday, Cape Elizabeth and Greely do battle on the pitch for the second time in a little over a week and the Gorham and Thornton Academy meet in a rematch of last year's Class A volleyball state match.
Enjoy the weekend, everyone. See you right back here, next Friday.
Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffersports@yahoo.com
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