Newsletter #8...A postseason to remember

My goodness, the start of the spring sports postseason has been simply breathtaking.

And in many cases, stunning.

Let's start with the upsets.

Cape Elizabeth and Falmouth's baseball teams were viewed as squads which had the potential to go deep into the tournament, but instead, each went one-and-done, with the top-ranked Capers falling to Fryeburg Academy in the Class B quarterfinals (with the potential tying run being thrown out at home to end it), while the Navigators were knocked off by No. 12 Kennebunk in the Class A South preliminary round.

Greely, Scarborough and Thornton Academy's baseball teams were still alive at press time, but there's no guarantee those squads will be able to keep the good times rolling.

On the softball diamond, Cheverus and Windham have been dominant so far and are just one win apiece away from another can't-miss Class A South Final showdown, but Kennebunk and Gorham stand in the way, respectively. North Yarmouth Academy is closing in on a third consecutive Class D title, but the Panthers will have to find a way to solve a St. Dom's squad in the semifinals which beat them twice in the regular season. Freeport twice had to rally for an improbable 13-12, eight-inning win over Greely in the Class B South quarterfinals and now, has the daunting task of facing a York squad which hasn't lost prior to the state final since 2022.

In boys' lacrosse, defending champions Falmouth remains the clear favorite in Class A, but don't overlook Cape Elizabeth, South Portland or Thornton Academy. That could be your final four, if Windham doesn't crash the party. In Class B, Yarmouth is reeling entering the playoffs, having dropped three of four, but still has hopes of repeating as champion. The Clippers expect to play York in the state game, but they can't overlook Greely in the quarterfinals. Freeport also lurks. NYA has all the pieces in place for a title run in Class C.

On the girls' side, reigning Class A champion Yarmouth barely survived Massabesic in a state prelim and as a "reward," the Clippers have to go a Windham squad Friday in the quarterfinals which could be the state's best, even if the Eagles are seeded second behind Kennebunk. Cape Elizabeth and Cheverus are poised for a terrific quarterfinal, as are Falmouth and Marshwood. In Class B, Freeport and three-time reigning champion Greely are on track for another memorable showdown, which would happen unfortunately in the semifinal round this time. Waynflete, the defending Class C champion, won't get to play a postseason game at home, but still has what it takes to produce the program's first repeat title since 2012-13. NYA stands in the way.

The next eight days are going to be magical.

** A quick heads-up that I'll be away this weekend, attending my niece's wedding. I will be back for blanket coverage of the regional finals and state finals next week. **

More coaching announcements

After a flurry of new basketball and soccer coaches were announced a week ago, a couple more trickled in this week.

Yarmouth's girls' basketball program has hired former assistant Hope Olson as its new head coach. Olson played at Maine Girls' Academy and Yarmouth in high school and later at Connecticut College. Olson was an assistant coach with the Clippers last winter. She replaces Tom Panozzo, inheriting a squad which went 7-12 last winter, losing to Leavitt in the Class B South preliminary round of the tournament.

"I am extremely excited and humbled and to have been offered a head coaching position in the town I grew up in," said Olson. "The Yarmouth community and this program gave me the foundation not only to learn how to succeed on the court, but to grow into the person I am today. After rejoining the program last year as the assistant coach, I had the chance to work with an incredible group of players and I am eager to continue to support and contribute to the girls program in this bigger role. As head coach, I look forward to giving back to the next generation of student-athletes to ensure they have the same opportunities for growth, both as players and as individuals, much like many coaches did for me while I was a student at Yarmouth."

At Scarborough, Craig Roberts is the new girls' soccer coach, replacing Mike Farley, who has moved to Florida after a sensational 273 victories, nine regional titles and four Class A state championships.

Roberts served as the Cheverus girls' coach for a dozen seasons, winning 120 games, including 11 last season, as the Stags reached the Class A South semifinals. Cheverus made it to the semifinals or regional final in six of Roberts' final seven non-COVID years.

Roberts is also a longtime boys' basketball coach and teacher at Scarborough.

“Teaching and coaching at the same place has been a goal since high school, so I couldn’t pass it up even though it meant leaving a place I love,” said Roberts. “The Cheverus program is in a good spot and (athletic director Amy Ashley’s) record of picking good coaches is excellent, so I’m sure they won’t miss a beat.

"I’ve come to deeply appreciate the character, work ethic and resilience of Scarborough’s student-athletes, both on the court and in the classroom. I’m excited to lead a program that values tradition, excellence and growth and I look forward to working with the talented group of girls who represent Red Storm soccer.”

“Craig is a dedicated educator and seasoned coach who has already built strong relationships within our school community," said Scarborough athletic director Mike LeGage. "His experience, leadership and passion for both teaching and coaching make him an excellent fit to lead our girls' soccer program into its next chapter.”

Award-winning

The accolades keep coming for Cheverus' standout sophomore pitcher Addison DeRoche, who has built on her dazzling freshman campaign with another brilliant season, one which earlier this week brought her the Maine Gatorade Softball Player of the Year award.

DeRoche, who also won the Gatorade Award as a freshman, went 13-0 in the regular season with a 0.44 earned run average and 135 strikeouts in 63 innings. At the plate, DeRoche has a .564 average, with four home runs and 19 RBI.

Speaking of Cheverus and accolades, Stags sophomore girls' lacrosse standout Sydney Brunelle reached the 100 career goal plateau in Wednesday's preliminary round win over Bangor.

Thornton Academy baseball coach Jason Lariviere earned his 100th career victory Thursday as the Golden Trojans fought off Gorham's late rally and prevailed, 4-3, in a Class A South quarterfinal.

In case you missed it

Here's a look at stories that have been posted since last week's newsletter:

** If you haven't already, please subscribe at the champion level for access to all stories from the spring sports season. **

Iacuessa pitches South Portland past Bonny Eagle in prelim

Cheverus' girls have no trouble with Bangor in first playoff test

TA girls hold on to beat Scarborough in preliminary round

NYA softball comes alive to beat Vinalhaven in quarterfinals

Swenson and Scarborough survive South Portland

Feature on Freeport lacrosse stars Lana DiRusso and Mia Levesque

And if you missed my Middays with Mannix and Mannix radio spot from last Friday, here's the link:

https://thebigjab.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/MMM-6-6-25-Michael-Hoffer.mp3

Polls

Here's this week's Super6 polls, which includes teams in our coverage area, from Thornton Academy to Freeport, through quarterfinal round games played Thursday, June 12th:

Baseball

1 Scarborough
2 Thornton Academy
3 Greely
4 Gorham
5 South Portland
6 Cape Elizabeth

The Red Storm had just enough to beat the Red Riots in the quarterfinals and getting past the Golden Trojans will be even tougher. A highly-anticipated Rangers-Capers regional final won't come to fruition and Greely finds itself with the inside track to its first state game in a decade.

Softball
1 Cheverus
2 Windham
3 Gorham
4 NYA
5 Freeport
6 Greely

No change from last week, as the Stags and Eagles are drawing ever nearer a rematch of last year's unforgettable regional final, but the Rams hope to crash the party at Windham's expense. The Panthers are three wins from a three-peat, while the Falcons are living a charmed life, after erasing a five-run deficit against the Rangers in the quarterfinals.

Boys' lacrosse

1 Falmouth
2 Thornton Academy
3 Yarmouth
4 Cape Elizabeth
5 South Portland
6 NYA

Another status quo poll, as the top teams have been idle since last week. Everyone is gunning for the Navigators in Class A, while the Clippers have work to do to get back to states in Class B. The Panthers are battle-tested and could be poised for a title run in Class C.

Girls' lacrosse
1 Windham
2 Freeport
3 Thornton Academy
4 Cheverus
5 Yarmouth
6 Greely

The Eagles are now a known commodity and they'll have to beat the Clippers for a second time this year to advance. The Golden Trojans know they can compete with top-ranked Kennebunk. The Falcons and Rangers will likely meet next week in the semifinals, a round earlier than most of us hoped.

A look ahead

There's just over a week to go before the spring sports season comes to an abrupt end.

After semifinal action this weekend, the baseball and softball regional finals will be contested at St. Joseph's College and the University of Southern Maine on Tuesday.

The lacrosse state semifinals are Tuesday and Wednesday.

And we'll be right back here with another newsletter next Friday, when we can preview the state games.

In the meantime, have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffersports@yahoo.com