Newsletter #9...And then there were eight

If you blinked, you missed a lot.

Regional final action in baseball and softball and state semifinal contests in boys' and girls' lacrosse Tuesday and Wednesday was simply breathtaking and historic and hopefully was a harbinger of a memorable state final weekend to come.

In a 30-hour span, I personally witnessed three reigning state champions dethroned, a softball game postponed due to poor field conditions about 100 yards or so away from a concurrent baseball game that went on as planned, and one of the most sensational girls' lacrosse playoff contests ever seen in these parts.

And now, there are only eight teams remaining with title hopes yet to be extinguished, one baseball (Greely), one softball (Windham), four boys' lacrosse (Falmouth, North Yarmouth Academy, Thornton Academy and Yarmouth) and two girls' lacrosse (Freeport and Windham).

All of them have a story to tell:

Soule revival

Sports can be cruel and sports can be kind and Greely's Kyle Soule has experienced both sides of that coin.

Last June, Soule, then a freshman, was one strike away from finishing off Yarmouth in the Class B South baseball final, but in a stunning turn of events, Alec Gagnon squared up his best offering and drove it to centerfield for a two-out, two-strike, two-run triple to propel Yarmouth to a 2-1 victory and an eventual championship.

Soule had to sit with that painful memory all summer, fall, winter and into this spring, and wasn't able to fully put it to bed until late Tuesday evening, when, with a runner at first base, he stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning of the Class B South Final, with the Rangers and Fryeburg Academy deadlocked, 3-3.

Soule then delivered a game-ending, game-winning dose of redemption, an RBI double, to send Greely to the state final for the first time since 2015.

"I've thought about last year every single day," Soule said. "I just worked my butt off and wanted to get the job done this time. I knew going into that at-bat that I was going to get a hit and make up for what happened last year. That's what drove me to push this hard and make (this hit) happen."

The Rangers battle Ellsworth Saturday at 1 p.m., in Orono for the championship. They're ready to end their decade-long title drought.

"We need one more," said Soule. "We'll keep working at practice and come in Saturday and shut the door."

Third time's the charm

Windham's softball team won the 2023 Class A state title and was expected to repeat last spring, but the Eagles ran into Cheverus and its transcendent ace, Addison DeRoche, and lost an instant classic of a regional final, 2-0, in 10-innings.

This season, Windham lost twice, both times to Cheverus, but the Eagles were confident they could solve the Stags when it mattered most and Tuesday afternoon, they did that very thing behind a brilliant pitching performance from senior Kennedy Kimball and a DeRoche wild pitch, which brought home the only run of Windham's 1-0 victory.

"I knew I had to go finish it out for my teammates," Kimball said. "I just had to bear down and go at them."

The Eagles are on the brink of a state title and Saturday, they'll face Edward Little in what they hope will be the final chapter of a championship story. That contest begins at 4 p.m., at St. Joseph's College in Standish.

"I want this so much for this special group, I just love them so much," Windham coach Darcey Gardiner said. "We're not done yet."

Frustration

NYA, meanwhile, the two-time reigning Class D softball champion, appeared primed to advance to another state final Tuesday, when it overcame sloppy conditions early in its regional title game against Buckfield and led, 3-1, after two innings.

But that would be the Panthers' highwater mark, as, after a long discussion between the game administrator, umpires and coaches, the contest was shut down (despite the fact that the rain had diminished and the Greely-Fryeburg Academy baseball regional final continued on a short foul ball away). As a result, the teams had to come back Wednesday and start from scratch.

This time, NYA couldn't rise to the occasion, falling, 6-4, to the Bucks.

"We prepared for something yesterday, then we had to start all over again," lamented Panthers' coach Ricky Doyon. "It was tough, but it was out of my control. I will say that the field was worse today than yesterday. We were dialed in yesterday. Today, not as much."

Coronations await

Falmouth's boys' lacrosse team broke through and won Class A last season and the moment its victory over Cape Elizabeth ended, the Navigators were preemptively crowned 2025 champions. Falmouth hasn't disappointed thus far and is not only in line for a repeat, but is also firmly in the discussion of the finest team ever assembled in Maine. We'll have more on that verdict following Saturday's state game, presuming the Navigators can get past Thornton Academy.

The Golden Trojans went back-to-back as Class A champions in 2018 and 2019, but hadn't been back to the big stage since, until breaking through this spring. Thornton Academy is a decided underdog against Falmouth, but it has nothing to lose and it only has to harken back to the state game six years ago, when it was favored against Falmouth, but needed to go to overtime to prevail. The Navigators and Golden Trojans do battle Saturday at 12:30 p.m., at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.

In Class B, we'll be treated to another Yarmouth-York state final, one year after Colter Olson scored in overtime to give the Clippers an unforgettable 13-12 victory. The rivals split in the regular season, each winning at home. Yarmouth looks to win championships in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2008 and 2009. The showdown will be held Saturday at 3:30 p.m., at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

In Class C, NYA, thanks in part to playing a terrific regular season schedule, featuring tests against the best that all three classes had to offer, finds itself 48 minutes away from its first crown since 2019. The Panthers are coached by Peter Gerrity, one of the best around.

Gerrity, a one-time NYA standout, has gotten oh-so-close to the title during his time leading the program and he's ready to break through against Maranacook tonight at 5 p.m., at Deering High School's Memorial Field.

Perfect champion?

Freeport's girls have been the clear favorite in Class B all season, but the Falcons got pushed to the brink and then some by three-time reigning champion Greely Wednesday night in a state semifinal for the ages at Biddeford High School. Freeport threatened to pull away on multiple occasions, but the Rangers kept answering and the game would go to a second "sudden victory" overtime before Falcons' senior standout Lana DiRusso scored on a free position to win it, 11-10.

"I didn't want this to be an easy game," DiRusso said. "A lot of our games have been blowouts. This feels like more of an accomplishment. I wouldn't have wanted this game to go any other way. Winning like this shows how amazing we are as a team."

Freeport improved to 16-0 with the scintillating victory and will battle another 16-0 squad, Mt. Ararat, in the state game Saturday at 6 p.m., at Fitzy. With an abundance of standout seniors on the roster, the Falcons are bound and determined to bow out as champions.

"What I love about this is we have no idea about (Mt. Ararat), which is what a state game should be but doesn't usually happen anymore," Freeport coach Marcia Wood said. "We just have to stay focused. I have no idea what to expect, but we've got one more and we're not done."

Last but certainly not least, Windham's girls made history Wednesday, beating Falmouth, 16-8, to extend their win streak to 15 games and reach the state final for the first time in program history. The Eagles have the daunting task of getting past 16-0 Kennebunk Saturday at 10 a.m., at Fitzy, but good luck slowing this powerhouse down.

Gorham Gatorade

Gorham senior Ashley Connolly was named earlier this week as Maine's Gatorade girls' soccer Player of the Year.

Connolly scored 18 goals last fall and added six assists. Connolly produced 56 goals and 24 assists during her high school career. She'll play next season at the University of South Carolina.

A look ahead

We're down to just a matter of hours remaining in the spring sports season/school year and there's a lot still to be determined.

Look for the usual in-depth game stories from all of the state games this weekend. I'll be on-hand for all of the lacrosse contests and will produce stories off Greely baseball and Windham softball in their championship games as well.

Oh by the way, there will be another newsletter next Friday, where I'll wrap it all up, reveal final polls and let you know what you can expect during the off-season, as the games might come to a halt for the time being, but the content at Hoffer's High School will not.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffersports@yahoo.com