All six state championship cross country races finished before Saturday’s storm hit Twin Brook Recreation Area in Cumberland, including the final race in a Kennebunk High uniform for Abbey Leonardi, who said she would pass for the third straight year on the New England championships in North Scituate, R.I.
Leonardi will make a final college visit this weekend — she has declined to say which schools interest her — and stay in Maine the following weekend instead of attempting to reclaim the New England title she won as a freshman.
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“I think with the (long) season and training and going on college visits, I haven’t really had a weekend home,” she said. “I’ve got to catch up on schoolwork and it will be nice to have a relaxed weekend.”
Leonardi will race again Nov. 26 at the Footlocker Northeast Regional on Long Island, N.Y. A top-10 finish would send her to the nationals in San Diego on Dec. 10 for a third straight year.
Louie Luchini of Ellsworth, Ben True of Greely and Sintayehu Taye of Portland are the only other Maine runners to reach the nationals twice.
“I’ll get the last few really tough or good workouts that I can get in,” Leonardi said, “then just start resting for the next few meets.”
THE OVERCAST SKIES Saturday didn’t prevent Class B champion Silas Eastman of Fryeburg Academy from wearing his signature sunglasses.
“The lenses aren’t that dark, so you can still see through them,” Eastman said. “I decided not to break tradition. Besides, they keep the cold air out of your eyes, so your eyes don’t water.”
SCARBOROUGH SENIOR Nick Morris, who nipped Messalonskee’s Harlow Ladd by two hundredths of a second to win the Class A cross country title, also came from behind with his finishing kick last year against Mt. Ararat’s Andy Reifman-Packett.
That history was not lost on Ladd, who realized his predicament in the last stages of the 3.1-mile race.
“Closing to that final hill,” Ladd said, “I just followed his race. I thought, ‘I’m in extreme trouble now because he has me right where he wants me. He’s saving his energy for a kick and Nick Morris is the best kicker in the state.”‘
Morris, whose finish-line lean proved the difference, said he much prefers being the hunter than the hunted.
“Because the other guy, he doesn’t know where you are,” Morris said. “You can see how much you’re gaining on him, so I think you have a little bit more of an advantage.”
ONE OF THE most unusual football plays this season happened Saturday at Thornton Academy.
The Golden Trojans had just scored to take a 6-2 lead on Windham and were lined up to kick the point after. With Brandon Briggs, Thornton has one of the most reliable kickers in Western Class A.
But Briggs didn’t get a chance to kick the extra point, because the ball was snapped way over his head. Alertly, Briggs hustled back to pick up the ball, which was several yards behind him. He managed to scoop it up just as the defenders closed in. Instead of falling on the ball, Briggs improvised. He turned and threw a high pass toward the end zone, which halfback John Remmes caught for the 2-point conversion.
“Just like we drew up on the chalkboard,” Thornton Coach Kevin Kezal said with a smirk. “The kids are taught that if there’s a bad snap on the point after or if something else happens, to head to the end zone and try to make something happen.”
YORK HIGH’S FOOTBALL team was eliminated from the Western Class B playoffs in a 42-7 quarterfinal loss to rival Wells on Friday night. But Coach Randy Small still considered the Wildcats season a success.
York (3-6) had only four seniors on its roster and received outstanding performances from several underclassmen.
“I am so proud of my team,” he said. “We weren’t supposed to be here. Just a bunch of babies.”
He nodded over to Wells Coach Tim Roche and said, “This is Rochie’s year. And I told him I hope he wins it all. Great coach. Great program. Great fans.”
WHEN JON GALLANT played football for Massabesic High and then the University of Maine, one word could describe his play: passion.
So when Gallant’s Deering High team trailed Bonny Eagle 21-7 at halftime Saturday in the Western Class A quarterfinals, only two weeks after losing 41-7 to the Scots, the head coach was not pleased.
“It was our mental approach,” Gallant said. “We got away from playing Deering Ram football. That’s playing football with passion, for 48 minutes.
“There were a lot of unhappy guys at halftime, and I was one of them. I’m so proud and so impressed with how they responded in the second half.”
Deering beat the Scots 35-28 in overtime to reach this Saturday’s regional semifinals against Cheverus.
Deering’s defense, which allowed 198 rushing yards in the first half, held Bonny Eagle to 43 second-half yards on the ground.
On offense, the Rams rushed for only 98 yards, but 33 of those came on a counter play that Trey Thomes ran in for a touchdown, which began the comeback.
WHEN GREELY VOLLEYBALL players collected their state championship medals Saturday, they got an embrace from head coach Kelvin Hasch, and then the players bent over to hug Bruce Churchill in his wheelchair.
Churchill continues his role as Greely’s assistant coach while battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, since 2007.
“We dedicated our season to Bruce Churchill,” said senior co-captain Maggie Bradley. “Not only did we want it for ourselves, we really wanted it for Church.”
FOR A STATE FINAL between the state’s two best volleyball teams — Greely and Scarborough — there were a lot of calls for lifts and double-hits. The tight officiating had players on both teams turning to the official, and then to their coaches in frustration.
“My setter got called for a lot that she wasn’t called for the whole year,” Scarborough Coach Jon Roberts said. “She is one of the best setters in the state and, all of a sudden, we were playing by different rules but no excuses (the Rangers) were the better team tonight.”
PORTLAND HIGH’S field hockey team lost to Marshwood 4-1 in the Western Class A championship game last Tuesday, but the Bulldogs, in their first regional final, felt no disappointment. Afterward, they took a photo in the goal, something that normally only championship teams do.
“At first I was just happy we made the playoffs,” said senior forward Raechel Allen, who suffered through some lean years early in her high school career. “The fact that we’ve come this far and we’re a family we still want to do team dinners.
“We’ve improved so much, it’s great.”
— Staff Writers Tom Chard, Glenn Jordan, Mike Lowe and Kevin Thomas contributed to this report.
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