FALMOUTH – If Charlie Fay ever felt any pressure being the son of a lacrosse legend, it never showed.
Instead he blazed a trail of his own while helping basketball, lacrosse and soccer teams win state championships at Falmouth High.
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“He’s just a gifted athlete and he’s got that inner desire to excel,” said David Halligan, who coached Fay in soccer and basketball. “Everybody thinks he’s kind of laid-back but once the game starts, it’s all business with him.”
“I’ve always had a huge competitive vibe running through me,” Fay said. “Whatever I do, I like to try and win. All of my friends have noticed it, whether it be an argument or playing an X-Box game. Whatever it is I like to win.”
This spring, Fay, a two-time All-American, led the state in scoring with 55 goals to become the Maine Sundey Telegram/Portland Press Herald’s outstanding player for boys’ lacrosse.
He also led the Yachtsmen to within a goal of playing for a third consecutive state title. Cape Elizabeth beat Falmouth 9-8 in the Western Class B final on the way to winning its first state title in four seasons.
“It was a good season,” Fay said. “That last game was a very good game and I would have liked it to have gone our way, but it didn’t. We’re not happy with the result but (we’re) happy with the way we play.”
Fay is the son of John Fay, an All-American lacrosse player at the University of New Hampshire who played for the U.S. national team in 1982.
“He’s a great influence,” Fay said of his father. “He’s always there to help me out after games. If I want to practice with him individually, there’s no one better at it. He just knows how to make a player better.”
This past season, Fay, who is 6-foot-5, made a successful transition from attack to midfield, which enabled him to play on both sides of the midfield stripe at times.
“It was evident that he had worked a ton on his game from last year to this year,” Falmouth Coach Mike LeBel said. “He has a lot of resources there with his father. His dad still plays and (Charlie’s) always playing with better talent during the offseason.”
Fay also made dramatic strides in basketball during his last two years of high school.
“He was your typical big guy,” Halligan said. “In his freshman and sophomore years, he was athletic but he was just growing into his size. All of a sudden things just changed in his junior and senior year.”
Next fall, Fay will go to Bates College in Lewiston. He intends to play both basketball and lacrosse at the Division III school.
“I thought I would like to play lacrosse at the Division I level but I decided I didn’t want to burn out on just one sport,” he said. “I’d rather play basketball and lacrosse, and enjoy them both.”
Apparently, Fay has made a good move.
“I think his best years are ahead of him,” Halligan said. “He’s just coming into his own. I don’t think he realized how good he was in basketball and the different sports. He could be successful in any sport he played.”
Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at:
pbetit@pressherald.com
Twitter: PaulBetitPPH
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