The Class A state team golf championship Saturday at Natanis was one of the closest competitions in that division in years.

A total of seven strokes separated the top three teams. Gorham won with a score of 309 (four best individual scores count), Greely was next with 314, and Cheverus finished third at 316.

All three teams are from the Southwestern Maine Activities Association. No surprise there. The SMAA is arguably the most competitive league in the state. Notably absent from this year’s state tournament was Thornton Academy. The Golden Trojans, a state title contender in most years, failed to qualify at the SMAA qualifying tournament, held at Natanis.

Having the league’s qualifying tournament at Natanis, which is in Vassalboro, doesn’t make sense from a geographical standpoint, but it makes sense from a competition standpoint. It gives SMAA golfers a practice round on the course before the tournament.

Natanis has been hosting both the state team and individual championships for years. The course is centrally located, making it easier for a majority of teams, with the exception of those in Aroostook County, to travel to the tournament. And with two 18-hole courses, it can accommodate a large field.

On Saturday, individual boys’ champions will be crowned in classes A, B and C, and an overall schoolgirl champion also will be decided.

The players dealt with windy conditions for the team championships, but at least the sun was out. For the most part, state tournaments (team and individuals) in recent years have been fortunate with weather, but two years ago the individual tournament was played in cold, wet and windy conditions.

CAPE ELIZABETH dresses about 25 football players for each game, and you figure the Capers would wear down as the game goes on. But the Cape defense seemed to get stronger Friday night in a 20-0 loss to Marshwood.

After giving up a lot of yards and 20 points through 2½ quarters, the Capers stopped Marshwood the rest of the way.

“We have very low numbers this year, but we’re in very good shape,” Cape Elizabeth Coach Aaron Filieo said. “That’s been a focus of ours because we knew these guys would be playing a lot.

“Just Xs and Os, just executing plays is where we’re failing ourselves.”

Before the game, fans were asked to keep the Pappas family in their thoughts and prayers. Troy Pappas, a former Marshwood standout who moved on to Bates College this year as a freshman, died Friday as the result of injuries suffered when he fell down a stairwell.

IT WAS A GREAT atmosphere Friday night at Kittery’s Memorial Field for Traip Academy’s Homecoming game against Dirigo.

The football boosters rented 10 portable light towers so the Rangers could have a night game. That helped boost the crowd to about 1,500 — or, according to Athletic Director Mike Roberge “about three times what we normally get.”

Traip’s boosters are hoping to eventually get the town of Kittery to install permanent lights at the field, where the Rangers play football and field hockey games. Crowds like that will only help.

Both teams went at each other hard and obviously had great respect for each other, based on postgame comments. Both teams, now 5-1, were complimentary of the other.

And while Dirigo beat Traip 12-6, Rangers Coach Ron Ross felt the outcome will only help his team.

The Cougars hung on when linebacker Tyler Frost stole the ball from a Traip running back at the Dirigo 11 with just over a minute to play.

“Great football play,” said Ross. “That’s about all I can say about that.

“Well-coached team. I don’t know how they’re not undefeated, playing that hard.”

Penalties really hurt the Rangers, who were penalized 10 times for 84 yards.

“I’ve been telling them for six weeks now that we had to control our penalties or we wouldn’t beat anyone good,” said Ross. “You know, they almost didn’t believe those penalties would cost them a game. It’s a good time for (the loss) to happen.

“We’ve got two more weeks of the regular season, so I’m glad it happened tonight, I’m glad it happened at home, I’m glad it happened in front of their friends and families.

“You just can’t make those crazy mistakes in any game, let alone in a game for first place.”

YARMOUTH’S VOLLEYBALL team lost two of its last three matches, in five sets to Falmouth and in three to Greely.

Both those teams should make the Class A playoffs. So Yarmouth Coach Jim Senecal, whose team is the defending Class B state champion, wasn’t entirely disappointed.

“These will get us prepared for the Class B tournament,” he said. “We don’t see a lot of the Class B teams in the regular season, so this was good for us. There are a lot of good teams in Class B.”

— Staff Writers Tom Chard, Kevin Thomas and Mike Lowe contributed to this report.

Copy the Story Link