Football

Coach: Steve Stinson (fourth season)

Last year’s record: 3-5, failed to make playoffs

2008 season (as of Sept. 8): 0-1, lost 28-14 to Gorham

Key players: seniors Tuan Tran (RB/DB), David Hardison (QB/DB), Matt Hebert (FB/NG), Ryan Skillings (OL/LB), Andrew Gerry (OL/DL), Sebastian Lombardi (OL/DL) and Seth McCallum (RB/DB); juniors Spencer Bowring (WR/LB), Ryan Curit (RB/LB), Mike Foley (WR/DB), Colton Carr (TE/DE) and Tanner Kierstead (OL/DL); sophomore Cal Skillings (RB/LB)

Key games this season: Oct. 3 vs. Biddeford; Oct. 25 vs. Portland

Season outlook: After going from winless in 2006 to a win away from .500 in 2007, the Red Riots are looking to make the next step and secure a spot in the playoffs. The roster is up from 30 last year to 50 this season, so depth is improved. There aren’t a lot of easy wins on the schedule; the Red Riots will have their work cut out for them week in and week out.

Field hockey

Coach: Heather Seavey (third season)

Last year’s record: 0-14, failed to make playoffs

2008 season (as of Sept. 8): 0-2

Key players: junior Stephanie Thibeault (wing); sophomore Abby Flynn (center-mid)

Key games this season: Sept. 20 vs. Portland; Oct. 14 vs. Deering

Season outlook: There were some growing pains for the inexperienced Red Riots in 2007. The team is again young, but should certainly finish with at least a handful of wins.

“We would like to compete with every team this year and be a contender for playoffs,” Seavey said. “We were young last year and we are still young this year with only three seniors on the roster.”

Boys soccer

Coach: Bryan Hoy (second season)

Last year’s record: 6-6-2 in the regular season, lost in Class A West preliminary playoff round to Kennebunk, 1-0

2008 record (as of Sept. 8): 1-0

Key players: seniors Ryan Chapin (goalie), Tanner Burgdorf (sweeper) and Kevin Campbell (midfielder); juniors Adam Burpee (midfielder) and Brian Arsenault (striker)

Key games this season: Sept. 18 at Westbrook, Oct. 14 vs. Scarborough

Season outlook: The Red Riots graduated six starters from last year’s squad, so there will be some new faces in the lineup. Gone are primary goal scorer Nick Link and top defender Bryce McOsker. “Finding players to step into those roles will be difficult, but I’m confident we have the players to do so,” Hoy said.

Chapin received All-SMAA honorable mention last year, so the Red Riots have confidence in their netminder. The league is highly competitive, but South Portland should be right in the mix. “My expectation for this season is that we are competitive each time we take the field, and we return to the playoffs,” Hoy said. “Our team goal has been to not only make the playoffs, but to host a first round playoff game.”

Girls soccer

Coach: Andy Pappas (third season)

Last year’s record: 5-8-1 in the regular season, lost in Class A West preliminary playoff round

2008 record (as of Sept. 8): 1-1

Key players: senior Cassie Lyons (defense); juniors Karleigh Bradbury (midfielder) and Danielle McCusker (forward)

Key games this season: Sept. 13 vs. Gorham; Oct. 14 at Scarborough

Season outlook: With the return of McCusker, last year’s leading goal scorer, along with defensive anchor Lyons, the Red Riots have some experience. Pappas knows the team will have to earn its wins in the tough SMAA, but believes the girls can improve on last year’s finish. A winning record and a trip deep into the playoffs is the goal for the team, according to Pappas.

Cross country

Coaches: Andrew Lupien (boys, second season); Karen Reardon (girls, sixth season)

Last year’s results: girls finished ninth and boys finished 11th at regional meet, neither team qualified for the Class A state meet

Key runners: boys – juniors Jon Clement, Brian McHugh and Jon Medici, sophomores Sam Redstone and Tom Redstone, freshman Thomas Salamone; girls – senior Kirsten Bakke, juniors Tanya Wilkes and Bobielynn Fisher, sophomores Annalise Donahue and Maria Letorneau

Key meets this season: Oct. 1 at Scarborough with Sanford; Oct. 17 at McAuley with Deering and Portland

Season outlook: The boys placed seventh out of 10 teams and the girls finished 10th out of 13 at the preseason SMAA Relays on Sept. 4. Clement, last year’s No. 2 runner for the boys, had the 13th best individual time at the relays.

The boys team is very young, with three juniors, two sophomores and a freshman expected to lead the way. “We have a very young and inexperienced team, which can be a little unnerving but also very exciting,” Lupien said. “As a coach, I don’t know who is going to finish in our top five. There are athletes on the team who could improve three or four minutes over the course of the season.”

The girls, too, are young. They’ll be led by Donahue, who qualified individually for the state meet last year as a freshman and placed 17th there.

For both teams, whether or not they reach the state meet will be determined by how much the runners can improve during the season.

Golf

Coach: Ernie Lamson (26th season)

Last year’s record: 0-10, missed postseason

2008 record (as of Sept. 8): 0-3

Key players: juniors Aidan Boyce, Anthony Canarie and Jordan Drown; sophomore Matt McCutcheon

Key matches this season: Sept. 16 vs. Scarborough; Sept. 29 vs. Cheverus

Season outlook: The wins have been hard to come by for the Red Riots the last few seasons and early this year, but Lamson is seeing improvement. “We’re better than we have been,” the longtime coach said. “It’s going to be a work in progress.”

While it might be a lofty goal, Lamson hopes to see the team qualify for the state meet. If not this year, it is a real possibility for next year.

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