By packing five runners among the top 30 of 221 competitors in the small school division of the 37th annual Manchester (N.H.) Invitational Cross Country Classic, Greely wound up winning its fourth meet title Saturday at Derryfield Park.

“A good strong performance, setting us up for later season meets,” said Greely coach David Dowling. “You get a big-race competition, so instead of two or three kids, my top five are running with 25 kids. It’s a nice atmosphere, with music blaring before the start of every race. It’s a good road trip with a lot of tradition to it.”

Indeed, Greely graduate Ben True still holds the course record of 15 minutes, 17 seconds, set in 2003.

Junior Nate Madeira led the way for Greely with a fourth-place finish in 17:00. Seniors Stefan Sandreuter (eighth), Isaac Emery (22nd), Nestor Taylor (26th) and James Currie (29th) also contributed to Greely’s 88-112 victory over runner-up Bow, N.H., and 30 other schools from New England and New York.

Freeport, with Taylor Saucier finishing 11th, placed sixth overall and North Yarmouth Academy, led by Cam Regan’s fourth, placed ninth as a team.

Greely’s girls, who have twice been crowned champion, placed fifth among 24 schools.

“We were pleased with them because we have a lot of younger runners,” Dowling said.

Sophomore Kirstin Sandreuter was third, freshman Eva Bates 12th and senior Allie Day 25th among 179 runners. Freeport was 12th.

In the large-school (more than 750 students) division, Massabesic’s girls placed 11th of 30 teams and Massabesic’s boys placed 24th of 31.

FOR THE PAST two years, Kennebunk senior Abbey Leonardi’s cross country season has extended all the way to December and San Diego for the Foot Locker nationals, so it’s understandable she might want to ease into her senior season.

After sitting out one race and missing another because of a college visit, Leonardi raced Wednesday for the first time since the pre-season SMAA Relays. In a four-school meet that included two of the top three teams in the girls’ coaches poll — Cheverus and Massabesic — Leonardi set a course record of 18 minutes, 25 seconds.

This Saturday at the Festival of Champions in Belfast, she’ll have her sights set on Cassie Hintz’s seven-year-old course record of 17:48.

SOPHOMORE LINEMAN Isaiah Reynolds of Bonny Eagle was injured late in Friday’s football game with Scarborough. After being tended to for 30 minutes, Reynolds was transported to the hospital for tests. Scots Coach Kevin Cooper said on Sunday that Reynolds suffered a concussion and will be out indefinitely. Reynolds was also Bonny Eagle’s placekicker.

BONNY EAGLE led by two touchdowns and had the ball with two minutes to play against Scarborough last Friday, but no one on the Scots sideline looked relaxed. Finally, when Cam Cooper ran 12 yards on an end-around for a first down did the boys in green and white whoop it up.

It had been a struggling start for the Scots, going 0-3 against Thornton Academy, Massabesic and Cheverus (three teams with a combined 10-2 record), before a 34-20 win over Scarborough.

“They played three real quality opponents and then came in here and played real well,” Red Storm Coach Lance Johnson said.

The Scots got halfback Nick Adkins back from an ankle injury. When he picks up the tough yards inside (60 yards on 13 carries), it allows quarterback Tyson Goodale (210 yards on 20 carries) and flanker Matt Burnell (69 yards, eight carries) to break free.

Bonny Eagle Coach Kevin Cooper said his offensive line of Andy Martel, Tyler Campobasso, Jake Faulkner, Jordan Adams, Curtis LaBelle and Shawn Duane “came off the ball and opened holes,” although the coach stressed that there was still work to be done.

AFTER THE SCOTS’ win, one assistant coach quipped, “Don’t let us win one, just don’t let us win one,” repeating the line that Kevin Millar used when the Boston Red Sox started the 2004 American League Championship Series with three losses. That team fared pretty well.

The Scots play at winless Biddeford this Friday.

SCARBOROUGH HAD to face the Scots without its top offensive weapon, tailback Scott Thibeault, who is sidelined for at least four weeks with a back injury.

“Scott’s been a big part of what we did the first three games. It was tough not having him,” Scarborough Coach Lance Johnson said. “The next guy has to step in and Matt Brown did very well.”

Brown took the handoffs from the tailback spot and picked up 75 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.

The Red Storm also took to the air with quarterback Dillon Russo throwing for 211 yards. Receiver Conor McCann caught six passes for 166 yards and a touchdown.

THE PORTLAND football team has a 2-2 record after Friday night’s loss to Deering. The Bulldogs are young, particularly at the skill positions. In four games, they’ve shown progress and that should continue as they gain more experience.

Ryan Ruhlin is a freshman quarterback for Portland. That’s a tough assignment — to be a starting quarterback as a ninth-grader.

Ruhlin is playing against kids two and three years older, but there’s no doubt he has potential. Ruhlin has a strong arm and, in a year or two, could be one of the top quarterbacks in the SMAA.

That’s what Coach Mike Bailey is hoping. When the Bulldogs’ offense needs a change of pace, Bailey puts in Jayvon Pitts-Young to run the Wildcat offense. Pitts-Young, a sophomore, had some good gains against Deering.

Besides Ruhlin and Pitts-Young, the other young standouts include freshman Jordon Floridino and sophomore Justin Zukowski, both running backs. The team’s top running back, Nick Volger, is a junior.

Portland appears to be a team which could be a contender next season or the season after.

DEERING GOLFER Joe Walp is off to a great start this season. Walp has been below par for nine holes in most of his matches. He opened the season with a 32 on the front nine at the Portland Country Club in a match against Cheverus. Walp shot 32 on the front nine at Riverside GC, Deering’s home course, in a another match. He followed that with a 34 in another outing.

Walp is looking to get the Rams into the state team championship and make a run at the state Class A individual title in October.

— Staff Writers Glenn Jordan, Kevin Thomas and Tom Chard contributed to this report.

 

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