Jim Seavey, most recently an assistant under University of Southern Maine women’s basketball coach Gary Fifield, was not considering a return to high school basketball coaching after past stints with Scarborough and Greely.
“I had plans to stay put at USM, but (Freeport athletic director) Craig (Sickels) and I met and I decided to do it,” said Seavey, who replaces Jen Chon in leading the Freeport High School girls basketball team after a 9-9 campaign and berth in the Western Maine Class B postseason (a 50-33 loss to Wells in preliminary play). “These girls are coachable and they compete, but do not have a lot of experience. This league, day-in and day-out, is a good league, so we have to be ready to go to battle every night.”
“She sees the floor well, and this allows others to get open and gives us an ability to play inside and outside,” said Seavey.
Another key is All-Western Maine Conference First Teamer Nina Davenport, a junior this season. Davenport was second in the conference in scoring at a 17.7 clip last season after transferring from Catherine McAuley.
Returning seniors are Leigh Wyman (G), Pennell, Jocelyn Davee (F), Hannah Chase (G) and Naomi Otis (F), while the veteran juniors are Davenport, Livvy Dimick (F/G), Ashley Richardson (G) and Vanessa Lee (C). Sophomore Lauren Cormier (G), and freshmen Kayla Belanger (G) and Jessica Wall (C) are newcomers.
Seavey plans on playing an uptempo game, especially considering he has an athletic team.
“I want us to be quick and get after other teams with pressure, leading to transition,” said Seavey. “We need to rebound the ball, something that has been inconsistent. Basketball is a physical game, so they need to learn to step and bump.”
Freeport opens on Friday at North Yarmouth Academy (5:30 p.m.), with key home dates against Cape Elizabeth (Dec. 11, home opener), Dec. 20 (York), Jan. 5 (Falmouth), Jan. 26 (Yarmouth) and Feb. 1 (Traip Academy).
Boys basketball
Last year, Matt Cook’s first leading the Falcons, Freeport finished 4- 14 and missed out on the postseason.
This year, Cook returns several starters from last season and looks for a boost from newcomers who decided to play basketball this year.
Returning seniors Connor Dietrich (F), Landon Easler (G) and Joe Cushman (F) are joined by veteran juniors Chandler Birmingham (G), Matt Schultheis (F), and sophomore Ramsey Dodge (F).
Seniors Dan Burke (G), Erick Ferreras (G) and Cole Harrison (G), junior Mark Donahue (G), sophomore Brendan Qualls (F) and freshman Jack Davenport (F) are the newcomers, with several experiencing success in other sports.
“We expect to get better every day and show up to every competition ready to compete,” said Cook, whose Falcons open at home Saturday against NYA (12:30 p.m.). “Our strengths are that we have a group of guys who have bought into the importance of defending and will play as hard as they possibly can.
“Our goal is to be a high-intensity team on both sides of the ball, focusing on defensive fundamentals as well as offensive execution.”
Cook expects the usual suspects, Falmouth, York and Yarmouth, in the WMC to be at the top again.
“We are a small team, which is a weakness, and we lack a little bit of experience,” said Cook.
Key dates for the Falcons this season include Jan. 3 (at Yarmouth), Jan. 5 (at Falmouth), Jan. 11 (H, Greely) and Jan. 26 (H, Yarmouth).
Indoor track
Coach Brian Berkemeyer is back again this season, with the hopes of improving on last year’s 12th place showing from his boys and girls at the WMC Championships.
“We look to continue to build on our successful program and return to states with some athletes earning some awards,” said the coach, whose squad opens Jan. 4 in a meet at Gorham.
Senior Ciera Wentworth returns to run the 400, 800 and one mile, while junior Harrison Stivers leads the boys in the 400 (third in State Class B last season) and 800.
Junior Lexi Dietrich (triple jump) returns, while the newcomers are senior Abrin Berkemeyer (800, one mile), and juniors Kelsey Grant (55, 200, shot put) and Darnell Strothers (shotput).
“We lost 13 seniors and a few others from last year’s team, but we will still have our largest team ever with 41 athletes,” said the coach, who boasts of 13 freshmen (seven boys, six girls) in the building program. “Our major focus is still on personal fitness. We usually send a handful of kids to the state meet and look to do that again. Stivers and Wentworth are our key contenders, while Kelsey Grant placed in outdoor track last season and should bring some more speed to the girls.”
The WMC Championships are Feb. 8 at USM, while the State Class B meet is scheduled for Feb. 18 at Bates College.
Alpine, Nordic skiing
Returning from last year’s Class C State classic team is sophomore Lizzy Martin (finished fourth), juniors Lily LaMarre (12th) and Bethanie Knighton (19th), and senior Lia Wellen (44th).
Freestylers include Martin (ninth), Knighton (18th ), junior Emma Egan (91th) and LaMarre (23rd).
The Freeport Nordic girls took third in the State Class C competition last season, and combined with the alpine squad to claim the top spot.
Boy classic returnees include junior Mason Cyr (20th) and sophomores Quin Dowling (25th) and Zach Merrill (27th), while freestyle returnees are Dowling (25th), Merrill (26th), Cyr (31st) and senior Bennett Brainard (33rd).
The Freeport Nordic boys took fifth in State Class C and combined for a second place finish with the alpine squad.
Newcomers for the boys include junior Eli McCurdy, who last year skied for Merriconeag-Waldorf School. He finished seventh in Classic and sixth in freestyle in Class C.
“We also have some strong freshmen joining the team,” said coach Doug Martin.
New assistant coach Heather Zimmerman joins Joel Hinshaw. She was the 2003 State freestyle champion from Telstar High School, and skied at the University of New Hampshire.
Key losses from last year’s team are Emily Martin (15th and 10th place) and Alex Sturtevant (17th and 28th place).
“The team should be around 30 skiers strong, with a good mix of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors,” said coach Martin. “The girls and boys teams should both do very well this year in both the Western Maine Conference and in the state meets, both with top-three finishes in states. Athletes to watch are sophomore Lizzy Martin and junior Eli McCurdy.”
The Nordic team opens Jan. 2 at Pineland Farms, while the alpiners open Jan. 7 with a giant slalom event at Shawnee Peak.
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