The Class A boys’ track and field state meet has been close for most of the past 10 years. But this time coaches say one team appears a runaway favorite.

“Cheverus is the best team in the state. They enter the state meet with the No. 1 seed in seven individual events,” said Scarborough Coach Derek Veilleux, whose team won the title last year. “They have tremendous athletes and it looks like this is the year they will be back on top. The rest of Class A is competing for the runner-up trophy.”

All of the state meets will be held Saturday. Class A boys and girls will compete at Windham, Class B at Brewer High and Class C at Foxcroft Academy.

Different teams have won the Class A boys’ title the past four years. Cheverus was the runner-up the past two.

“It would take a major disaster for Cheverus not to win,” said Brunswick Coach Dave DeLois.

The Class A girls’ meet could be a repeat of the indoor meet won by Thornton Academy by 13 points over Bangor. Thornton also is coming off a victory at the SMAA championships last weekend.

In Class B, the Waterville boys won last year and the Waterville girls have a seven-year title streak.

“Waterville is stacked in most events on the boys’ and girls’ side,” said York Coach Ted Hutch. “Both are expected to score over 100 points. They are well-rounded and have top-notch athletes who can score 20 to 30 points. They traditionally score more points than they are seeded for. This should be a Waterville sweep.”

The Class B individual spotlight likely will fall on Lake Region junior Kate Hall, who finished the indoor season second in the nation in the long jump. She’ll be in four events – the triple jump, long jump, and 100 and 200 meters.

At the Western Maine Conference meet, Hall set a league record in the triple jump – her newest event – and broke a 29-year-old school record with a triple jump of 36 feet, 6.25 inches.

In Class C the Lisbon and Orono boys, and Orono girls, appear to be favorites, although the Traip Academy and Sacopee Valley girls could challenge. Defending boys’ champ Foxcroft Academy could also do well.

Traip was the runner-up the past two years.

“Traip and Sacopee Valley cleaned up at the league meet. They should contest for it,” said Freeport Coach Matt Greear, whose girls finished fifth last year.

BASEBALL

FRESHMEN PITCHERS Cam Guarino and Reece Armitage have combined for eight of Falmouth’s 14 victories, providing plenty of confidence for the second-ranked Yachtsmen as they head into the Western Class A tournament.

Though both have been successful, they bring different styles to the mound.

“If I were to categorize them, I would say Reece is a power pitcher and Cam is a finesse pitcher,” said Coach Kevin Winship.

“Both have earned-run averages under 1.00. They’ve been great for us. Pitching coach Craig Pendleton has done a wonderful job working with them.”

Both pitched for Falmouth Middle School last year and in Junior Legion last summer.

Guarino has a team-best 5-0 record, allowing one earned run in 282/3 innings. Two of the victories were in relief.

Guarino throws a fastball, curve and change-up, and has command of all of them.

“He keeps the hitters off balance,” said Winship.

Guarino’s most impressive outing was a two-hitter in a 4-0 win over Greely in the first game of a May 23 doubleheader at the Ballpark in Old Orchard Beach. Falmouth won the second game to sweep.

One of the youngest high school baseball players in the state, Guarino won’t turn 15 until late October.

“Cam throws strikes and doesn’t walk a lot of batters. He pitches to contact and has a good defense behind him,” said Winship.

Armitage sports a 3-1 record with 27 strikeouts in 221/3 innings.

Addison Foltmer, a senior left-hander, is the leader of the pitching staff because of his experience and the fact he’s pitched well. He’ll likely get the ball when Falmouth opens play in the regional quarterfinals next Thursday.

Guarino and Armitage are next in line should the Yachtsmen advance to the semifinals.

With those two, Falmouth pitching should be in good hands over the next three seasons.

SOFTBALL

ENTERING THE season, Cape Elizabeth softball coach Joe Henrikson knew he had a slugging star in junior shortstop Ashley Tinsman.

Tinsman hasn’t disappointed, batting over .490 with two home runs and 20 RBI.

Bringing even more power this year has been sophomore catcher Tess Haller, who is hitting above .400 with five home runs and 26 RBI in the Capers’ 16-0 regular-season run through the Western Maine Conference.

“When (Haller) is disciplined at the plate she’s as good as anybody,” Henrikson said.

SCARBOROUGH SENIOR pitcher/first baseman Alyssa Williamson doesn’t struggle often. But in a recent game against Biddeford, she labored in the seventh inning, “walked a bunch of people,” said her coach, gave up a 6-1 lead and had to be pulled as Biddeford was scoring eight runs to take a 9-6 lead.

Coach Tom Griffin said many players would have been angry after an inning like that.

“Instead she was the first one to really come in and rally the troops. She encouraged another young lady who had made a mistake and was upset,” Griffin said. “Her leadership and her poise showed through.”

Scarborough scored four runs in the bottom of the inning for a 10-9 victory.

FOR THE Yarmouth softball team, last Friday and Saturday turned into “a crazy 24 hours for us,” Coach Amy McMullin said.

Crazy and productive.

Rallying for six runs in the seventh to beat Class A Falmouth 8-7 on Friday bumped the Clippers from eighth to sixth in the Heal points.

The next day another six-run seventh produced an 11-9 win over Sacopee Valley – the Clippers’ third seventh-inning comeback.

Yarmouth finished a 10-6 regular season Monday with a 12-0 five-inning win over Kennebunk. The third win against a Class A team this year helped Yarmouth climb to No. 4 in Western Class B and a bye to the quarterfinals.

“This has been a huge season for us,” McMullin said. “Last year we made the playoffs but were only the 12th seed. The wins we’ve had this year far exceeded what we did last year.”

Leadoff hitter and senior shortstop Monica Austin helped set an offense with run producers in Melissa Levinson, Cat Thompson, Michelle Robichaud, Abby Nielson and, of late, sophomore Eleanor O’Gorman, who had six RBI against Kennebunk.

Thompson also looms as pitching support for the regular starter, Mari Cooper.

Thompson one-hit Kennebunk in her first appearance since an early-season game against Cape Elizabeth.

– Staff Writers Steve Craig and Tom Chard contributed to this report