Cross Country

Coach: Brian Berkemeyer (head, eighth year), Matt Greear (asst., first year)

Last year’s record: Boys – Fourth at Regionals, fourth at States; Girls – First at Regionals, Second at States, advanced to New Englands

Key athletes: Tyler Frey (sr.), Matt Francis (sr.), Chandler Vincent (jr.), Eric Brobst (jr.), Liam Gallagher (jr.), Chloe Hight (jr.), Hannah Schnyder (jr.), Ella Russell (jr.), Lucy Zachau (jr.), Henry Jaques (so.)

Outlook: Berkemeyer sees potential in his boys lineup, but also feels nothing is certain. “We could possibly put it together this year to improve on our fourth-place finishes from last year. It’s nice having a frontrunner in Vincent, but the rest of the pack will have to pick up the pace if they want to contend,” he says. The Freeport boys’ toughest competition will come from York and Gray-New Gloucester, although Cape Elizabeth and Ellsworth are likely to threaten as well. Berkemeyer’s girls squad, despite losing nine seniors in June, still looks to figure in the States mix. “This year’s junior girls have proven themselves,” he says. To capture a crown, though, they’ll have to get past a top-of-their-game MDI, favorites to repeat. Similarly, Greely, Yarmouth and Cape will also contend.

Field Hockey

Coach: Marcia Wood

Last year’s record: 6-10

Key players: Abby Smith (sr.), Hannah Williams (sr.), Dani Foster (sr.), Lexi Peacock (jr.), Morgan Karnes (jr.)

Key games: Cape, Lake Region, Greely, Kennebunk

Outlook: Wood is optimistic about the forthcoming months. “The girls have worked hard in the off-season with camps and indoor sessions. They’re more confident going into the season, after getting to know me last year,” she says. “We stayed in a lot of games last year, even if some of the scores didn’t reflect it. Those games need to be different this year.” The Lady Falcons need to finish games stronger if they want to change last year’s defeats into this year’s victories. Karnes in the cage “has been looking great,” and Peacock, Chloe Whittaker and Bailey Karnes will protect her. Williams, Foster and Taylor Schenker occupy the front lines. A handful of green players “just need some game experience,” Wood says. “Hopefully toward the end of the season we’ll peak.”

Football

Coach: Rob Grover (seventh year)

Last year’s record: 4-4, fell to Spruce Mountain in the first round of the playoffs

Key players: Pete LaMagna (sr., QB/LB); Jacob Farmer (sr., G/LB); Tyler Julian (sr., WR/LB); Eli Fox (jr., WR/CB); Bryan Lee (jr., RB/LB); Brady LaFrance (jr., SB/S)

Key games: Gray-New Gloucester, Lake Region, Mountain Valley, Yarmouth

Outlook: Grover is focused on returning to the postseason. “We need at least four of these games to make the playoffs,” he says. The Falcons hovered at .500 in 2013, taking some of their wins by large margins, but also dropping some of their losses by large margins. They’ll look to inch forward in the standings, but face stiff competition from their division’s top-tier teams, who generally play at a very high level.

Golf

Coach: Peter Tilton

Key players: Wynne Cushing, Jeramiah Theberge-Frick, Zach Merrill, Alexis Erlandson, Molly Kennedy, RJ Niles, Scot Donahue, Lily Smith

Outlook: Tilton returns to the coaching fold after about six years away, so he’ll need to get acclimated, as will his players. “We’ll work hard to improve as the season progresses,” he says.

Boys Soccer

Coach: Joe Heathco

Last year’s record: Fell in the quarterfinals to Fryeburg, 0-1 in double OT

Key players: Caleb Abbott (sr., M); Blake Enrico (sr., D); Brendan Qualls (sr., G); Callum Gould (sr., M)

Key games: Gray-New Gloucester, Fryeburg, NYA

Outlook: Heathco hopes simply to consistently compete and improve, and to “make a good playoff run.” His squad posted a solid preseason, which he praises; he also acknowledges, however, that they “have a lot of work to do.” A well-rounded group of seniors will lead the charge, in games and practices alike.

Girls Soccer coach Elayna Girardin couldn’t be reached.

SCHEDULES

Cross Country

Sept. 5 @ NYA (Yarmouth) 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 12 @ Cape Elizabeth (Falmouth, Sacopee Valley) 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 19 Merriconeag, Poland, York 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 27 Manchester Invitational TBA

Oct. 3 @ Poland (Sacopee Valley) 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 10 Fryeburg, Greely, NYA 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 17 WMCs (@ St. Joseph’s) 3 p.m.

Oct. 25 Regionals TBA

Nov. 1 States (@ Belfast) TBA

Field Hockey

Sept. 3 @ York 4 p.m.

Sept. 5 Kennebunk 4 p.m.

Sept. 11 @ Gray-New Gloucester 4 p.m.

Sept. 13 @ Old Orchard Beach 11 a.m.

Sept. 15 Poland 4 p.m.

Sept. 17 Cape Elizabeth 4 p.m.

Sept. 19 Falmouth 4 p.m.

Sept. 23 @ Lake Region 4 p.m.

Sept. 25 @ Poland 4 p.m.

Sept. 29 Gray-New Gloucester 4 p.m.

Oct. 1 @ Kennebunk 4 p.m.

Oct. 7 Fryeburg 4 p.m.

Oct. 9 @ Greely 4 p.m.

Oct. 15 Yarmouth 3:30 p.m.

Football

Sept. 5 @ Spruce Mountain 7 p.m.

Sept. 13 Gray-New Gloucester 1 p.m.

Sept. 19 @ Poland 7 p.m.

Sept. 27 Wells 1:30 p.m.

Oct. 4 @ Cape Elizabeth 7 p.m.

Oct. 10 @ Lake Region 7 p.m.

Oct. 18 Mountain Valley 2:30 p.m.

Oct. 25 Yarmouth 1:30 p.m.

Golf

Sept. 9 Cape Elizabeth 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 11 @ Old Orchard Beach 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 12 Waynflete 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 15 Wells 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 17 NYA 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 18 @ Wells 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 23 York 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 24 @ Cape Elizabeth 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 26 Yarmouth 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 30 @ NYA 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 1 @ York 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 6 State Qualifiers TBA

Boys Soccer

Sept. 5 Cape Elizabeth 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 9 Sacopee Valley 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 13 @ Wells 11 a.m.

Sept. 16 @ Yarmouth 6 p.m.

Sept. 18 @ Gray-New Gloucester 6 p.m.

Sept. 23 Fryeburg 4 p.m.

Sept. 26 Greely 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 30 @ Lake Region 6 p.m.

Oct. 3 NYA 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 8 @ Poland 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 10 @ Traip 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 14 @ Falmouth 7 p.m.

Oct. 18 Poland 12:45 p.m.

Oct. 21 Waynflete 3:30 p.m.

Girls Soccer

Sept. 5 @ Cape Elizabeth 7 p.m.

Sept. 9 @ Sacopee Valley 6 p.m.

Sept. 11 @ Wells 6 p.m.

Sept. 16 Yarmouth 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 18 Gray-New Gloucester 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 23 @ Fryeburg 4 p.m.

Sept. 27 @ Greely 11 a.m.

Sept. 30 Lake Region 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 2 @ NYA 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 7 Wells 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 10 Traip 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 14 Falmouth 3:30 p.m.

Oct. 18 Poland 11 a.m.

Oct. 20 @ Waynflete 3:30 p.m.

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