Cross Country

Coach: Adam Zukowski

Last year’s record: Boys – sixth at Regionals, eighth at States; Girls – 11th at Regionals

Key athletes: Ben Garcia, Austin Cross, Garrett Moran, Keegan Delany, Seth Levier, Parker Morse, Christian Ducharme, Olivia Giles, Sam Shampine, Erica Schlichting

Key meets: Regionals

Outlook: The Gentlemen Patriots look to return to States for the third consecutive year. They have a mix of veterans – including Garcia (one of Maine’s top talents), Moran, Cross and Levier – and up-and-comers, including Delany, Morse and Ducharme, who comprise the “best freshman class I’ve ever had,” says Zukowski. On the girls’ side of things, newcomers will actually lead the way. Giles, a senior, played soccer for the past three seasons, but is branching out now; Schlichting is an incoming freshman. “This has the potential to be the best girls team we’ve had in years,” says Zukowski.

Field Hockey

Coach: Christa Roddy

Last year’s record: 1-13

Key players: Skye Conley, Jenny Holmquist, Adrianna Kimball, Phoebe Stritch, Cara Waltz

Outlook: The Lady Patriots are, naturally, focused on turning their record around, and there’s reason to be optimistic. The team has plenty of experience to work with this season, returning 10 varsity players. “A lot of the girls play in the offseason, and we had big numbers during our summer season,” Roddy says. “We’ve been using the preseason to look at our inefficiencies and change up our game…We had a lot of close games last year, and it will be important for us to take those types of games to the next level.”

Football

Coach: Mark Renna

Last year’s record: 0-8

Key players: Austin Chase, Zack Haskell, Elijah Simmons, Triston Herod, Brandon LeFlemme, Brandon Ruminski, Jacob Zeslier

Key games: Mountain Valley

Outlook: “[The] season looks promising,” says Renna, who describes his squad as hardworking and his senior leadership as strong.

Golf

Coaches: Neil Carroll, Kyle Bennett

Last year’s record: 2-8

Key players: RJ Chamberlain, Cooper Chamberlain, Hunter Locke

Key matches: Poland, Lake Region, Wells, York

Outlook: “GNG could be a surprise if their momentum during preseason continues through the regular season,” Carroll says. “We’re very young, with our goal being to qualify for team states and of course to get at least three guys into the individual state tournament.”

Boys Soccer

Coach: Andy Higgins (fifth year)

Last year’s record: 8-6-2, OT loss to Yarmouth in B West semifinals

Key players: Alex Cobb (sr., B); Robert Fernandez (sr., B); Ben Rogers (sr., F); Liam Stewart (sr., F); Evan Plummer (sr., B); Bryce Hayman (jr., M); John-Henry Villanueva (jr., G);Nat Brindley (jr.); Nick McCann (fr.)

Outlook: GNG posted a successful 2014, and are looking now to take the next step. This year, they have 10 seniors, and “hope to make things hard on opposing teams with a strong defensive shell and use of overall team speed in the attack,” says Higgins. B West is a tough conference, so the Patriots have earned the respect they nowadays command. Look for them to earn even more this fall.

Girls Soccer

Coaches: Kiaran McCormack (head), Mike Foley (asst.), Dana Giggey (JV)

Last year’s record 8-7-1

Key players: Kaelyn Woods (sr.), Saray Giggey (sr.), Izzy Detroy (jr.), Emma Woods (so.)

Key games: Falmouth, Greely, Yarmouth, Cape Elizabeth, York, Freeport, Lake Region, Poland

Outlook: “The Patriots will look to return to the playoffs and continue their progress as an organized attacking side,” says McCormack. “The Patriots will defend well and play with pace on the counterattack.” The Woods sisters will prove critical on offense; Emma Woods had 11 goals in her freshman year, a very impressive performance indeed. Giggey enters her fourth year as a starter, and will provide a controlling presence in the midfield; Detroy will marshal the defense. GNG hopes to earn big points against such tough teams as Falmouth, Greely and Yarmouth – traditional B West powerhouses – but also looks forward to “keenly contested” matchups with local rivals Freeport, Poland and Lake Region.

Kaelyn Woods will play an important role for up-and-coming Gray-New Gloucester, this coming fall.Gray-New Gloucester’s Zack Haskell (left, seen here in action at Freeport last year) is a talented receiver who could put up big points for the developing Patriots this season.