GORHAM — In the not-too-distant past, boys’ soccer in the Class A SMAA was viewed as inferior to that played in the predominantly Class B Western Maine Conference.
That sentiment is outdated and could be permanently put to rest this year.
“Our league is arguably the best soccer league in the state,” Scarborough Coach Mark Diaz proclaimed. “When I got into the league in 2000 that wasn’t the case.”
Scarborough has long been the SMAA soccer leader, often sharing the mantle with Gorham.
This year both Scarborough and Gorham are loaded with returning starters and depth, but neither is a clear-cut favorite to top the league.
Thornton Academy is stocked with talent, some old and some new, after reaching the regional semifinals last fall. Deering and South Portland were regional semifinalists last year and return dynamic players.
Oh, and the defending state champion from Cheverus has nine or 10 starters back, depending on how Coach Colin Minte adds it up. The Stags proved last year that taking some regular-season lumps (four losses, four ties) in this league doesn’t have to bury a team.
As deep as the top tier appears, the next group – including Portland, Westbrook, Marshwood, Bonny Eagle and likely Sanford – is also on the rise.
“The league is going to be as talented as I have ever seen in the five years I’ve been the coach,” said Marshwood Coach Ben Deschene.
Players also have noticed.
“You see with the standings that a lot more teams are closer together,” said Gorham senior midfielder Cody Elliott. “Last year I feel like we had 10 very competitive teams in the league. We know we aren’t going to have any easy games.”
Elliott was one of the four juniors on the 2014 Maine Sunday Telegram all-state team.
The other three also are back in the SMAA: Thornton forward Simon Trcka, Gorham keeper Trenton Bassingthwaite and Cheverus midfielder Mackenzie Hoglund.
Westbrook is a prime example of a program on the rise. Winless as recently as 2012, the Blue Blazes made the playoffs last season with a 6-5-3 record, tying the eventual state champ, Cheverus, and regional semifinalist, South Portland, and losing to Scarborough 1-0 on a late goal.
Now Westbrook has greater confidence and experience, Coach Greg Cavanaugh said.
“As a guy coming from Massachusetts, I have watched Maine soccer grow,” Cavanaugh said. “We are closing the gap between the states and I think the competitiveness of the SMAA proves that. It used to be Scarborough was the only Maine team that would be difficult to beat. Not so much anymore. Not because Scarborough is getting worse; the state is getting better.”
Several factors have increased the competitiveness around the league, according to SMAA coaches.
The changing demographic at city schools Portland, Deering and South Portland has brought soccer-first athletes from diverse ethnic backgrounds into previously football-centric athletic programs.
Thornton Academy’s recent emphasis on expanding its international boarding student population has brought a similar shift, highlighted last year by the arrival of Trcka, a resident of Prague, Czech Republic, who scored 20 goals in 12 matches.
“The athletic ability has really increased and a lot of that is due to the number of immigrant kids playing,” said Gorham Coach Tim King. “That’s really driven the level of competitiveness forward and the level of soccer has really increased to the point where we’re every bit as good as the Western Maine Conference.”
Gorham and Scarborough have long had quality programs. Those two schools combined to win the state’s first nine (and 11 of the first 12) Class A boys’ soccer championships, starting in 1970.
“Years ago the SMAA was considered a football conference and that’s not the case anymore,” King said. “Now they’re just as much soccer schools as they are football schools.”
The access to club soccer programs also has contributed. Now young soccer players, given the financial resources, have the opportunity to play year-round with professional coaching no matter what school they attend.
“More people are getting involved in playing year-round, which is making it a lot more intense in game situations and everyone is pretty equal for the most part,” said Gorham junior scoring threat Jackson Fotter, who is a year-round player. “There’s a leader for every school now.”
Bonny Eagle Coach Lawrence Robertson said his junior midfielder, Ryan Moody, like Fotter a Seacoast United club player, is an incoming tide raising his teammates’ soccer level.
“He’s highly skilled and one kid a lot of the other players look up to,” Robertson said. “Our team aspires to play like him.”
Diaz, the Scarborough coach, cited another key reason for the increased buzz for the 2015 season.
“Last year some of the better players were juniors and sophomores, quite honestly,” he said. “Like Cody (Elliott) at Gorham, the Thornton kid Trcka, the Cheverus kids. The juniors were some of the most important players on those teams. They were the key situational players.”
Bassingthwaite, the Gorham goalie, thinks the upward trend will continue.
“The younger classes are getting even better and better as we go,” he said. “I feel like Maine soccer is growing as a whole. It’s more competitive, I think.”
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