(Ed. Note: At press time, all-state teams for soccer and volleyball weren’t available. Those will be shared at a later date)
A season of triumph on the gridiron, pitch, fields, trails, courts and courses of southern Maine resulted in many all-star mentions for local standouts.
Here’s a glimpse:
Football
The Class A North football All-Conference team featured many standouts from Cheverus and Portland.
On offense, Cheverus wide receiver Kenny Drelich and lineman Frank Curran and Portland running backs Joe Esposito and George Chaison-Lapine, linemen Charlie Kovarik and Dan Marzilli and kicker John Williams were honored.
On defense, Cheverus linebacker Justin Johnston and defensive back Isaac Dunn, along with Portland lineman Ethan Hoyt, end Joe Fusco, linebacker Nick Archambault and backs Dylan Bolduc and Jake Knop were selected.
Portland’s Esposito was named Class A North Player of the Year.
Cheverus’ Curran was selected Class A North Lineman of the Year.
Portland’s Jim Hartman was named Class A North Coach of the Year.
Cheverus’ Mike Vance was chosen Class A North Assistant Coach of the Year.
Cheverus’ Drelich, Dan Baker, Kyle Dill, Drek Dumond, Jack Fulton, Owen Gorman, Andrew Jalbert and Joe Perrault and Portland’s Chaison-Lapine, Esposito, Kovarik and Jake Hunnewell all qualified for the All-Academic team.
In Class A South, Deering utilityman Dom Bernard made the first-team offense.
Deering lineman Mike Darling and wide receiver Sambath Sao were named to the second-team offense.
Defensively, Deering’s Raffaele Salamone (tackle), Ben Williams (back) and Sao (punter) made the first-team.
Pat Viola made the second-team as a back.
Boys’ soccer
Waynflete’s boys’ soccer team fell one goal shy of a Class C championship this autumn, but placed several players on the Western Maine Conference all-star team.
Goalkeeper Milo Belleau, back Willy Burdick, forward Aaron Lee and midfielder Ahmed Mohamed were all honored.
Waynflete’s Christian Kabongo qualified for the WMC All-Academic team.
In the SMAA, the first-team included Cheverus midfielder Mackenzie Hoglund, back Andrei Vile and goalkeeper Jake Tomkinson, Deering midfielder Jonathan Bujambi and Portland back Erick Molina.
Cheverus forward Brady Levesque, Deering backs Christian Castaneda and Paolo DeMarco and Portland midfielders Wade Faria and Josh Irving, back Tim Baker and goalkeeper Bobby Brittingham all made the second-team.
Cheverus’ Hoglund was named SMAA Co-Offensive Player of the Year along with Thornton Academy’s Simon Trcka.
Cheverus’ Vile was chosen SMAA Defensive Player of the Year.
Cheverus’ Jonathan Bernier, Connor Friend, Hoglund, Evan Kennedy, Matthew Lapoint, Levesque, Aidan McGarrity, John Nappi, Thomas Nappo, Alexander Nason, Brendan Nichols, Tomkinson, Luke Trickey and Vile, Deering’s Castaneda and Portland’s Brittingham, Oliver Brochu, Tyler Caron, Jacob Haas and Fernando Martinez all qualified for the SMAA All-Academic team.
Cheverus’ Hoglund and Vile, Deering’s Bujambi, Portland’s Molina and Waynflete’s Belleau and Burdick were all named regional all-stars.
Girls’ soccer
On the girls’ side, Class C runner-up Waynflete saw Isabel Canning, Ava Farrar and Arianna Giguere named to the WMC Class C all-star team.
Giguere, Esme Benson, Alwyn Ecker and Christian Rowe qualified for the All-Academic team.
In the SMAA, Deering forward Simone Lauture and Portland midfielder Chessa Hoekstra made the first-team.
Cheverus midfielder Michalea Jordan, Deering midfielder Cora Melcher and Portland forward Kate Johnson and defender Ella Altidor were named to the second-team.
Cheverus forward Emily Turner and goalkeeper Hannah Tyson, Deering defenders Phoebe Bell and Sophie Silva, McAuley goalkeeper Chelsea Rairdon and Portland forward Isabel Stehli were honorable mentions.
Cheverus’ Ally Smith, Willa Tarasevich and Tyson, Deering’s Cassidy Coyne, Siobhan Densmore, Melcher and Sinead Scott, McAuley’s Jordyn Carr, Elizabeth Poulin and Rairdon and Portland’s Hoekstra, Bailey Ruesch, Merritt Ryan and Stehli all qualified for the SMAA All-Academic team.
Deering’s Lauture, Portland’s Hoekstra and Waynflete’s Giguere all were named to the all-region team.
Field hockey
The SMAA field hockey all-conference first-team included Cheverus’ Abby Ford, Deering’s Kerry Wells and Portland’s Gianna Gaudet and Lauren McIntyre.
Cheverus’ Emily Michaud and Sophia Pompeo and Deering’s Lili Kien made the second-team.
Cheverus’ Becca Archer, Deering’s Katy Cyr and Portland’s Holly Hincliffe were honorable mention selections.
Cheverus’ Bella Booth, Deering’s Mackenzie O’Donnell and Portland’s Clay Bessire were named to the All-Rookie team.
In the WMC, the Catherine McAuley/Waynflete co-op team, CMW, had Kiera MacWhinnie named to the Division II first-team. CMW’s Semhar Yehdego made the second-team.
Cheverus’ Ford and Portland’s Gaudet and McIntyre were named to the all-state team.
Volleyball
Cheverus, Deering and Portland all had players named to the SMAA volleyball all-star team.
Deering outside hitter Kaylee Helmick made the second-team.
Cheverus outside hitter Elizabeth Jerome, Deering middle hitter Avery Donovan and Portland setter Isabelle DiMillo were all honorable mentions.
Cheverus’ Elizabeth Fossett, Sophia Giancotti, Caroline Ray and Allison Scott, Deering’s Delaney Donovan, Gabriela Legaspi and Deborah Mugaju and Portland’s Caremlita Partlow and Robyn Ritchie qualified for the SMAA All-Academic team.
Cross country
The SMAA boys’ cross country first-team included Cheverus’ Josh Veroneau.
Deering’s Abdi Hassan made the second-team.
Cheverus’ Steven Larkin and Portland’s Brad Ravenelle were honorable mention selections.
Cheverus’ Veroneau, Deering’s Matthew Bernier and Portland’s Jonah Bradenday, Ryan Donaldson, Ryan Lizanecz, Ravenelle and Moses Small all qualified for the All-Academic team.
The girls’ second-team included Cheverus’ Rosie Train and Deering’s Grace Tumavicus.
Cheverus’ Ashley Turner, Deering’s Nicole Whipkey and McAuley’s Emma Downey were honorable mentions.
Deering’s Maddie Bennett, McAuley’s Downey and Portland’s Elizabeth Block and Anna Freund qualified for the All-Academic team.
In the WMC, Waynflete’s Gail Johnston, Peter Michalakes and Anne Veroneau qualified for the All-Academic team.
Golf
The SMAA golf Northern division first-team included Cheverus’ Tom Higgins, Deering’s Alex McGonagle and Portland’s Reed Foehl.
Cheverus’ Alex Jacobs and Kyle Cholod, along with Portland’s Phil McCallum, made the second-team.
Cheverus’ Jakob Harris, Jacobs, Will Saunders and Spencer Snow all qualified for the All-Academic team.
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.
Sidebar Elements
Portland senior Joe Esposito led the Bulldogs to the Class A state final and was named the Class A North Player of the Year.
Deering’s Simone Lauture was named to the SMAA girls’ soccer first-team.
Waynflete’s Willy Burdick was named to the conference and region all-star teams.
Cheverus’ Abby Ford was named to the field hockey all-state team.
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