FREEPORT’S EVAN DONALD (4) looks to chase down Morse’s Max Gurney (50) during a boys lacrosse game last season at Bath. The regular season for high school lacrosse teams is set to begin on Thursday.
When the snow fell not too long ago, the fear of a short spring sports season might have crept into many of our heads.
Fear not, as the warm weather this week, along with sunny skies, have allowed for fields to lose the white stuff and begin to dry out, meaning the spring season is upon us.
LISBON GIRLS TENNIS player Katherin George has her eyes on the ball during an MVC match last year. The Greyhounds open their regular season April 28.
Boys lax
Don Glover’s Brunswick’s squad is primed to get things going.
The Dragons were scheduled to take on Edward Little on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on the Bates College turf in a rematch of last year’s Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference opener, won by Brunswick, 8-2. However, that contest has been postponed to a later date.
Brunswick again faces a tough schedule, with home dates against Yarmouth (April 29) and Kennebunk (May 11).
The Dragons also take on “Battle of the Bridge” rival Mt. Ararat twice (home/season opener April 20; May 8) along with a home date with Morse (May 4).
Thinking of the Eagles and Shipbuilders, last season was difficult, with both missing out on the postseason after 2-10 campaigns.
Matt Haskell’s Mt. Ararat squad jumps into action Friday with a matchup with Oxford Hills at Bowdoin College (6:45 p.m.), while Morse, coached by Jay Paulus, has a little more time to prepare, taking on Winslow at Thomas College in Waterville on Tuesday (noon).
Mt. Ararat faces a couple difficult non-conference challenges this season, visiting
Westbrook on April 29 and hosting Freeport on May 11. Plus, the Eagles visit the Shipbuilders May 20, the first of three straight on the road to close the regular season.
Morse hosts Maranacook/ Winthrop in its home opener on April 26 (5 p.m.), plus goes out of conference twice — at Massabesic (May 13) and at Freeport (June 1).
Transitioning to Freeport, the Falcons also had a tough campaign in 2016, going 3-9 and missing out on the postseason.
Geoff Arris’ squad opens Thursday at North Yarmouth Academy (4 p.m.), a team the Falcons didn’t face last year. Freeport takes on Waynflete in a home-and-home series (at Portland April 26; home May 1) before meeting up with Kennebunk (May 5) and Falmouth (May 9). Freeport also visits St. Dom’s (May 20) and hosts Yarmouth (May 26) as part of its 12-game schedule.
Girls lax
Morse was a juggernaut last season, coming within a tough overtime loss to St. Dom’s of an undefeated regular season.
With an 11-1 mark and the top seed in Class B North, the Shipbuilders earned playoff wins over Oceanside and Gardiner before hosting Yarmouth in the regional final. The Clippers came to Bath and ran away with a 16-7 win, but not without a solid fight from the Shipbuilders.
This year, Morse opens with Boothbay on April 25, and faces several tough tests, including a home date with Freeport (April 29), and consecutive visits to Gardiner (May 5), Brunswick (May 10) and Biddeford (May 13). Morse also faces Mt. Ararat (May 19) and hosts Gardiner (May 26).
Another playoff team last season was Freeport. Led by Marcia Wood, the Falcons compiled a 5-7 record and took on Yarmouth in the quarterfinals, a 15-5 setback.
This year, Wood’s team opens Thursday at York, a team the Falcons lost to, 10-7, in last season’s regular-season finale.
The schedule is stacked, with home dates against Cape Elizabeth (May 1), Cony (May 12) and Falmouth (May 19), along with visits to Yarmouth (May 6), Kennebunk (May 10) and Greely (May 30).
New coaches have stepped in at both Brunswick and Mt. Ararat.
Dave Boucher takes over a Dragons squad that made the postseason last season (a 12-7 quarterfinal loss to Windham) and looks to start off right on April 24 at rival Mt. Ararat. Brunswick opens its home slate on April 26 against Lewiston, plus has tough matchups with South Portland (April 29), Messalonskee (May 8; May 22) and Yarmouth (May 19).
Samantha Diamond is the new leader at Mt. Ararat, which went 5-7 last season in claiming the No. 5 seed in Class A North. After defeating Edward Little in the quarterfinals, Mt. Ararat was defeated by eventual state champion Messalonskee in the semifinals.
After the Brunswick meeting, Mt. Ararat has a rematch against Messalonskee (April 27), plus visits North Yarmouth Academy (April 29) and hosts Morse (May 19). An interesting non-conference matchup sees Greely visiting Topsham on May 12.
Track
The outdoor track season is also set to begin this week.
Brunswick and Mt. Ararat are scheduled to compete at Lewiston on Friday (3:30 p.m.).
Mt. Ararat has a home meet on May 5 (Brunswick, Gardiner, Mt. Blue competing), and also hosts the annual “Under the Lights” meet on May 22.
Of note, Thursday’s scheduled meet at Winslow, with Morse on the docket, has been postponed. No makeup date has been announced.
McMann Field will be the site of this year’s Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference championships on May 27.
Morse also hosts two meets this year — April 27 and May 12.
Freeport jumps into the fray on April 28 at Cape Elizabeth, with the Western Maine Conference championships set for May 27 at Naples.
Over at Lisbon, the new track will again get a workout. The Greyhounds, who open at Falmouth on Tuesday, will be home for six meets, including the Mountain Valley Conference championships on May 25.
Wiscasset is also the site of a few home meets (April 25, May 2, May 9), while Richmond jumps into action on April 25 at Wiscasset.
Tennis
Last season might be considered a down year for the Brunswick girls, though an 11- 1 regular season mark and advancement to the Class A North regional final makes the grading scale for the Dragons a bit high.
Rob Manter’s squad opens at Mt. Blue on Thursday (4:30 p.m.) before hosting Mt. Ararat on April 24.
Once again, Lewiston is a likely challenger to reach the state final this year. Last year, Brunswick and Lewiston split the first two matchups, with the Dragons capturing the KVAC title. The Blue Devils earned revenge in the regional final with a 3-2 win. This year, the teams meet twice in the regular season — May 15 at Lewiston and May 19 at Brunswick.
The Morse girls also had an 11-1 regular season last year, but Barbara Boyce’s team was upset by York in the quarterfinals.
This year, the Shipbuilders open at Gardiner on April 24.
Elsewhere in girls tennis, Freeport, Mt. Ararat, Lisbon and Wiscasset will be looking for better results. Mt. Ararat visits Lewiston on Thursday (4 p.m.); Freeport heads to Waynflete April 25; Lisbon visits Mountain Valley April 28; and Wiscasset takes on Oak Hill at Wales April 28.
In boys tennis, Morse has produced back-to-back solid seasons under Steve Boyce. Last year, a 10-2 regular season garnered the No. 2 seed in Class B South. The Shipbuilders downed Freeport in the quarterfinals, but fell to powerful Cape Elizabeth in the semifinals.
This year, Morse opens at home against Gardiner April 24.
Brunswick had a solid 9-3 campaign last year, but a semifinal loss to troublesome Lewiston ended the Dragons’ run.
Brunswick hosts Mt. Blue on Thursday at 3:30 p.m..
Mt. Ararat punched its ticket to the postseason in 2016, but fell to Mt. Blue, 3-2, in the quarterfinals. The Eagles host Lewiston on Thursday (4 p.m.).
Freeport also made the postseason before falling to Morse, and the Falcons hit the courts at North Yarmouth Academy on April 26.
Wiscasset just missed the playoffs, and opens at home against Carrabec on May 1, while Lisbon, coming off a winless season, will look for better numbers and better results when the season kicks off April 28 at home against Mountain Valley.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
