Winter sports season’s closing stretch begins- Northern edition

(Ed. Note: For the complete Greely-Cape Elizabeth boys’ basketball and Yarmouth-Cape Elizabeth boys’ hockey game stories, see pressherald.com/forecaster-sports/)

February is just over the horizon and each game and event takes on extra importance for local teams.

Last week brought some interesting results and this week figures to be more of the same.

Here’s a glimpse:

Boys’ basketball

Yarmouth’s Peter Psyhogeos drives with the ball during Friday’s home loss to Fryeburg Academy. Shawn Patrick Ouellette / Portland Press Herald.

Greely’s three-time defending state champion boys’ basketball team lost at home to Kennebunk, 79-66, last Tuesday, then improved to 10-3 and fourth in the Class A South Heal Points standings at press time after downing host Poland (94-62) and Cape Elizabeth (42-38). Logan Bagshaw had 45 points in the setback.

“At the end of the day, we have to play defense for four quarters and (Kennebunk’s) a tough team to play defense against,” said Greely coach Travis Seaver.

Bagshaw went over the 1,000-point mark for his career in the win over the Knights (see story) and finished with 24 points, while Nick Butler added 21, Liam Davis 15 and Timmy Walker 13. The Rangers trailed at the Capers most of the way and Bagshaw battled foul trouble, but a Bagshaw four-point play (3-pointer, foul, free throw) in the fourth period put Greely on top to stay. Bagshaw finished with a game-high 25 points (20 of which came after halftime).

“We weren’t connecting on offense in the first half and they were,” Bagshaw said. “They stalled a lot in the first half, then we sped them up in the second half.”

“Cape always gives us a game,” said Butler. “It’s never easy, especially here. We came in and we battled and didn’t give up. We had to work hard.”

“I’m not sure we forced any turnovers in the first half, but we did later in the game,” Seaver added. “Cape’s gotten better through the year. We knew they’d have extended possessions, so we tried hard to speed things up in the second half.”

Greely hosts Wells Friday and welcomes Lake Region Tuesday of next week.

Falmouth improved to 11-3 and third in Class A South after recent victories at Leavitt (70-54), at home over Kennebunk (53-41) and at Morse (96-50). Against the Hornets, Mike Simonds led the way with 28 points, while Brady Coyne and Macklin Williams each added 11. In the win over the Rams, Simonds had 24 points and Coyne finished with 13. Against the Shipbuilders, Simonds went off for 33 points and Coyne added 15. The Yachtsmen host Biddeford Friday and play at Brunswick Tuesday of next week.

In Class B South, Freeport has won three straight and is now 7-6 and seventh following victories over visiting Mt. Ararat (53-49) and Lake Region (67-58) and at Fryeburg Academy (45-32). In the win over the Eagles, Blaine Cockburn led the way with 16 points and Colby Arsenault added 11. Against the Lakers, Gabe Wagner had a game-high 26 points, while Arsenault added 12 and Cockburn had 10. In the win over the Raiders, Cockburn had 14 points and Heath Cockburn added 13. The Falcons go to Traip Academy Friday and welcome York Tuesday of next week.

Yarmouth fell to 5-7 and 10th in Class B South (where just eight teams make the playoffs) after losses last week at Gray-New Gloucester (60-41) and at home to Fryeburg Academy (58-55, in overtime). Against the Patriots, Peter Psyhogeos had a team-high nine points. In the loss to the Raiders, Psyhogeos had 17 points and Lainey added a dozen, but the Clippers gave up a tying 3-pointer late in regulation before falling in OT.

“I like the fight we had,” said assistant coach Barry Conant, who filled in for ailing head coach Jonas Allen. “There’s a lot of positives for us tonight and we need to stay focused on those positives and to get ready for the next game.”

Yarmouth hosted Wells Tuesday (see our website for game story), travels to York Friday and plays at Cape Elizabeth Tuesday of next week.

In Class C South, North Yarmouth Academy was 8-3 and seventh after a 67-36 home win over Buckfield and a 62-55 setback at Old Orchard Beach last week. In the victory, Te’Andre King led the way with 26 points and 12 rebounds, while Logan Welch had 15 points and Chris Hamblett added 14. In the setback, Hamblett had a team-high 24 points and King added 16. After playing at Richmond Wednesday, the Panthers host Seacoast Christian Friday, then welcome Traip Academy Tuesday of next week.

Girls’ basketball

Freeport’s Rachel Wall shoots over a Lake Region defender during the Falcons’ home win on Friday. Wil Kramlich / Sun Journal

On the girls’ side, two-time defending state champion Greely saw its three-year, 48-game win streak come to an end, 49-45, at Kennebunk last Tuesday. The Rangers then improved to 12-1 and first in Class A South after beating visiting Poland (67-35) and Cape Elizabeth (57-45). In the loss, Greely’s first since the 2017 Class A South Final, the Rangers got 17 points from Camille Clement and 10 from Brooke Obar.

“Things weren’t easy for us,” Greely coach Todd Flaherty said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well and we didn’t get a lot of easy baskets. That’s a tribute to Kennebunk and its defense, but the girls showed a lot of grit and will to win down the stretch. That was refreshing to see. (The girls) certainly don’t like to lose, but I sensed maybe a little bit of a relief that the whole streak thing was behind us and that we could now focus on getting better. Now we can go and get our goal, which is to play our best in the tournament and see where that takes us.”

Obar then had 18 points, Clement 17 and Mollie Obar 11 in the win over the Knights. Monday, Clement reached the 1,000-point plateau for her career (see story) and led the way with 23 points. Chelsea Graiver added 16 and Brooke Obar had 11. Greely goes to Wells Friday and visits Lake Region Tuesday of next week.

Falmouth saw its skid hit four games Friday with a 51-31 loss at Kennebunk. Sloane Ginevan led the Yachtsmen with 16 points. Falmouth then improved to 7-6 and seventh in Class A South after Monday’s 71-25 home win over Morse. Ginevan had 20 points, Lauren Welch added 15 and Anna Turgeon finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Yachtsmen welcome Leavitt in a makeup game Wednesday (see our website for game story), travel to Biddeford Friday and host Brunswick Tuesday of next week.

In Class B South, Freeport was in the top spot after extending its win streak to six games with recent victories at Mt. Ararat (55-36), at home over Lake Region (45-26) and at home over Fryeburg Academy (55-39). Caroline Smith had 23 points and Rachel Wall added 21 against the Eagles. In the win over the Lakers, Smith led the way with 17 points, while Wall finished with 13. Against the Raiders, Smith and Mason Baker-Schlendering each had 14 points and Wall added 10. After hosting Traip Academy Friday, the 10-3 Falcons visit York Tuesday of next week.

Yarmouth was 8-4 and fourth in Class B South after a 45-34 setback at defending Class B state champion Gray-New Gloucester and a 57-30 win at Fryeburg Academy. Katelyn D’Appolonia paced the Clippers in the loss with 15 points. Maya Panozzo had 17 points and Ava Feeley added 16 in the victory. Yarmouth was at Wells Tuesday, welcomes York Friday and hosts Cape Elizabeth Tuesday of next week.

In Class C South, NYA improved to 10-1 and third after downing visiting Buckfield (69-28) and host Old Orchard Beach (49-36) last week. In the first victory, Erin Reid had a game-high 15 points, Madilyn Onorato added 13, Emily Drummond a dozen and Serena Mower 11. Against the Seagulls, Katie Larson led the way with 12 points. The Panthers go to Richmond Wednesday, host Seacoast Christian Friday and welcome Traip Academy Tuesday of next week.

Boys’ hockey

Greely’s defending state champion boys’ hockey team fell to 6-2-1 and second behind Cheverus in the Class B South Heals after a 4-2 loss at Old Town/Orono Monday. The Rangers host the Stags Saturday.

Yarmouth, meanwhile, has won four in a row and improved to 6-3 and fourth in the region after downing visiting York (3-1), Brunswick (3-0) and Cape Elizabeth (3-2) in recent action. Against the Capers, Isaac Grondin had a tie-breaking, short-handed, unassisted goal to break a third period tie and Will Giese and Matt Robichaud also scored.

“The whole team has been stepping up and we’ve been clicking,” Grondin said. “We can compete with any team and we believe that in the locker room. That’s been coming across the past few games.”

“A rivalry game like that is always a battle to the end,” Clippers’ coach Dave St. Pierre said. “To Cape’s credit, they never quit. It’s a nice win for us. We expected they’d come at us hard. We knew it wouldn’t be an easy finish. We played well in our zone and took care of pucks when we needed to and held on. We’re a team that has to win tight games.”

Yarmouth is home versus Gorham Thursday.

In Class A, Falmouth was 5-3-1 and fourth at press time following a 3-0 win at Windham last week. The Yachtsmen go to Lewiston Wednesday, then host Lewiston in a makeup game Monday.

The South Portland/Waynflete/Freeport co-op team was 5-3-1 and third in Class A after a 3-0 victory at St. Dom’s and a 2-0 home loss to Lewiston last week. Gus Lappin scored twice and Liam McGibbon made 20 saves in the victory over the defending state champion Saints. McGibbon then stopped a whopping 39 shots in the loss to the Blue Devils. SP/Waynflete/Freeport is at Biddeford Thursday, goes to Bangor Saturday, then travels to Windham Tuesday of next week.

Girls’ hockey

On the girls’ side, the Yarmouth/Freeport co-op team was 8-9 and third in the North Region after home wins last week over York (3-1) and Brunswick (8-1). Sadie Carnes scored twice against the Dragons. The squad closes the regular season at Gorham Saturday.

Greely was 4-10-1 and seventh in the North (where just six teams make the playoffs) following a 4-1 loss at Winslow and a 3-2 home win over Mt. Ararat/Lisbon. The Rangers host York Saturday, then close at Falmouth Wednesday of next week.

Falmouth was 3-11 and sixth in the South after a 2-1 overtime home loss to defending state champion Cheverus last week. The Yachtsmen are at Lewiston Wednesday, host Gorham Friday, then welcome Greely Wednesday of next week.

Indoor track

North Yarmouth Academy’s Gabe Garcia competes in the triple jump at last weekend’s league meet. John Jensenius / For The Forecaster

In last weekend’s indoor track action in Gorham, Falmouth’s boys finished fifth and the girls placed seventh in a nine-team SMAA league meet.

Greely’s girls were second to Poland in an eight-team WMC meet. NYA placed eighth. In the boys’ competition, won by Wells, Greely placed fourth and NYA tied for seventh.

Yarmouth’s boys were third and Freeport came in fourth in a seven-team meet won by York. In the girls’ competition, won by York, Freeport placed third and Yarmouth was fifth.

Swimming

In the pool, Greely swept Windham last weekend, with the girls prevailing, 68-25, and the boys winning by a 55-36 margin.

Yarmouth split with Scarborough, as the girls won, 91-79, and the boys lost, 130-14.

Falmouth was swept by South Portland, as the boys fell, 96-79, and the girls lost, 89-83.

Skiing

Four local Nordic ski teams took part in a 13-squad skate meet last week at Riverside Ski Track in Portland.

Freeport’s boys were second to Portland, while Falmouth came in third, Maine Coast Waldorf placed fifth and Yarmouth was sixth and Greely eighth.

In the girls’ meet, won by Deering, Yarmouth finished third, Freeport was fourth, Falmouth fifth, MCW eighth and Greely ninth.

Yarmouth’s girls were runners-up to Mt. Blue in Saturday’s Maranacook Waves race. Greely placed eighth. Yarmouth’s boys were seventh and Greely came in 14th.

On the Alpine side, in a giant slalom meet last week at Shawnee Peak, Greely’s girls were second and Freeport came in fourth. Greely and Freeport finished in the same order in the boys’ competition.

Portland Press Herald staff writers Steve Craig and Mike Lowe contributed to this story.