Daniel Thim of Marshwood celebrates with teammates after a 2-0 win over Gorham in the Class A South final on Wednesday. The Hawks will play in their first Class A state championship game on Saturday. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
CLASS A
Who: Marshwood (15-2-1) vs. Brunswick (14-3-1)
When: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.
Where: Massabesic High, Waterboro
Outlook: Both teams knocked off strong programs in the regional quarterfinals, No. 1 seeds in the semifinals, and then got past stiff challenges in the regional finals. … Marshwood beat 2019 state champion Falmouth and top-seeded Windham (3-0) , then counterpunched its way past Gorham, 2-0, in the South final, despite being outshot 18-7. … Brunswick’s playoff path might have been even tougher. The Dragons won at Bangor in the quarterfinals, came back from a 2-0 deficit to knock off unbeaten and top-seeded Lewiston in the semifinals, and beat second-seeded Camden Hills in the North final, 2-1. Camden Hills had beaten Brunswick twice in the regular season. … This is Marshwood’s first trip to a Class A state final. The Hawks went to three straight Class B finals from 1993-95, winning the latter two. Brunswick is making its 13th Class A final appearance, but its first since losing to Scarborough in 2009. The last of its six state titles came in 1999. … Marshwood revolves around center midfielder Trevor Wozny’s ability to win possession and use well-placed passes to target top scoring threats Wyatt Yager (three goals in the last two games) and Declan Fitzgerald (three goals in the last three games). Rowan Carter is a speed threat on the wing, and the Hawks’ defense has posted consecutive shutouts. … Brunswick, which also tied Lewiston in the regular season, has benefited from the return of junior midfielder Iain Clendening (two assists versus Lewiston) from a midseason injury. He and Luke Patterson have been the top threats, and the Dragons are also getting key playoff scoring contributions from Liam Driscoll, Jack Banks and Gus Silverman.
CLASS B
Who: Yarmouth (16-0-2) vs. Winslow (18-0)
When: Saturday, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Massabesic High, Waterboro
Outlook: Yarmouth is playing for its second consecutive state title, having won it in 2019 (no playoffs were held in 2020 because of the pandemic). A win Saturday would give the Clippers their sixth state title since 2014. In 2016 and 2017, those titles were won over Winslow. … The Clippers advanced with a pair of close wins in the South regional – a 2-1 overtime victory over Freeport in the semifinals, and a 2-1 win over Cape Elizabeth in the final in which Yarmouth rallied with two second-half goals. Stevie Walsh, a junior, scored the winning goal in each of those games, and senior Steve Fulton scored the tying goal against the Capers. … Winslow may be the best defensive team the Clippers face all season. The Black Raiders have allowed one goal, on Sept. 10 in a 7-1 win over Belfast. Led by Jason Reynolds in net and center backs Kris Loubier and Zack St. Pierre, Winslow has outscored opponents 102-1. Striker Landen Gillis is a scoring threat and tallied a second-half goal in a 2-0 win over John Bapst in the North final. Andrew Poulin and Levi Olin are also potent scorers. Poulin scored a pair of goals in a 3-0 win over Ellsworth in the regional semifinals.
Waynflete players celebrate Tuesday night after defeating Mt. Abram 3-2 in the Class C South final in Lewiston. The Flyers are seeking their third consecutive state title. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
CLASS C
Who: Waynflete (13-2-2) vs. Fort Kent (15-2)
When: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.
Where: Gehrig Johnson Field, Presque Isle Middle School
Outlook: Waynflete has been the dominant Class C team for the last several years, winning state championships in 2018 and 2019. The Flyers have gone 54-4-5 over the last four years, but they should be tested by Fort Kent, which defeated two unbeaten teams in the North tournament. The Warriors beat No. 1 Orono 1-0 in the regional final on a goal by Austin Delisle, who has four goals in the playoffs. This is Fort Kent’s third trip to the state final in five years, including a 3-1 loss to Waynflete in 2018. Fort Kent, which has outscored its opponents 16-1 in the playoffs, last won a championship in 2010. … Nils Burton-Johanson scored twice for the Flyers in their 3-2 regional final win over Mt. Abram. Midfielder Henry Hart makes everything go for Waynflete. Samir Sayed, Jacob Woodman are other key scorers, and Matt Adey anchors the back.
CLASS D
Who: North Yarmouth Academy (11-4-2) vs. Lee Academy (18-0)
When: Saturday, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Gehrig Johnson Field, Presque Isle Middle School
Outlook: North Yarmouth Academy’s record is deceiving. The Panthers lost twice to Waynflete (which is playing in the Class C state title game) and once to Yarmouth (which is in the Class B final). Since losing 2-0 to Waynflete on Sept. 23, the Panthers are 8-0-2, outscoring their opponents 26-8. That includes a 4-0 win over Islesboro in the regional final, a game in which Chas Rohde scored twice. He’s the guy to watch for NYA, with a knack for scoring big-time goals. Ethan Brochu and Theo Falgren had the other NYA goals in the South final. NYA played in the last two Class D state games, winning in 2018. … Lee survived a tough one in its regional final, beating Wisdom 1-0 when Joel Gerlach scored with 31.4 seconds remaining in the second overtime. This will be the Pandas’ first appearance in a state championship game. Lee has a potent offense, outscoring opponents 123-18, with eight shutouts, including the last three games.
Staff writers Mike Lowe, Steve Craig and Travis Lazarczyk contributed to this report.
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