The tennis team playoffs are underway, track has held its conference championship meets with states looming and the baseball, softball and lacrosse regular seasons are nearing their conclusion.

It’s the best time of the spring sports season, the postseason, and there will be no shortage of thrills in the days to come.

Here’s a recap of all the excitement and a glimpse of what’s still to come:

Track

The Southwestern Maine Activities Association championship meet was held Friday in Falmouth and local athletes turned heads.

Cheverus’ boys finished fourth with 67 points (perennial champion Scarborough was first with 102). The Stags were led by sprinter extraordinaire Frank Morang, who set a new meet record while winning the long jump in 23 feet, 0.75 inches. Morang also placed first in the triple jump (43-9.75) and was third in the 100 (10.83 seconds).

“I have big expectations, but not as much as I will for next week,” said Morang, who is heading to Brown University next year. “My focus is on getting better times and then doing more at states.”

Andrew Griffiths was runner-up in the 400 (51.08). Jesse Cadigan was third in the 800 (2 minutes, 2.41 seconds). Bryan Stark-Chessa finished third in the mile (4:27.53). Brendan Rogers was seventh in both the 100 (11.35) and the 200 (23.3). Joe Osei placed seventh in the shot put (42-1). Cheverus won the 4×400 relay, as Matthew Fogg, Rogers, Cadigan and Griffiths had a time of 3:28.33. The 4×100 relay squad (Griffiths, Morang, Fogg and Rogers) was runner-up in 43.42.

Portland (18 points) tied Sanford for 12th place. Nathan Blades was second in the 2-mile (9:52.26) and fifth in the mile (4:29.61). Nick Paterniti was fourth in the 2-mile (9:55.61). The Bulldogs’ 4×800 relay team (Benjamin DiYenno, Charlie Jacques, Sam Below-Haskins and Paterniti) finished fifth in 8:47.61.

Deering (5 points) came in 16th. Haytham Ramadan came in seventh in the mile (4:42.75) and the Rams’ 4×800 relay team (Ramadan, Deven Abrams, Max Stratton and Alexey Seredin) was fourth (8:45.5).

In the girls’ meet, won by Gorham with 93 points, Deering came in seventh with 36. Saya Breiting-Brown won the 100 hurdles (16.23) and was fourth in the 300 hurdles (50.47). Naomie Bisimwa was runner-up in the discus (121-8)  Lara Gin was third in the 400 (1:02.2) and sixth in the triple jump (33-4). Megan Cunningham finished third in the 2-mile (11:40.46).

Portland (35.5 points) was eighth. Annaliese Collin won the 300 hurdles (48.02) and tied for seventh in the high jump (4-8). Samantha Moore was runner-up in the mile (5:15.28) and fourth in the 800 (2:30.18). Iman Alaari was fifth in the 300 hurdles (51.5). Jada Stevenson was fifth in the high jump (4-1). The Bulldogs’ 4×400 relay squad (Alaari, Inas Alaari, Collin and Moore) finished fourth (4:21.08). The 4×100 relay team (Iman Alaari, Inas Alaari, Stevenson and Alisandra Lindos) came in fifth (53.68).

Cheverus (22 points) finished 13th. Leska Whitmarsh tied for second in the pole vault (8-6). Annie Vigue was third in the 800 (2:26.19). Annabelle Brooks placed sixth in the mile (5:38.31). Grace Turner was seventh in the 2-mile (12:37.93). The Stags’ 4×100 relay team (Finley Brown, Vigue, Maddie Hom and Lily Johnson) wound up third (52.48).

The state meets will be held Saturday. Class A is in Bangor, Class B at Mt. Desert Island and Class C in Lewiston.

Tennis

The team tennis tournament has begun.

All eyes will be on the Waynflete boys, who are chasing an unthinkable 14th consecutive Class C crown. The Flyers finished the regular season 8-4 after 4-1 wins last week over Cape Elizabeth and NYA. Waynflete earned the No. 4 seed in Class C South and hosts No. 5 Mountain Valley (6-4) in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

In Class A South, Portland finished 10-2 after a 5-0 win at Windham in its finale and earned the No. 3 seed in the region. The Bulldogs will host either No. 6 Falmouth (6-6) or No. 11 Marshwood (3-9) in the quarterfinal round.

Cheverus ended up 9-2 and fourth in the region after beating Windham (5-0) and Falmouth (3-2) in its final regular season matches. The Stags hosted No. 13 Windham (1-11) in the preliminary round Tuesday. If they advanced, they would meet either No. 5 South Portland (9-3) or No. 12 Bonny Eagle (3-9) in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Deering finished 4-8 and 10th following season-ending losses to Scarborough (4-1) and Gorham (3-2). The Rams went to No. 7 Westbrook (7-5) for the preliminary round Tuesday. If they sprung an upset, they’d go to No. 2 Kennebunk (11-1) in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

On the girls’ side, Cheverus earned the No. 6 seed in Class A South at 8-4 after finishing with a 3-2 win over Windham and a 4-1 loss to Falmouth. The Stags hosted No. 11 Portland (2-10) in the preliminary round Tuesday. The Bulldogs closed with a 4-1 loss to Windham. The Cheverus-Portland winner will take on either No. 3 Falmouth (10-2), the reigning regional champion, or No. 14 Deering (1-11), which closed with 5-0 losses to Gorham and Falmouth, in Thursday’s quarterfinal round.

In Class C South, Waynflete finished the regular season 8-4 after wins last week over defending Class B champion Cape Elizabeth (4-1) and NYA (5-0). The Flyers are the No. 4 seed in the region and hosted No. 5 Winthrop (6-3) in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

The semifinals are Saturday on the courts of the higher seeds. The Class A South and Class C South Finals are Wednesday of next week, at Bates College in Lewiston. The state finals are Saturday, June 11, at Lewiston High School.

Baseball

The unheralded Waynflete/North Yarmouth Academy co-op baseball team is surging at the end of the regular season. Last week, the squad blanked host Old Orchard Beach (6-0), then downed host Richmond, 3-1, to extend its win streak to six games and improve to 12-3 and fourth in the Class C South Heal Points standings at press time. Waynflete/NYA closed the regular season at home versus Sacopee Valley, the last team to beat it, Tuesday.

In Class A South, Portland is also playing its best ball late in the year. Last week, the Bulldogs extended their win streak to six by beating Deering (5-1) and host Kennebunk (5-3) before falling at Gorham, 9-8. Against Deering, Henry Bibeau hit a two-run, inside-the-park home run in the first inning and added a two-run triple and a double, while Colby Winship earned the win, with Bibeau coming on for the save.

“It feels good to beat Deering,” Bibeau said. “We had a lot of confidence going into this game. We just had to keep the energy up. When one person got down, someone else was there to pick them up. That’s the key.”

“It’s a rivalry and when Portland plays Deering, you can’t take anything for granted,” said assistant coach Kevin Winship, who was filling in for head coach Mike Rutherford, who was away at a family function. “They’re going to come in ready to play and make plays and we were fortunate. We got some big hits when we needed them. It was a great win for the program. We have 12 seniors. Getting to coach and watch my son pitch and get a win against Deering was great.”

At Kennebunk, Liam Fay-LeBlanc and Bibeau combined on a three-hitter, while Anthony Bisco and Carter Page both had two hits. The Bulldogs then couldn’t hold an 8-6 seventh inning lead at Gorham and lost on a bases-loaded hit batsman. Bibeau and Colby Winship both had two-run singles in the setback. Monday, Portland fell to 8-6-1 and seventh in Class A South after a 8-3 home loss to top-ranked Thornton Academy. Bibeau again excelled with three hits and three RBI. The Bulldogs closed at home versus Cheverus Tuesday in a playoff rematch (see theforecaster.net/sports for game story).

Cheverus, meanwhile, was 7-7 and 11th in Class A South after extending its win streak to three games by edging host Biddeford (7-6) and blanking visiting Deering (12-0, in five innings) in recent action. Against the Tigers, Richie Tremble earned the win and had three hits and three runs scored, while Lucas Soutuyo and Braeden Watson drove in two runs apiece. In the victory over the Rams, Kevin Connolly threw a one-hitter, homered and drove in three, while Peyton Mitchell tripled twice and Jacob Lucier added a double and a triple. The Stags were at Portland Tuesday and close at Westbrook Wednesday.

Deering fell to 3-12 and 16th in Class A South following losses to Portland (5-1), at Scarborough (13-3, in six innings) and at Cheverus (12-0, in five innings). Against the Bulldogs, Avery Lawrence had three hits and a run scored, but the Rams left nine runners on.

“There were a few tough plays for us,” Deering coach Ryan Martin lamented. “When you get eight hits, you have to score more than once. We didn’t have clutch at-bats and we didn’t run the bases smart. We also missed a cutoff early in the game. I think we’re two evenly matched teams. We’re not too far away from them. It felt like a good rivalry tonight. It’s nice for the guys to play in this kind of environment.”

At the Red Storm, the Rams scored three runs in the fifth when they were on the brink of a mercy rule loss, but the game ultimately ended in the sixth. Dempsey Brady had an RBI.

“We’re used to playing from behind, but that’s the positive of this team, that we don’t give up and we keep playing and we keep getting better one day at a time,” Martin said.

Deering managed just one hit in the loss to the Stags. The Rams finished the regular season at home versus Kennebunk Tuesday.

The postseason begins with the play-in round Saturday and the preliminary round Monday. Those games will be played on the diamonds of the higher seeds.

Softball

Portland’s softball team was 9-5 and sixth in Class A South following an up-and-down week, which featured a 2-1 home win over Thornton Academy, a 12-6 setback at reigning regional champion Biddeford, a 7-0 blanking of host Westbrook and a 7-0 home loss to Windham. Against the Golden Trojans, Sadie Armstrong allowed just five hits and had a pair of hits on offense, scoring once and driving in a run.

“We’ve been practicing so hard, every single day, and it’s really showing in the game,” Armstrong said. “It’s huge for us. (Thornton Academy’s) a solid team.”

“As much as (Sadie) can keep batters off balance and hit her spots and her locations when she’s throwing, the more success she’s going to have,” Portland coach Jason McLeod said. “I think she trusts her defense when they need to make plays, which is great. We made the plays when we needed to.”

In the loss to the Tigers, Hallie Chase had a pair of hits and Gabby Daniels doubled. Against the Blue Blazes, Armstrong threw a one-hitter, fanning nine, while Hannah Hawkes tripled and Chase and Ruby Chase both had two hits. Portland then managed just one hit against Eagles ace Brooke Gerry. The Bulldogs closed at Cheverus Tuesday.

Cheverus fell to 4-10 and 12th in Class A South after losses last week at Gorham (16-1, in five innings), at home to Massabesic (9-1) and at Marshwood (8-5). Ashley Connor drove in the run versus the Mustangs. The Stags closed at home versus Portland Tuesday.

Deering was 1-13 and 15th in Class A South following its first win since 2019, 15-13, at Falmouth, and five-inning losses to visiting Marshwood (15-1) and at Kennebunk (11-1). Anna Krush had two hits versus Kennebunk. The Rams hosted Noble in the finale Tuesday.

The postseason begins with the preliminary round Monday. Those games will be played on the diamonds of the higher seeds.

Boys’ lacrosse

Waynflete’s reigning Class C champion boys’ lacrosse team was 6-5 and sixth in the Heals following a palpitating 12-11 overtime home loss to reigning Class B champion Yarmouth last Monday. The Flyers dug out of an early 6-1 hole and even took a short-lived lead in the second half, then had multiple chances to win in OT, but ultimately fell just short, despite four goals from Nils Burton-Johanson, three from Jacob Woodman and a dozen saves from goalie Avi Israel.

“I know this is going to burn and it’s burning for a lot of the guys right now, but they have to take a lot of positives from this,” Waynflete coach Andrew Leach said. “We played this like a playoff game. This was exactly what we wanted. Overtime lacrosse on a beautiful day in front of a packed house. I just wish we had a better ending.”

The Flyers close at Lake Region Wednesday, then will look to make another title run.

“This is what gets us ready for NYA, Oak Hill, the top teams in the playoffs,” Leach said. “For us to not have a senior and to be right there with Yarmouth, I know the other teams will be looking at us and thinking, ‘Oh no, here they come.’ We’ll be ready to roll. It looks like we’ll have to win a big playoff game on the road and we’ll be ready.”

In Class A North, Portland was 3-7 and fifth entering Tuesday’s finale at Westbrook.

Cheverus was 4-7 and seventh in Class A North following last week’s 6-5 loss at Bonny Eagle and 8-7 win at Sanford. Nico Nason scored twice against the Scots. The Stags closed at Falmouth Tuesday.

Deering fell to 1-10 and ninth in the region after losses at Windham (19-2) and at home to Gorham (20-0) last week. The Rams close at Noble Wednesday.

Girls’ lacrosse

On the girls’ side, Waynflete has remained competitive, despite being devastated by injuries. The Flyers, who won Class C a year ago, were 6-5 and fourth in the Heals after an 18-7 home win over St. Dom’s and a 10-6 home loss to Lake Region last week. In the victory, Tilsley Kelly scored four goals and had six assists, Keegan Dolan also scored four times, while Morgan Earls and Skylar Harris both added three goals. In the setback, Kelly scored five times, but it wasn’t enough.

“We did a lot of positive things today,” said longtime Waynflete coach Cathie Connors. “We came back and tied it up and had momentum. I’m totally pleased with how we played.”

The Flyers close at York Wednesday.

“People are stepping up,” Connors said. “We’re inching our way to the playoffs. We’re learning every day. We’re getting stronger and we’re making changes. I think we’ll be up for the challenge when the time comes. The girls have a lot of heart and want to get better.”

In Class A North, Cheverus began the week 7-4 and fifth following wins at Westbrook (19-1) and Noble (18-4) last week. The Stags close at undefeated, reigning state champion Kennebunk Wednesday.

Portland was 1-10 and seventh after home losses to Marshwood (12-4) and Kennebunk (18-1). Against the Hawks, Phoebe Knoll and Gabriela Membreno each had two goals and goalie Caitlyn Huynh stopped 10 shots. The Bulldogs close at reigning Class A North champion Falmouth Thursday (see theforecaster.net/sports for game story).

Deering was 3-8 and eighth following recent losses at Sanford (14-6) and South Portland (16-5). The Rams finish at Mt. Ararat Wednesday.

Press Herald staff writers Drew Bonifant and Steve Craig contributed to this story.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

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