Southern: Spring sports season didn’t disappoint

The 2022 spring sports season was very short and very sweet for local teams as, once again, plenty of memories were made.

Cape Elizabeth’s boys’ lacrosse team peaked at the right time and repeated as Class A state champion, eliminating Scarborough along the way in the semifinals. South Portland enjoyed a season of resurgence, which ended with a loss to Thornton Academy in the semifinals.

Scarborough’s girls’ team overcame an up-and-down regular season to advance all the way to the Class A South semifinals, where the Red Storm lost to Massabesic. Cape Elizabeth, in its first year in Class A, also got to the semifinals and was ousted by eventual repeat state champion Kennebunk. South Portland fell in the preliminary round to Biddeford.

On the diamond, South Portland made a run at a repeat title, but ultimately fell just short, losing to eventual champion Thornton Academy in the Class A South Final. Scarborough was upset by Marshwood in the quarterfinals. In Class B South, Cape Elizabeth made it all the way to the semifinals before being blanked by Greely.

Scarborough’s softball team reached the Class A South semifinals before losing to Windham, a setback which marked the end of legendary coach Tom Griffin’s time with the Red Storm. South Portland was beaten in the quarterfinals by eventual state champion Biddeford. Reigning Class B champion Cape Elizabeth got to the semifinals before being eliminated by York.

The outdoor track state meet produced plenty of highlights, many of them from Scarborough, as the Red Storm’s boys won yet another Class A championship.

Scarborough’s girls’ tennis team was perfect during the regular season but lost a tough match to Falmouth in the Class A South semifinals. Cape Elizabeth wasn’t able to repeat as Class B South champion, losing in the regional final to Lincoln Academy. South Portland was eliminated in the preliminary round.

On the boys’ side, Cape Elizabeth and South Portland dropped quarterfinal round matches, while Scarborough lost in the preliminary round.

We’re already enjoying summer, but let’s take another look back and pay tribute to some of the best moments of the spring.

Team state champions

Cape Elizabeth Capers boys’ lacrosse, Class A
Scarborough Red Storm boys’ outdoor track, Class A

Individual state champions

Track

Tori Hews, Cape Elizabeth, Class B girls’ 100
Tori Hews, Cape Elizabeth, Class B girls’ 200
Vaughn Lindenau, Cape Elizabeth, Class B boys’ 2-mile
Zach Barry, Scarborough, Class A boys’ mile
Nick Connolly, Scarborough, Class A boys’ discus
Nick Connolly, Scarborough, Class A boys’ shot put
Jayden Flaker, Scarborough, Class A boys’ 110 hurdles
Jayden Flaker, Scarborough, Class A boys’ 300 hurdles
Toby Martin, Scarborough, Class A boys’ pole vault

Michael’s top five stories/moments

5) South Portland baseball comes close to defending title

South Portland’s baseball team made another deep playoff run, to the Class A South Final. File photos

South Portland’s team wore the bull’s eye this spring and wore it well, but ultimately, there was one team that the Red Riots couldn’t solve. South Portland rode stellar pitching from Andrew Heffernan and Nolan Hobbs to a 13-3 regular season record, then the Red Riots defeated Deering, Westbrook and Falmouth to return to the regional final. Awaiting South Portland, for the second year in a row, was a Thornton Academy squad which had beaten the Red Riots in the regular season, and due in part to uncharacteristic sloppy defense, South Portland went down to defeat again, 8-1.

4) A perfect regular season for Scarborough girls’ tennis

Amber Woods and the Scarborough girls’ tennis team was close to unbeatable this spring.

For just the second time in program history, Scarborough’s girls’ tennis team produced a perfect 12-0 regular season, which included a 3-2 win over perennial power Falmouth. The Red Storm then defeated Gorham, 4-1, in the Class A South quarterfinals, necessitating a rematch with the Navigators in the semifinals, and this time, their run came to a disappointing end with a hard-fought 3-2 setback. Scarborough keeps kicking at the championship door and hopes to break through in 2023.

3) Scarborough boys win another track title

Scarborough’s Nick Connolly won the Class A discus and shot put and helped the Red Storm capture the state title.

Scarborough’s boys’ outdoor track team continued its dominance by capturing Class A for the third consecutive postseason and for the fifth time since 2016. The Red Storm’s top-end talent did much of the work, as Nick Connolly (discus and shot put) and Jayden Flaker (110 hurdles and 300 hurdles) each won a pair of individual crowns. Zach Barry (mile) and Toby Martin (pole vault) were also individual champions. Scarborough also won its sixth consecutive indoor track title in February.

2) South Portland boys’ lacrosse returns to prominence

South Portland’s boys’ lacrosse team won just twice in 2021, but the Red Riots roared back into contention this season, as second-year coach Dan Hanley got the most of his players and South Portland featured a high-scoring offense and a strong defense, backed by goalie Ben Kieu. The Red Riots made an early statement with a one-goal win over Thornton Academy and lost only to Scarborough and eventual repeat Class A champion Cape Elizabeth during a 10-2 regular season. After handling Bonny Eagle in the quarterfinals, South Portland lost at Thornton Academy, 13-9, in the semifinals, but it was a season to remember with more good things to come.

1) Cape boys repeat, but not without some stumbles

Cape Elizabeth’s boys’ lacrosse team celebrates winning its second straight Class A state title.

For the second year in a row, Cape Elizabeth’s boys’ lacrosse team celebrated a Class A state title, but this time around, the Capers really had to work for it. After truly being challenged only once in 2021, Cape Elizabeth quickly learned this spring that everyone was gunning for it, and while the Capers won their first six games to extend their two-season win streak to 22, trouble loomed. On May 11, Yarmouth came to Hannaford Field and stunned Cape Elizabeth, 18-16. If that wasn’t enough, nine days later, in Saco, the Capers let a lead slip away with a second to go, then lost in overtime to Thornton Academy, 11-10. But that second loss proved to be a wakeup call, and Cape Elizabeth, behind its unrivaled offensive balance, soon became the team everyone expected it to be from the onset, averaging over 16 goals in its final six games. The Capers avenged their loss to the Golden Trojans in the regional final, then again handled Falmouth in the state game, this time, 18-7, to ascend to the pinnacle once more.