ZACH JOHNSTON, Senior – Baseball

• Winkin Award finalist
• Prep Baseball Rating Maine Player of the Year
• Maine Gatorade Player of the Year finalist
• Perfect Game Preseason All-American
• Class B co-Pitcher of the Year
• WMC all-star, first-team

 

“Greely baseball goes back to at least 1885, and I’d say Zach had the single greatest season any pitcher has ever had and we’ve had a lot of great pitchers, including some guys who pitched at the Division I level,” said Greely coach Derek Soule.

Johnston marveled this spring, in historic fashion, even amid the pressure of having all eyes upon him, as he said farewell to Greely with a season for the ages.

Johnston didn’t pitch a varsity inning as a freshman or a sophomore, but his size and skill earned plenty of attention from big-time colleges before he ever took the mound as a junior.

In 2021, Johnston helped Greely reach the Class B South Final by going 5-2 with an 0.66 ERA. Johnston walked just nine batters and struck out 85.

As hard as it is to believe, he was even more sensational this spring, as he committed prior to the season to attending Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Johnston, a 6-foot-5 lefthanded power pitcher, started 10 games and won all of them, tying Sam Stauber (2009) for the most prolific pitching season in Greely history. In 60 innings of work, he gave up just three runs and they were all unearned, meaning his ERA was 0.00 (a program record). He walked 10 and struck out 119 (a program record), essentially fanning two batters every inning, helped the Rangers set a school record of seven consecutive shutouts and, doing most of the work along with teammate Ryan Kolben, helped the team establish a mindboggling record of 54 straight scoreless innings.

“Zach’s path wasn’t easy,” Soule said. “He got shutdown as a freshman because he was growing too fast, then he lost his sophomore season to COVID. His development has been remarkable. He barely touched 75 (miles per hour) as a freshman, but this year, when the weather was warm, he would throw 91 or 92. You don’t see that type of growth, but it’s due to his year-round commitment and work ethic. It was exciting having as many as six (Major League) teams represented at games he pitched.”

Johnston was formidable at the plate as well, hitting .300 with a couple home runs and 10 runs batted in.

Johnston began the season with a five-inning no-hitter against Fryeburg Academy, as he fanned 11 and only two hit batsmen prevented him from a perfect game (for the time being). Other highlights included a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts as well as a home run and two singles in a win over Wells; two hits in a victory over Poland, a two-hit shutout in a win over Edward Little; nine strikeouts in five shutout innings in a victory over Cape Elizabeth; 15 strikeouts in a win over York, where Johnston also scored the go-ahead run; a 14-K shutout effort in a victory over Yarmouth, which avenged the Rangers’ lone regular season setback; a perfect game (with 16 strikeouts) versus Lake Region; and a one-hitter with 14Ks, plus a three-run homer, in a regular season-ending victory over Freeport.

Johnston threw five perfect innings and fanned 11 in a preliminary round win over Lincoln Academy, then he had a triple in a quarterfinal round victory over Medomak Valley and threw a two-hitter with 12 Ks in a semifinal round win over Cape Elizabeth. Greely was upset by Freeport in the regional final, as Johnston didn’t pitch. He did make the last out of the game, as his deep fly ball to center initially provided hope but, ultimately, was caught deep in the outfield at Ed Flaherty Field at the University of Southern Maine.

Johnston finished with over 200 career strikeouts, which is also a program-high.

While his team’s season ended just short of its ultimate goal, Zach Johnston, Greely’s Spring Athlete of the Year, had much to be proud of. In fact, his performance was arguably the greatest high school campaign on record and best of all, his future is limitless.

Coach Derek Soule’s comment: “It was quite a luxury to hand the ball to a pitcher who would throw a shutout every game. I really admire how Zach handled all the pressure. We and he had a bull’s eye all year long and he went out and just dominated other teams.”

Previous winners:

• 2021 Brady Nolin (baseball)
• 2020 No season
• 2019 Jackson Williams (lacrosse)
• 2018 Will Neleski (baseball)
• 2017 Ryan Twitchell (baseball)
• 2016 Ryan Twitchell (baseball)
• 2015 Will Bryant (baseball)
• 2014 Connor Russell (baseball)
• 2013 Bailey Train (baseball)
• 2012 Jonah Normandeau (baseball)
• 2011 Mike Leeman (baseball)
• 2010 Mark McCauley (track)
• 2009 Sam Stauber (baseball)
• 2008 Eric Thompson (lacrosse)
• 2007 Caleb Jordan (baseball)
• 2006 Sam Green (baseball)
• 2005 Chris Martin (baseball)
• 2004 Ben True (track)
• 2003 Ryan Copp (baseball)
• 2002 Brent Lemieux (baseball)

CARLEY FERENTZ, Senior – Lacrosse

• WMC All-Conference, first-team
• WMC All-Academic team
• Captain

 

Being the only senior on a team with championship aspirations can be stressful, but it wasn’t for Carley Ferentz. She reveled in the role of “elder stateman” on a Rangers squad that indeed proved to be the best in all of Class B, winning a championship for the first time in the Maine Principals’ Association-sanctioned era.

Ferentz, who swung up to the varsity team late in her freshman season, then missed her entire sophomore campaign due to COVID, emerged as a top talent as a junior during an honorable mention league all-star season, helping Greely get to the Class B state final, which it lost to Yarmouth. The Clippers moved up Class A this season and the Rangers inherited the favorite’s role and they wore the bull’s eye well, losing just twice in a magical season.

Ferentz scored a team-high 48 goals and added a team-high 27 assists to help pace a balanced and potent attack. She also led the team in ground balls (36) and caused turnovers (24).

Highlights included four goals in a victory over Gray-New Gloucester/Poland, five goals in a win over eventual Class C champion North Yarmouth Academy, three goals in a victory over Freeport, two goals in Greely’s first win over Yarmouth in 17 seasons, five goals in a victory over Messalonskee, four in a win over Fryeburg Academy, three goals in a second win over Gray-New Gloucester/Poland and five more in a regular season-ending victory over York, where the Rangers avenged a previous loss.

In the playoffs, Ferentz scored three goals and assisted on another as Greely beat Cony in the state semifinals, then she tallied two goals and added two assists as the Rangers downed York to reach the pinnacle.

“It really means everything,” Ferentz said. “Knowing what it’s like to lose (at states), no one wanted to experience that again. Everyone believed we could pull it out.”

For her career, Ferentz had 74 goals and 37 assists.

Ferentz plans to attend Colgate University next year.

Carley Ferentz, Greely’s Spring Athlete of the Year, was a big sister, big scorer and a coach’s dream. You can also call her a champion and a player who won’t soon be forgotten.

Coach Becca Koelker’s comment: “Carley is a role model for all, in the classroom and on the field, becoming one of the most impactful attackers our program has seen. It did not come without countless hours in the offseason to hone her skills and become stronger. She not only scored goals for us, earning 100 career points in her final regular season game, but she led our team with selfless play in setting up others with assists and causing turnovers on the ride. She used her abilities to uplift those around her and show them a new way of playing the game with honed skills. As the only senior and the only senior captain this season, she led our team by example with a strong work ethic and steady voice and along the way made history for our program. Words her teammates used to describe her included: courageous, strong, determined, supportive, inspiring, compassionate, confident and creative. Although she leaves big shoes to fill, she has inspired her teammates and youth to fill those shoes and change the way Greely lacrosse is played. She is our (Boston College star) ‘Charlotte North.’”

Previous winners:

• 2021 Sam Goldburg (lacrosse)
• 2020 No season
• 2019 Marin Provencher (track)
• 2018 Kelsey Currier (softball)
• 2017 Kathryn Paré (tennis)
• 2016 Kelsey Currier (softball)
• 2015 Alyssa Coyne (track)
• 2014 Kirstin Sandreuter (track)
• 2013 Danielle Cimino (softball)
• 2012 Audrey Parolin (lacrosse)
• 2011 Katherine Harrington (track)
• 2010 Marika Stayte (softball)
• 2009 Liza LePage (track)
• 2008 Kate Otley (lacrosse)
• 2007 Becky O’Brien (track)
• 2006 Lauren Kinney (tennis)
• 2005 Molly Hamel (lacrosse)
• 2004 Kate Mason (track)
• 2003 Sara Dimick (lacrosse)
• 2002 Sarah Bennis (softball)

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

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