The calendar is flipping from May to June and the means the most anticipated part of the spring sports season, the playoffs, is here.

Tennis and track have already kicked things off and at press time, the baseball, softball and boys’ and girls’ lacrosse campaigns were coming to an end as well.

There’s a lot happening and here’s an overview:

Tennis

Falmouth’s boys’ tennis team, featuring individual state champion Xander Barber, completed a 12-0 regular season last week with a 3-2 win at Deering. The Navigators are the top seed for the Class A South tournament and hosted No. 8 Deering (8-5) in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

In Class B South, three-time reigning state champion Yarmouth also wound up 12-0 after a 4-1 win over Cape Elizabeth in its finale last week. The Clippers, ranked first in the region, hosted No. 8 York (5-7) in Tuesday’s quarterfinal round.

Greely, the No. 6 seed at 6-6, was at No. 3 Medomak Valley (8-4) in its quarterfinal Tuesday.

Freeport finished 1-11 this season and didn’t qualify for the playoffs.

In Class C South, North Yarmouth Academy finished 4-8 and seventh, but only six teams qualified for the tournament.

On the girls’ side, Falmouth is the top seed after a 12-0 regular season. The Navigators hosted No. 8 Marshwood (5-7) in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

In Class B South, Greely enjoyed a perfect 12-0 regular season and earned the top seed. The Rangers hosted No. 8 Morse (5-7) in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

Yarmouth, seeded fourth after an 8-4 campaign, hosted No. 5 Cony (9-3) in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

Freeport, which went 1-11, did not qualify for the playoffs.

In Class C South, NYA (5-7) finished seventh and was at No. 2 Winthrop (9-1) in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

Looking ahead, the semifinal round for both the boys and girls is Friday on the courts of the higher seeds. The regional final round is scheduled for Monday of next week at Bates College in Lewiston. The state matches will be held Wednesday, June 7, also, in Lewiston.

Track

The Southwestern Maine Activities Association and Western Maine Conference both held their league championship outdoor track meets last week.

At the SMAA meet in Gorham, Falmouth tallied 84 points and finished second to Bonny Eagle (98). The Navigators got first-place finishes from Kaleb Barrett in the triple jump (42 feet, 00.25 inches), George Klatsky in the javelin (166-5) and their 4×400 relay team (3 minutes, 24.15 seconds).

Falmouth’s girls had 55 points and finished fourth (Scarborough was first with 116). Ruby Prentiss won the discus (119-2). The Navigators’ 4×800 relay team was also first (10:04.13).

In the WMC meet at Naples, Greely’s boys rolled to the Division I title with 179.5 points.  The Rangers got wins from Samuel Kim in the 200 (23.55 seconds), Jonah Guiboard in the 110 hurdles (15.5) and 300 hurdles (42.81), Thomas Leggat-Barr in the racewalk (8:10.67), Alexander Mendoza in the triple jump (40-8.25) and their 4×400 relay team 3:39.84).

Freeport (82) came in third. The Falcons got a first-place showing from their 4×800 relay team (8:15.27).

Yarmouth (77) was fourth. Clippers’ event winners included Harry Dougherty in the 100 (11.18), Ethan Hoffman in the 400 (52.63), Colby Ting in the pole vault (12-0) and their 4×100 relay team (44.41).

Greely’s girls had 111 points and came in second to York (141). Lia Traficonte won the triple jump (33-3.25).

Freeport (107) came in third. Luciana Burgeois was first in the 300 hurdles (49.57), Kessa Benner won the pole vault (8-0), Avery Baker-Schlendering was tops in the high jump (5-2) and the 4×400 relay team also won (4:21.68).

Yarmouth (65) finished fifth. Abby Noble won the 100 (12.9) and 200 (27.28). The Clippers’ 4×100 relay team was first in 52.87.

In the WMC Division II girls’ meet, NYA took the top spot with 153 points. The Panthers got wins from Graca Bila in the 300 hurdles (49.25),  Rahel Delaney in the 800 (2:36.23) and racewalk (8:30.3), Cass MacCarthy in the javelin (95-6), Sarah Moore in the long jump (18-2.75), high jump (5-4) and triple jump (35-6.5) and their 4×400 relay team (4:41.28).

In the boys’ competition, NYA (29.5) came in seventh. Sacopee was first with 150.5 points.

The Class A state meet is Saturday in Topsham. Class B will be contested in Freeport. The Class C state meet is in Augusta.

Baseball

Falmouth’s baseball team was closing in on the top seed in Class A South at press time. Last week, the Navigators extended their win streak to 13 games by edging visiting Marshwood (2-1) and downing visiting Cheverus (11-3). Against the Hawks, Brennan Rumpf threw a three-hitter, striking out nine, and also had two hits, as did Tyler Simmons, while Mitch Ham hit a sacrifice fly and the winning run scored on an error. In the victory over the Stags, Falmouth stole 13 bases, Ethan Hendry scored four runs and Simmons had three hits.

“We knew we could go on any pitch,” said Hendry, who had four steals. “We didn’t really get held on. It felt good to run like that.”

“What I was impressed with was that we answered,” said Falmouth coach Mike D’Andrea. “They scored, then we scored. It wasn’t our best baseball today, but we strive to be solid defensively and a sign of a good team is when you’re not playing well, you still find a way to win and we did that, so I’m happy.”

After playing at Gorham Tuesday, the Navigators close at Deering Wednesday.

“I’m pleased with how we’re moving along at 13 in a row, but I’m very aware we could run into the wrong team on the wrong day, the wrong inning, the wrong call,” D’Andrea said. “I’ve been coaching awhile and I’ve seen more parity this year than ever. We’re trying to stay mentally tough. If we do, we’ll be a tough team to beat.

In Class B South, Yarmouth entered Tuesday’s regular season-ending showdown at Cape Elizabeth (see our website for game story) ranked second behind the Capers. Last week, the Clippers had their nine-game win streak snapped with losses at Class A North power Oxford Hills (11-0, in five-innings) and Wells (5-1), then improved to 11-4 with a 4-2 home victory over Greely. Stevie Walsh had an RBI single against the Warriors and earned the victory against the Rangers, as Yarmouth swept a season series from Greely for the first time since 2010. Jonny Cody added three RBI and Andrew Cheever earned the save.

Reigning regional champion Freeport was 8-7 and fifth in Class B South after a 12-6 home win over Gray-New Gloucester and a 7-0 home loss to Wells. In the victory, Ben Bolduc had two hits and three RBI, Gus Hollen added three hits and two RBI, Will Maneikis finished with two hits and two RBI and Zane Aguiar and Harry Walker also drove in a pair of runs. The Falcons closed the regular season at Greely Tuesday.

Speaking of the Rangers, they were 8-7 and ninth in Class B South at press time following a 4-2 loss at Yarmouth and an 8-1 win at Fryeburg Academy. Sam Almy, Alex Gamache and Wyatt Soucie all had two hits against the Clippers. In the victory, Keeler Vogt earned the win, Gabe Axelsen had three hits and two RBI and Soucie had two hits, scored twice and drove in four. The Rangers finish the regular season at home Tuesday versus Freeport.

Waynflete/NYA was 13-2 and fourth in Class C South entering Tuesday’s regular season finale at top-ranked, undefeated Sacopee Valley. Last week, Waynflete/NYA beat visiting Old Orchard Beach (12-2, in five-innings) and lost at Richmond (5-1). In the win, Cal Nice had a career game with two home runs and seven RBI, while Lincoln Smith and Daxton St. Hilaire each added a pair of hits. In the setback, Jack Byrnes had a pair of hits.

The baseball playoffs begin Tuesday of next week with the preliminary round. The quarterfinals are next Thursday. Those games will be contested on the fields of the higher seeds.

Softball

NYA’s softball team, which returned to varsity status this spring, is poised to be the No. 1 seed in Class D South. Last week, the Panthers improved to 14-1 after five-inning wins at Richmond (10-0) and at home over Traip Academy (20-1). Against the Bobcats, Lily Rawnsley threw a one-hitter, Sadie Morgan drove in four runs and Elizabeth Madden had two RBI. In the win over the Rangers, Morgan had three RBI, Cami Casserly had three hits and drove in a pair, Brooklyn Goodman had two hits and two RBI and Michala Wallace added two hits. NYA closed the regular season at Sacopee Valley Tuesday.

In Class B South, Greely was 5-10 and ninth (11 teams make the playoffs) following an 11-0 (five-inning) loss at Fryeburg Academy and an 11-1 (five-inning) victory at Yarmouth. Against the Raiders, Avery Butler, Katie Wallace and Maia Wright all had two hits. In the win, Wright doubled, homered and drove in three runs, while Sophie Smith had two hits and three RBI. The Rangers finished the regular season at Freeport Tuesday.

Yarmouth was 6-9 and 12th in the region following a 23-2 (five-inning) loss at Oxford Hills, an 18-13 win at Wells and an 11-1 (five-inning) home loss to Greely. Julia Lawwill and Cat Rich both had two hits against the Vikings. In the victory, Brown drove in four runs, while Rich and Sally McGrath had three RBI apiece to help erase an early 9-1 deficit. Leah Muentener had two hits against the Rangers. The Clippers closed at Cape Elizabeth Tuesday.

Freeport fell to 3-12 and 14th in Class B South after an 11-10 home win over Gray-New Gloucester and a 14-2 (five-inning) home loss to Wells. In the victory, Norah Albertini had four hits, scored four runs and drove in two, Vanessa St. Pierre had five RBI and Sadie Todd drove in two runs. The Falcons finished up at home versus Greely Tuesday.

In Class A South, Falmouth fell to 0-15 and 15th in the region following five-inning losses last week to visiting Windham (22-0) and host Thornton Academy (21-6). Ava Walker had the lone hit against the Eagles. In the loss to the Golden Trojans, Eve Chace had two hits and drove in two runs. The Navigators closed at Deering Tuesday, hoping to snap a 32-game losing streak.

The softball playoffs begin Tuesday of next week with the preliminary round. The quarterfinals are next Thursday. Those games will be contested on the fields of the higher seeds.

Boys’ lacrosse

Falmouth’s boys’ lacrosse team appears locked into the second spot in the state-wide Class A Heals after improving to 11-2 with wins at Westbrook (12-0) and Cheverus (20-1) last week. Against the Blue Blazes, Ty Garlock led the way with three goals. In the win over the Stags, Hayden Davis scored five goals, Garlock and Gio Guerrette each added four and Cyrus Boothby finished with three.The Navigators finish the regular season at home Wednesday versus Scarborough.

In Class B, Yarmouth was 9-4 and fourth following a 14-10 win over Greely and a 10-8 home setback to two-time reigning Class C champion Waynflete. In the victory, Colter Olson and Aksel Yeo scored four goals apiece while Colton McCann added three goals. The Clippers rallied with nine second half goals.

“We know we can’t take any team lightly,” said Yeo. “We got down and we didn’t think we were going to, but we came back.”

“Faceoffs were huge in the fourth quarter,” said Olson. “It was all (seniors Jaxson Dauphinee and Ethan St. Pierre). We can’t score if we don’t have the ball.”

“We’ve had a few games this year where we started slow and it was a tight game, so it was good to have that coming into this game,” added Yarmouth coach Jon Miller. “Greely played really well in the first half. We figured out our clear. Greely was riding us really hard in the first half, just locking our middies off and outworking us. The guys responded well in the second half and took care of business and I give all the credit to them.”

In the loss, Killian Marsh had three goals and McCann added a pair. The Clippers hoped to win their finale at NYA Tuesday and move up in the standings.

“I feel like we’re ready to make a run,” Miller said. “We know what we need to do. It’s just a matter of executing it. The expectation is to go all the way.”

Greely was 6-7 and seventh in Class B heading into Wednesday’s finale at two-time defending Class A champion Cape Elizabeth. Last week, the Rangers lost to Yarmouth (14-10) and defeated visiting Gardiner (10-5). Against the Clippers, Lukas Cook had two goals and four assists and Ben Hanson, Matt Kennedy and Angus Perry also scored twice.

“We have our ups and downs and that’s part of being a growing team,” Greely coach Mike Storey lamented. “It’s exciting and frustrating at the same time. We know we can compete with anybody, but we haven’t put a full 48 minutes together. I don’t think there’s a huge gap between us (and Yarmouth). We just can’t take a quarter off.

In Class C, NYA moved up to third at 9-3 following wins at Fryeburg Academy (16-4) and at home over Freeport (11-4) last week. Against the Raiders, Brayden Warde had five goals and James Provencher-Brogan added four. In the win over the Falcons, Warde had two goals and five assists and Liam Street added three goals. The Panthers hosted Yarmouth Tuesday and close the regular season at Waynflete Friday in a rematch of last year’s epic double-overtime state final (see our website for game story).

Freeport was 5-8 and eighth after a 15-4 home win over Gray-New Gloucester and an 11-4 loss at NYA. The Falcons close at Fryeburg Academy Wednesday.

The boys’ lacrosse playoffs begin next week on the fields of the higher seeds.

Girls’ lacrosse

On the girls’ side, Greely, the reigning Class B champion, closed with a 10-3 victory at York Friday to finish an exceptional regular season with a record of 12-2. Lauren Dennen led the way with three goals and Jenny Medrano and Allie Read added two apiece. The Rangers will be either be first or second in Class B for the tournament.

In Class A, Falmouth will be the No. 2 seed behind two-time reigning state champion Kennebunk. Last week, the Navigators improved to 12-1 and made it 12 straight victories by defeating visiting Massabesic (20-6) and Thornton Academy (16-7). Against the Mustangs, Lucy Taylor scored seven goals, Sloane Ginevan added five and Maisy Clement finished with four. In the win over the Golden Trojans, Taylor led the way with five goals, while Ginevan had four and Peaches Stucker three. Falmouth closed at Portland Tuesday.

Yarmouth was 9-4 and third in Class A entering Tuesday’s regular season finale at home versus Lake Region. Friday, the Clippers won at Cape Elizabeth, 16-6. Neena Panozzo had five goals, Brooke Boone added four and Aine Powers had three.

In Class C, Freeport and defending champion NYA will be the top two teams for the playoffs.

The top-ranked Falcons took a seven-game win streak and an 11-1 mark into Tuesday’s home tilt versus Cape Elizabeth. Freeport finishes at home versus Scarborough Thursday (see our website for game story).

NYA was second at 8-5 following a 16-1 win at Traip Academy and an 11-8 home victory over Wells in a state game rematch. Against the Rangers, Harper Fremont-Smith scored six goals while Vy Tran added four goals and six assists. In the win over the Warriors, Tran led the way with five goals and four assists.

The girls’ lacrosse playoffs begin next week on the fields of the higher seeds.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.

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