January is about to give way to the championship month of February and you’d better believe that local athletes are up for the challenge.

Everything from here on out will affect playoff positioning and the ability to earn glory, so don’t miss a moment.

Here’s a glimpse of where things stand at the start of another big week:

Boys’ basketball

Falmouth’s boys’ basketball team, the two-time reigning regional champion, improved to 10-2 and second in the Class A South Heal Points standings after a 72-37 win at Brunswick last Tuesday and a pivotal 51-48 home victory over Noble Friday. Against the Dragons, Chris Simonds led the way with 19 points and Henry Stowell added 13. In the win over the Knights, which saw the Navigators lead by 14 early in the fourth period before holding on for dear life as a pair of potential Noble game-tying shots in the final seconds were off target, Stowell and Davis Mann both had 13 points, while Simonds, who overcame foul trouble, added 11.

“Defense was a big emphasis for us today,” Simonds said. “Noble was putting up between 70 and 90 points and we made it our mission to stop them on defense. We just tried to play as good defense we could that last play.”

“We didn’t really have too much preparation for this one,” said Mann. “We watched some film and understood how they ran their plays and that was about it. I think we had good ball movement.”

“Games like this make us better,” added longtime Falmouth coach Dave Halligan, after his 591st career victory. “We’ll learn from this game and we’ll be better off come tournament time. It was a little nervewrecking at the end. We got ahead by 10 or 12 and played like we were behind 10 or 12. We had to slow down and get the ball in the right people’s hands.”

The Navigators hosted Marshwood Tuesday, welcome Biddeford Thursday, go to Mt. Ararat Saturday, then play host to Kennebunk Tuesday of next week.

“I think we’re good, but we have some things to work on to get better,” Simonds said. “I think we’re talented and can go to the state game. I want it so badly. I’m super-motivated to give my team a shot to get there.”

“We have to continue to be aggressive on the offensive end,” Halligan said. “That comes with experience. Defense will keep us in games.

“I’m pleased with where we are. I think we have a lot more to give. I think we can be very good by the end of the season.”

Freeport was 11-2 and first in Class A South after downing visiting Biddeford (53-43) and Lake Region (55-40). Against the Tigers, JT Pound went off for 27 points. In the win over the Lakers, Pound had 18 points, Conner Smith finished with 11 and Connor Slocum added 10. The Falcons hosted Massabesic Tuesday, go to Kennebunk Thursday and visit Brunswick Saturday. Freeport last won a dozen games in the regular season five years ago. It last reached the 13-win plateau in 2007-08 and last won 14 regular season games way back in 1999-00.

Greely improved to 5-6 and fifth in Class A South after a 60-51 win at Cape Elizabeth Friday. Kade Ippolito had 21 points, Jackson Leding added 14 and Luca Cimino finished with 11. After hosting Brunswick Tuesday, the Rangers visit Marshwood Thursday, go to Yarmouth Saturday (see our website for game story) and welcome Gray-New Gloucester Tuesday of next week.

In Class B South, Yarmouth improved to 6-6 and sixth after Saturday’s 54-47 victory at Fryeburg Academy. In that one, Evan Hamm led the way with 18 points, while Justin Dawes added 12 and Jack Janczuk finished with 11. The Clippers, who have won five of six games, were at Poland Tuesday, host Gray-New Gloucester Thursday and Greely Saturday, then welcome Wells Tuesday of next week.

In Class C South, North Yarmouth Academy fell to 3-8 and 12th after home losses last week to Old Orchard Beach (71-50) and Monmouth Academy (59-37). Nate Oney had 34 points against the Seagulls and tallied 18 points in the loss to the Mustangs. The Panthers hosted Waynflete Tuesday, welcome St. Dom’s Thursday and Hall-Dale Saturday, then visit Traip Academy Monday of next week.

Girls’ basketball

On the girls’ side, NYA remains the top seed in Class C South after improving to 11-0 last Friday with a 42-24 home win over reigning Class C champion Old Orchard Beach, in a rematch of last year’s memorable overtime regional final. The Panthers got 22 points from Athena Gee, who almost outscored the Seagulls personally. NYA hosted Waynflete Tuesday, welcome St. Dom’s Thursday, visit Hall-Dale Saturday and go to Traip Academy Monday of next week.

In Class B South, Yarmouth was 7-6 and eighth after Saturday’s 52-43 win at Fryeburg Academy. Cate King had 16 points, Neena Panozzo added 13 and Lauren Keaney finished with 10. The Clippers hosted Freeport Tuesday, go to Greely Saturday, then welcome Wells Tuesday of next week.

In Class A South, Freeport fell to 6-7 and fifth after a 58-48 home loss to Lake Region. Maddie Cormier had 14 points, Abby Giroux added 13 and Sydney Gelhar finished with a dozen. The Falcons went to Yarmouth Tuesday, host Kennebunk Thursday and welcome reigning regional champion Brunswick Saturday.

Greely was 6-7 and sixth in the region following a 62-18 home win over Cape Elizabeth Friday, which snapped a three-game skid. Abi Livingston led the way with 17 points and Lauren Hester added 11. The Rangers went to Brunswick Tuesday, host Marshwood Thursday and welcome Yarmouth Saturday, then play at Gray-New Gloucester Tuesday of next week.

Falmouth fell to 2-8 and 10th in Class A South after a 58-23 home loss to Brunswick last week. Maddy Christman led the Navigators with 10 points. After going to Marshwood Tuesday, Falmouth hosts Windham in a makeup game Friday (see our website for game story), welcomes Mt. Ararat Saturday, then goes to Kennebunk Tuesday of next week.

Boys’ hockey

The Cheverus/Yarmouth co-op boys’ hockey team was 6-2 after a 5-2 loss at York Saturday and a 6-1 win over Cape Elizabeth in a game played Monday at the Cross Insurance Arena. In the victory, Quinn McCoy scored two goals, while Andrew Cheever, Owen Cheever, Matthew Paradis and Owen Walsh added a goal apiece. The Capers scored early, but the next six goals went to Cheverus/Yarmouth.

“We just shook (the first goal) off,” McCoy said. “It was just a bad bounce, nothing we could do about it. We didn’t hang our head, we just played our game.”

“We all went into this wanting to win and wanting to not let up, especially in this barn,” Andrew Cheever said. “We knew it was going to be a fun game. We had a fire in our belly. It was great to go out and beat those guys. We know who they are. It’s a great feeling to know we can trust everybody on the team. Every forward, every D. Everyone goes out and contributes and has each other’s back. We’ve developed a lot as a team. Our depth really helps.”

“We’ve been blessed with scoring up and down the lineup this year,” added Cheverus/Yarmouth coach Dave St. Pierre. “It’s a hallmark of our program. We have a lot of guys contributing which makes us more difficult to defend. It was a great product of puck movement tonight.”

Cheverus/Yarmouth, ranked third in the Class B South Heals, welcomes Thornton Academy Thursday, plays at Edward Little Saturday and visits Gorham Tuesday of next week.

“We just have to keep playing our game and improving where we can,” McCoy said. “Good things happen when we put pucks on net.”

“I’m cautiously optimistic,” said St. Pierre. “We’ve got tremendous leadership. Our four captains, Ian (O’Connor), David (Swift), Lucas (Soutuyo) and Andrew, have done a phenomenal job. They’ve bought into everything we’re trying to do and carried the cultural element we’ve built and carried it forward. They deserve a lot of credit for their leadership and the boys have responded well to it. It’s a great locker room. We have great chemistry. Now we have to put the hockey with that.

“We have the pieces to make a run. The league is tough. We won’t take anything for granted. I like what we have, but we have to continue to improve. TA will be a test. It will show us where we’re good and where we’re not so good.”

Greely was 8-2 and second in Class B South after Saturday’s 5-1 win at reigning Class B champion Cape Elizabeth. Lucas Martin scored three goals and Sean Allen added a pair. The Rangers see the Capers again Thursday, this time at home, then welcome Mt. Ararat Saturday.

In Class A, Falmouth was 8-5 and second overall after a 5-0 home win over Scarborough Saturday and a 5-1 victory at Fryeburg Monday. The Navigators are idle until Feb. 7, when they go to Bangor.

Girls’ hockey

On the girls’ side, Yarmouth/Freeport was 10-3 and first in the North Region following Saturday’s 4-2 home win over Winslow. After going to Penobscot in a game critical for postseason seeding Tuesday, Yarmouth/Freeport visits Mt. Ararat Thursday, welcomes Edward Little Saturday and plays host to Penobscot Tuesday of next week.

In the South Region, Falmouth/Scarborough was 6-6 and fourth after a 5-0 home over Greely last week. After hosting Biddeford Wednesday, Falmouth/Scarborough plays host to Brunswick Saturday and goes to Gorham Monday of next week.

Greely fell to 1-13-1 and sixth in the South following a 5-0 loss at Falmouth/Scarborough and a 5-1 setback at Biddeford. The Rangers visit Lewiston Saturday.

Indoor track

On the track, Greely’s boys and girls swept a 13-team Western Maine Conference meet Saturday at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham. The NYA girls were ninth and the boys placed 10th.

Freeport’s boys and girls were both second to York. Yarmouth’s girls finished third and the boys placed fifth.

Falmouth took on Gorham, Scarborough and Windham in an SMAA meet. The Red Storm boys and girls both came in first. The Navigators girls placed third and the boys were fourth.

Skiing

Yarmouth’s boys were third behind Mt. Blue and Portland at Saturday’s Maranacook Waves Nordic race at Titcomb Mountain. Greely placed fifth, as Ben Wall had the second-best individual time (11 minutes, 52.7 seconds).

In the girls’ meet, won by Mt. Blue, Greely was runner-up, as Sylvia Harvey had the second-best time (13:35.7) and Yarmouth finished third.

On the Alpine side, Falmouth competed in an eight-team slalom meet last week at Pleasant Mountain. The Navigators girls were first, as Riley Davis was second individually with a two-run combined time of 1 minute, 35.6 seconds. The boys also came in first as a team. Ian Christie was the second-best individual (1:36.43).

Yarmouth’s girls beat Fryeburg Academy, Traip Academy and York. Brooke Boone was the top individual (1:07.09). The boys were also first, as Tyler Moore was the fastest individual (1:05.01).

Freeport’s boys and girls were each first at a seven-team giant slalom meet. The girls were paced by Luciana Bourgeois (third, 1:09.22). The boys were led by Ansel Goode, who was first in 1:04.47. Greely’s girls finished second as a team. Whitney Bond was seventh individually (1:12.62). The boys placed fourth and were paced by Benjamin McCarron (sixth, 1:09.78).

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. For game updates and links to game stories, follow him on Threads: @foresports2023

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