Waynflete Flyers Spring Sports Preview

BASEBALL (co-op with North Yarmouth Academy)

Coach: Paul Grazia (10th year, 57-80 overall record)

2023 record: 14-4 (Lost, 4-3 (8 innings), to Sacopee Valley in Class C South semifinals)

Top returning players: Cole Lambert (Senior), Matthew Powers (Senior), Caden Violette (Senior), Nico Herrera (Junior), Dylan Kullman (Junior)

Pivotal games: April 22 OOB, May 1 SACOPEE VALLEY, May 6th @ Richmond, May 15 @ Old Orchard Beach, May 22 SACOPEE VALLEY

Coach’s comments: “We had a strong 2023 season and we’re excited to continue to build into 2024. We graduated eight seniors last year, but are fortunate to have another strong senior class this year led by Cole, Caden and Matthew. They will be looked upon to guide and support a talented group of underclassmen and I am confident that through their leadership, we will continue to build, grow and compete in the playoffs again. As always, pitching and defense will be a focus of our team. It will be exciting to continue to see how the team develops throughout the year as players take on new roles, compete and challenge themselves everyday. Consistency on offense and defense will be key for us. Our schedule is tough and all the teams in our conference are competitive, but I believe that we have the depth and ability to compete for another playoff spot.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Waynflete/NYA is coming off its best season as a co-op, a campaign that saw the squad fall agonizingly short of a regional final berth. While Waynflete/NYA has lost some key players to graduation, including first-team league all-stars Tanner Anctil, Cal Nice, Cooper St. Hilaire and Daxton St. Hilaire and second-team all-star Jack Byrne, the cupboard is far from bare, so look for this team to remain a contender in Class C South.

This year’s pitching staff is led by Lambert, an all-star last season after going 6-1 with a 1.73 earned run average on the mound and posting a .292 average at the plate. Herrera, Kullman, juniors Jackson Hildreth and Abie Waisman and sophomore Gus King will also see time on the mound. Powers and Violette are other key veterans who can get the job done with the bat. Waynflete/NYA is bolstered by the addition of freshmen Owen Beaumont, Camden Gardiner, Kellen Gardiner and Cael Woelflein.

Waynflete/NYA had established itself as a formidable foe and it will get every opponent’s best. It might take some time for this group to hit its stride, but another winning season and playoff run are distinctly possible.

BOYS’ LACROSSE

It was celebration time, yet again, for Waynflete’s boys’ lacrosse team after winning a third consecutive Class C state title last June. The Flyers are back for more this spring. File photos.

Coach: Andrew Leach (fourth year, 40-8 overall record, three state championships)

2023 record: 15-2 (Beat NYA, 14-6, to win third consecutive Class C state championship)

Top returning players: Nils Burton-Johanson (Senior), Nico Kirby (Senior), Spencer Kline (Senior), Paulie Mukerangingo (Senior), Fletcher Polsky (Senior), Haven Savory-Kreiss (Senior), Jacob Woodman (Senior)

Pivotal games: April 24 WELLS, April 26 YARMOUTH, May 3 MARSHWOOD, May 7 YORK, May 8 GREELY, May 10 NYA, May 16 @ Oak Hill, May 17 @ Gorham, May 24 FREEPORT

Coach’s comment: “Our goals are the same every single spring. Make it to the final weekend together and win the Sportsmanship award. We’ve been able to achieve half of those goals the last three years and we hope to once again make it to the final weekend. More importantly we want to play the game the right way, all the time, and be great stewards of this sport. This is a very special group of seniors who have achieved great things on the lacrosse field, our basketball court and our soccer field. We want to celebrate them and those many accomplishments by sending off our seniors the right way. We are a brand new team, with brand new people to the sport, and I think this group has the character to do something special this season.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Waynflete rolled to another state title a year ago, dominating rival North Yarmouth Academy with surprising ease in the final. The Flyers had to say goodbye to All-American/2023 Spring Athlete of the Year Liam Anderson, as well as all-stars Seth Cloutier, Jasper Curtis and Roan Hopkins, and have some big holes to fill in their wake, but remain loaded and have to be viewed as the team to beat yet again this spring.

Senior Nils Burton-Johanson is a four-year veteran and top returner for the Flyers.

Goals will come in abundance this season, as Kirby (Waynflete’s Winter Athlete of the Year) is back healthy in the midfield, where he is joined by Woodman, who still can lay claim to the most storied goal in program history. Both players were second-team league all-stars a year ago. Up top, Burton-Johanson and Savory-Kreiss will finish with regularity. Freshman Tommy Marston could step right in and make an impact as well. Seniors Nestor Manriquez-Verdi and Ishan Reese will get an opportunity to take faceoffs. Kline (an honorable mention all-star a season ago) will be a force to contend with at longstick middie, while Mukerangingo and Polsky (second-team all-star in 2023) are top defensemen. Senior Skiddy von Stade and sophomore Jules Kirby were vying at press time to replace Avi Israel in goal.

Waynflete rolled in its opener, downing visiting Lake Region, 16-2, as Nico Kirby returned in style with five goals. The Flyers will be tested with regularity this season, as they face some of the best teams in the state regardless of class, and of course, they’re wearing an enormous bullseye as well, but they embrace the challenge. This group knows how to win and will be difficult to dethrone.

GIRLS’ LACROSSE

Senior Tilsley Kelly is one of the state’s premier goal scorers, tickling the twine 73 times last spring. Kelly won a state title as a freshman and hopes to bow out as a champion again.

Coach: Cathie Connors (31st year, 321-99-1 overall record, 13 state championships)

2023 record: 8-8 (Lost, 11-10, in double-overtime, to NYA in Class C state quarterfinals)

Top returning players: Dahlia Bill (Senior), Morgan Earls (Senior), Piper Judy (Senior), Tilsley Kelly (Senior), Sasha Melnick (Senior), Lydia Birknes (Junior), Fallon Culley (Junior), Fiona Dolan (Junior), Skylar Harris (Junior) Leah Kramer (Junior), Lauren McNutt-Girouard (Junior)

Pivotal games: April 27 @ Greely, April 30 SCARBOROUGH, May 2 @ NYA, May 8 @ Gorham, May 14 @ Yarmouth, May 16 YORK, May 21 FREEPORT

Coach’s comment: “We are very excited to have the biggest team we have ever had. With so many returning players and wonderful new additions, everyone is motivated and psyched to pull all of our strengths together and see what we can do. This is a very supportive and fun group. I can’t wait to get going.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Waynflete saved its best for last a year ago and nearly pulled off a memorable playoff upset before being denied by reigning champion NYA in a thriller/heartbreaker. The Flyers return plenty of talent and are more experienced as well as extremely motivated this time around. That will likely spell a vintage season for the state’s most accomplished program.

Kelly is a goal-scoring machine and she’ll lead the way on offense. Last year’s Spring Athlete of the Year scored 73 goals and added 21 assists last season. Kelly, who plays attack, can score in myriad ways and will be a matchup nightmare. If you try to shut down Kelly, then Birknes (an honorable mention last year), a top midfielder, will step up and make you pay. Also in the scoring mix will be Bill, Harris and Melnick on attack and Earls, Kramer and McNutt-Girouard in the midfield. New senior Chloe Marblestone will help the cause as well, playing either midfield or attack. Birknes, Earls, Kelly and Kramer can all take draws. Waynflete is always strong on defense and that will be the case again behind Culley, Dolan and Judy. Senior Eliza Moorehead and freshman Mya Clark were in the running at press time to replace Pippa Huffard in goal.

The Flyers started in style with a 16-2 home win over Lake Region, as Kelly and Harris both scored four goals and Marblestone debuted with three. Waynflete will be tested by teams from all three classes and will use the regular season to improve and learn. Connors always gets her team to become the best version of itself by June and this time around, the Flyers won’t be satisfied with anything short of a trip to the big game. This group has what it takes to add yet another shiny piece of hardware to the school’s overstuffed trophy case.

BOYS’ TENNIS

Junior Jeff Adey hopes to lead Waynflete a mind-boggling 16th straight state title this spring.

Coach: Jeff Madore (17th year, 15 state championships)

2023 record: 13-2 (Beat Orono, 5-0, to win 15th consecutive Class C state title)

Top returning players: Basil DiBenedetto (Senior), Andrew Rogers (Senior), Max Shurman (Senior), Jeff Adey (Junior)

Coach’s comment: “We want to improve our skills and have fun.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: The Waynflete juggernaut remains the surest thing in Maine high school sports, now having won 15 consecutive Class C state titles and counting. The Flyers make it look easy, but it’s not. It takes a lot of hard work to win when everyone expects you to do so and this year’s group is primed for more glory.

Adey, DiBenedetto and Shurman were all league all-stars at doubles last year. Those three will likely step into singles roles this time around. Rogers will be at number one doubles. Seniors Ransom Leeman, Nestor Manriquez-Verdi and Sebby Ovigele, junior Luka Duzevik, sophomores Jules Kirby and Noah Stern-Rich and freshmen Asa Adams, Griffen Hissong and Silas Wellenius are all vying for spots as well.

Waynflete has a few more holes to fill this time around, but rest assured that the Flyers will figure it out and be the team to beat once again when June rolls around.

GIRLS’ TENNIS

Senior Lucy Hart, a three-sport standout, hopes to cap her sensational school year with a tennis state title.

Coach: Linda Cohen (19th year, five state championships)

2023 record: 9-6 (Lost, 3-2, to Maranacook in Class C South Final)

Top returning players: Lucy Hart (Senior), Sara Levenson (Senior), Maeve Mechtenberg (Senior), Jenny Morrill (Junior)

Coach’s comment: “I do expect us to field an experienced team as I only lost one senior last year and with the return of Vivian Rallis back from an overseas semester and Rosie Dellamattera showing strong promise, we should be able to round out the lineup.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Waynflete has come agonizingly close to winning the state title the past couple of years and this season, the Flyers hope to take that last step and bring home the hardware for the first time since 2017.

Hart, who has enjoyed a sensational senior season in both soccer and basketball (winning a state title in the former, reaching the regional final in the latter and being named Athlete of the Year in both seasons) will compete in her final campaign for Waynflete before playing soccer at Vassar College next fall. Hart was a first-team singles league all-star last spring and is a top returner. Morrill was a doubles all-star a year ago and along with Levenson and Mechtenberg are other key veterans. Seniors Juliana Frappier and Anna Rawlins, juniors Caileigh Hopkins, Sumeya Hussein, Charlie Jacobs, Chloe Kern, Luccia Moraes and Isra Muhamed and sophomores Elefe Angle and Liza Lawson also return and hope to find their way into the rotation. Senior Vivian Rallis returns to the program after a year away, freshman Rosie DellaMaterra-Christin could be a star in the making and sophomore Ava VanderSchaff and freshman Alegria Landu will all help the cause.

The Flyers will be challenged by their regular season slate and they’ll be battle tested for the playoffs. This team might just finish the job and bring home that elusive title.