FOOTBALL

Coach: Nick Orsi (first year)

2023 record: 6-2 (Lost, 48-46, to Brunswick in eight-man large school South semifinals)

Top returning players: Cam Boone (Senior), Malyk Cofer (Senior), Wyatt Gawtry (Senior), Brayden Kloza (Junior), Adam Pelotte (Junior)

Pivotal games: Sept. 27 GREELY, Oct. 5 @ Old Orchard Beach, Oct. 11 @ Waterville, Oct. 25 @ Mt. Ararat

Coach’s comment: “We’ve had a good start to the season. We have 32 guys, the most we’ve had in years. We’ve attracted some new kids to the program. We’ll be more of an ‘Air Raid’ offense this year, throwing the ball more than we have in years. We have a ton of offensive weapons. I think the league will be wide open. We’re excited to get on the field. I think we’ll have a really good season.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Yarmouth’s quest for a repeat championship last fall was dashed with an upset loss in the semifinals. The Clippers then graduated star quarterback Sam Bradford and workhorse Michael McGonagle, the eight-man South region Player of the Year. Following last season, longtime coach Jim Hartman retired and he has been replaced by Orsi, who was an assistant with the Clippers for two years before spending last season with the Brunswick team which ended Yarmouth’s reign. He takes over a team that will have a very different look this fall, but one that is capable of going all the way.

While the Clippers were a three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offense under Hartman, Orsi is ready to implement a passing attack that will be difficult to contend with. Sophomore Iggy McGrath and freshmen Jack Flanagan were battling at press time to replace Bradford under center. Gawtry could be the quarterbacks’ biggest weapon. The 6-foor-3, 215-pound all-star can play receiver or tight end and can fly. The captain is poised to become a star. Boone, who has blazing speed, and Pelotte (a second-team all-star last season) are other options through the air. Cofer will be the lead running back. Kloza, who stands 6-4, 260, returns as the anchor on the line. He was an all-star a year ago. Yarmouth will score a lot of points and wear down the opposition.

Defensively, Kloza will be a mountain on the line. He’s joined by Cofer (a second-team all-star last year). Boone (another second-teamer) is a top linebacker and Pelotte sets the tone in the secondary.

Yarmouth will look to serve up some revenge against the likes of Greely and Brunswick and will get tests from several other top teams in the weeks to come. This group is poised to soar out of the gate and if the Clippers can stay healthy, they’re going to play deep into November.

BOYS’ SOCCER

Coach: Justin Morrill (first year)

2023 record: 16-2 (Beat John Bapst, 7-0, to win fourth consecutive Class B state title)

Top returning players: Luis Cardoso (Senior), Zacarias Binda (Senior), Gideon Ahrens (Junior), George Brown (Junior)

Pivotal games: Sept. 5 @ Greely, Sept. 13 @ Brunswick, Sept. 17 YORK, Sept. 19 CAPE ELIZABETH, Sept. 24 GREELY, Oct. 1 @ Freeport, Oct. 10 MT. ARARAT, Oct. 14 FREEPORT, Oct. 19 @ York, Oct. 22 @ Cape Elizabeth

Coach’s comment: “I know the kids and I’m a familiar face, so it’s more or less business as usual. We graduated 16 seniors, but we have large junior and sophomore classes, so we have kids ready to fill holes. They got some time a year ago. We have to have a lot of focus and the kids have to come out to compete. We have the bulls-eye, but the pressure’s a privilege. I like our potential. The kids are hungry and they want to win just like all the other classes that came before them.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: There’s been a changing of the guard with the Yarmouth Soccer Dynasty. After 27 transcendent seasons, featuring 344 victories and 13 state titles, including eight of the past nine Gold Balls, Mike Hagerty stepped down in the offseason. The Clippers stayed in-house, hiring Morrill, a one-time program hero (he scored the winning goal late in the 2004 Class B state game) and longtime assistant to replace Hagerty and while graduation took a huge chunk of last year’s production, the cupboard isn’t bare. Not even close, and while it will take some time for newer players to get up to speed, Yarmouth has to be considered one of the title favorites once more.

The Clippers’ strength will be the midfield, as Ahrens, a second-team league all-star last fall, could be the next big thing and he’s joined by scoring threats Binda and Cardoso. Brown will also see some time there, as will new senior Owen Advani. Senior Marcelino Mulumbu and junior Nate Buchanan will be matchup nightmares up top. Yarmouth’s always solid in the back and while there’s some inexperience in that unit, there’s also a lot of promise. Brown will see time on defense and will be joined by seniors Ward Jenkins, Will LeBlanc and Bobby Wolff. Senior Will Raymond, the backup in 2023, steps into the goalkeeper role.

Yarmouth doesn’t get to ease into its schedule, as it opens at rival Greely, the team that handed the Clippers a setback in last year’s first game. Yarmouth is playing the long game, knowing that what happens in early September is relatively meaningless by the time we get to the short days of late October and the chill air of November. There will be a learning curve for this group, both for the coaching staff and the players, but no program raises the bar for the postseason like this one and that theme should continue, even with new faces in new places. Only one boys’ team has ever won five straight championships, Bangor Christian in Class D from 2009-13. The Clippers hope to ascend to that rarified air and keep the good times rolling.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

Coach: Andy Higgins (sixth year, 65-12-3 overall record, two state championships)

2023 record: 16-1-1 (Beat Ellsworth, 2-0, to win second consecutive Class B state title)

Top returning players: Taylor Oranellas (Senior), Eleanor Ting (Senior)

Pivotal games: Sept. 5 @ Greely, Sept. 13 BRUNSWICK, Sept. 17 YORK, Sept. 19 Cape Elizabeth, Sept. 21 @ Wells, Sept. 24 GREELY, Sept. 26 @ Waynflete, Oct. 1 FREEPORT, Oct. 8 NYA, Oct. 10 @ Mt. Ararat, Oct. 15 @ Freeport, Oct. 19 @ York, Oct. 22 CAPE ELIZABETH

Coach’s comment: “We graduated 17, including nine starters. It’s a very different team this year, but the kids are really competing hard. The kids are pushing each other and we’re finding this groups’ strengths. We have depth and versatility all over the field. It’ll be interesting. There will be some bumps in the road, but we’ll persevere, have fun, stay positive, keep growing and learn from our challenges. It’s a tough league all-around. All the teams we play made the playoffs last year. The goal is to get better every day and hopefully peak at the right time.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Yarmouth was sensational a year ago, shaking off an Opening Day loss to Greely by going 16-0-1 the rest of the way, holding off rival Cape Elizabeth in the regional final, then blanking Ellsworth for another Gold Ball. The Clippers were decimated by graduation, as a superb group, including irreplaceable goalkeeper Regan Sullivan, all-star big-game goal scorer Aine Powers, Class B South all-region selection Kadin Davorin, state game goal scorer Brooke Boone and many others, have departed. Yarmouth’s returning crew and many new faces now take their turn vying for glory and their quest will be fascinating to watch.

Oranellas made the All-Conference and Class B South all-region teams a year ago and will be the engine that makes this year’s team go. Oranellas can create in the midfield and finish up top. Ting, a poised defender, is the other veteran. Several other players are eager to step into bigger roles and help the cause. Up top, senior Ali Miller, juniors Tess LaBrecque and Abby Noble and sophomore Lilah Pernal will be scoring threats. Junior Keira Cowans and sophomore Rory Tompkins join Oranellas in the midfield. Seniors Paige Brewer and Julia Brown and sophomore Ella Huckel-Bauer support Ting in the back. Replacing Sullivan in goal won’t be easy. She was truly one of a kind. Junior Linnaea Herring and sophomore Marian Pitney were vying to take over at press time.

Yarmouth has its share of question marks, but the opposition won’t allow the Clippers to figure things out at their leisure. Yarmouth opens at Greely again and there isn’t much of a let-up in the schedule from start to finish. There will be some speed bumps along the way, but the Clippers are accustomed to being the last team standing. Cape Elizabeth and Greely might believe their time is now, but rest assured, Yarmouth will have something to say about that by season’s end.

FIELD HOCKEY

Coach: Breanna Morrill (second year)

2023 results: 14-2-1 (Lost, 2-1, in double-overtime, to eventual champion Freeport in Class B South Final)

Top returning players: Harper Featherstone (Senior), Zoe Sammon (Senior), Sally McGrath (Junior), Madison Wiles (Junior), Celia Zinman (Junior), Erica O’Connor (Sophomore)

Pivotal games: Sept. 5 FREEPORT, Sept. 14 @ Spruce Mountain, Sept. 19 @ Greely, Oct. 7 @ Cape Elizabeth, Oct. 9 YORK, Oct. 12 EDWARD LITTLE

Coach’s comment: “We are excited to see what this group of girls can do. The girls have worked hard during preseason and had a great showing at our Yarmouth play day, We hope to come out strong similar to last year and hope to have a great playoff run.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Yarmouth enjoyed a transcendent season a year ago, but it ended in heartbreak in a game for the ages against the eventual champions. While the loss of Sophie Smith, the league’s most outstanding player and an all-state selection, will certainly be felt, the Clippers return several hungry players and have some key additions as well.

Zinman has shown a penchant for scoring big goal at the optimal time (in field hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse) and she’ll be a top player to watch on the offense (Zinman had 10 goals and 10 assists last fall). Other players more than capable of rattling the cage include McGrath, O’Connor (7 goals last year), Wiles, junior Celia Smith and a promising freshman by the name of Maya Nasveschuk. Featherstone and Sammon are veterans on defense. Junior Emma Shannon, who saw limited time last season, will be the goalie. Freshman Stella Murdoch will also get an opportunity in the cage. Junior Erin O’Connor and freshman Gianna LaBella are other newcomers to keep an eye on.

Yarmouth hopes to dethrone Freeport and will get a look at the Falcons in the season opener. Several other strong teams also loom in Class B South. After coming so agonizingly close a year ago, these Clippers believe they can finish the job this time around and it wouldn’t be wise to bet against them.

VOLLEYBALL

Coach: Erin Quirk (second year)

2023 record: 14-3 (Beat Washington Academy, 3-1, to win fifth consecutive Class B state title)

Top returning players: Madi Beaudoin (Senior), Laila Brewer (Senior), Lilli Burrows (Senior), Norah Lushman (Senior), Ella Cameron (Junior), Grace Keaney (Junior)

Pivotal matches: Sept. 6 WASHINGTON ACADEMY, Sept. 10 @ Falmouth, Sept. 14 @ York, Sept. 21 CAPE ELIZABETH, Sept. 24 SCARBOROUGH, Oct. 5 @ Washington Academy, Oct. 8 @ Gorham, Oct. 15 @ Greely, Oct. 17 YORK, Oct. 21 @ Cape Elizabeth

Coach’s comment: “Class B is will be extremely competitive this year. I am hoping that we will learn and grow from each game this season and be ready to fight hard come playoffs. The girls will be challenged and I am excited to see how they compete.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Yarmouth was just 2-3 after five matches a year ago, but caught fire from there, didn’t lose again and closed the season with its 12th consecutive win, a thrilling state match victory over Washington Academy, which produced its mindboggling fifth straight Class B title, as Quirk’s first season ended with a flourish. Graduation, once again, took its toll on the program, but the Clippers are poised again to make a title run.

Keaney was a first-team league all-star in 2023 after posting 156 kills and 49 blocks and will be one of the state’s elite middle hitters again. Cameron made the second-team after producing 107 kills and serving up 47 aces. Look for another huge season from her at outside hitter. Burrows, a middle hitter, is a top server (she had 50 aces last season). Lushman is an elite setter. She had a whopping 229 assists last fall. Brewer is multi-talented. She had 203 assists a year ago, as well as 126 digs. Beaudoin is a standout defender, who never surrenders a point without a struggle. Sophomore Agnes Bolese joins the squad and will contribute as an outside hitter.

The Clippers start with a rematch of last year’s state match and the schedule gets no easier from there. While there will be some bumps in the road, that road will once again lead deep into the playoffs. Yarmouth expects nothing short of a trip to the state match. Another coronation as the end result would surprise no one.

CROSS COUNTRY

Coach: Sarah Carrigan (seventh year)

2023 results:
(Boys) 8th @ Class B state meet
(Girls) 7th @ Class B state meet

Top returners:
(Boys) Jeff Owen (Senior), Cam Pernal (Senior)
(Girls) Madeleine Jones (Senior), Olivia Wentworth (Junior), Abbey Hamilton (Sophomore), Eleanor Weyenberg (Sophomore)

Coach’s comment: “We are excited to build a healthy culture of fueling ourselves, pushing each other and working as a team. Hopefully, many PRs and team success will come as a result.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Yarmouth has been a consistent top 10 program over the years and this fall, the Clippers boys and girls will be in contention throughout.

The girls’ squad has made it to states every year since 2010 (with the exception of the COVID year in 2020), but were hard hit by graduation, as six of last year’s top seven departed. Regardless, Yarmouth will be solid again behind Weyenberg (21st at last year’s Class B state meet) and returners Hamilton, Jones and Wentworth. Sophomore Abbie Grunewald and freshman Eva Goldman will help fill holes.

The boys got back to states after failing to qualify in 2022 and hope to build on that success this season. Pernal is a top returner. He placed 18th at the Class B meet a year ago and looks to finish even stronger this fall. Owen (39th) is another promising runner who is seasoned and will help the cause. Freshmen Jackie Chalmers and Jasper Keller are key newcomers to watch.

GOLF

Coach: David Cox (first year)

2023 results: 4th @ Class B state match

Top returners: Hugh O’Donnell (Senior), Colby Carnes (Junior)

Coach’s comment: “We’ve been one of the top teams in Class B over the past several years under the guidance of Coach Dave Cousins, including winning a state title. With his retirement, there is a new coaching group working with a young, enthusiastic team. I’m looking forward to seeing the team progress over the season and build on the interest in the program.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Yarmouth has been one of the top teams in Class B in recent seasons and that should continue this fall under Cox, who also coaches the Clippers’ swim program.

This year’s team returns Carnes, who tied for 25th at the Class B state match a year ago, and O’Donnell, who tied for 34th. If some new players can step into the void, Yarmouth will be strong throughout the regular season and could be a force in the postseason as well.

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

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