The fall sports season has reached the point where athletes aren’t just dreaming of winning championships, they’re vying for them.
And winning them.
Last Friday, Scarborough’s golf team captured the Class A state title and that set the tone for what promises to be a memorable stretch run of action as the soccer, field hockey and volleyball regular seasons come to a close early next week, cross country’s biggest meets are right around the corner and football’s regular season is ticking down as well.
There’s a lot to absorb, so here’s a look back to a dramatic week and a glimpse at what’s still to come:
Golf
Scarborough’s golf team and Coach Mike Murphy show off the hardware after winning the Class A state title last week. Courtesy Mike Murphy.
For just the third time ever and the first time since 2017, Scarborough’s golf team is the best in Class A.
Last Friday at Natanis Golf Club in Vassalboro, the Red Storm posted a team score of 317 to beat runner-up Cheverus by six strokes.
In addition to the team title, senior standout Marc Twombly won his second individual title in three seasons by tying good friend Joe Hansen of Greely with a one-under 18-hole round of 71.
“We’ve had some great teams the past four years, and to finally get it done, it feels so good,” said Twombly. “Everyone just performed when they needed to. I’m so proud of all my guys.”
Also scoring for the Red Storm were Keenan Buteau (80), Nic Harmon (81) and Erik Swenson, who just pitched Scarborough’s baseball team to the Class A state title in June (85). Grady Burnell (89) and Brett Kemper (90) also took part, but didn’t have their scores factored in.
“It feels good because we’re seniors now, we had to get it done at some point,” Buteau said. “We took it more seriously this year than last year, because we knew we had to win.”
“It’s a one-shot deal,” Scarborough coach Mike Murphy said. “We played in tough conditions on Monday (in the league qualifier) to get here, the wind was howling here (today), it comes down to who can execute and keep it together after a bad hole. It just happened to be our day. We all felt like we had a few slip through our hands (in recent years). I think there was a chip on their shoulder.”
Boys’ soccer
On the pitch, Scarborough’s boys’ soccer team was 10-1-1 and fourth in the Class A South Heal Points standings following wins over visiting Massabesic (9-1) and at reigning regional champion Deering (2-0) and Noble (4-0). Against the Mustangs, Matt Fallona scored three times, while Kaiden Corbett (two assists), Santana Diaz (two assists), EJ Herrick, Wildr Leighton-Hart, Cooper Mallar and Papa Osei added one goal apiece. Connor Casey and Khalil Ghosheh then had the goals against the Rams. In the win over the Knights, Fallona, Ghosheh, Mallar and Finn Coburn all scored once.
The Red Storm host Cheverus Saturday, then close at home versus Kennebunk Tuesday of next week.
Girls’ soccer
Scarborough’s Maggie Booth chases after the ball during last week’s home win over Windham. Hoffer photo.
On the girls’ side, Scarborough bounced back from a stunning last-second loss at Falmouth with a statement-making 2-1 home win over preseason favorite Windham last Thursday. Freshman Josie Duncan tied the score in the first half with a perfectly placed free kick, then Paige Garlock benefited from a fortuitous bounce and finished late in the half for what proved to be the winning goal.
“I think this was a huge game for us,” said Duncan. “We had a setback and now we’re back. We all play off each other. We get happier and more excited when everybody is in it.”
“It was huge coming back to win a game like this,” Garlock said. “I think everyone underestimated us after losing so many seniors, so that Falmouth loss sealed the deal for us for a lot of people and we knew we had to come out hard. We knew we couldn’t lose this one. We kept our heads up the whole time and I’m proud of us for doing that.”
“This shows a lot about these kids,” added longtime Scarborough coach Mike Farley. “They have a fight and desire. These are the kinds of games we want to play in and we rose to the challenge tonight. I told them (after the Falmouth loss) that this is the time you want a loss to happen. We probably needed a wakeup call because the team that played today is not the team I’ve seen so far this year. The chances we created were the best we’ve created in a long time. (Windham’s) always good. It’s really hard to defend that group. Their midfielders are all solid. I hope we’ll see them again and I expect we’ll both be there at the end.”
After an 8-0 victory at Biddeford Monday, the Red Storm improved to 8-1-2 and fourth in Class A South. Against the Tigers, Maggie Booth scored three goals, Garlock added a pair and Delia Fravert, Elana Jenkins and Sophie Kelly all finished with one.
Scarborough hosted Bonny Eagle Thursday, welcomes Thornton Academy in a makeup game Saturday, then closes the regular season at Gorham next Tuesday.
“If we can carry the way we played against Windham and do that consistently, we’ll be there in the end,” said Farley.
Football
Scarborough’s football team fell to 1-5 last Friday with a 70-14 home loss to Bonny Eagle, the Red Storm’s fifth in a row. After begin held scoreless for three games, Scarborough opened the contest with a 2-yard touchdown run from Logan O’Keefe, but the Scots pulled even, 7-7, after one quarter. O’Keefe hit Kingston Griffiths with a 41-yard TD pass in the second period, but Bonny Eagle scored 34 points to lead, 41-14, at the half. The Scots then added three more scores in the third quarter and one in the fourth to account for the final score. O’Keefe wound up 10-of-19 passing for 101 yards and a touchdown.
The Red Storm (sixth in the Class A South Crabtree Points standings) go to 2-4 Leavitt, the two-time reigning Class C champion, Friday. The teams didn’t play last year.
Field hockey
Scarborough junior Sabrina Ocampo brings the ball up the field during Monday’s loss at Falmouth. Hoffer photo.
Scarborough’s field hockey team was 5-6 and eighth in Class A South after a 3-1 home loss to Gorham and a 2-0 setback at Falmouth. Against the Rams, Laine Niles scored late and goalie Avery Ingersoll stopped eight shots.
“It was a great game all around against a good team,” said Red Storm coach Kyla Wigant. “When we give up goals one after another, it’s hard to come back from that, but we fought until the end.”
Ingersoll saved eight shots in the loss to the Navigators.
Scarborough was at Sanford Wednesday, goes to Marshwood Friday and closes at home versus Thornton Academy Monday of next week.
“You can just tell we’re a different team than we were at the beginning of the season,” said Wigant. “We’ve fought really hard and worked really hard and we’re just hoping that shows.”
Volleyball
Scarborough’s volleyball team lost a five game home thriller to Gorham last week in a rematch of last year’s state final, then lost, 3-0, at Kennebunk Tuesday to fall to 5-8 and sixth in the Class A statewide Heals.
The Red Storm finished the regular season at Sanford Thursday.
Cross country
Scarborough joined Falmouth and Gorham for a cross country meet at Windham last week.
The boys were first as a team and had the top individual in Ethan Keller (17 minutes, 18.3 seconds).
The girls’ squad was second behind the Navigators, but produced the fastest finisher in Laurel Driscoll (19:48.2).
Press Herald staff writer Drew Bonifant contributed to this story.
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