Windham varsity baseball falls to Marshwood in home opener

By Matt Pascarella

Windham’s varsity baseball team took the field against Marshwood for their season home opener on Wednesday, April 17 but fell to Marshwood, 8-2.

Windham senior Login Desrochers runs to first base after
hitting the ball to the outfield during the prep baseball
season-opener against Marshwood on Wednesday, April 17
at Windham High School. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

The Eagles had kept it a scoreless game for four innings, but a few key hits by the Hawks in the top of the fifth inning gave them a big lead and Windham struggled to recover. Although Windham did cross the plate and have a few hits, Marshwood’s fifth-inning boost was too much to overcome.

“We definitely need to do a better job of handling that,” said Windham senior Login Desrochers. “It’s rough but we played really well the rest of the game ... we just got to focus on limiting the damage when we get in situations like that. I think the first half of the game we swung the bats well; we did pretty good in the field. We got to string our hits together, they were a little spread out. We had too many strikeouts today, way too many swings and misses. Guys need to get together and rally in big moments, but other than that, we’re looking pretty good.”

Windham defense really limited Marshwood’s opportunities in the first four innings. Senior Brady Harvie was on the mound and struck out eight and only let up three hits.

Desrochers singled in the first inning, but unfortunately was left on base.

“That’s the type of situation where they just got five or six runs; there’s no reason we can’t get five or six runs,” said Windham varsity baseball coach Chris Doughty. “That’s baseball – aside from that big inning, I thought we played pretty even. Their starter is arguably the best pitcher in the state. I felt like we were prepared – a couple times I felt like we didn’t take advantage of opportunities we had; our energy was a bit deflated after that [fifth] inning. You can have a big inning at any time ... especially with the talent we have on the team. Once we get on base we have a ton of speed. Still feel really good about the team, we’re going to have a great season.”

Harvie doubled in the bottom of the fifth inning. Sophomore Ethan Clapp singled and brought Harvie home.

“Felt good going into that fifth inning,” said Harvie. “I had been pitching good that other four, kind of lost a couple of my pitches and couldn’t throw them for strikes. Hit a couple batters and had a rough inning but powered through. We made some good plays in the field; we need to get our bats going some more ... we got to be able to hit through our order and at least get the ball in play; we got to avoid that blow up inning and try to play seven solid innings of baseball.”

In the bottom of the sixth inning, senior Erik Bowen was hit by a pitch; he quickly stole second base and crossed home plate after Desrochers hit a line drive to center field.

Windham battled in the bottom of the seventh inning but could not make up the difference.

“We were good in our own individual ways for the first few innings,” said senior Ryan Smyth who pitched the final inning. “We got to collect as a team ... we got to get that timely hitting down and score runs. You can’t just take that one inning and be like, ‘the game’s over.’ It’s something we got to work on as a team and we’ll definitely be able to get there by the first couple games. That was a great pitcher we faced today – it’s not easy to face someone like him; we’ll adjust and get there.”

According to Smyth, Windham was very aggressive in the count, solid in the field and defense was great.

Windham has already made improvements in just their second regular season game on Monday, April 22 when sophomore Wyatt Washburn pitched a no-hitter against Cheverus at Cheverus High School in Portland and the Eagles won that game, 11-0. <

Boys’ tennis drops season-opener to South Portland

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham High boys’ tennis team competed in its first match of the season against South Portland and put in a solid effort in singles and doubles but lost to the Red Riots, 5-0, on Tuesday, April 23 at Windham.

Windham sophomore Nolan McPhail returns a serve during
the boys' tennis season-opener against South Portland on
Tuesday, April 23 at Windham High School.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA   

“We were just trying to do as well as we can for the first match,” said Windham singles sophomore Carter Mathieu. “We had a lot of fun and that’s what matters and hopefully throughout the season we can improve. We have a lot of time to improve, we’re a young team that has a lot of potential. It was definitely tough, my opponent was very good at placement; everything I hit was coming back, I had to find ways to hit that I haven’t experienced before ... it was a big battle, but a good first experience. I think I was doing a great job of staying in it. I’m hoping this will give me an idea of what it’s like to play singles ... I can improve throughout the whole season. Getting my serve needs work. I’ve worked on it for a while and it’s getting a lot more powerful. Hopefully I can get it to be really consistent. We [need to] put topspin on our shots, stay low to the net and match the ability of the opponent.”

In the singles matches, South Portland defeated Windham junior Zachary Noonan 6-0, 6-0. Windham sophomore Nolan McPhail lost, 6-1 and 6-0, and Mathieu lost, 6-1 and 6-0. In the doubles matches, Windham juniors Asher Knott and Brian Gilheany worked very hard in the first match but fell, 6-4, and lost the second match, 6-0. Windham sophomore Nate Paulding and senior Fabrizio Marcuzzo were defeated, 6-0, and, 6-0.

“It was definitely intense – a very close match up,” said Knott. “The way my South Portland doubles partners play, you have to think about placement. I felt the best I ever had, keeping it away from them and where I want it to be. In previous seasons, I’ve struggled with that. Maybe we could have had a bit more momentum and keep the momentum going. Our overall consistency is really good, our ability to respond to what they did was really good. We could work on positioning on the court and being caught in the middle. I felt we did pretty well; it being the first match, we are just getting started. I want to improve from that performance, and we have a good chance to do that.”

The score only reflects part of the match. Windham’s second doubles team of Paulding and Marcuzzo had never played in a varsity match before. Even though they lost, they played hard against two very tough opponents. This will only make them stronger for future matches. All of Windham’s singles players were doubles players last year. They, too, showed tremendous hustle on the court and in Noonan and McPhail’s matches, it was so close that it really could have gone either way. Mathieu has been working hard in the off-season and gave a great effort against a seasoned player.

“It’s very early in the season, so I’m really not concerned,” said Windham boys’ varsity tennis coach Garry Stone. “They competed and did well and I know my kids had fun. Some positives, second doubles ... got their feet wet. I was very encouraged by first doubles ... in singles Carter, Nolan and Zach ... were all doubles players last year. No doubt in my mind they’ll win their fair share. Returning topspin needs work, we’re just not used to it. We lost that match, but we’re going to compete ... have fun, get better.” <

Boys’ lacrosse shows potential during season-opening win over Scarborough

By Matt Pascarella

In its season opener, Windham’s varsity boys’ lacrosse team traveled to Scarborough on Thursday, April 11 to take on the Red Storm and came away a winner.

Windham senior Tobias Perkins keeps a defender away as
he looks to take a shot during the boys' lacrosse
season-opener at Scarborough High on Thursday,
April 11. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

A slow start led to the Eagles being down 3-0 after one quarter. However, this didn’t last long, and Windham came back to pull ahead after three quarters, held on to that lead and kept Scarborough to one goal in the fourth quarter which gave Windham their first ‘W’ of the season with an 8-6 victory.

“I trusted my defense because I knew they could get it done and help,” said Windham freshman goalie Zach Gagne who had an impressive 13 saves during the game. “The defense played amazing ... same as the offense, we all just played as a team. Our mindset as a defense was to just keep pounding, keep getting after it because it can change in an instant.”

Windham moved the ball well, and although the first quarter was scoreless, they had multiple solid shots at goal. They stayed with the ball and remained aggressive, as they worked to recover loose balls.

In the second quarter, Windham defense really intensified as they only let one goal in, while offense scored several. Sophomores Jack Henry and Garrett Winslow each scored. Then senior Tobias Perkins found the back of the net and the game was tied 3-3. Winslow fired another shot that bounced off Scarborough’s goalie post.

Scarborough managed to get one goal before the end of the first half and led, 4-3.

“We play hard as a group, no matter what,” said Henry. “Our mindset was to play as hard as we can, don’t ever give up, and hustle the whole time. Our defense really helped us stay in that game; our goalie really helped us stay in that game. We knew we could come back [after the first quarter]. Something that went really well was our defense and clearing the ball, getting the offense the ball and moving the ball. Getting better shot selections needs work.”

Windham kept up the intensity and Henry quickly tied the game 4-4 in the third quarter. Windham stayed with the ball as the Eagles and Red Storm went back and forth in a close, hard-fought game. Windham pulled ahead after senior Blake McPherson scored before the end of the third quarter.

“After we scored our first goal in the second [quarter] everyone was electric,” said McPherson. “It just woke us up. We stuck together and no one started chirping ... we got the win together, no one really singled it out by themselves. Defense went really well, our sliding when we got beat, our clears went really well. We could have done a little bit better on offense, taking a little better shot selection.”

The Eagles were going after the win, and they played like a team that wanted it more. Senior Landon Buzulchuck scored in the first minute of the fourth quarter. Perkins scored again. Defense remained powerful and Scarborough was unable to recover.

“First game of the season,” said Windham varsity boys’ lacrosse coach Peter Small. “We’ve had inclement weather, how much have people practiced; Scarborough’s a tough opponent, huge tradition ... we knew some things we thought we were doing pretty well. The question was what would happen in live action when you got on the field. You get down like that and people start to doubt themselves, they start to doubt their teammates, they start to get chippy. We didn’t see a single iota of that; [Windham] just kept playing the game. They showed that they trusted each other, and they trusted themselves to keep playing lacrosse. We moved the ball offensively really well and the defense was communicating ... the crisp passes at midfield we felt pretty good about. We can always take better shot selections, defensively moving our feet a little more.” <

WHS varsity softball posts solid win over York in preseason scrimmage

By Matt Pascarella

Before Windham opens its regular season, the 2023 Class A softball state champions took the field against the 2023 Class B softball state champions York in a scrimmage at Windham on Tuesday, April 16. The Lady Eagles got the bats going immediately and scored in every inning to shutout York, 9-0.

Windham sophomore Oakley McLeod bats on Tuesday,
April 16 during a varsity softball scrimmage against
York at Windham High School. 
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

“One thing I said to the girls was I don’t need perfection, I need us to focus on getting better every inning, getting better every pitch,” said Windham varsity softball coach Darcey Gardiner. “We got down 0-2 on a lot of counts and we had multiple batters battle back and end up drawing walks – I can’t ask for more than that. I think it’s really about trusting themselves ... I tell them ‘trust their arms, trust their feet.’ Bobbles and errors, those are going to happen, it’s how you react after the error. Our hitting top to bottom [went well]; we’ve got a couple freshmen and sophomores on the team that are new to us, so for them to step up and make contributions, that was awesome. Quality at-bats – when we can put the ball in play, good things happen. What needs work is our communication. I do need to see our energy a little bit higher, and making sure they stay on their toes is huge for us.”

Gardiner said that being the defending state champions means that teams will show up and play Windham better than they might play any other team. Windham needs to bring their ‘A’ game and realize it’s ok to not be perfect; the end of the season is more important than the beginning of the season – now is the time for trials and tribulations so they are ready to go later.

In the York scrimmage, Windham started out with senior pitcher Brooke Gerry who sent three batters back to the dugout.

Gerry walked in the bottom of the first inning and sophomore Addison Caiazzo singled. A double from sophomore Oakley McLeod brought Caiazzo home. Gerry then struck out three batters and left a runner on base in the second inning.

In the bottom of the second inning, sophomore Nola Bryant walked. Freshman Kaylee Napolitano singled, as did freshman Evelyn Anderson. Napolitano and Anderson stole their way around the diamond and Windham was up, 3-0.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Windham led 5-0. Following a walk, Gerry singled and Senior Stella Jarvais doubled on a line drive to center field, bringing home two runs. Jarvais would later score on a passed ball.

“We take it as getting better every inning,” said Jarvais. “We didn’t think we were going to be perfect, but going inning by inning is what we wanted to do. If we just play our game and ... not get anxious about the next team. We’ve made adjustments at the plate pretty well. York’s pitcher is really good, and we went into the box as being able to see the pitching and hitting; I think we made good adjustments, and we can always work on communication.”

In the top of the sixth inning, York hit a ground out to junior third basemen Chloe Edwards, who despite a slight fumble, had plenty of time to make a throw to first base for the out. Another York batter grounded out to sophomore pitcher Lacie Higgins who easily made the throw to first base to end the inning.

“Even though we’ve been inside with limited field time, we’ve been working so hard,” said Edwards. “It’s so enjoyable to be back after last season. We’re a good mindful team. I thought we did really well in the box, adjusting and fielding-wise. I thought we were communicating well in there.”

Edwards said she thought Windham could be louder in the dugout and communicate a little more, while Edwards said it’s great to be back.

Windham will travel to Noble for a regular season game at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 20. <

Football remains a focus for WHS graduate Ledbetter

By Matt Pascarella

Before graduating in 2022, Windham High’s Robert “Will” Ledbetter was a star prep quarterback who helped his team earn a spot in the Class B State Championship football game in 2021 and exceled in the classroom. Now a sophomore at the University of New England (UNE) in Biddeford, Ledbetter is coming off one of the Nor’easters’ most successful seasons in program history as the team finished with a final record of 6-4.

Windham High graduate and University of
New England sophomore Robert 'Will'
Ledbetter looks to pass during a college
football game against Castleton State
University in Biddeford on Sept. 30, 2023.
PHOTO BY AL PEREZ

He is majoring in applied exercise science at UNE and would like to use that knowledge for a clinical role within the healthcare and medical device sales industry after college.

Off the field, Ledbetter serves as the Presidential Ambassador on campus as well as a residential advisor for first-year-students. He is also a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and has worked for the Conference Services at UNE.

“Will beat out a senior and a junior in his first year here to become the backup quarterback,” said UNE offensive coordinator Coach Tim Viall. “He is an elite listener and communicator. He works incredibly hard. He plays and competes with a great balance of emotion and poise. He is driven by personal/team goals while remaining selfless. He sees the field well and plays instinctually. He has a quick release and can make any throw. He approaches every practice, drill and repetition with purpose. Will ... is stronger, faster, and more resilient to injury. All of these pieces have been applied to his skills on the field and we have seen him steadily improve his game in his time with us. We look forward to continued hard work and development over the next two years.”

It was Ledbetter’s dad who first sparked his interest in football. His father introduced him to the game in elementary school and since then has been an invaluable teacher.

“Starting young, football did not come naturally, and it was something I could work on to get better and better,” said Ledbetter. “Nobody’s game is ever perfect, and I loved the fact that I could keep improving my game every season and off-season. The chase to become as good as I possibly could is what kept me going and keeps me playing today. What I enjoy most about football is the puzzle I must solve every play as the quarterback. The defense always gives new looks trying to confuse or trick the offense and it is part of my job to figure it out and get our playmakers the ball.”

Ledbetter’s goal is to finish his career as a Nor’easter and ensure the growth of the program while making sure he’s done his part to improve the program and athletes’ experiences as they move through their time at UNE.

Windham’s football program prepared him to play collegiately by giving him key tools. They left him with the mindset to control attitude, effort and coachability. Also, his time with the Eagles gave him the ability to play in a spread offense which helped Ledbetter schematically transition from high school to college ball. Those skills and mindsets have allowed him to be successful in college.

“There’s a lot of things that makes Will a good teammate,” said UNE sophomore Zak Ramos. “He’s a guy that you can always rely on to have your back on and off the field; knowing Will and what he juggles and the number of responsibilities he has on campus is something that definitely stands out. Will is very vocal too which is always something that as a teammate is appreciated and I think that correlates with his ability to lead on the field too. I know not only me, but a lot of the guys appreciate Will’s style of leadership. He’s not over the top in terms of harping on guys; he’s a guy in the locker room who jokes around ... but when it’s time to be serious, he hones it in and makes sure that we’re locked in.”

Ledbetter’s advice to any high school athlete who wants to play a collegiate sport is to be realistic in their goals, and to find schools that match their needs academically, athletically, socially, and financially. He also advises them to learn as much as they can about a program, the coaching staff, and the school. Lastly, and most importantly, he said it is possible, and you can do it.

Aside from Ledbetter’s many activities on and off the field, in his free time he likes to snowboard, spend time in Maine and be surrounded by friends and family. <

Windham girls’ lacrosse does not let up despite loss to Cape Elizabeth

By Matt Pascarella

Windham girls’ lacrosse team traveled to Cape Elizabeth on Monday, April 8 to play Cape Elizabeth in a preseason matchup before the regular season kicks off on Friday, April 12 when Windham takes on Kennebunk. While Cape Elizabeth had a strong start, once Windham got going, they put several goals in. However, after a hard-fought game where Windham stayed in it for 48 minutes, Cape Elizabeth won the game, 15-7.

Windham sophomore Maddy Donnelly, right, goes to stop
a Cape Elizabeth opponent on Monday, April 8 during
a girls' varsity preseason lacrosse game.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

“Our team is really good at staying positive,” said Windham sophomore Olivia McPherson, who scored in the fourth quarter. “Even if we’re down, we always put in effort, and never give up. We need to work on passing in the eight, because sometimes they get intercepted or ground balls – those are something we struggle with. We did really, really well on our new plays. We’re putting new plays in, putting new people in so everybody gets a chance; always got to stay positive and play with a good mindset.”

Cape Elizabeth jumped to an early lead in the first quarter, but with 55 seconds left, Windham junior Grace Joly rocketed the ball past the goalie.

In the second quarter, Windham cranked up the intensity with junior Neve Ledbetter who scored early in the quarter. Windham defense made it a lot harder for Cape Elizabeth to get near the goal and limited their scoring opportunities.

“From this game we learned a lot about the importance of playing together as a team,” said Ledbetter. “We didn’t have that many days of practice, so we were coming out a little harsh – it was hard to get back into it. It’s good to start climbing the ladder to the actual season. The transition went really, really well; we have a ton of girls hustling on the ride. It’s important that everyone is hustling and giving their best effort. The whole team was pushing themselves to be better and that resulted in turnovers. We need more chemistry, but I feel like we are on a good track right now, we just need some more time on the practice field.”

Joly scored again. With 46 seconds left in the half, Ledbetter found the back of the net once more. Windham outscored Cape Elizabeth in the second quarter, though the Capers led, 6-4, at the half.

Windham’s intensity and hustle never faded; seconds into the third quarter, they took a shot at goal. A short time later Windham senior Emma Ammons fired another shot at the goal.

Cape Elizabeth scored several goals during this quarter, but Windham kept their heads up.

In the fourth quarter Joly scored almost immediately. McPherson scored part-way through the quarter as did sophomore Abby Trainor.

“We played 24 girls today,” said Windham girls’ lacrosse head coach Matt Perkins. “We’re still trying to give everybody reps before we tighten the belt to see who’s what and make sure everybody has enough time to prove themselves. Not practicing for four days didn’t help, but they’re a good team and we’ll continue to develop, it’s just a process. We had good hustle at times and at times executed the offense well. We got some brand-new people on defense, but it’s coming – it’s all about not getting beat up or worrying about making a mistake.”

Perkins and Windham girls’ lacrosse assistant coach Rusty Babb said before the team plays Kennebunk on Friday, throwing and catching will need work as well as knowing and being where you’re supposed to be. <

Windham graduate Sarah Talon continues excelling on and off the court

By Matt Pascarella

2022 Windham graduate Sarah Talon has always worked hard. She currently attends the University of Maine at Orono where she helped lead the team to win the America East Championship last month and earned the school its 10th appearance in the National Collegiate Athletic Association women’s basketball tournament.

Windham 2022 graduate and current University of Maine 
sophomore Sarah Talon keeps her focus on the hoop
during the America East Conference championship game
in Orono on March 15. PHOTO BY SETH POPLASKI  

Talon is majoring in psychology with a minor in leadership and would like to work in the therapy department with young kids and athletes upon her graduation.

“This season has been one I will never forget,” said Talon. “Playing in the NCAA was ... a chance to play against some of the best teams in the country. It was a dream come true. I was once 10, 11, 12 years old and watching March Madness at home and was always hoping that one day that would be me. Getting the opportunity to play on one of the biggest stages in basketball was something I will never forget. I knew that I needed to take in every moment and to enjoy it.”

She says that she used to watch Catherine McCauley basketball player Allie Clement, as well as Talon’s older sister Hannah. They were both role models of hers and she began to play basketball when she was 6 and was first coached by Paul Foley, whom she is still in contact with today.

Talon initially thought soccer was her strong suit but seemed to naturally gravitate toward basketball. She realized she was much better at basketball and enjoyed it a lot more. That’s not to say she doesn’t enjoy soccer, and isn’t really good at it, but basketball has given her so much happiness and excitement every time she picked up a ball.

Since she first started playing, Talon has played in a variety of leagues, including the Amateur Athletic Union. Her time at Windham High School helped her prepare for playing collegiately because the AA North region is very competitive and gave her the opportunity to play against other Division 1 players.

“She’s so funny to be around; she’s always in a good mood,” said University of Southern Maine at Orono graduate student and teammate Anne Simon. “She really makes the team laugh a lot, such a good friend off the court. It was great to see her improvement from freshman year to sophomore year. She got to understand her role on the team and really developed over the season; she did an amazing job improving in defense – that was a huge thing for her. Also, offensively knowing what we need from her; she stepped up this year.”

Simon is really proud of the team and Talon. They wanted to go to March Madness and they did. Although they fell to Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA, the Black Bears did a good job focusing on themselves and what each of them needed as individuals in order to be a good team which made the season a success.

“She’s embraced the challenges of a Division 1 athlete and she’s worked really hard and done a really nice job for us,” said Black Bears women’s basketball head coach Amy Vachon. “She’s a great teammate. She’s learned a lot and learned about our program and how things work, and I think she’s gotten stronger and done a lot of really good things. She earned that spot [as a starter] and brings a lot to the table and has had a really great year. Her athleticism is something we don’t see in our conference; she can do things on the court other people can’t; her athleticism is unmatched.”

Talon was one of two non-senior starters on the team. She said the coaches gave her goals to work for in the off season and she worked at them non-stop. Those coaches have confidence in her and believe in her every day. Having high standards from not just the team and coaching staff, but from Talon herself elevated this team to become a championship team.

“You get what you put in,” said Talon. “The amount of hard work you put into this game will get you far. I was told by many people when I was younger how they did not think I could play at this level. They said I was ‘too skinny’ or ‘not skilled enough.’ This only made me want to work harder. There will always be people that will doubt what you want to do. Don't listen to them and use it as motivation to prove them wrong.” <