Four Windham seniors sign college athletic letters of intent

By Matt Pascarella

Four Windham seniors signed their letters of intent at Windham High School on Thursday, Feb. 27.

Stella Jarvais will attend the University of Maine Orono to play soccer, Grace Joly will attend Colby-Sawyer in New Hampshire to play lacrosse, Luke Cunniffe will attend Bates in Lewiston to play soccer and Sarah Inman will attend Wheaton College in Massachusetts and be a member of the swimming team.

Windham senior Grace Joly signs a letter of intent to
attend Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire to
play lacrosse and study nursing at the school.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

Stella Jarvais

“Stella is the rare, dying breed of a three-sport athlete,” said girls’ varsity soccer coach Deb Lebel. “She’s a tremendous player, but an even better person. Teams have an additional coach when Stella’s their teammate.”

While Jarvais is undecided on her college major, she chose UMaine Orono because of the community environment.

She began playing soccer at a young age through travel and recreational soccer.

Jarvais said it was surreal for her to sign a letter of intent. She reminds underclassmen to remember the process is about what you love and not what people expect from you.

She said she would like to thank all her coaches, teachers, family, and friends that have shown her unconditional love and support through the years.

Grace Joly

Joly will major in nursing at Colby-Sawyer College and might eventually work in pediatrics.

She began playing lacrosse when she was 4 because her club coach, Taylor Colangelo, was a referee for her games.

“It’s amazing to sign the letter of intent,” said Joly. “I feel like people wait for this day and it’s a really good feeling to look in the crowd and see all my family and friends, coaches.”

Her advice to underclassmen is to put in the work and make connections at a college before committing.

“We were afraid she was going to get broken the first time she got hit on the lacrosse field,” said girls’ varsity lacrosse coach Matt Perkins. “Right away she had that smile and personality, and she has really brought our program to a place where everybody is involved.”

Joly said she would like to thank WHS lacrosse coaches Perkins, Babb and Ludka; Coach Colangelo and her parents for everything they’ve done for her.

Luke Cunniffe

“He is a student of the game,” said varsity boys’ soccer coach Jeff Neal. “Anyone that’s watched him and what’s he’s done with our program and how he’s carried himself is so heartwarming.”

Econometrics is what Cunniffe will major in at Bates College and he says that he would like to get a position in finance after that.

Signing a letter of intent was something Cunniffe always saw his friends do and he was grateful to have his moment.

His interest in soccer began during youth sports. He had tried several sports, and soccer quickly became a good outlet for him. He said soccer keeps him making good decisions and motivates him to work hard and to be a good person on and off the field.

His advice to underclassmen is to keep working; keep pushing and working toward their ultimate goal.

“As long as you’re playing the game for the right reasons, and you have people around you supporting you, and motivating you, it’s great,” said Cunniffe.

Cunniffe said he would like to thank his mom, dad, brother Sean, grandmother and his grandfather Bob Witham.

Sarah Inman

Inman says that it felt good for her to sign a letter of intent. She will major in biochemistry at Wheaton College and would like to someday make natural medicine with fewer side effects.

When Inman found swimming, she realized she was naturally born for water. She quickly moved through various swimming groups and pushed herself to do well.

“One of the very few to come through Windham and medal in both the regional championship and the state championship for four years in a row,” said WHS swim coach Peter Small. “She’s an ambassador of the sport and a true leader who approaches everything with grace.”

Her advice to anyone who wants to sign a college athletic letter of intent is to speak the truth and be confident in your choices; do what feels right and know there are people supporting you.

She would like to thank her coaches, teammates and friends who supported her through high school. <

Windham Unified basketball ends season with positivity

By Matt Pascarella

It was a big night for Windham’s Unified basketball team, which joins people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. Monday, March 10 was the last home game of the season and Windham took on Scarborough at home.

Windham junior Zachary O'Brion takes a shot from just 
inside the paint during a Unified basketball game against
Scarborough at Windham High School on Monday,
March 10. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

It was also Senior Night for the Windham Unified team as Devan Kennie, Talia Campobasso, Colby Schmid and Jacob Smith were presented with a gift to thank them and their parents for their time and dedication to Windham Athletics.

The Eagles started strong and held onto their lead until the end of the game, emerging with a 57-41 victory.

“We did good,” said Smith. “Our partners were able to tell us when to not shoot. Talia told me to back down when (it was appropriate). What I saw that went well was we did better at communicating with each other and we did better at helping out our own team. I am so excited that we won that I’ll be thinking about it for a couple days.”

Windham came out strong and moved the ball well. They rebounded and went hard at the hoop. Schmid got a turnover and a basket. Then it was a parade of Windham athletes scoring; there was solid teamwork. The crowd roared in support for all Unified players.

Windham jumped out to a big lead early. Windham junior Mary Jean had a turnover and scored. Junior Zachary O’Brion hit a three-pointer before the end of the half where Windham led 27-18.

“I went around and scored some baskets from the left (side of the court),” said Windham freshman Tristan Stanley, who scored 12 points.

“It felt pretty great to score so much; getting good baskets went well,” Stanley said.

In the second half, Scarborough closed the gap a bit, but Windham was not letting up. Just a few minutes into the second half, Windham led by over 10 points.

Smith sank a three-pointer, and it was nothing but net. Schmid also hit a three-pointer for Windham and scored 15 points in the game.

Windham’s defense kept Scarborough at bay throughout the contest.

WHS Freshman Maddi Small connected for a basket before the final buzzer to end the season on a high note.

“They were really excited for tonight,” said Windham Unified assistant basketball coach Connor McNeil. “They were excited for Senior Night. We do usually come out to a pretty good lead; the problem has been holding on to it. They did a really good job playing with energy today. They really passed the ball pretty well. We saw a couple give-and-goes which we’ve worked on in practice, that I haven’t seen in the game, so we were pretty pleased to see that. It’s a great team; they play with a lot of energy, and they have a lot of fun. I think the most important thing about Unified basketball is it brings the community together. We had a big event at school to encourage people to come, we had a good turnout – I think Senior Night means a lot to them for that reason. It’s really nice for us to win, so we’re really happy to see everybody come out and support us; that means a lot to us and to the players.”

McNeil said Unified sports are inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. <

Windham varsity basketball coach Pulkkinen earns 100 career wins

By Matt Pascarella

Before winning his second straight boys’ state basketball championship, Windham High varsity basketball coach Chad Pulkkinen notched his 100th career win during the state semifinal game against Portland on Thursday, Feb. 20 at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, just 10 years after becoming the team’s head coach.

Windham High varsity boys' basketball coach is interviewed
after his team won the state championship defeating South
Portland on Saturday, March 1. Pulkkinen posted his
100th career victory earlier in the state playoffs 
during the state semifinals against Portland.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to coach and to play a small role in the success of the kids at Windham,” said Pulkkinen. “It (100 wins) means I’ve had the privilege of working with so many great young men who share the same passion for basketball that I do. Our culture has been a priority from the very beginning. The true foundation of our program is the people within it—starting with my assistant coaches. They are instrumental in shaping our culture, embodying the same character, work ethic, and attitude we expect from our players.”

Pulkkinen has always had a personal goal of giving back to the town where he grew up. He is grateful for the opportunity to do so.

After college, Pulkkinen got the opportunity to achieve a lifelong goal – to play basketball professionally. He was invited to several pro-camps where he was scouted internationally and selected by the Northampton Neptunes in England. He was involved in the team’s developmental program, working with nearly 400 kids from ages 8 to 16 teaching them basketball. It has become one of the most enriching experiences of his career.

“Working with Chad, and the rest of this staff, is one of the most rewarding parts of my life,” said Windham assistant coach Geoff Grigsby. “Chad, specifically, is why I wanted to join the program in the first place. Watching a couple years of him coaching at WHS showed he had a lot of potential as a coach. I appreciate the culture he's built and the relationships that will last a lifetime because of his leadership far more.”

In 2015, it was Pat Moody who recruited Pulkkinen for the WHS head coaching position. Pulkkinen and his wife had just had their second child and coaching wasn’t on his mind. Although hesitant, Moody could sense this and continued insisting he could excel in the coaching role. Eventually, Pulkkinen took the job and says that he’s glad he did.

“From the start, Pat set me up for success, including introducing me to two incredible assistant coaches who had already been part of the program: Peter Brown and George McCrillis,” said Pulkkinen. “They are two of the best people in this town. I was fortunate to have their experience and guidance in those early years.”

McCrillis is still coaching with him today alongside three other coaches including Grigsby, Noah Estey and Chris Sargent.

“It’s hard for me to explain what a big part (coaching) is in my life,” said McCrillis. “It’s more than just basketball; it’s the kids, it’s the relationships, it’s their families, the community – and that really starts with Chad. We demand high standards and good sportsmanship. To us it’s about the big picture ... it’s not just about wins and losses (for Chad) and trying to feed our own personal egos. He talked about this right from the get-go that he wanted to develop a culture in Windham that Windham would become known throughout the state as a basketball town.”

Pulkkinen was so intensely focused on the team’s success that McCrillis had to remind him the semifinals victory was his 100th win.

Basketball is a vehicle for life and Pulkkinen, along with his coaches, want players to leave the program feeling prepared for life’s challenges through basketball. The game teaches invaluable lessons about resilience, teamwork, discipline, and perseverance. It means a lot to him to know that he has played a small part in his players’ success, hopefully, has had a positive impact in their journey.

“The impact that he has on us is tremendous, he builds confidence in us on the court as people, students, children,” said senior AJ Moody. “He’s the best coach I’ve ever had; he pushes us through walls to make us the team we were during the State Championships.” <

German foreign exchange student excels on basketball court

By Matt Pascarella

Windham foreign exchange junior Eduard Pertuch played soccer growing up in Germany. Now as part of the Foreign Exchange program at Windham High School for the 2024-2025 school year, he played on the WHS junior varsity basketball team this winter and also played American football for the first time during the fall season.

Windham foreign exchange student Eduard Pertuch, a junior,
navigates his way through Deering players during a JV
basketball game at Windham High School on Friday, Feb. 7.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“Going all the way back to tryouts, Edi's leadership, character, and positivity were captivating,” said Windham boys JV basketball coach Noah Estey. “He has only been playing for two to three years, but he consistently came to me wanting more coaching and feedback because he was extremely motivated. He consistently asked what he could continue to work on to become the best player he could, both for this year and for when he returns to Germany. His work ethic was second to none and was one of our most important players this year due to his leadership, work ethic and contagious positivity.”

Windham is a much bigger school than Pertuch is used to, but he’s enjoyed his time on the court and in the classroom. He likes that there are more and more people to meet and different things to experience.

While he struggled a little at first, he quickly adapted.

“I really like the community,” said Pertuch. “They picked me up from day one, everybody was really, really friendly.”

In Germany, basketball is very popular. Pertuch is a big fan, and it was one of the main reasons he wanted to come to the United States was to experience how Americans played the game.

“It’s an amazing program,” said Pertuch of Windham’s basketball program. “I really love that from the first steps they took to putting a team together that you can trust on the court and off the court. I love competing, I love competition ... seeing your friends out there ... just makes me happy and makes the team happy. It was a great experience.”

Coach Estey said Pertuch was a pleasure to work with and coach. They had many good conversations about the difference between how the game is played in Germany versus how it’s played in the United States.

It’s not an easy adjustment to make coming into a program with student-athletes who have been in the program playing together for years.

According to Windham sophomore and Pertuch’s basketball teammate Sam Redlon, he is one of the kindest, generous, and friendliest people he’s ever met; an outstanding teammate who makes others around him better with his positivity and never gives up on the team.

Redlon said it was fun to play basketball with him. Pertuch was a mentor, a team guy and it was good to have his knowledge at Windham.

“I had him as a teammate for both football and basketball and no one cared more and cheered harder for his teammates than Edi did this year,” said Windham freshman Boston Krainis. “It was impressive to watch how quickly Edi picked up American football after never having been exposed to it. In basketball he was a willing shooter, diving on the floor and celebrating with his teammates. One time the referee misunderstood his enthusiasm and gave him a technical foul. The entire team declared him the happiest person to ever get a technical. The season was much better with him on the team.”

Pertuch says he wants to thank his coaches for their kindness, time and the effort they put in and gives a special thanks to Coach Estey for his patience and to the team for all they’ve done for him. He’s grateful for everything and this was a season he won’t forget.” <

Windham boys’ basketball eliminates Edward Little in regional finals

By Matt Pascarella

After knocking out Portland in the semifinals 65-56, the Windham High School Eagles advanced for the third time in recent history to the regional final on Saturday, Feb. 22 at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland. Second-place Windham took down fourth-place Edward Little, 55-49.

Windham sophomore Colin Janvrin gets a shot off in time 
during the regional boys' basketball final against Edward
Little at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland on Feb. 22. 
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“It means a lot (to head back to the state championship) ... this is an awesome feeling,” said Windham sophomore Colin Janvrin. “I’m super excited to get on that state championship floor and ball out again. We weren’t really nervous because we’ve been here before and ... we were ready for this. I think (Edward Little) built up a lot of their team chemistry and they got a lot better throughout the whole season, so props to them. We just stayed through and fought through. AJ (Moody) played great defense on (Edward Little’s Maiwen) Diing; he’s a great player and AJ shut him down really well. Everybody on the offensive end just moving the ball around and finding whoever’s hot – getting it done. I think we just got to move the ball around and find our good shots instead of forcing shots on offense. They were playing really good defense, and we got to work around it.”

Edward Little jumped out in front early on. After Windham junior Tyrie James sank a three-pointer, the game got closer. Windham defense went hard after the Eddies.

Windham sophomore Colin Janvrin hit a three-pointer. The game remained tight; not all Windham shots fell. Eagle defense caused several turnovers. Moody had a three-point buzzer beater at the half and Windham led, 23-19.

“It was our best basketball that was needed to win, and, in these games, anything can happen,” said Windham boys’ basketball coach Chad Pulkkinen. “The guys did a great job holding their composure. I think our team is as united as it’s been, which is important especially down the stretch when you miss some foul shots and adversity hits ... all kinds of bad things can happen, and I think our team was ready for those moments. We have great kids who have great experience, it just makes it easy for me as a coach. They were super hungry for it ... we had to come out and match that energy that they wanted revenge; we wanted to make sure we were prepared for that. I thought we rebounded the ball really well; I thought AJ played about as good as you can on Diing. AJ is the best defender in the state, and he stepped up to that challenge today, AJ wanted that challenge, and he took it. Diing is an unbelievable player, and AJ is an unbelievable defender, so I just thought that matchup was fun to watch.”

Windham senior Braycen Freese hit a three-pointer in the second half. More Windham shots were falling, and they led by 10.

But Edward Little was catching up. Windham senior Joseph Blige picked up a turnover and passed to Janvrin who sank a three-pointer.

As the clock ticked away, the game remained tight in the fourth quarter. Six points separated the teams with 2:38 left. With 34 seconds left, three points separated the teams. Janvrin hit two crucial foul shots to expand the WHS lead.

Windham then held down the Eddies until the final buzzer to win their second regional championship.

“It means a lot (to be going to another state championship),” said Moody. “Battling through adversity ... knowing what it takes and executing at practice. I’m proud of us all, I love all my brothers, our community loves us. After a bucket, after a steal, after a rebound, after a timeout, they’re there cheering ... you have our whole community roaring when a three-pointer goes up – they’re there to support us. What we executed in practice (led to this win); practice is our main focus all the time. I’m proud of these guys – rebounding is a main factor, Diing what a great player he is ... I thought we executed pretty well. (Edward Little) came a long way – what a great team they’ve become. We just saw that, and we had to take another step, another level to beat this team; we did a great job at that. Boxing out, trying to rebound (went well). We just need to get back on defense ... transition defense, help-side defense, getting to our spots and after that we’re golden.” <

Her Mainely Girl Adventures: The Curse of the Sunday Buck

By Staci Warren

I have been hunting for 16 years now, and although I’ve gotten my Grand Slam, I still don’t have a Big Buck Club patch. In fact, I’ve never harvested a deer bigger than 8 points. As many hunters do, I dream about shooting a big buck, but I’ve yet to figure out the secret to being at the right place at the right time. I scout. I hunt the wind. I try to be scent-free. I use buck lure and calls and try to be as quiet as possible. And when that doesn’t produce, I change it up by not using any call or lure at all. I hunt every morning and afternoon that my schedule allows, including sitting in the rain.

Staci Warren took a photo of this buck that she observed in 
Maine on a Sunday when hunting was not permitted during
deer season last fall. PHOTO BY STACI WARREN

I watch deer all season but the last three years, deer seemed to disappear as soon as rifle season started. The rut season seemed almost non-existent, with a handful of does moving early mornings and evenings.

Last year, three smaller bucks sporadically showed up on my cameras. I really thought there were no big bucks where I was hunting. With no intention on shooting a little buck, I started calling the curled spikehorn, Loki, and the young buck with a tall-webbed antler, Crab Claw. I had not seen Big Guy, the ten-point buck that had been in area for the last three years, until September and then I didn’t see him again all season. After seeing more big bucks than ever, tagged at the nearby store and posted on Facebook, I assumed Big Guy was one of them.

Prior to the season, I had moved stands. I moved cameras so that deer wouldn’t try to avoid them. Then once the season started, I bow-hunted and then rifle-hunted moving to different spots miles apart when I felt like I was over-hunting a spot. It didn’t seem to matter. All I ever saw were a few does, and spikehorn bucks.

Then came the first Sunday sighting. My husband, John, was checking his beaver traps. On his way back he spotted a big buck just staring at him. All he could do was watch him walk away. No rifle as it was Sunday.

The second Sunday buck arrived right after a rainstorm. A big eight-pointer with no brow tines showed for one day, during prime morning shooting hours when I would be sitting in my stand had it not been Sunday. He was a monster, and it was the first and last time I saw him on my camera.

Two weeks later, a small buck showed up 6:40 a.m. – when I’d be sitting in my stand had it not been Sunday. It ate acorns for a good half hour. That same morning, a big wide ten-point buck had strolled right by my stand at 6:04 a.m., before legal shooting hours.

Rifle season ended with no deer. I purchased a muzzleloader permit and spent the next two weeks chasing the dream of a big buck. Every time a buck showed up, I would be so excited that when the alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. it was like the first day of hunting season all over again.

The next Sunday a buck chasing a doe filled my camera, which was also the first real rut action I had seen all season. I continued to see deer on my camera, but now they were strictly night images.

My season ended with seeing eight doe, two spikehorns, and a tall eight-pointer that I saw from my four- wheeler while checking traps. And of course, the bucks came back for a show once the season ended…on Sunday and every day after, of course.

Although I may not have harvested a buck, I’ve learned a lot about deer behavior—that they really do know when we aren’t in the woods. Since Sunday hunting probably will never happen, I can only hope that someday I’ll be able to outsmart a buck, or as others say, luck out. One thing’s for sure. There are big bucks where I hunt, at least on Sundays! My 2024 buck still didn’t get me my Big Buck Club patch, but it’s a beauty, and filled my freezer with meat for the next year, thankfully in time for the upcoming recession.

Congratulations to all of you who were successful in harvesting a deer this season.

Staci Warren provides a unique woman’s perspective and column on the outdoors every month. She is a freelance writer whose blog, My Mainely Girl Adventures, is about a woman hunting, fishing, trapping, foraging and living in the Maine outdoors. She also loves camping, star gazing, wildlife watching, and hunting for fossils. She’s an active member and board member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association and is a monthly columnist and feature writer for The Maine Sportsman Magazine. In her free time, she enjoys mentoring women hunters and trappers. <

Trail Blazers fall to Saint Dominic Academy in regular-season hockey finale

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham/Bonny Eagle/Westbrook Trail Blazers took on Saint Dominic Academy in their final game of the regular prep hockey season on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham and although the Trail Blazers fought hard, they came out on the wrong end of a 2-0 score.

Senior Cole Heanssler of Windham maneuvers toward the
goal during a Trail Blazers prep hockey game against
Saint Dominic Academy on Feb. 19.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

It was Senior Night and Windham’s Ben Shaw, Erik DuPont, Sam Foley, Philip Traina, Shaun Traina, Cole Heanssler and Bonny Eagle’s Massimo Massaro and Shep Howard were recognized for their time and dedication to the sport of hockey throughout their high school careers.

“We’ve come off kind of a winning streak,” said Heanssler. “We started to get comfortable expecting wins instead of working for them, so we came out pretty slow and ended up going down and it was just a struggle to recover; we weren’t able to generate any offensive plays. We all kind of worked our hardest, especially in the last few minutes of the third (period). I don’t feel like we’re the team that starts losing and gives up, I think we worked until the end there – it just didn’t work the way we wanted to. I think our breakouts were doing pretty good, we were able to get it out of the zone pretty easily. We did have shots on net; I think we need to start working the puck a little more in the offensive zone, especially up to our defensemen. (We need) movement and getting more shots on net; we need it to be a team rotation of all five guys.”

Trail Blazers came out strong with a shot on goal in the first 45 seconds. They were working to be first to the puck. Saint Dominic Academy led 1-0 after one period.

In the second period, Trail Blazers worked hard to score. They were aggressive and battled. Saint Dominic Academy scored again, but the Trail Blazers weren’t discouraged. They had solid puck movement and really pressured toward the end of the period.

“It’s just not really what we’re looking for,” said DuPont. “We had a lot of guys sick; that’s definitely part of it. There’s not really a specific factor – we win as a team; we lose as a team. Definitely when we were working pucks low to high, that works well – we just got to get back to that, I guess. Better puck movement was working ... move our feet more, move pucks faster, get our heads up (needs work); collectively get better chemistry together and get ready to work at that playoff level speed.”

The Trail Blazer defense kept Saint Dominic Academy scoreless during the third period, and Trail Blazer offense were first to the puck and had several solid shots on goal, but didn’t score.

“What went well was our goalie played really, really well,” said Trail Blazer coach Bobby Fothergill. “We’ve asked a lot of him this year and he’s delivered; he’s worked really hard to get better and better before each game. We had glimpses of good offense zone time – I never question their effort, their effort is always there, it was more just poor execution. When we did execute ... working pucks low to high, high to low, getting the d(efense) involved, we had 12 good minutes this whole game.”

As Fothergill looks to the postseason, he said the team needs to play their game and play with intensity, passion and love of the game. He said he doesn’t want his players to make things bigger than needed and to just play hockey.

The Trail Blazers will play Thornton Academy in the playoff quarterfinals at the Biddeford Ice Arena at 5:40 p.m. Saturday, March 1. <