Lady Eagles soccer get back-to-back wins against Kennebunk

Ashly Clark

By Matt Pascarella

The JV and varsity girls’ soccer teams played Kennebunk, at Windham, on Tuesday, September 24^th.

JV

Windham hit the field aggressive and stayed aggressive for two halves. They moved the ball nicely and passed to each other, which created multiple shots on goal (and goals). They really gave the Kennebunk goalie a workout. The Lady Eagles pressured and communicated. Ashly Clark, #36, scored two consecutive goals. Riley Shaw, #30, got one between the posts before the end of the half.

Half: 3-0, Windham

The Lady Eagles pressured in the second half, with no sign of stopping. Early on in the half, Gracie Hodgkins, #31, scored on a penalty kick. Windham’s intensity never wavered. Nat Lynch, #38, fired the ball over the keeper’s head and then a short time later scored again. Clark scored a third time before the Lady Eagles continued their undefeated steak, defeating the Rams, 7-1.

“The kids are really playing as a team,” stated Coach Jeff Fish. “Everyone is very unselfish, and the kids are having a great time. Our passing, I thought, was phenomenal and we’re getting better and better at the passing game.”

Varsity

Windham pressured right away, took shots on goal and was first to the ball. The Lady Eagles had great offense. Julia McKenna, #13, scored back-to-back in the first half. Windham’s defense gave Kennebunk few opportunities for shots on goal and kept them scoreless in the first half. Sarah Talon, #12, sent one in the net before McKenna scored again to close out the half.

Half: 4-0, Windham

Intensity remained high in the second half as Windham continued taking shot after shot on Kennebunk’s goal. Riley Beem, #1, sailed into the air and knocked the ball past the goalie. The Lady Eagles pressured, and Emma Millett, #4, scored Windham’s final goal of the game.

Final: 6-0, Windham

Julia McKenna

“Our loss [against Noble] on Saturday [the 21^st] sparked some fire in a lot of them; and they figured out if we don’t give it 100%, we are going to lose some games,” explained coach Deb Lebel.

Goalie Riley Silvia stated in the post-game huddle that Kennebunk and Noble were similar teams and if Windham plays against other teams the way they played against Kennebunk, there’s no reason they won’t go to the state tournament.

JV football shows Brunswick they can compete

Harrison Boyle

By Matt Pascarella

JV football took on Brunswick, at Windham, on Monday, September 23^rd.

The Eagles had strong defense right out of the gate and prevented Brunswick from gaining any serious yardage early on in the game. Shortly before the end of the first quarter, Brunswick scored, but Windham’s defense stopped them from getting a two-point conversion.

In the second quarter, Windham’s defense didn’t let up. The Eagles gained possession after Brunswick fumbled. Ryan Bernard, #83, intercepted a pass thrown by Brunswick and then made it to Brunswick’s 45-yard line. Colby Mizner, #32, made it all the way to the 15-yard line, but Windham wasn’t able to score before the end of the half.

Half: 6-0, Brunswick

The second half told a much different story for Windham than the first. Their strong defense didn’t let up, as Windham stopped Brunswick several times from getting closer to the endzone. Despite their strong defense, Brunswick scored again, 14-0. Alex Yeaton, #29, caught a pass at the 15-yard line and shortly after, Harrison Boyle, #9, scored and got the two-point conversion; 14-8. The Eagles were not done.

In the fourth quarter, Yeaton got to the 40-yard line, then Boyle got to the 32-yard line, then just outside the five-yard line. Four minutes left in the game. It’s third and goal. Boyle scored the touchdown. The game is now tied at 14. As the clock wound down, neither team was able to break the tie and Windham shows one of the best teams, if not the best team in the conference, that they have what it takes to compete.

“They played hard from start to finish,” remarked coach Brandon Champion. “We had guys in positions they had never played before. They were willing to go out and do whatever they needed to do to help the team. Our guys showed a lot of grit in coming back [after being down two touchdowns]. The kids played really hard.”

Jordan Small Middle School soccer has strong games against St. Dom’s

By Matt Pascarella

The Jordan Small Middle School boys’ and girls’ soccer teams travelled to Auburn to hit the field for games against Saint Dominic Academy on Monday, September 16^th.

Boys

The boys started strong with good defense right from the start. Raymond was aggressive with solid passing and communication. Raymond had multiple shots on goal and did a good job of keeping the ball mostly on the St. Dom’s side of the field for a large part of the first half. Raymond also had substantial offense with three goals in the first half. Hunter Simpson, #9, Dylan Hayes, #44 and Andrew Hare, #20 all scored.

Half: 3-0

Raymond continued pressuring, taking more shots on goal in the second half. Raymond commanded the field with great defense. Simpson scored again. 

Final: 4-1, Raymond

“We lost to Waynflete the first game of the year and today was a total 180,” observed coach Jim Beers. “The boys possessed the ball a lot better, passed to each other a lot better, didn’t have their heads down looking at their laces today. We had great sharing of the ball - and they came out and executed.”

Girls

The girls began strong too with nice passing and top-notch defense, preventing Saint Dominic’s from scoring the entire first half. The girls were working hard to get the ball to the Saint Dominic’s side of the field and succeeded several times but was unable to score in the first half.

Half: tied at 0

Raymond continued strong defense and was going hard after the ball. They worked to be first to the ball and got and kept possessions. Raymond gave it their all, but Saint Dominic’s took this game.

Final: 1-0

“Their ability to come together as a team [contributed to some of their successes]. The defense was super strong. They were able to close out some really heavy shooters. The forward line held it together really well and my midis did really well today. It’s about how they talk to one another. This team is pretty spectacular,” said coach Adina Baseler.

Varsity cross country does well at Southern Maine Classic Invitational

Jordan Piechowski

By Matt Pascarella

On a day that threatened rain, and for moments followed through with that threat, the boys’ and girls’ varsity cross country teams performed very well at the Southern Maine Classic invitational sponsored by Hoka shoes, Gorham Athletics Gorham Cross Country and Fleet Feet Maine Running. Eleven boys and 12 girls from Windham Cross Country, along with runners from all over the state participated in the early season invitational at the Narragansett School in Gorham.

A common theme among the Windham athletes was focus and determination. The Eagles were giving it everything they had; runners always had their ‘eyes on the prize’ and were striving to do their very best. All runners showed their strength as they ran the course and you could really see it when they dug deep and made that final push towards the finish line. A fantastic effort was made by all.

The girls placed ninth overall. Top runners were:

Sophomore Estella Inman, in her third race ever, placed 15^th with a time of 20:09.30. To date, Inman is the Lady Eagles cross country top team finisher this season.

Senior Hannah Langstaff placed 27^th with a time of 20:38.82. Langstaff knocked a full minute off her time compared to a year ago.

Senior Hailey Applebee placed 47^th with a time of 21:32.29.

Sophomore Eve Schultz also dropped significant time from her race compared to a year ago with her current time of 22:22.55.

The boys placed 26^th overall. Juniors Tristan Candelmo (18:51.99) and Tavi Anghel, led the boys’

Estella Inman

team as the top two finishers at the invitational. In 2018, Anghel ran the course in 21:47.83, but this year he ran 19:24.95; an impressive drop due to his summer and fall training. Sophomore Mark Mills (19.42.18), freshman Garan Laszok (20:42.22), senior Jordan Piechowski (20:46.46), who was off injured status for the first race of his senior year; sophomore Josh Guite, who dropped 30 seconds off his time (21.51.18), and freshman Derrick Stephens (22:12.59) were the top seven finishers of the day. 

“It was very exciting. We’ve been prepping all July,” explained Coach Jeff Riddle. “For those that can, come to our camps and it’s all about getting together and getting started. We had a great, great preseason together and now, here we go; we’re already in the performance stage of the season. Overall, it was great.”

American Legion Baseball: A great summer activity

Coach Cody Dube (right) accepts a check for $500
from 1st Vice-Commander, Eric Bickford,
to help with Legion baseball expenses Matt

By Matt Pascarella

It is well-known that Windham has baseball teams during the spring season, but Windham recently finished its American Legion team summer season. Service to the community has always been a core value of the American Legion. From its beginnings in 1925-1926, Legion baseball aims to teach sportsmanship, good health and active citizenship. On Wednesday, August 4, the American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 in Windham presented Legion coach Cody Dube with a check for $500 to help cover expenses for his team. It takes $3600 to cover all expenses for the Field-Allen Post 148 Legion team.

“It’s a great program,” stated Mel Greenier, Commander of Maine American Legion, Field-Allen Post 148. “when you look back through the ages - the kids that have played Legion baseball include Johnny Bench, Cal Ripken Jr., Carlton Fisk, - they all attributed their experience with Legion baseball to help them progress with not only their talent, but to help them become better men,”

Dube explained that pretty much the same team that played high school baseball came back for Legion. They were still hungry and wanted to play more. Dube went on to say, “they had a solid regular season for Legion. Finished two or three seed in their division.” This put them into the state tournament, as the top eight teams in their division go to state. During the tournament, they lost their first game, won their second, and were, unfortunately, eliminated in the third game by Oxford Hills.

“It was a cool experience,” said Dube. “American Legion does an extremely good job at structing the league for one, but their state tournament for two. They really put the kids on display...it’s a cool thing for the players to go out on the baselines and get recognized for their season. It was everything we were expecting. The parents are thankful and I’m very excited.”

Legion baseball matters to Dube because he played it growing up. As he describes, “Legion was a second chance at your high school season. The other benefit is we played together since we were eight, all the way up through.”

In 2013, Dube’s last year of Legion, his team won the state championship. Student athletes from both the JV and varsity teams get to play together during Legion baseball and that comradery is important.

“Legion is another opportunity for people to come together, show pride in Windham, which is ultimately how a community becomes close,” Dube states.

Although the season recently ended, the team is looking for sponsors for the 2020 team. If you are interested in sponsoring the team, please contact Cody at codydube10@gmail.com or Mel Greenier at mgreenier@myfairpoint.net.

Soccer: Good effort by girls First Team against Gorham

Amelia Poulin

By Matt Pascarella

The girls First Team played Gorham on Monday, September 9^th at Gorham High School.

Windham was aggressive right from the start. Their defense was solid; the Lady Eagles moved the ball nicely with strong communication. Windham worked hard to be first to the ball and did well. Goalie Riley Russell had several great saves in the first half.

Half: 1-0, Gorham

Windham started the second half with nice passing and intense defense. The Lady Eagles continued to talk it up which helped them get and keep the ball on the Gorham side of the field. Partway through the half, Amelia Poulin, #21, scored after an assist from Kylie Garrison, #2. Now the game is tied at one. Although, a short time later Gorham scored and are now up 2 to 1. The Lady Eagles were really pressuring and worked to be first to the ball and stay with the ball. Windham gave it their all and left it all on the field, but at the buzzer Gorham took this one 3-1.

“They were trying to find people on the field to pass to; I thought they were playing with their heads up in order to make the right passes,” stated coach Lisa Hodge. “There was a lot of communication in the back field with defense. My sweeper, Caroline [Bolk] did a really nice job directing traffic back there. Morgan Hammond played stopper and she really had to help pass people off and make sure people had somebody to mark. Communication was key today.”  

Varsity golf gets second consecutive win

Drew Mathieu

By Matt Pascarella

After starting their season with wins against Thornton Academy and Bonny Eagle and a loss against Gorham, the varsity golf team traveled to Sunset Ridge in Westbrook (a par 35 course) on Tuesday, September 10^th to take on Westbrook.

As I watched the players tee off, there was focus and concentration in their eyes. They took the time to get their swings just right. Multiple players hit long drives and got close or on to the green. More than once, I saw players who got putts close to the hole. The Eagles worked hard and during this match it paid off. Each player had strong focus on their game.

Specific to Tuesday’s match, high scorers were: Drew Mathieu who shot a 47, Zach Loftis who shot a 48, Ryan Silva who shot a 49 and Brady Bowen who shot a 50. Windham beat Westbrook in strokes 250-274. At the end of the match, Windham came out ahead with a score of 9-4.

“To be very honest, we didn’t play well at all today,” remarked coach Adam Manzo. “Which is unfortunate because we are coming off a match against Bonny Eagle where we had our best team totals (198) in years. We have to play better if we want to compete for a team state championship.” 

Varsity volleyball shows promising start

Maya Gaudet

By Matt Pascarella

The varsity volleyball team traveled to Falmouth to participate in Falmouth Play Day on Saturday, August 31^st. Falmouth Play Day featured volleyball teams from around the state that played in scrimmages followed by tournament play. The teams played in matches for 25 minutes or to 25 points, whichever happened first.

In a day filled with spikes and cheers from the volleyball courts, Windham played very well. A tough competitor, the Lady Eagles were aggressive in every game. They scrimmaged Falmouth, South Portland and York in the morning. Windham had high intensity in every match they played. They volleyed well as a team and individually. In two of the three games they were neck and neck with their opponents.

When it came time for the single elimination playoff rounds, Windham took on South Portland first. The Lady Eagle’s intensity never wavered, as there was high energy on and off the court. Windham took an early lead and shortly the two teams were neck and neck. The Lady Eagles blocked well during this match. It wasn’t long before Windham had a significant lead. Windham advanced to the second round after a score of 25-13.

York was the Lady Eagles’ next competitor. York took an early lead, but Windham was not far

behind. They caught up to York quickly and tied the game at 12. The Lady Eagles battled hard and didn’t let York get too far ahead, but in the end, couldn’t catch them. Final 25-17, York.

“It was a fun day,” stated Coach Christ Cloutier. “It got better as the day went on, I’m pretty happy about that. We have some good matches coming and we have the talent. Now we have to come together as a team.”

Varsity football begins with a win

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham High School varsity football team had their exhibition opener against Mount Blue on Friday, August 30^th at Windham. Windham football recently moved from the Class A division to the Class B division in the Maine Principals’ Association.

The game began with a lot of energy in Windham’s stands, on their sideline and on the field. The Eagles showed strong defense from the start with several take downs against Mount Blue in the first quarter.

Mount Blue scored their one and only touchdown early in the game. A short time later, after a Mount Blue punt falls short, Windham gains possession. Windham completed several passes which resulted in yardage for the Eagles. Ben Elliot, #27, makes it to Mount Blue’s 23-yard line; Windham then gets the ball just inside the ten-yard line for first and goal. Matty Babb, #13, drives the ball in for Windham’s first touchdown.

Windham’s defense did not slow down in the second quarter. The Eagles recovered a fumble on first and ten from their 14-yard line. They then get to just inside their 40-yard line. A pass from Will Ledbetter, #2, to Nick Garrison, #16, and it’s six and goal. Ledbetter gets the ball in the endzone for another Windham touchdown. Windham intercepts a possible touchdown pass from Mount Blue before the end of the second quarter.

Half: 12-7, Windham

After a scoreless third quarter, Windham gains possession after a Mount Blue fumble on their 19-yard line. Harrison Boyle, #9, lands the ball in the endzone and Windham wins 18-7.

“They played awesome; I’m really impressed. When Mount Blue got inside our thirty, [Windham] buckled down and made plays; caused turnovers,” stated Coach Matt Perkins. “The first quarter [Mount Blue] just gouged us, we made quick adjustments...really pleased with the kids. It speaks volumes of them.”