Windham varsity golf works hard in early season match

By Matt Pascarella

Windham varsity golf now plays their home matches at a new location this season and are still getting the feel for the new course. They played Massabesic at home at Point Sebago in Casco, a par 36 course, on Tuesday, Sept. 9.

Windham senior Josh Logan concentrates before he putts
during a prep golf match against Massabesic at Point
Sebago in Casco on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

While they lost to the Stags 8-5 in points, this was an improvement over their previous home match where they scored twice as many points this match and did significantly better stroke-wise. Windham hit 14 strokes more than Massabesic (230-244), compared to the 30-plus strokes they swung last week against Gorham. Several Windham players improved on their scores from last week too.

“I played it a little safer today and it was more of just trying to find the fairway rather than get the ball really, really far,” said Windham senior Devin Zachary who was tied with his opponent until the last hole. “My putting was significantly better today ... My distance on my chipping needs improvement. The putting was going great for me today.”

Top Windham scorers included: Zachary who registered a 44 against Massabesic and earned the team one match point, freshmen Riley Gallagher, who shot a 47 and earned the team two match points, and junior Matt Biggs, who shot a 49 and earned the team two match points. Freshman Hunter Pulkkinen also shot a 49 and was all square with his opponent, meaning they won the same number of holes.

“I won my match in stroke-play against my partner,” said Gallagher. “My short game was good, I only had 17 putts, just chipping ... just played good. My driver wasn’t too bad today, but if I can get a little more distance on it, a little bit straighter, that’d be good. My irons have been decent; my short game’s good. It was good (playing against Massabesic).”

Josh Logan, a senior, said last week’s match went a little better for him; he shot a 53 during this match. Everything else was dialed in, but he struggled with putting. His driver was great; on the last hole, he cut the trees and landed 40 feet from the green. His long game was good, but he’s going to work on his putting.

“I think we’re still trying to figure out the course; we’ve been at Riverside for eight years and then coming back here, there’s still a little bit of a learning curve,” said Windham varsity golf coach Adam Manzo. “We’re performing pretty good in practice and then matches come and there seem to be to one or two holes that eat us up or send us down the wrong path, right off the bat. It seems to be the first hole – you get off to the wrong start and ... when you’re five-over after the first hole, it’s hard to bounce back. The freshmen/sophomores seem to be doing pretty well so far; Riley today has been pretty steady. It’s the consistency piece we’re lacking and trying to get better at. The kids have to understand that one hole doesn’t make an entire match, and the kids have to figure out how to make use of the (remaining holes) in the match and not worry about one bad hole here or there. We’re trying to find some middle ground where we’re just a little more consistent day-to-day.” <

WHS varsity volleyball pushes Bonny Eagle to five sets in home opener

By Matt Pascarella

In their first home game of the regular season, Windham varsity volleyball showed they have what it takes to go up against tough teams. In a match that’s best three out of five sets; Windham forced a fifth set, but the Scots won this match, 3-2, at Windham High on Monday, Sept. 8.

Windham senior and team captain Sydney Harmon serves
the ball over the net during the varsity volleyball home 
opener against Bonny Eagle at Windham High on
Monday, Sept. 8. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

“Bonny Eagle pushes back (in the fourth set), but we held our ground and dug deep when we needed to get the points,” said Windham varsity volleyball coach Chris Cloutier. “Our serving did pretty well tonight, we were getting our serves in, we were making (Bonny Eagle) earn their points off our serves, but once it started getting into play, we didn’t keep them involved as much as we needed to – letting our defense try to win the game for us, instead of trying to score all the points offensively.”

In the first set, Windham, along with server senior captain Josephine Sibley put six points on the scoreboard quickly. Bonny Eagle had a few good serves too and was now three points behind the Eagles. Windham had strong volleying and soon it was set point. Bonny Eagle made a small comeback, but the Eagles won this set 25-21.

In the second set, it was close early on; Bonny Eagle took the lead. Windham fought hard, but Bonny Eagle was able to stay out in front. The Scots won this set 25-20.

Set three was similar in that Windham led the Scots early. The game was soon tied, but Bonny Eagle pulled away and won this set, 25-20.

“I feel like it’s so early in the season, this game was a good building block for us,” said Sibley. “We really gave it our all. I feel like we’re going to go far in the ... season. I think (this match) sets us up to know that we can sub people in and they can be equally as successful as our starters. Our team cares for each other, and that they’re going to cheer us on no matter what. Our serving was really good and our serve-receive just needs a little bit of work, but it’s progressively getting better every single season. Our biggest struggle is communication and trusting each other, but that’ll come over time.”

The fourth set was make-or-break, and it was a close one. Windham came out playing aggressively and took a six-point lead. Bonny Eagle was not far behind. The game was tied at 15, then it was tied at 23. The Eagles forced a fifth set as they won, 25-23.

“Our fourth set, we pushed and pushed; our scores kept fluctuating throughout the whole set,” said Windham senior captain Sydney Harmon. “Toward the end of the set we got together as a team and (knew) if we lose this it’s over, and we wanted to win. We kept pushing and pushing, but I think we were all really tired for the fifth set. Our communication was gone because we were so afraid of making mistakes.”

Bonny Eagle jumped out ahead in the final set with a 10-point lead in a set that ended at 15. Windham slowly made a comeback and did avoid being shut out. However, Bonny Eagle had a big lead and won the deciding set, 15-6.

“We yo-yoed a little bit in that match,” said Cloutier. “We had some technical things to clean up that stood out to me and some stuff we’ve been working on like block-coverage, not making the unforced errors ourselves. Our energy yo-yoed as well. In this game you’ve got to be mentally tough in order to pull through, you got to be able to roll through errors and ... let the last error go. That’s a tough thing to learn.”

Harmon said she was pretty happy overall with how things went, although they wanted the win, this match showed they were consistent in important areas of the court and they need to tighten some things up. <

WHS Cross Country team excels in season’s first 5K

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High School’s Cross Country team competed in its first 5K of the season during the Dan Dors Invitational at Lake Region High School in Naples on Friday, Aug. 29. Thunder and lightning delayed the race, but these athletes were ready to give everything they had.

Windham seniors Sydney Broadbent, left, Lila Stanley,
back right, and Emma Fox run down a hill during the
Dan Dors Cross Country Invitational at Lake Region
High School in Naples on Friday, Aug, 29.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

In an effort to beat the rain, both boys and girls ran at the same time. Windham had a strong showing as the girls’ team finished second – only one point behind the first-place school – with a score of 31. The WHS boys’ team finished fourth with a score of 93.

GIRLS

“There was a lot of adrenaline buildup because of the rain, thunder and lightning delays ... that kind of added to the excitement on the start line, starting with boys and girls running together,” said Windham senior Sydney Broadbent who crossed the finish line first for Windham and fourth overall, with a 22:37-minute time. “It was a really exciting way to kick off the season. It feels good to run as a whole team, you can run with the boys and pace with them. I think we did amazing ... for it being the first 5K this season.”

Windham senior Lila Stanley was second to cross the finish line for Windham, fifth overall, also with a time of 22:37.

Emma Fox, a senior, finished third for Windham, sixth overall, with a time of 22:40. Fox set a personal record for herself with this time.

Fifth to cross the finish line for Windham and 12th overall was Demetria Nicholas with a time of 24:54.

BOYS 

“We all did very good, we pushed ourselves,” said Windham senior Gavin Lawler who finished first for Windham, fifth overall, with a personal record of 18:45. “We had a meet two days ago as well, bouncing back from that was challenging. I had a good group to pace with, my teammates (junior) Mason (Bragdon) and (senior) Caleb (Saucier) with me. They pushed me as far as they could go and overall, I feel we did pretty good as a team. Running with the girls gave me more motivation to push further.”

Second to finish for Windham was Bragdon with an 18:56 time, seventh overall.

Saucier finished third for Windham, eighth overall, with a time of 18:58.

Reid VanDerburgh, a sophomore, finished fourth for the team with a time of 23:34.

Junior Morgan Willey finished fifth for Windham with a time of 24:15.

“We couldn’t do the course walk because of the weather,” said Windham Cross Country girls’ and boys’ coach Paula Pock. “Which I think a lot of the kids use to get mentally prepared. I told them to just trust it; if this isn’t exactly where you think you should be right now that’s ok. They ... rolled with it, so I was really proud of them. They all did a great job pacing. I know a lot of the girls got personal records, and we weren’t really gunning for that at all, so now they have a lot of confidence for the rest of the season and can use that as a building block for their next meet.”

Assistant coach Julia Parmakian said Windham looked really strong it was nice to see them pushing each other. <

Raymond’s Casual Kicks adult kickball group provides physicality in competitive, friendly environment

By Matt Pascarella

Raymond Parks and Recreation’s Casual Kicks adults-only kickball group has had a very exciting and community-building six to seven weeks each Wednesday night. They’ve been playing competitive, friendly games of kickball for most of the summer as a way to get out and exercise, while making friends with members of the town.

Raymond resident Samuel Glidden kicks the ball to the
outfield during Raymond Parks and Recreation's
Casual Kicks group kickball game at Sheri Gagnon
Memorial Park in Raymond on Wednesday, Aug. 27.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

The Casual Kicks group had their final summer game at Sheri Gagnon Memorial Park in Raymond on Wednesday, Aug. 27.

“Personally, growing up I was a big soccer fan,” said Raymond Parks and Recreation Director Riley Silvia. “I wanted to do something ... everyone can do and something that’s chill for adults because we do a lot of youth programs and we’re trying to find something that adults can do and bring the community together during the summer. It’s been a pretty consistent group of at least 20 to 25 people every week. I think people kind of came the first week and didn’t know what to expect, and they were so happy to be here and wanted to return every week. It’s a great community event to bring the town together.”

The atmosphere was electric before, during and after the start of the game; everyone was mingling and having a good time. Since this was the final game of the summer, the group had a big cookout to celebrate the successful summer season.

“Some of our friends were joining and peer pressured us into joining and I’m so glad we did; it’s been a blast,” said Raymond resident Mandi Stevenson. “The whole family looks forward to Wednesday nights; the kids get together while we’re here and my husband and I get to get a little bit of exercise and also a little bit of social life, which we don’t normally get, so that’s nice. I just want to mention how awesome Riley has been organizing this – she’s been a rockstar for us.”

Samuel Glidden, a Raymond resident, said he joined the kickball group as a way to stay active while being with friends and the community, while showing the kids the importance of an active lifestyle. For Glidden, it’s been something he really looked forward to. He liked having that friendly, competitive spirit combined with community comradery and physical fitness.

“When (Riley) first brought it up, we were a little hesitant to do it because I’m 42, I’m going to hurt myself,” said Raymond resident Derek Milone. “Then everyone in the community said you got to do it, I signed you up. So, we said let’s do it. It’s been a great way to intermingle sport parents without being on the sidelines. It’s enabled us to scratch our own competitive itch and also stretch muscles and break things. The kids love it too, it’s almost like a juxtaposition, the kids get to watch us, and we get to have a little bit of fun.”

Raymond residents want other members of surrounding towns to know that Raymond Parks and Recreation are a super welcoming group and the more the merrier; residents and non-residents are welcome to sign up. The department is working hard to make sure that everyone, of all ages, are involved in something.

Milone says they are hand-over-foot improving the lives of Raymond residents.

“It’s a great community to get involved in, it’s a way to meet people,” said Silvia. “We have such a great community around us and (Raymond Parks and Recreation) is a great way to gather together, and to meet people. I see it growing. I’m really glad we made this decision this year and kickball will continue in the future.

For more details about available programs, visit their website at Raymond.recdesk.com or call 207-655-4742. <

WHS Varsity Football shows skills against Kennebunk in preseason scrimmage

By Matt Pascarella

Windham varsity football took the field against Kennebunk at Kennebunk High School on Saturday, Aug. 23 in preparation for the upcoming regular season.

Windham sophomore Jordan Pastore makes his way around
Kennebunk opponents during a varsity football preseason
controlled scrimmage at Kennebunk High School on
Saturday, Aug. 23. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

This was a controlled scrimmage, which is more of a practice session, than a game. Players and coaches improve skills and techniques through various plays, while evaluating performances as the Eagles worked in a competitive environment to be the strongest they can when it comes time for the start of the regular season. While no formal score was kept, Windham crossed into the end zone a significant amount more than the Rams did.

“I think (these scrimmages) help us a lot,” said Windham sophomore and quarterback Patrick Davenport. “Being able to see defenses and just getting live reps is definitely great. I got a lot better at reading defense today. I’m making reads off, handing the ball off from my running back. Defense (needs work), getting hats to ball, breaking down trying to make tackles better – we had too many missed tackles today, myself included and we got to fix that.”

WHS varsity head football coach Matt Perkins said the team had good speed but needed to continue to work on tackling and getting off the ball up front. While he was pleased with the team’s offense speed, he said they need to do a better job sustaining their blocks. Perkins said Windham made a lot of good plays.

Last year, Windham lost 10 seniors, but few were starters, and a lot of last year’s team have returned this year, so they’re having no problem reallocating senior-led positions.

“We all surprised ourselves,” said Windham junior Parker Sperry. “Coming into this season, no one really knew how we were going to be, but I think after this scrimmage we’ve definitely shown massive improvements and I’m very excited about the season. What went well was our team comradery has gotten so much better compared to last year. I think we’re all just working so hard as a team in practice; the whole offensive line and everyone on the offense and defense is just giving everything they have in every play.”

Junior Colin McKenna said these scrimmages are a good opportunity to put what they work on in practice into play. He felt like everybody put in a lot of effort and every play meant a lot to everybody – they didn’t take any plays off.

Davenport, Sperry and McKenna each agreed it’s going to be a good season; and Windham can go out there and beat anyone they want.

“Got to finish tackles and got to finish blocks,” said Perkins. “We got to continue to break down, but I thought our pass game was pretty good, quarterbacks did pretty well, receivers did a good job on the routes finishing. I saw a lot of productive things for sure.”

Windham will play an exhibition game at home with the kickoff at 6 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 29 against Sanford. The Eagles will face Portland in the regular season home opener on Sept. 12, with kickoff at 7 p.m. <

Candlepin bowling group fun for all ages

By Matt Pascarella

Windham Parks and Recreation began a candlepin bowling group earlier this year that is open to everyone and meets once a month. This group is a great way to meet new people. It’s not competitive and the participants are very encouraging of one another. The group had their monthly outing at Westport Bowling Lanes in Westbrook on Tuesday, Aug. 26.

Windham resident Cindy Moxcey gives the ball some speed
and centers it during a Windham Parks and Recreation
candlepin bowling outing at Westport Bowling Lanes in
Westbrook on Tuesday, Aug. 26.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA   

“I like it, it’s good exercise,” said Windham resident Jean Lake. “It’s fun, we all enjoy each other’s company. Being out with people and getting exercise. Windham Parks and Recreation have a lot to offer – it’s just a matter of choosing what you want to do.”

The candlepin bowling group began in May of this year and is without a doubt a success. Windham Parks and Recreation’s Adult Recreation Coordinator Maria Goodstein said she was trying to think of different activities that the program could do that incorporated exercise with socialization. The program already has a fitness class, so this was a natural progression.

“Everybody can enjoy it; I think it’s fantastic,” said Goodstein. “I’d like to grow the group a little bit more ... (Windham Parks and Recreation) have something for everybody, it doesn’t matter your ability, we’re just here to have fun; I don’t want people to stay away because they are intimated, or they feel they’re not as good as everybody else.”

Candlepin varies from 10-pin bowling in that you throw three smaller bowling balls instead of two large bowling balls. Candlepin pins are narrower than the 10-pin ones.

“I used to bowl a lot when I was a kid ... used to bowl 10-pin too,” said Windham resident Rick Varney. “I’ve been retired for eight years, being around people, getting to know different people around town ... I like to be as active as I can be. We’re a very friendly bunch, we’re only here to have a good time, nobody takes it real seriously. Try any of the activities (Windham Parks and Recreation offer), you might find out you like it; I’d encourage anybody to try it – we’re just here to have fun, that’s all.”

Some participants bowl to improve their game, while others bowl for exercise and socialization. Windham resident Cindy Moxcey is trying to get better and learn more about the game.

“I love to bowl; when I was younger, I used to bowl all the time,” said Windham resident Claire Cressey. “(This group) makes us laugh and get together. It’s just for fun, just being good friends. This is the best thing for an older person to do, because it gets you out of the house, make friends and have a lot of good times.”

Beverly Miller, a Windham resident, said she joined the group because she needed exercise. For her, what’s fun about the group is cheering everybody on. Miller said she used to bowl candlepin when she was in high school. She encourages anyone to join; it’s great exercise and nice to be around people.

While candlepin bowling session I has ended, the group’s Session II begins on Sept. 2 and runs through December. For more details, call 207-892-1905. <

Soccer remains a passion that provides opportunities for WHS grad Thornton

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High School graduate Abbey Thornton truly loves the game of soccer and has continued to excel on the pitch at the University of Maine in Orono while earning her degree in nursing. Now a junior in college, Thornton is succeeding on and off the field, maintaining a 4.0 GPA her freshman year and made Dean’s List during her sophomore year.

Windham High graduate and University of Maine Orono
junior Abbey Thornton passes the ball during a conference
semifinal women's soccer game against the University of
Massachusetts Lowell on Nov 7, 2024.
PHOTO BY SETH POPLASKI 

"It is a huge adjustment from playing high school soccer to playing Division I soccer,” said Thornton. “I remember freshman year everyone felt so much bigger, stronger, and faster than myself. I was no longer playing against teenage girls, but adults. This adjustment required me to build mental toughness and belief in myself. It required me to always work hard and to earn everything.”

When she was 3 years old, her parents enrolled her in Windham Youth Soccer. Thornton grew up with an older brother and an active family and soccer has been an escape for her and has opened so many doors. She’s made lifelong friends and has traveled across the country to play.

“Windham High Soccer really taught me what soccer was all about,” said Thornton. “On long days, after school, when I was stressed and had a million little things to be doing, I was able to put that on hold. Instead, I got to kick around a ball with some of my best friends, do something I love and have fun. Soccer really is an escape for me and a place I can focus my energy.”

In her two seasons so far at UMaine, Thornton helped the Black Bears to win its first America's East Conference Championship in 2023 and then repeat that title in 2024.

For Thornton, this felt like a movie. She said the team had set out to win the Conference Championship in 2023 and followed through. The 2023 game was a nailbiter that went into overtime. That win made the long days and early mornings worth it. The team set out to be back-to-back champions in 2024 and accomplished that goal, too.

“(Abbey’s) constant commitment to give it her all pushes the people around her to match her energy and go one step further,” said UMO junior teammate Grace Johnson. “Vocally Abbey is constantly providing positive reinforcements to her sounding teammates who are on and off the pitch because Abbey’s support is not dependent on minutes but solely stems from her true compassion for others. Abbey is the teammate who is always reaching out to all the first years after their first game, and the teammate who shows up every day ready to contribute as a player, as a teammate, but most importantly as a friend. You can see the joy radiating off her, that exact energy is something that can’t be taught but a true gift to our program.”

Her advice to athletes who may be interested in continuing to play sports after high school is that hard work beats talent; even if you’re not the most skilled on the field, you can always be the most hardworking. College sports take discipline and sacrifice but are also beyond rewarding, she says.

Being a UMaine Black Bear has allowed Thornton to build relationships that will last a lifetime.

“Abbey leads by example (and) is extremely self-disciplined; her work habits are extraordinary,” said UMO women’s soccer coach Scott Atherley. “Abbey epitomizes the true meaning of student-athlete as she excels at the highest levels academically and athletically. Integrity is a word that immediately comes to mind when I think of Abbey. She is one of our most creative and technical players. In our system, we rely on skillful players who can problem solve and make decisions under pressure. Abbey has great vision and composure. She will assume an important on-field role this season and will continue to have a massive presence in our locker room.” <

Youth Soccer fifth grade girls’ travel team prepares for season

By Matt Pascarella

Windham Youth Soccer Association’s fifth grade girls’ team will begin their season on Labor Day Weekend with a tournament in Cumberland. Until then, they’ve been practicing hard and are looking good. They held a practice at Gambo Field in Windham on Monday, Aug. 18 showing that they are communicating well and coming together as a team.

Windham fifth grader Addesyn Salazar, left, maneuvers by a
teammate during a practice for the Windham Youth Soccer
Association's fifth grade girls' travel team at Gambo Field 
in Windham on Monday, Aug. 18.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

“I like running and I like playing defense,” said Windham fifth grader Charlotte Brown, who’s in her second year of playing soccer. “It’s fun playing defense and trying to score goals even though I don’t like offense that much. (I’d like) to get more into offense this season. I’d like to play in high school and still like the game as much (as I do now). I’m looking forward to the new season. It’s fun practicing with all my friends.”

This season will be a little more challenging as on-field players will increase to nine players-on-nine players where previously games were seven players-on-seven players. This season will also include new field formations and new rules, like offsides.

WYSA’s fifth grade girls’ coach, Geoff Sparrow is now in his fourth year of coaching the team. When he first began coaching, he had a few years of soccer experience but really dug into being a good coach and the research and studying necessary to make sure the kids have good, productive practice sessions.

“It’s so much fun, just seeing the kids develop over the course of the season,” said Sparrow. “To set up an environment where they are learning, building their personal relationships and developing their soccer skills in the game is pretty rewarding. My goal is to coach them to compete well but also make sure they are developing that love for the game and building their bonding relationships with their teammates.”

It is important to keep the game at a fast pace. Sparrow said If the players are idle for 15 seconds, you risk losing their attention. One theory of good coaching for kids is maximizing touches on the ball and not standing in line, doing drills, it’s also important to make sure everyone is involved.

Ridley Fulton, a Windham fifth grader, said she’s been playing soccer since she was very little. She wanted to learn the game so she could improve her skills. Fulton really likes scoring and playing scrimmages. Her goal for the season is to get faster and score more goals; she’d also like to improve her footwork. Fulton says that she likes her teammates and she’s played with a lot of them for a while.

Dorothy “Dottie” Sparrow, a Windham fifth grader, said she has been playing soccer since she was 3. Her sister played, and it seemed like it would be really fun, so she wanted to try it. Sparrow has learned how to pass better and play new positions she’s never tried. She is the team’s goalie and her aim this season is to improve her skills as goalie. Sparrow is looking forward to the season and her long-term goal is to play on the varsity team one day. 

The Windham Youth Soccer program is a great way for kids who are into the game to develop more than they might otherwise with a recreation soccer program; there’s a higher level of coaching that comes with it and it’s a great opportunity for the kids, with not as much travel as people think. For the fifth grade girls’ team, the farthest they travel is 45 minutes away, with most games in neighboring towns.

After the practice Coach Geoff Sparrow gets feedback from his players on what they thought went well, or didn’t go well. He asks them what they learned and uses that feedback to improve future practices. <

Windham seventh- and eighth-grade youth football team off to promising start

By Matt Pascarella

While it was only the seventh and eighth grader’s second Windham Youth Football practice of the season at Windham on Monday, Aug. 11, the team is coming together and getting ready for their upcoming season which begins later this month. For the seventh and eighth graders, their regular season runs through October and has the potential for playoffs.

Windham eighth grader Luke Russell catches a pass during 
a Windham Youth Football seventh- and eighth-grade
practice at Windham High School on Monday, Aug. 11.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

“We’re looking good,” said Windham Youth Football seventh and eighth grade coach Lavon Mckoy. “(The team is) understanding, they’re seeing the expectations. I have a great group of other coaches with me, so we set the tone and expectations right from the start. All the players have adapted and accepted what the responsibilities are.”

Mckoy has been a coach for the program for nine years and wanted to get involved to help the kids and give back. He was fortunate to have a good high school career and played in college, so what made him get into coaching was his passion for football when he was playing as a kid and through his high school career. He says that he wanted to give back to his son and his son’s teammates and friends and help them excel in the sport.

The challenge is what keeps Mckoy coming back. His coaches and he are dedicated to helping their team succeed. They’ll start the season with a group of kids that come from all different backgrounds. For Mckoy and his coaches, what they strive for is seeing their team excel and building confidence in themselves. When you give a player that little bit of confidence and they take it not just from the football field, but they might be able to gain confidence when they’re out in the real world.

For Windham seventh grader Kody Freese, this is his fifth year playing football. He likes scoring touchdowns; he likes all the players and coaches. Freese said it doesn’t matter if you lose, because there’s always the opportunity to come back and win. His goal is to one day play varsity football. He said his team is already like a family, he’s been playing with most of the guys for a while. He’s looking forward to the season.

“Windham Youth Football is a great program from start to finish,” said Mckoy. “From the flag all the way up to eighth grade and a good feeder program into the high school to excel. We’re all out here, a group of parents, who just volunteer their time because they have a passion for the game and want to see groups of young men and young women build their confidence and get the abilities of the game to excel. I think we’re doing a great job; our numbers are not where we want them to be, but we’re going to do with what we have. Hopefully we build up players, so that when they get to the high school level, they are well-rounded individuals ... and potentially excel in college if they decide to go that route.”

It's less about wins and losses for Mckoy. His focus is more on character and confidence building. At the end of the season, he wants any one of his players to feel like they’ve accomplished something; not only physically, but seeing they have a lot to give mentally.

Lewis Walker, a Windham eighth grader, has been playing football since he was in fifth grade. He wanted to play because the teams are like family. Football has taught him that you’ve got to keep pushing, even when things get hard, you got to keep going. His goal is to make it to the National Football League. What’s fun for Walker about playing is you get to build connections with people, you get to hit, everything about it.

Windham Youth Football is always looking for volunteers; if you are interested in getting involved with the program, you can email Wyf.eagles@gmail.com. <

Pickleball delivers a low-impact way to get exercise, have fun and socialize

By Matt Pascarella

Whether you’ve heard of pickleball, played it or just been curious what it’s all about, it’s grown in popularity in recent years. Pickleball is a paddle sport with parts of tennis, badminton and table tennis. It’s easy to learn and a great way to get exercise and meet new people.

Windham resident Laura Page gets to the ball in time during
a Windham Parks and Recreation pickleball lesson at the
Pat Moody Courts in Windham on Saturday, Aug. 9.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

Windham’s Parks and Recreation Department is currently offering a four-week summer session and the group met at the Pat Moody Courts in Windham on Saturday, Aug. 9.

“I’ve been playing for four months now,” said Gorham resident Lisa King. “It was really just to meet people, to get out of the house and do something a little different, that engages with the community and maybe meet people that I have something in common with.”

Norma Ewing, a Windham resident, said pickleball is something she really looks forward to. She said it’s a good workout. She chose to play because it was about doing something for her; Ewing was busy with work and loves sports; pickleball gives her a break to do something fun.

The objective of pickleball is to serve the ball, similar to a wiffle ball with a paddle similar to a table tennis paddle, return the serve, make sure the ball bounces twice and be ready, because depending on skill levels that ball can come at you really fast.

Windham pickleball coach and Gorham resident Dave Cousins started playing pickleball in the early 1990s. Prior to that he had coached tennis. He said he always had pickleball as a base in the back of his mind. Cousins first began coaching pickleball in South Portland, but with low attendance.

Something happened around 2018 when his classes jumped from three or four people to 10 people. His attendance numbers continued to increase month after month; he was able to add another pickleball session and then another.

“I decided to play pickleball because I go to a resort in Florida and my friends played pickleball the last two times I went” said Windham resident Laura Page. “I want(ed) to learn to play. It’s a low-impact sport and it’s good for me. Everybody you play with is pretty understanding and nice.”

During the pickleball lesson, Cousins is a very patient teacher and allowed his players to learn at their own pace, while having fun at the same time.

“It doesn't take a lot of classes to get pretty good at pickleball pretty fast,” said Cousins. “One of the reasons I got into pickleball was I found folks could pick the game up that much faster. My goal as a coach is to be coaching everywhere in Southern Maine and New Hampshire. I want to expand the territory out a little bit, but the bigger over-arching goal is to get as many people into a racquet sport as possible. All it takes is that first hour. In that first hour you start to discover ... there’s strategy to this game. It’s fast, it’s fun, it’s social. What’s the selling point – socialization and low-barrier to entry. Easy to pick up, and then it makes you want to play more.”

Windham resident Darlene Haskell said pickleball is great. She wasn’t going to play because she thought it’d be too intense, but it doesn’t have to be intense. Anybody can play, have fun and not get hurt.

Cousins said his group has improved a lot over the weeks of the session. The class gets a chance to play but then has someone who is looking out for them to tell them what they’re doing great and what they can improve upon.

There is a place for everybody to play, and Cousins said he wants to be the one who introduces pickleball, or another racquet sport, to as many people as possible.

Windham’s Parks and Recreation Department will also offer fall and winter pickleball sessions; for more details, call 207-892-1905. <

WHS basketball wraps up successful summer schedule

By Matt Pascarella

Windham’s varsity summer basketball team wrapped up a successful season with their final practice at Windham High School on Thursday, July 31. For the final week of practices, the varsity team had Windham’s seventh and eighth graders join them. This was a great opportunity for seasoned players to teach younger players and younger players to learn from potential teammates and role models. The varsity team finished their summer season with an impressive 12-2 record.

Windham sophomore Boston Krainis is about to tip the ball
in the basket during a scrimmage in the final practice of
the summer prep basketball season at Windham High
School on Thursday, July 31.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

“Right now, we’re just focusing on each other, and coaches are getting us better,” said Windham senior AJ Moody. “We appreciate them (helping) us in the gym and bringing us together. We’re not afraid of anything (as a team). I can’t wait to face the teams we’re playing; it’s going to be a great (winter) season.”

Moody said mentoring the younger kids gave them a preview what it’s going to be like playing on varsity; it’s not easy, so it’s best to learn and begin to make that transition to the program’s expectations and playing style now instead of later.

The younger kids get mixed right in and learn the skills of the game from high school players. The development of both younger and older players emotionally and skill-wise is incredible.

"It's been a great group of guys,” said Windham varsity boys’ basketball coach Chad Pulkkinen. “We’ve had an extreme level of commitment ... they’re motivated. One of our things this year is ‘entitled to nothing’ - we don’t deserve anything yet; we haven’t earned anything yet. It was a great group of hungry guys that make good decisions on and off the court. It starts with our top guys, Tyrie (James) and AJ and we got some junior leaders in (Luke) Drottar, Landon Wyman and Colin Janvrin plus Boston (Krainis) and Sean (LeBel). They are the ones that are most committed, they’re picking guys up, they’re trying to help those young guys because they’re going to need guys to come and help them (on the court) and step in to have success with this team. Our pace of play is really good, and our defense is outstanding, I really love what our guys can do on the defensive side.”

During the summer the team traveled to East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania for a team camp where they could connect with each other and play the game.

Pulkkinen said he saw a lot of growth, maturity-wise, but also connection-wise, and that’s the biggest question for the team, can they connect together? The varsity guys are focused and want to work for it every day and that’s the mindset coming off two championship wins.

“It helps me learn what to expect from them, because our offense is a lot of anticipation, learning how they play,” said Windham sophomore Krainis about how the summer season helped him prepare for the winter. “Playing with Tyrie and AJ ... learning how they play. We’ve gotten hungrier – just because we’re the state champs doesn’t mean we deserve anything. We’ve got to keep working. The offense has been running really well. Everybody’s getting open shots, we’re scoring a lot of points, defense is great.”

Players will stay ready for the winter season by hitting the gym or the weightroom, or by playing a fall sport. The team will be around each other this fall, and they’ll keep working and cheering each other on.

While it’s too early to give a forecast of the varsity boys’ basketball season, Pulkkinen said they’ll be playing hard come winter; the team will be fun to watch and you’ll see the two determined seniors, James and Moody setting the tone. <

Windham High varsity field hockey preparing for 2025 season

By Matt Pascarella

Windham’s varsity field hockey team has been preparing for the fall season all summer long and they are ready and excited to start their preseason on Aug. 18; with the regular season beginning on Sept. 5. The team has a new coach this season, Maddy Perfetti, a graduate of Colby College.

Windham sophomore Mia Kri, left, goes after the ball in a
prep field hockey game against Noble at Windham High
School in August 2024. The WHS varsity field hockey
team has been establishing their skills over the summer
as they prepare for the start of a new season.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

“We’ve done a lot of basic stick work and talked through a bunch of field awareness so I think coming into the fall we can focus more on strategic and elevated things,” said Windham senior Abby Trainor. “Our team will definitely be very young; I think it helps with the majority of our team being underclassman; there’s a lot of room for growth through the season.”

Trainor said Perfetti brings new skills and ideas to their play. Perfetti has helped elevate their play because she’s very knowledgeable. Perfetti has introduced new stick work drills through the summer that helps their stick work in tight spaces and short distances. They will definitely have success this season and Trainor can’t wait to start competing.

“Being a young team, and losing a strong class of 2025, I am learning what gaps we need to fill–whether that's a leadership role off the field or in the backfield, all roles are up for redefining,” said Perfetti. “Through the summer I saw girls trying out these potentially new roles while also being open to my coaching style and approach to the game.”

The summer was an opportunity for the players and its new coach to bond as well as the players to start to coalesce on the field. They’ve made some good progress.

“Getting the team together early in the summer, definitely helps bond the team and get us more comfortable before the regular season,” said Windham junior Sarah Smyth. “It is important to get to know ... players before jumping into the season. It also helps us get well conditioned and in shape before preseason week and the regular season. I have seen the team’s overall skills improve with every practice and summer game. Communication is a big part of the game, and at the beginning of the season it was difficult to communicate with new teammates, but the more games we played we got more comfortable with communicating and learning how everyone plays.”

According to Smyth, it is really cool to experience different coaching styles. Since Perfetti played at Colby College, a lot of the drills they do are unique from past seasons and very effective. Smyth said she realized she (wants) to be a leader and is happy to step into that role and be a good example for the underclassmen.

“The team improved a lot over the summer,” said Perfetti. “There are a group of committed members to the team that showed up to three sessions a week for the whole summer. This progress will only continue through the fall season. The summer is an opportunity for the girls to prepare for the fall season, and it is up to them how much they utilize that. We spent time playing together in a low-stakes environment this summer in an effort to build relationships between the girls that were there. I would say this was a success. Preseason will take on a new energy with very intentional team building. My goals as a coach are to create an environment where players can be themselves, compete with intensity, and care about winning.” <

Despite narrow loss WHS boys’ soccer looks strong for fall season

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham High School boys’ summer soccer team played York at Manchester School in Windham on Tuesday, July 29 and the Eagles battled hard for two halves, but at the final whistle York got by with a 2-1 win. However, summer soccer is more about fine-tuning players for the fall and figuring out what is going right and what needs improvement.

Windham senior Daniel Hancock, center, keeps possession
of the ball away from York during a boys' summer soccer
game at Manchester School in Windham on Tuesday,
July 29. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

“I think our possession play is what people have come to expect from the program,” said Windham varsity boys’ soccer coach Jeff Neal. “The quality of our midfield play is very good and will continue to be a strength for us. We’ve got some younger players that need to step into some big roles and some players that maybe haven’t been tested in the big game stuff. I think if we had a full roster of 18 kids, that game leans more in our favor. I 100 percent feel that we’re going to be fine. This is about building blocks for what we want down the road.”

Windham took the field ready to go. Their defense didn’t allow York any scoring opportunities early on, and Windham went hard after the ball. Partway through the first quarter, Windham senior Dylan Crockett scored.

Moments later, York scored and tied the game, 1-1.

There were several shots on goal from various Windham players, but nothing got by.

“This game showed we got to work on our shots quite a bit; but our movement was good,” said Windham junior Caleb Hayman. “Our physicality was decent, and I think our chemistry was top notch, we’re doing pretty well with that. I’m very happy (with how Windham played). It showed how our team’s doing and how our chemistry will be there in the season. We’re also missing a few players tonight; getting touches on the ball and getting out here with the team (during the summer season), gets us prepared and kind of shows us what it’s going to be like.”

The game remained tied 1-1 at halftime.

In the second half, Windham did a good job communicating; they started the half aggressive, though got tired toward the end of the game. York scored again in the top of the fourth quarter.

“My takeaway from this game is we played well, we played hard,” said Windham sophomore Isaac Bernier. “There definitely some things we can work on like communication can always get better. We’ll work on it and once we get that down, I think we’ll be one heck of a team. We had a lack of subs as well, with only three or four players; had we had more subs, the outcome might have been different.”

Daniel Hancock, a Windham senior, said there were a lot of good things about the game, they moved the ball well. Throughout the whole summer they’ve been possessing well. It’s not the result they wanted, but the chances are there. Hancock said he thinks playing together more as they prepare for the season, everything’s going to come together and they’re going to be a great team.

“In the summer with the lack of numbers at times, people play different positions where they’re not used to and that can lead to breakdowns, but it can also be positives,” said Windham assistant varsity boys’ soccer coach Nick Dubay. “Today we had three defenders playing out back that aren’t really defenders. They had never seen varsity minutes and held their own.”

Neal said the summer season is an opportunity for the kids to show the coaches what they’ve got. They’re all vying for spots. They’re all trying to get better. You’re trying a bunch of things and seeing what will work and that’s what summer play is all about. <

Windham’s Eagle Soccer Camp teaches skills and sportsmanship to younger students

By Matt Pascarella

In the third year of Windham’s Eagle Soccer Camp, campers are taught skills of the game from the WHS boys’ and girls’ varsity teams, along with help from Windham High School graduates, soccer coaches and community members. The money made from the week-long camp held at Windham from July 21 to July 25 goes back to the varsity boys’ and girls’ soccer programs.

Windham sixth-grader Makayla Swander, right, holds back
opponent Trent Richards going after the ball during a 
scrimmage at the Eagle Soccer camp at Windham High
School on Friday, July 25.
PHOTO BY MATT PASACRELLA

“The motivation for me has always been to try and create a soccer family and bring that across multiple generations of former players, current players and future players. It’s all about relationships,” said Windham varsity boys’ soccer coach and Eagle Soccer Camp organizer Jeff Neal. “I was super fortunate as a young player that I had coaches that tried to foster and instill that sense of community and family. When I started it, that’s what I wanted to try, but this has exceeded my expectations and that’s because of the people – this doesn’t happen without a lot of people. That’s the drive; to make something that people feel a part of but at the same time, it’s as much community building and relationship building. I want kids to know how to play the right way.”

The goal of the camp is to improve soccer skills for both the campers and high school players; this helps keep the programs competitive.

“I like doing soccer and I thought I would improve,” said Windham sixth grader Makayla Swander. “We learned how to dribble better and how to make it so (an opponent) can’t take the ball without fouling. It’s fun working with the bigger kids, they make it fun, and they teach us a lot.”

At the very end of the week the counselors give each camper an evaluation form with feedback; it had something good they’d done, something they need to work on, but remaining positive. Hopefully, this helps to incentivize the campers and shows that this camp is a place where they can come to get better and every player, regardless of age, is always trying to get better.

Landon Carey, a Windham sixth grader, wanted to participate to get skills and have fun. He had fun doing the activities and learned that leaning over the ball drives it down and leaning back drives it up. Carey made a lot of friends and wants to come back next year.

“I love helping kids,” said Windham graduate Josh Hancock. “I love seeing them enjoy it and have a good time. It’s awesome to get out here and help them however I can. They love to learn, but most important they love the game and they’re building foundations and just enjoying it, which is the important part; being here to watch them play and asking myself what I can do to help them is really important and helps me in the season and really for the rest of my life.

Girls’ varsity soccer coach Deb Lebel said the camp gives coaches a peek at what the future holds, and it gives the younger kids a chance to work with possible potential future teammates.

Lebel said the goal for the week is to get the kids as many touches on the ball and even if they picked up only one skill that improved their game to also have a lot of fun with a variety of different people. Some of these kids have built a connection here and they won’t miss a varsity game. There’s high energy in the stands which turns into high energy on the field. The younger kids know all the players and that connection makes the varsity players work harder.

"I’ve been working at it since it started, and I always have a really fun time teaching the kids how to learn to do stuff,” said Windham graduate Devan Kennie. “Once (the kids) are motivated they get really into it and really excited. Sometimes during the demos I’m still learning stuff, too; it’s not only them learning, I’m learning too. It has been a very positive week.” <

Windham I girls’ varsity soccer team shuts out Greely in final summer game

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham I girls’ soccer team, similar to the WHS varsity soccer team, played their final summer game of the season against Greely at the Twin Brooks Recreation Area in Cumberland on Wednesday, July 16. Windham played hard for two halves and mowed down the Rangers, 7-0.

Windham sophomore Maria Rose is the first player to the
ball during a girls' varsity summer soccer game against
Greely at the Twin Brooks Recreation Area in
Cumberland on Wednesday, July 16.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

“The takeaway from this game is how strong the team’s going to be, working together and how we can build throughout the season,” said Windham junior Maya Dries. “At the beginning of summer soccer we were starting to piece things together and getting comfortable with everybody and having this be our final game really showed how we can piece things together with our hard work and determination. Today, our defense went well, throughout the season our communication has really built (up), which has helped. Our passing through the middle has gotten way better and being there for our teammates when we need them and our communication out of the back has been really helpful.”

In the first half, both team’s defenses were strong, and no one scored until roughly midway through the half. Windham senior Nola Bryant scored on a direct kick that went out of reach of the goalie.

Windham players took multiple shots at the Greely goalkeeper, and a short time later, senior Marley Jarvais scored, followed by Dries. At the half, Windham led, 3-0.

Intensity did not dip for the Eagles despite the heat. Jarvais scored twice at the top of the half.

“This was probably our best summer soccer game (of the season),” said Jarvais. “Our passing, our building out of the back, our goals, everyone was there ... to finish. Our crosses were amazing; we just played amazing as a whole team tonight.”

Windham controlled the field, and their defense remained tough. Dries scored and then sophomore Maria Rose found the back of the net.

“From this game, I think we’ve grown even from just like a month of soccer,” said Rose. “I think our season is going to be really good, we have very strong relationships on the team and we’re going to have a great year. I saw good communication, we’re fast, our passing and everything is really coming together.”

Windham varsity girls’ soccer coach Deb Lebel said they had some big holes to fill after losing nine seniors last year. Initially, they thought this might be a bit of a down year but quickly realized this could be a team they have the most depth on; they’re going to be able to rest kids a little bit. Last year, kids didn’t come off the field, and there’s more opportunity for that this year which has been a goal of Lebel’s; to get more players in and to get more kids involved and they should be able to do that in the fall.

“Great chance for some of the underclassmen to step up and give everyone a lot of playing time,” said Lebel. “We’re really starting to communicate better, so when they keep the width and play with each other that’s starting to really come together, making runs and it’s that second ball that they’re automatically getting there. That’s evolved over the summer. We’re still figuring out, where we can get the most out of kids; as we continue to gain confidence, we’ll still be in the thick of things come tournament time.” <

Windham well represented in 35th Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl

By Matt Pascarella

One of the most prestigious prep football games of the year is the Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic, a senior-only game to benefit Shriners Hospitals. This year’s game was hosted by Lewiston High School on Saturday, July 19 and Windham was well represented this year by East players Brayden Penney and Byron Rubito, and for the first time since 2017, Windham was represented on the East cheerleading squad by Ella Roberts.

Windham High seniors Byron Rubito, left, cheerleader Ella
Roberts, and Brayden Penney gather following the 35th 
Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic football game at
Lewiston High School on Saturday, July 19.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

Although East squad lost to West 41-6, football is only part of this event. The players each fundraised for Shriners Hospitals with 100 percent of the net proceeds donated to The Shriners Hospitals for Children, a network of 22 non-profit medical facilities across North America providing a variety of services and care to children in need. A gross amount of more than $235,000 was raised by all participating athletes in this year’s Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic.

“It’s way more than a game,” said Penney. “Most of those kids wish they were in my spot, playing football ... and it’s a blessing to raise the money to help them out – just an awesome feeling. It means a lot to me.”

Penney began playing football in second grade and says he loved it right away; football has always been a part of his life. Next year, Penney will attend Husson University in Bangor to major in business and play football.

"I want to thank my coaches, especially Coach Perkins for nominating me, and my boys back in Windham, I couldn’t be here without you guys,” said Rubito. “To be in a game like this, regardless of the outcome, to be able to raise money for people who are less fortunate than you and to have the ability to give back to them ... that’s one of the biggest things that I’ll cherish in my life is being able to say I raised a lot of money for them.”

Rubito started playing football because he was a little too aggressive at soccer. It was the coaches and the friendships that made him stick with it. He doesn’t remember the scores, but time spent with his teammates. He will attend the University of Maine to major in criminal justice.

East football coach Kyle Gallant from Hermon said both Brayden and Byron are really good football players and super positive on the field. They did a good job of keeping their nose to the grindstone, he said. Byron played on the offensive line and Brayden on the defensive line; Gallant said they were glue guys; and when the team struggled, they got them back on track. Both are good leaders on and off the field, the coach said.

“I was really excited and really happy (I was picked for the Lobster Bowl); and I’m really happy to be part of the team,” said Roberts. “It really wasn’t about the game, although it was fun; it’s more about the children. It’s more than a game because it gives (less fortunate) children more opportunities in life.”

Roberts moved to Windham during her freshman year and saw a girl in a cheerleading uniform and then commented that she liked that uniform. That cheerleader signed her up for tryouts and before Roberts knew it, she was on the team. She’s continued to cheer because she said it’s fun.

She will attend Eckerd College in Florida to major in animal studies and is committed to be a cheerleader in college.

“Ella was fantastic,” said East cheering coach Annie Dobos from Waterville/Messalonskee. “She conquered a lot of challenges this week and took it with grace and applied every correction that we were able to give her. She continued to push her team to be better and held herself accountable to make the team a complete success. Without her, when we were in some tough times, I don’t know how we would have had such a positive result as we did. Ella understood that at the end of this game, win or lose, regardless of what you did, the real winners are the Shriners patients and that’s why we’re here.” <

Windham Senior Legion baseball battles in doubleheader against Gray

By Matt Pascarella

Windham Senior Legion South Paw Post 148 baseball played a doubleheader with Gray Legion Warriors Post 86 at Gray New-Gloucester on Thursday, July 10. Windham came out strong in the first game and scored immediately. When Gray pulled ahead Windham tied it up; unfortunately, Gray won with a narrow 12-10 score. In the second game, Windham dragged a bit, and Gray won 8-2.

Windham Senior Legion South Paw Post 148 junior Shane
Plummer slides into home plate beating the tag during the
first game of a Legion baseball doubleheader at
Gray-New Gloucester High School on July 10.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“Doubleheaders are tough,” said Windham Senior Legion South Paw Post 148 coach Chris Doughty. “In the past we haven’t had a Legion team ... the competition is really good; you see good pitchers (and) guys that are going to play college baseball every day. We’re young. I think playing the doubleheaders it’s hard to stay focused (and in the game). The first game was very competitive; we’ve got a bunch of really good baseball players on this team from Windham, Lake Region and Fryeburg. I think the second game some of them just kind of relaxed a little bit. I talked (with the team post-games) about not just reps physically, but mental reps. As a coach, I can deal with the physical errors, but the mental ones are the ones that burn the most. I thought in the first game we swung the bats really well, threw a lot of strikes; in the second game, we had some innings where we were hitting the ball really well, we just lacked that big hit. We need to clean up the fielding; we made a lot of errors on easy balls that just can’t happen. That (first) game was the first time this summer it looked like the guys were ready to compete and win.”

In the first game, Windham junior Cameron Chappell scored after junior Camden Gardiner doubled in the first inning.

In the second inning, Chappell singled and brought in two runs.

Gray was quick to answer in the second inning when they brought in two runs. In the third inning, a few hits and a three-run home run gave them a 7-2 lead.

The fifth inning had Windham put five runs on the scoreboard when junior Braydan Wilson singled, and junior Shane Plummer walked. Chappell singled and Wilson scored. Freshman Ryan Manning walked and senior Josh Plummer singled; Shane Plummer scored.

Freshman Joey Small walked and brought in Chappell. Sophomore Justin Saunders popped out and Manning and Josh Plummer scored. Windham led by one.

Windham held the lead for a full inning, but Gray tied it up and pulled ahead.

“The first game we competed a little more and wanted to win,” said Shane Plummer. “I thought we were aggressive hitting, and we were running the bases well. The second game I felt like we just ... let them win pretty much. I thought we did better in the field. We made some better plays but didn’t swing the bats as well.”

Game two did not have as much intensity from Windham as game one. Gray jumped to a 5-0 lead after two innings.

Chappell doubled in the third inning. After Windham senior Anthony Rinaldi grounded out, Chappell scored.

Wilson doubled in the fourth inning and Gardiner singled. A groundout and Wilson scored.

Windham was able to reduce the runs scored by Gray.

“We wanted to win, and we had the mentality of just keep going,” said Windham sophomore Justin Saunders. “Battle through and we swung the bats pretty well, that’s what made us play better. The first game was better than the second. What needs work is joking around, and ... I need to work on that too. Some of us are dipping when we hit, I think that could help. Fielding, talking is a big issue and knowing where to throw the ball is something we can work on.”

Wilson said they competed in the first game and there were some solid spots where they put the bat on the ball. In the second game their approach was different; players took huge swings, trying to hit a homer instead of aiming for the middle of the field. <

Tales from the Woods: Turkey Season 2025

By Bob Chapin

If you didn’t harvest a wild turkey this spring, chances are you are already counting down the days until the next hunting season.

Bob Chapin

I was extremely fortunate this year as I was able to harvest one early in the season. Like the bank robber, John Dillinger, when asked why he robbed banks, he quipped, “Because that is where the money is.” Turkey hunting is the same way…before you can hunt them in a particular piece of woods you must know where they are hanging out and get permission from the landowner to hunt them there. That is why most successful hunters do extensive scouting before the season starts.

By scouting I mean you know for a fact that turkeys are in a particular piece of wooded terrain because you have “roosted them” there either at dawn or at dusk or what is referred to as the crepuscular hours. Go just before sunrise or just at sunset when they “fly up or down” from trees where they safely spend the night away from their many natural predators. In the spring the males or gobblers want to be close by the females or hens often roosting in the same or nearby trees. When they fly down at daybreak the gobblers already know approximately where the hens are.

Gobblers are very vocal and often gobble when they go to roost and gobble again in the morning before flying down. Gobbling is both a social communication, and in the spring, an announcement that they are ready to breed. Usually only the largest, oldest gobblers actually do the breeding, and they fight off the younger birds to keep that right. But like teenaged boys that doesn’t keep the younger males or Jakes from trying.

This year I had the opportunity to do sufficient early season scouting which meant several early morning get-ups which paid off as I confirmed the presence of one or more gobblers in the area I had to hunt. Early in the season I positioned myself off a logging road on a small plateau. I set up my decoys – two hen decoys and a small Jake decoy. The big boys cannot stand it when they think a youngster is moving in on what they consider their territory.

There are several schools of thought on how many of what kind of decoy you should use, and I’ve tried them all and they all work, sometimes. This year since I was hunting a smaller clearing in the woods and I limited myself to three. Some guys use only one. In a large field with great visibility in several directions I’ve used as many as eight including a large strutting gobbler. You may run the risk of intimidating potential suitors who would make a fine harvestable bird, but they are visible from a long way off and will often pull in hopeful males if you have a crowd of decoys.

It did not take long after 4:30 a.m. for the first couple of turkeys to sound off. The good thing about male turkeys is that if one sounds off the rest within hearing feel compelled to answer so it is not unusual to have turkeys gobbling in several quadrants at once. Sometimes you can tell you have more than one turkey approaching because they walk on each other’s calls. Several times I have had groups of three to four gobblers walk in together as they like to associate with other males despite the competition at the end.

I knew there were at least two gobblers approaching me from the overlapping gobbles they made. Unfortunately, they came in behind the tree I was sitting against, so I was unable to see them. You draw them to you by making sounds on calls designed to sound like hens. The decoys are designed to seal the deal and keep them focused away from you. Once they are close you do not want to make any movements, not your feet, your head, your gun, not even your eyes as they will pick it up in a heartbeat and be gone before you can react.

Trying to snap shoot fleeing turkeys is a fool’s gambit. These two were close enough to me that I could hear them “spitting” as it is called. Not what you would think but more like “P-s-s-st.” I could hear their feet in the wet leaves they were that close…but still not in sight. I knew they could see my decoys, but maybe my Jake gave them pause. They walked behind my tree and off to my right. I figured that was the best chance I would have all morning, and I just blew it. There were other gobblers around, so I continued to purr and cluck as hens do.

Out of the corner of my right eye I saw movement that materialized as two fully fanned out birds headed for my decoys again. They were slightly downhill from me and low growing vegetation blocked all but the tops of their fans and heads. They hung up about 40 yards out and proceeded to “display” for my hens, turning in circles next to each other, one lower down the hill than the other. I decided that that was the best shot I was going to get so when the top one turned to face me. I put the bead right where his neck met his chest and touched off a shot.

I was not prepared for the recoil the 3 1/2 inch .12 Gauge TSS-Tungston Stainless Steel shell was going to give me, and it knocked me back against the tree I was sitting against. I was not able to see what had happened to the bird as I could not see him from my seated position and I thought I might have missed him. I needn’t have worried though.

Once I got myself composed and went to where he was there on the ground there was not one, but two turkeys, shot with one shot! One was 19 pounds and the other turned out to be 21 pounds.

Fortunately, I was in a game management unit that permits two bearded turkeys in the spring season. My season was over in one shot, but a good season it was. How was yours? <

Windham girls’ basketball camp helps younger players to learn game

By Matt Pascarella

Windham’s varsity girls’ basketball team held their summer basketball camp for grades 3 through 8 at Windham High during the week of July 7. This was a great opportunity for younger basketball players to learn the game from varsity players.

Windham fifth grader Fiona McLeod looks to pass during
a scrimmage as part of the Windham Varsity Girls' Summer
Basketball camp at Windham High School on Thursday,
July 10. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

Brody Artes, Windham’s varsity girls’ basketball coach, said there was about a 25 percent increase in the number of kids who signed up for the camp compared to last year.

“I wanted to get better, and the drills are very helpful,” said Windham seventh grader Lily Nickel. “Learning new things just helps you get better and improve; When you work hard you can achieve your goals. It’s fun working with the varsity players. They are all really kind and sweet and they’re very helpful and always there to help when you need it. I’ve learned some shooting exercises and gotten better at layups; I’ve learned some different dribbling (skills). (This camp) teaches you new things and the harder you work the more you get better.”

The goal is development of these young players and provide the opportunity for kids to come in and have some fun while teaching kids fundamentals that they can continue to build on as they grow up. The camp is also a great opportunity for those interested in basketball to get together to meet and play the game they love. The varsity team works with the really little kids during the season, but this is an opportunity to work with kids a little older.

Artes and members of his team instructed campers in basic fundamentals such as ball handling and shooting and talked about some transition techniques. They did a lot of team building and played some games where the campers had to work together with some competition. The program wants the kids to learn how to compete but also have fun and try to develop that positive culture overall.

“This week has been a lot of fun, just getting to know all the kids,” said Windham senior Chloe Delewski. “I think it’s been a great opportunity for them to develop their skills and be more comfortable on the court. They have been very respectful, they are taking (our instructions) in and absorbing it and using it to their full potential. In the games and the scrimmages, they are doing a great job.”

Delewski said she thinks this camp is important because they learn how to be on a team and not just do everything by themselves. She’s learning that it’s hard to coach. Basketball is a very fun sport and if it’s done with the will to get better, they’ll enjoy it for years and years to come. Delewski says she loves coaching the kids, they’re a great group of girls.

Windham seventh grader Brinley Sargent said she plays basketball all the time and the camp has helped her get better at finishing at the hoop and with ball handling. She said it’s fun interacting with varsity players and she likes learning the game from players who already play on the varsity team. They’ve done a lot of scrimmaging and various drills like shooting drills and ball handling drills, and it’s been a really good experience.

“It’s been great, it’s good to see a lot more interest in girls’ basketball coming up through the program,” said Artes. “Lot of kids that love to play, lot of kids that are super energetic about it. High school kids do a great job working with the kids, having fun, making the game fun. I think they’re having a lot of fun. The little kids look up to the varsity players; they see them play in the wintertime and the varsity kids love giving back to the little kids. Both sides benefit greatly. I think that helps a lot as far as a positive outcome. It’s a great opportunity for them to get to know me before high school ... that helps in the long-term.”<