Windham varsity field hockey falls in preliminary playoff game

By Matt Pascarella

Eighth-placed Windham varsity field hockey played ninth-placed South Portland/Westbrook in a preliminary playoff game at Windham on Friday, Oct. 24. Windham scored in the second half, but South Portland/Westbrook scored in each quarter except the second quarter and won, 3-1.

Windham sophomore Peyton Archibald moves the ball 
quickly toward the goal during a prep field hockey playoff
game against South Portland/Westbrook at Windham 
High on Friday, Oct. 24.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“We came into the game really wanting to win; one of our best players wasn’t here, so wanted to show up and get her another game as a senior,” said Windham sophomore Sarah Smyth. “Scoring gave us some momentum ... but we couldn’t pull through. We went into every game, even the tougher teams, like we can do this; anything can happen, even the lower teams we went in thinking this was an even playing field.”

Smyth said in the beginning of the season, with new coach, Maddy Perfetti, the team wasn’t sure what to expect, but the season went better than expected. Each game, they played hard and did the best they could. Smyth said their fast breaks went well during this playoff game. Junior Morgan McLain got the ball down the field quickly; Smyth thought passes were connecting well between the forwards.

Windham began the game with intensity and passed the ball well. Each team had strong defense, and scoring was restricted for most of the first quarter. Windham sophomore Peyton Archibald had a solid shot at goal, but it was blocked.

Minutes before the end of the first quarter, South Portland/Westbrook scored.

During the second quarter, Windham worked hard to be first to the ball but wasn’t able to score. South Portland/Westbrook led 1-0 at halftime.

About 90 seconds into the second half, Smyth scored and tied the game 1-1. Windham had cranked up the intensity and hustle in the third quarter. Their defense kept their opponent away until late in the third quarter when South Portland/Westbrook took a 2-1 lead.

South Portland/Westbrook would score a final time early in the fourth quarter.

Windham stuck with it until the very end.

“I think when they got their first goal (things started to unravel),” said McLain. “We’re not as strong at finishing the ball as most teams and I think ... when South Portland/Westbrook got the first goal our mindsets changed. We had more of a negative attitude; at halftime, we weren’t saying positive things to one another, I think that had its biggest impact.”

According to McLain and Smyth, senior goalie Olivia McPherson was amazing minding the net, she’s been doing amazing work all season. McPherson had six saves during this game.

“South Portland did better than us, said Perfetti. “They beat us to the ball, they were hungry, they really wanted it, and it looked like that. They were all over the ball. We haven’t had many games where we’ve come back from losing. I think that comes down to experience and age; a lot of them haven’t played or started for varsity – dealing with emotions, how you talk to your teammates and how you give feedback, how you keep a positive attitude. I think they really did improve their tactical play in a lot of games, they’ve played some really good field hockey against some good teams, so I’m proud of them for that – they’ve learned the game in a way that I wasn’t necessarily expecting from high school kids. As a first season ... it’s building, we’re going to be patient, we’ll be back next year, and we’ll be ready to assess and see what we need to do better.” <

Raymond fifth and sixth grade girls’ soccer end season on high note

By Matt Pascarella

Raymond Parks and Recreation fifth and sixth grade girls’ soccer team have had a great season and played its final game of the regular season against Naples at Camp Agawam in Raymond on Saturday, Oct. 25. Their improvement really showed as this was a defensive battle that, while it ended in a 0-0 tie, Raymond defense was like a brick wall that Naples could not get through.

The Raymond Parks and Recreation fifth and sixth grade
girls' soccer team gather after their final game of the 
regular season against Naples at Camp Agawam in
Raymond on Saturday, Oct. 25.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“At this age, the focus is more on learning the rules of the game and learning how to work as a team. All of the goalies we had, Aliza played amazing in the first half, a combination of Madison and Gracelynn in the second half, and they all just made huge saves,” said Raymond Parks and Recreation fifth and sixth grade girls’ soccer coach Gabriel Redmond. “We’re aggressive, getting to the ball, we played mistake-free which is incredible for a group of fifth and sixth graders. Passing also went well; there were more passes in this game, and they got their heads up to see what’s going on. They should continue to work on aggressiveness and just being confident – because a lot of these girls are better than I think they know they are.”

The team’s season consisted of eight games and will end in a round-robin tournament on Nov. 1. What’s important to note about this particular game is that Raymond had played Naples previously in the season and lost 8-1, so a 0-0 tie shows big improvement on the part of all Raymond players.

“I think the season went really well, we tried really hard,” said Raymond sixth grader Raven Wiley. “I could see that in all of my teammates,” she said. “I did soccer last year and soccer is really fun, and I would like to play more. I’ve learned different moves; I’ve learned to not be as scared of the ball. My goal is to become really good at all positions except goalie. We had really good defense and being aggressive; we could work on hustle.”

The season is less about the team record and more about the players learning to play the game well. This season Redmond has taught the team to stay in the correct position on the field. The team had really started to put all that together when it came to this final game against Naples.

“That was part of the reason the defense was so good, and they had so many opportunities on offense; their positioning was really great,” said Redmond. “They are aggressive running to the ball, and they really try to get what I call ‘stuck in’ on the ball and get your foot on the ball. Biggest things we’re working on are positioning, being more aggressive and then passing to the open people – all three of those things were happening today.”

In the first half, Raymond fifth grade goalie Aliza Cullens had save-after-save and allowed nothing by her. In the second half, Raymond fifth grade goalies Madison Griffeth and Gracelynn Bowley were just as strong defensively.

Raymond gained possession several times and offense moved the ball well, going after scoring opportunities.

In the second half, Raymond sixth grader Ariel Sampson was headed right toward the goal and took a solid shot that just missed.

Sampson said she’s enjoyed playing in past years. She thinks they’ve improved so much, and this was one of their best games. Sampson said she thinks she’s improved a lot since last year and this season will help her improve in the future. The team has improved on offense and did well passing and defending but need to work on staying in their positions.

Redmond said it’s the biggest progression he’s ever seen in a season. <

Windham boys’ soccer narrowly falls to South Portland

By Matt Pascarella

Windham varsity boys’ soccer played South Portland at Windham on Tuesday, Oct. 21 and it was the final home game of the regular season and also Senior Night; Tate Robinson, Daniel Hancock, Camden Patin, Zabdiel Cayetano, Dylan Crockett, Jack Henry, Braeden Smith and Aidan Difiore were each presented with a gift and, along with their parents, were thanked for their time and dedication to Windham Athletics. Windham fought hard but fell 2-1 to the Red Riots.

Windham senior Daniel Hancock moves to get by a South
Portland defender during a boys' varsity soccer game o
Senior Night at Windham High School on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“Even though we lost today, we scored the first goal; we had a lot of energy and that’s really the biggest difference I’ve seen,” said Hancock. “The first half was a little emotional because it’s Senior Night, second half we really settled in. It all started to go well with us putting in tackles and winning the 50-50 balls – it started creating opportunities. If we could score early and play a full 80 minutes instead of letting up after a goal, then we’re going to be good.”

Windham defense showed South Portland they were a strong team. While Windham started a little slow, they soon picked up their pace with multiple shots on goal, though nothing hit the net.

The Eagles pressured and got to the ball first. Offense was solid, but so was South Portland defense. 0-0 at the half.

Roughly 90 seconds into the second half, a pass from Crockett to Hancock found the back of the net to give Windham a 1-0 lead.

“I’ve always known we’ve had a lot of talent on the team, and a lot of chances bit-by-bit, they haven’t all come together at times,” said Crockett. “I’ve noticed we’ve been working really hard lately and getting a lot of momentum; I like what we’re seeing at times. If we keep going this way, we’re going to be a really tough team for people to beat, this loss is a learning lesson; it’s only up from here. We’re not the same team we were from last year; we have a lot of new people filling different spots, so the experience isn’t there always. No excuses, one mistake can change the game. We realized this could be our last game ever on this field and it motivated us to play harder in the second half. If we can keep it consistent, keep our rhythm going (in the postseason), we’re going to be a really good team.”

Moments later South Portland scored and tied the game, 1-1.

Windham defense remained strong. On a South Portland penalty kick, senior Tate Robinson had an excellent save. Windham Offense fired a shot that hit the crossbar.

Eagle intensity dipped a little in the final 20 minutes and that’s when South Portland scored again.

“We were right there with South Portland for most of the game,” said Windham varsity boys’ soccer assistant coach Nick Dubay. “They are coming together at the right time, which is a good thing to see,” “Players are buying into their roles a little better than in the beginning; they see that the (season) is running out and things mean more. Our modus operandi is our own mistakes are killing us. We got to make sure our defense is locked in, which I think it was for 60 minutes tonight ... but couldn’t play the full time. Offensively, I think we're getting there, we need to be patient and just make sure we finish our chances. Defensively, (we need to be) doubling down on marking and being tough out back.” <

WHS Cross Country fares well against tough competition in second-seven race

By Matt Pascarella

Windham cross country’s regional and state competitions are on the horizon. For both the regional and the state competitions, only seven runners are allowed from each team. The second-seven meet is an opportunity for those that aren’t in the top seven to have one more meet before the end of the season. The second-seven meet, a 5K, was held at Sanford High School on Saturday, Oct. 18.

Windham junior Leana Robbins keeps a solid pace during the
second-seven cross country meet at Sanford High School on
Saturday, Oct. 18. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

“They ran excellent today; we were all working on getting out a little bit faster today and trying to maintain that pace,” said Windham boys’ and girls’ cross country coach Paula Pock. “They all executed really well on that. (Half) of the runners got personal records, that’s how you want to finish. One thing they can improve on is using their momentum and their base that they built up and carrying that into next season will be really beneficial.”

Girls

Windham junior Alanna Lewis finished first for Windham and 17th overall with a time of 26:59.74 minutes, a personal record for her by a couple minutes.

“I think I did really well, switching a sport this year was really hard for me,” said Lewis, who used to play soccer. “Switching took a lot of confidence; I’m proud of myself for improving and my teammates have pushed me to do better; they’re confident for me. I started out in the back of the pack but have improved. I’m pretty proud of myself – probably my fullest push to finish.”

Lewis said this is one of the best courses they’ve run on, and their competition was pushing them the whole time, which helped her finish. She had her fastest two-mile she’s done; pushing hard at her last mile is a goal for next year.

Leana Robbins, a junior, finished second for Windham and 19th overall with a time of 27:12.76, also a personal record for her.

Boys

Junior Morgan Willey finished first for Windham and 49th overall with a time of 24:06.29.

Sophomore Liam Moxcey finished second for Windham and 55th overall with a time of 25:13.26.

“I think I did ok, I definitely felt like I could have done better,” said Willey. “I felt like I could have pushed a little harder, but I was definitely more in my comfort zone than pushing myself. I think my form went well. The course was nice; I liked it a lot; this is my first time on it. My competition ... I could keep up with them. I am proud of how I did because I made it all the way through the season without giving up.” <

WHS girls’ soccer continues winning streak by shutting out Bonny Eagle

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High’s varsity girls’ soccer team played Bonny Eagle and earned its fourth consecutive victory in shutting out the Scots 4-0 at Windham on Friday, Oct. 10.

Windham sophomore Morgan Clark is about to shoot the 
ball at the goal during a girls' soccer game against
Bonny Eagle at Windham High on Friday, Oct. 10.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

Senior Marley Jarvais and Neve Ledbetter both scored in the first half. Sophomore Morgan Clark scored her first varsity goal in the second half, then Ledbetter found the back of the net again partway through the second half.

“I think a lot of effort and grit led to tonight’s win, we don’t give up,” said Clark. “Lately, we’ve been doing a really good job distributing through the middle and switching the field. That's something we've struggled with in the first part of the season, but we've worked really hard and we've gotten better at it. Our first touches (need work), but that will get better as the season goes on.”

The Eagles had solid defense and took multiple shots at goal with high intensity. Jarvais found the back of the net roughly 10 minutes into the half. Windham never let up. Senior Neve Ledbetter scored off a corner kick and Windham led 2-0 at intermission.

“I think the past couple weeks we've been working really hard, and we've been showing up to practice and showing up for each other,” said Ledbetter. “It was a team effort, and it started from the back, and it started from the first play. We’ve come out the second half (strong) to prove we belong in this game. I feel like the second half we played a little bit harder than the first because we're more warmed up and more ready to play. We should always play super hard for each other and who we represent.”

The second half brought just as much hustle as the first half as Windham’s offense continued to take shot-after-shot at goal.

Clark scored her first varsity goal when she sent the ball fast right at the goalie and it flew over their team’s fingertips and into the net.

“It had felt so good, especially after beginning to feel a little frustrated that I hadn’t scored with it being so late in the season,” said Clark. “The team had been talking to me about it during team dinners always saying how I was going to get one, and the coaches were also reassuring me. It felt good to score, but it felt even better to know I was supported by my team.”

Ledbetter scored again before the end of the second half. Windham commanded the field in the second half and defense kept Bonny Eagle away.

“Ever since our Kennebunk loss we’ve been focusing on better passing to feet and trying to read the defense; is the outside open, which tonight was the better way to go,” said Windham varsity girls’ soccer coach Deb Lebel. “We’re reading defenses better which has led to some success. One thing that’s going great is we’ve got a lot of people scoring – it was super exciting to have Morgan Clark score her first goal, she’s been working really hard, and they were all so happy for her. One thing that we can probably keep working on is not as many touches in the middle of the field because that’s where the ball gets stripped from us if we pass too slowly.”

On Monday, Oct. 13, Windham defeated South Portland, at South Portland High School, 6-1, to extend its winning streak to five. <

Youth Soccer Under-11 teams excel during Falmouth Fall Classic Tournament

By Matt Pascarella

Two Windham Youth Soccer Association Under-11 boys’ teams, one led by coach Chris Hadidian and another by coach Dustin Roma, played in the Falmouth Fall Classic, an annual tournament hosted by the Falmouth Youth Soccer Association. The three-day tournament brings in teams from all over the state and is a great opportunity for teams to see a wide range of skills and play against a variety of athletes.

Windham Youth Soccer Association Under-11 player Ryan
Richards is first to the ball during a Falmouth Fall Classic
game against Dirigo LLC at Falmouth on Sunday, Oct. 12.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

At the youth Under-11 level, only one Windham boys’ team was allowed, so the two WYSA teams played a combined game where each team played a half on Saturday, Oct. 11 against Portland where Windham won 7-1. Hadidian’s team played Brunswick and won 6-1 on Sunday, Oct. 12. Roma’s team played Dirigo LLC on Sunday, Oct. 12 and won 3-1.

“It felt amazing, and it was really fun to play in the tournament,” said WYSA youth-11 Roma player Ryan Richards. “We played ... two games, that’s pretty fun. Playing with our team was fun and soccer is just really fun.”

Richards said playing in the Falmouth Fall Classic helped him score more goals and scoring more goals makes you a better soccer player.

John Woodcock, a member of the Windham Hadidian team, said the tournament was fun and competitive; it’s always good to play against competitive teams.

Both teams are having strong regular seasons. Hadidian’s has a record of 5-0. Roma’s team has a record of 4-1.

Windham Hadidian versus Brunswick

Brunswick scored early, but Windham defense wouldn’t allow more than that goal. Windham’s John Woodcock scored and tied the game 1-1. Offense was really giving the Brunswick goalie a workout.

In the second half, Windham’s Archer Burnham scored. Windham had hustle and their offense remained strong.

Woodcock scored twice more before the final whistle.

“It's always good to play against other competitive teams,” said Woodcock. “We took more shots than usual from farther away and that profited in our favor. (He learned) it is important to have strong people to pass up field.”

Windham’s Eliace Hadidian and Trent Richard scored in the second half.

“They always bring the intensity, teamwork and lots of good passing,” said Chris Hadidian about what led to the team win over Brunswick. “They are fun to watch. The Fall Classic gives the boys more exposure to a wider variety of teams and possibly allows them the opportunity to play against a team they have not played before. The tournament helps them learn how to transition from playing one team to another all in a day or a weekend. I think it helps them greatly with their teamwork and personal development.”

Windham Roma versus Dirigo LLC

WYSA Roma started by working hard to be first to the ball. They passed well and took multiple shots on goal. Offense and defense were strong. Richards scored twice in the first half.

The second half brought just as much hustle from Windham as the first. Defense held back Dirigo though they did score once. Logan Poirier scored for Windham.

Richards said they were successful as a team because they had more scoring opportunities. It felt really good for him to score because his team needed that to stay ahead.

It’s a different type of intensity at a tournament,” said Roma. “All around the energy is just higher. Windham feeds off that energy; I feel for us, we play better in this environment, than playing a regular season game. High energy helps us a lot. It was having high intensity from the beginning that led to the win.” <

WHS football falls to South Portland in homecoming game

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High varsity football’s annual homecoming game against South Portland on Friday, Oct. 4 began with a powerful start in the first half. It was back-and-forth with the game tied at 19-19 at halftime but Windham lost some momentum in the second half while South Portland found the end zone twice and won, 33-19.

Windham sophomore Jordan Pastore intercepts a South
Portland pass and rushes up the field during a homecoming
football game at Windham High School on Oct. 3.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

“The bigger picture here is not wins and losses ... the season is not over,” said Windham varsity football coach Matt Perkins. “Our plan is to continue to get better. We’ve got guys who still are green and are trying to figure it out. We saw some major steps; we just got to continue to push and grind and get better. We’ve got a lot of guys who have grown up and are playing the game the right way. I’m proud of our guys and how we responded.”

Perkins said Windham swarmed to the ball well; they got in the red zone three or four times but needed to finish. The Eagles had some costly mistakes that caught up to them in the first half; they need to clean up those mistakes. It takes reps and time to work out those things.

Early in the game, on a first-and-10 for Windham from the 33-yard line, sophomore Patrick Davenport completed a pass to junior Tegan Perkins putting Windham on the 50-yard line for a first down. Another competed pass to Tegan Perkins and it’s first and goal. Windham attempted a field goal, which failed.

The Eagles’ defense didn’t let the Red Riots near their end zone early in the first quarter.

Junior Parker Sperry scored a touchdown. The extra point was good and Windham led, 7-0.

South Portland tied the game at 7-7 in the second quarter.

Following a completed pass from South Portland, they now led 13-7 after the extra point failed.

Senior Mason Arbour scored a touchdown and tied the game at 13-13 with less than a minute left in the first half.

“I thought we played a good game, came out strong, it’s not an effort issue it’s more cleaning up mistakes and trying to get our stuff right,” said Davenport, who threw for 138 yards and had 32 rushing yards. “I thought we did great with not getting bad calls and flagrant fouls, keeping our mouths shut, that helps a lot when we’re not losing yards on stupid penalties.”

Jordan Pastore, a sophomore, intercepted a pass with 20 seconds left in the second quarter. Arbour scored again and Windham led by six. Moments before the end of the first half, South Portland tied the game, 19-19.

Pastore said they need to keep their momentum up and stay focused. He was at the right place at the right time, and it felt really good to get that pick. 

“In the second half I think some kids were just waiting and expecting things,” said Tegan Perkins, who had three catches for 41 yards. “I saw after the interception where we just broke down and (South Portland) got the touchdown on the kick-return. Little things like that we just got to clean up. We got to know our roles and do them consistently and we’ll be good.”

The Red Riot offense scored two more times. Windham stayed in it, but did not score.

 

“We came out fighting in the first half, the second half was pretty slow; that’s something we just got to work on,” said Arbour, who had three catches for 25 yards and two TDs. “South Portland is a tough opponent, and we always got to fight against them. We had some great passing, obviously from Pat. We had some great defensive plays like Jordan’s interception. We defended the pass really well. We just got to work on the run a little bit. We got to work on everybody doing their own thing and once we do that as a team we will come together.” <

Raymond Parks and Recreation cross country club teaches kids importance of fitness through running

By Matt Pascarella

Raymond Parks and Recreation’s kindergarten through fourth grade cross country club have established a goal of helping young runners to understand the basics of running.

Raymond Parks and Recreation kindergarten through fourth
grade cross country club runner and second grader Ben Cyr
keeps up a good pace during the 1-mile race at Poland
Spring Resort in Poland on Saturday, Oct. 4.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

Aside from weekly practices, the team runs in four cross country races during the 10-week program. During the races, they can run a half-mile or a 1-mile run. They ran their most recent race at the Poland Spring Resort in Poland on Saturday, Oct. 4.

“A lot of the kids think running is just running hard,” said co-coach Sukie Dean. From a distance running perspective, we teach basic fundamentals. Making sure we’re nurturing their desire to run, they’re young enough where ... if it’s not nurtured, you get tired of running. It’s about building up a foundation.”

Raymond Parks and Recreation kindergarten through fourth grade cross country coaches Dean and Chanelle Sheridan said that they’ve seen immense improvements in the time since they began teaching the kids how to run most effectively. The focus for the club is on long-distance running.

There’s been growth in everyone’s confidence. Sheridan’s child, Bennett, went from running a half-mile to running a mile. She said they are all stepping up and wanting to do more than they did at first.

Also, there’s been a big improvement in the team environment. They cheer each other on during the races and are aware that each runner is at a different skill level. The runners who finish early wait for the rest of their team and high-five each other once they’ve completed the race.

Although running can be an individual sport, Dean said the kids are starting to build and understand what it means to be on a team.

Third grader Chase Nelsen said he joined running club because it makes him feel good to run. He really likes it.

“It was very hot ... it was mostly downhill and uphill; the race was fast, but ... I was thinking of that candy and popcorn that awaited me (at the end),” said Nelsen after running the 1-mile race on Oct. 4. “I did amazing. I can’t wait to find out what the next race is going to be like.”

First grader Olive Theriault said her favorite thing is to run because it makes her feel happy inside and she likes it a lot.

"The trail was good. It was shady and a little sunny,” said second grader Ben Cyr about running the 1-mile race on Oct. 4. “I felt good about the race because it’s going to be really helpful for soccer – it’ll be better for stamina, and it’ll give you more power running.”

Errol Bortles, a first grader, joined the Raymond Parks and Recreation cross country club because his favorite thing is running and he wanted to run more.

“We work really hard in practice to talk about that stamina and the endurance and to try to keep ... some fuel in the tank,” said Raymond Parks and Recreation kindergarten through fourth grade cross country co-coach Abby Feather Nelsen. “The energy at the meets is totally different so they’re excited to run and compete. We try to meet them on the trail and remind them of that stamina; here they are very determined and in the zone throughout the whole race.”

Feather Nelsen said everyone did so amazing, and they tried their hardest during the Oct. 4 race. A lot of them have a goal of trying to do better than they did in the last race. She said she was proud of how everyone did on Oct. 4. <

WHS volleyball earns second consecutive win by defeating Westbrook

By Matt Pascarella

After Windham High’s varsity volleyball team previously shut out Sanford, 3-0, the Eagles earned their second win of the season during a match against Westbrook at Windham High on Friday, Sept. 26. The match was pushed to the fifth set in a best-of-five sets contest and Windham won the match, 3-2.

Windham senior Sydney Harmon spikes the ball over the
net during a volleyball match against Westbrook at
Windham High School on Friday, Sept. 26.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

“We knew that to win this we’d have to work together as a team and that’s something we’ve been working really hard on is trusting each other on the court,” said Windham senior libero Lauren Neal, who had 15 digs against Westbrook. “I think it really paid off tonight. Toward the end, our communication got a lot better, we were calling where things were going. I think our attitudes were pretty good throughout the match – we were staying positive. It was thinking about the big picture as the match was really close. We know we haven’t done our best this season and we want to be able to prove ourselves. A second win feels really good.”

Right out of the gate, Windham showed they were ready to win. Windham took the lead early and were able to hold onto it until the end of the set. At one point, Windham led by 11. Senior Josephine Sibley scored over 10 points serving in this set and Windham won the set in a 25-8 blowout. Overall, Sibley had 12 digs and nine aces.

In the second set, Westbrook took an early lead, but Windham wasn’t far behind. At one point Windham was down by seven points but fought back and tied the set, 19-19. Westbrook pulled ahead and took this set, 25-20.

The third set was tied 7-7 early on. Windham defense blocked a ball and allowed Windham to take the lead. Windham had a 10-point lead. With senior Rowan Cummings serving the Eagles reached set point and won, 25-14.

“It's not just winning,” said Cummings, who had two digs and four aces overall. “It's more about ... playing our best game. And playing up to how we know we're going to play. Our two main goals were communication and serve-receive. To bring that energy and support each other. It was having that communication and being there for each other (when the match got close) as a unit instead of individual players. I think what went really well was our energy, we had great serves, we had great hits. A big thing for us is to come into the game with a mindset of being our best, we need to have a more positive outlook to things because volleyball is a very error-surrounding game. We need to look at errors as ways to make improvements.”

In the fourth set, Windham fought hard to end the match here. Shortly, the set was tied 14-14 but Sibley spiked the ball, and the set was even closer. It was tied, 18-18, but Westbrook was able to pull ahead and won 25-20 to bring the match to a tiebreaker final set.

The fifth set is played to 15 and Windham jumped out in front early, and stayed there, as the Eagles’ defense kept Westbrook scoring to a minimum and Windham really came together. Quickly, it was match point and Windham won the deciding set, 15-6.

“We had lows, but we had more of the highs,” said Windham volleyball coach Chris Cloutier. “We found out how to get out of those lows a little bit faster. It tends to be on our serve-receive that we have a couple missed serve-receive and that’s what starts that low. It was just in serve-receive; they didn't carry it to hitting. We kept the errors in that area and didn’t let it spread to errors in our hitting and our serving. That is a good start to mental toughness. Tonight was a good step ... we’ve made progress from where we were. Back-to-back wins feels good; I think it’ll give the girls a little more confidence.” <

Windham Little League’s flamethrowers heating up fall ball

By Matt Pascarella

The 12-and-under “Swing Away” Windham Little League fall ball baseball team have three aces on their pitching staff in Windham sixth graders Byron Dansereau, Alex McGonagle and Elijah Sun. In seven games, the three players have pitched in 25-plus innings and have combined for over 70 strikeouts. Each pitcher consistently strikes out at least two batters an inning.

Windham Little League sixth grade pitchers Byron
Dansereau, left, Alex McGonagle and Elijah Sun gather
before a fall ball baseball game against Bonny Eagle
Atkinson in Buxton on Monday, Sept. 29.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

Swing Away coach Jason Sun said he noticed this skill in just their second game against Gray New-Gloucester that these three each had something special happening on the mound.

“In ... Byron’s first time pitching in the second inning had us out of it with three batters up, three batters down - all strike outs on 16 pitches thrown,” said Jason Sun. “I just remember thinking ‘wow, that was fast.’ In the third inning, Byron got the leadoff batter to ground out on the first pitch of the inning and then struck out the next two for a total of eight pitches in the inning. Elijah pitched the fifth and sixth innings, striking out three batters each inning. I started looking at the stats and realized Alex struck out three in the first inning. Collectively they had 14 strikeouts of their 15 outs; that is impressive. I looked at the stats from our first game and found their dominance wasn’t a fluke, Elijah had seven strikeouts through two innings and Alex had four strikeouts through two innings.”

Dansereau, McGonagle and Elijah Sun were preselected as the fall ball team captains and have set a tone of excellence. This team has players as young as 9-years old. The three captains provide outstanding role modeling for the younger players. In addition, each captain is hitting very well. When not pitching, McGonagle plays strong defense at first base, Dansereau is a powerful shortstop, and Elijah Sun is the solid arm at third base.

At this age, players are still learning the game, so when a pitcher takes the mound, their main focus just throwing strikes – and that can be somewhat of a challenge. While in his first year as a head coach, Jason Sun has been around Windham Little League for three years and by his assessment, the hardest thing for a pitcher at this level to do is throw strikes.

“I learned how (to improve) my pinpoint, my cutoff and how to improve my attitudes towards the players,” said McGonagle. “This season has been like a journey ... I’ve been doing so good lately throwing strikes, throwing heat. It’s just been great by having good coaches, and a good pitching staff.”

McGonagle began playing baseball in 2021. In his second year of fall ball, he started pitching. The more he threw, the better he became at it, and the better he became the more he liked pitching.

“First, I wasn’t very good, but we worked on it a lot,” said Elijah Sun. “I think if you put your mind to it, you can really achieve something. I think it was pretty cool watching somebody walk back to the dugout (after you’ve struck them out). Fall ball has been good. We’ve really ... faced some good teams.”

Elijah Sun started playing baseball three years ago. He wanted to pitch because it looked fun and he’s fallen in love with it.

“I was watching the Red Sox a lot, and I wanted to play a sport, so I chose baseball,” said Dansereau, who is in his second year of pitching. “It’s really fun, I like pitching and hitting and hanging out with my friends. I feel like I’m improving; pitching is fun. (All three of us) try hard and encourage the team.”

Dansereau was the starting pitcher in the Sept. 29 game against Bonny Eagle Atkinson. He said he was excited, but not nervous to start the game.

Jason Sun said these three pitchers have remained consistent since he first realized their abilities and said these three aces are good kids on and off the field. <