Windham High varsity baseball welcomes new coach

By Matt Pascarella

When Windham High School’s varsity baseball team begins their season in a couple weeks, they will have a new head coach in Chris Doughty. Much of his experience comes from when he played baseball for St. Joseph’s College, but he first began coaching when his children started playing youth sports. Since then, Doughty’s also coached baseball, soccer, football, and basketball.

Windham High School's new varsity baseball
coach is Chris Doughty, who played the sport
in college for St. Joseph's College.
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Sports have always been a part of who Doughty is as a person. He played football, basketball and baseball at a young age and continued through high school.

“I consider myself very lucky for having so many great coaches throughout my athletic career,” said Doughty. “Coaching is about so much more than wins and losses, and I was fortunate enough to have people in my corner who cared about me as much as a person as they did as a player.”

Doughty’s father got him interested in baseball. Every night, his father would come home from work and Doughty would be waiting for him. They would either go to the field for batting practice or just go out in the yard and hit fly balls or field ground balls. The support Doughty received from his father and mother helped him to be successful on and off the field.

As a kid who grew up in Westbrook and later moved to Windham, Doughty said playing Little League with his supportive group of friends made it feel like the big leagues. After high school Doughty continued to play while he was majoring in business at St. Joseph’s College, where he had some very successful seasons.

“Chris was an outstanding player for us,” said Doughty’s former St. Joseph’s College baseball coach, Will Sanborn. “Chris is a smart guy who knows the game and has a passion for it. He works hard and has great leadership qualities that I feel will make him an excellent coach; I know guys will enjoy playing for him.”

Throughout his athletic career, Doughty said that he has had several great coaches who have helped him mature as an athlete and person. He said their guidance has left a meaningful mark on who he is today. For Doughty, being able to give back to the community through coaching while also having the opportunity to provide the same guidance to players is very important to him.

The varsity team is very lucky to have a dedicated coaching staff in addition to Doughty. It consists of Anthony D’alfonso, Cody Dube, Rob Hamilton, and Adam Kalakowsky. So many baseball minds committed to the team is a giant benefit to the program.

“I am very excited about the addition of Chris Doughty as the new varsity coach,” said Windham Junior Varsity baseball coach Kalakowsky. “Chris seems like a great leader with a passion for the game. His past baseball playing experience, focus on fitness/training, knowledge of the game and enthusiasm for the sport make for a great addition. With this coaching staff, great returning players, and a talented group of incoming freshmen, I believe Windham will be a very competitive team.”

Coaching at the youth level has taught Doughty a lot about patience and organization. These experiences coupled with his baseball background, knowledge and drive for competition will be very valuable.

For Doughty, seeing the improvement from the beginning of the season to the end is his favorite part. When he sees a player grasp a concept and become able to apply it successfully, it is very rewarding. Doughty loves to see his players have fun on the field.

Doughty says that his goal for the season is to put a team on the field each day that is respectful, disciplined, and skilled. The team’s ultimate goal is a state championship win, but along the way he would like to help these young men gain a further understanding of what it means to be a good teammate, classmate, son, brother, and friend.

At the end of the day, it’s a game and it’s supposed to be fun.

He’s a second-generation owner of a State Farm Insurance Agency in Westbrook with a new location in Windham. Doughty is married with two children, and they have a Bernese Mountain dog. In Doughty’s free time, he likes to ski with his family and friends, golf and spend time on the lake. <

Golf more than a game, it's a passion for Windham graduate Drew Mathieu

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High School alumnus Drew Mathieu recently finished his second year on the golf team at St. Joseph’s College and his hard work and commitment have begun to pay off early during his collegiate athletic career.

Windham High graduate Drew Mathieu, now a sophomore
at St. Joseph's College, observes his ball placement before
putting at the Great Northeast Athletic Conference 
Championship on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at the Biddeford-Saco
Country Club in Saco.
PHOTO BY DAVID BATES PHOTOGRAPHY  

In his freshman year on the St. Joseph’s College team, he was the first golfer in St. Joseph’s College history to win the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Player of the Year and the second to win GNAC Rookie of the Year. As a sophomore he won GNAC Player of the Year again.

Mathieu also helped the Monks win the 2022 Southern Maine Cup for the first time since 2015.

“Drew is a leader and a competitor,” said St. Joseph’s College golf coach Jason Riley. “He leads by example - always shows up on time ready to work and is proof that with hard work you can achieve anything. He pushes himself and his teammates to improve every single day. He is hungry to succeed both on the course and in the classroom.”

Currently a double major in both finance and accounting, Mathieu is on an accelerated program to finish his undergraduate coursework by the end of his junior year. He will complete a graduate program in accounting during his senior year and will graduate with both a bachelor’s in finance and accounting and a master’s in accounting.

He is interested in working for a financial accounting firm with hopes to one day potentially become a chief financial officer.

In middle school, Mathieu was a cross-country runner. However, in the summer between eighth grade and the start of his freshman year of high school, he fractured his ankle.

Although unable to train for the high school cross-country team, he still wanted to play a sport come fall of his freshman year. With his ankle in a cast and using a chair for support, Mathieu took up golf, brought some golf clubs into his back yard and practiced hitting balls.

“This initial time when I began to play golf took off into a passion and a love for the sport,” said Mathieu.

He went from barely being able to hit the ball 150 yards with a driver to being a very solid player in his final two years of high school.

Mathieu says his accomplishments in his freshman year on the St. Joseph’s College team are a result of his dedication. He had confidence in himself which ultimately, allowed him to end his freshman year with great success.

Winning awards like GNAC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year are nice validation for him towards the hard work he’s put into the sport but are also a building block to understand where he can take his game next.

“Each day you wake up is an opportunity to improve whether it be as a person or as a player,” said Mathieu.

He’s already accomplished a lot in his collegiate athletic career, and Mathieu knows there is always room to improve. He would like to lead his team to two more GNAC Championships, and to also garner medals in both those championships. He would also like to place at Nationals in spring 2023.

“Drew always brings his best to practice and always keeps everyone positive and energetic,” said teammate and St. Joseph’s College sophomore Alex Beecher. “Drew is a very competitive person so it's always fun to practice with him; he helps push you to play better. The team can rely on him because he consistently posts good scores. He brings a lot of life to the team and ... a good attitude to any occasion.”

According to Mathieu, his biggest piece of advice to an aspiring high school golfer is to overcome the mental challenges the game brings. It’s easy to get frustrated and give up on a round, but if you want to play at the college level, one shot can be the difference between a win and a second-place finish.

Windham High School’s golf program allowed Mathieu to elevate his game to where he could compete collegiately. He would like to thank Windham varsity golf coach Adam Manzo and Windham junior varsity golf coach Brody Artes for their continued efforts in the program. Mathieu would also like to thank head golf pro Nick Glicos at Martindale Country Club in Auburn for the years he helped improve his game. Mathieu would like to thank his dad, mom, little brother, and whole family for their continued support over the years.

When Mathieu is not on the green, he likes to ski, hike and spend time outdoors. He also enjoys spending time with family and friends. As he continues to add to his collegiate success, he will always be rooting for all Windham athletics. <

Windham Little League softball secures win over Bonny Eagle

Windham Little League softball seventh-grader Sarah Smyth
is shown before making a throw to first base in a game
against Bonny Eagle at St. Joseph's College on Thursday,
May 26. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham Little League softball team was down 5-3 at the end of two innings against Bonny Eagle and in the end, its defense lifted the team to a 16-9 victory on Thursday, May 26 at St. Joseph’s College.

Windham came back to tie the game at five, but after three innings, Bonny Eagle held the lead before Windham seventh-grader Lily Gallagher hit a fly ball to center in the sixth inning and brought in seventh-grader Kiley Card to tie the game at nine.

“We did a really good job cheering on in the dugout,” said Windham seventh-grader Sarah Smyth. “We really wanted that win, and it was a tied game, so we had to play the extra mile.”

Smyth got things going with a single in the first inning. Seventh-grader Jaden Kennedy bunted and advanced to second on an error. Smyth scored.

Windham seventh-grader Ava Cole tripled; Kennedy scored. Sixth-grader Eliana Kostopoulos tripled; Cole scored.

At the end of the third inning, Bonny Eagle led 9-5.

In the fourth inning, Kostopoulos reached first on a ground ball and later stole home. Seventh-grader Evelyn Anderson hit a line drive. Anderson scored on a passed ball.

In the top of the sixth inning, Gallagher doubled on a fly ball to center. This brought in Card and the game is tied at nine.

Gallagher said she was very excited and happy when she drove the tying run in. She knew she had a great team and great coaches that supported her no matter the outcome. She added the team got the win because of their competence level and teamwork.

Cole was in the pitching circle and sent three consecutive batters back to the dugout in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Windham crushed it in the top of the seventh inning. After Windham put two batters on base, sixth-grader Joey Morin scored. Then fifth-grader Layla Pinto scored on a passed ball.

After Smyth popped up for a fielder’s choice, seventh-grader Alexis Pelletier scored. 12-9, Windham.

Kennedy walked. Sixth-grader Kaylee Napolitano bunted; Smyth scored. A ground out and Kennedy scored. Kostopoulos tripled; Napolitano scored. Kostopoulos stole home.

Kostopoulos said the team stayed together when they were down. She added in the final inning they got loud, and the bats came alive.

Windham defense took care of the rest which included Anderson who stopped a runner and got the third out as they tried to steal home.

Windham Little League softball coach Stephen Napolitano said Gallagher’s clutch hit to tie, some key bunts and the girl’s desire to want to compete were all successes during the game.

He said they started the game behind, but never gave up, leading to a win. <

Windham graduate’s work ethic leads to coaching

Coach Andrew Wing discusses strategy with the Jordan-Small
Middle School boys' basketball team during a game at JSMS
in Raymond in January. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

By Matt Pascarella

Before Andrew Wing graduated in 2019, he was a star athlete on the field and the court and set a perfect example in the classroom at Windham High School. Now a junior majoring in Sports Communication, he still sets an example in the classroom and has made the Dean’s List every semester at St. Joseph’s College.

It is an academic goal of his to remain on the Dean’s List until he graduates in 2023.

Wing played soccer, basketball, and tennis at Windham High School and while he remains an incredible athlete, he chose not to play sports while in college.

“It was a tough decision not wanting to continue my [athletic] career, but I ultimately decided to fully focus on my education,” said Wing.

Although he chose to not play, he was the men’s basketball student assistant under then-head coach Rob Sanicola at St. Joseph’s. He said it was hard work, but an amazing experience.

Wing made many new friends, built great relationships with the coaching staff and was able to be around a sport he loved.

Now having just finished his first full season as the seventh- and eighth-grade boys’ basketball coach at Jordan-Small Middle School in Raymond, Wing is staying connected to athletics. He was contacted by JSMS Athletic Director Jack Fitch who asked if he would like to coach the team.

“He gave our boys' team some great coaching and because of Andrew and assistant coach Jed Bloom, the boys had a fun season while learning how to play the game of basketball,” said Fitch.

According to Fitch, they found a good person, a mentor and a coach all-in-one with Andrew Wing.

He says that he had a blast coaching and had no doubt his team improved over the course of the season.

Wing also has a love of film and coupled with his strong work ethic earned him the opportunity to write reviews for Windham resident Ted Trafton’s website “Ted Takes.”

Trafton created the website in 2016 to share his love for film. The website includes preview posts and spoiler-free reviews. “Ted Takes” reviews everything from big-budget film blockbusters to indie movies and even TV shows.

After moving to Windham in 2019, Trafton gravitated toward Wing’s family restaurant, “The Beacon,” in Raymond. It soon became a favorite restaurant of his and they connected over their mutual love of film.

“Andrew is wise beyond his years, an old soul you could say,” said Trafton. “His love for film was incredibly apparent from the start, and what impressed me most was his appreciation for the finer elements of filmmaking often found in the indie film world.”

Trafton said Wing is someone who takes pride in his work, is personable, knowledgeable and a real go-getter.

A year later, Wing has written almost 60 reviews for “Ted Takes.”

“It's extremely rewarding when someone reads a review of mine, takes my suggestion and checks out the film, and enjoys it,” said Wing.

Hard work is the biggest piece of advice Wing can give to graduating high school seniors. If you are moving onto college, Wing says build good study habits, put your education first and you will do fine.

If you aren’t going to college and will be looking for a job after graduation, Wing says to remember that doing something you are truly passionate about can be arguably more important than making money.

After college, Wing plans to work for a publishing company where he can write about sports or film. Having had such a great experience so far, he hopes to continue coaching basketball at either JSMS or even Windham High School. <

Windham swim team defeats Lincoln, falls to Bonny Eagle in tri-team meet

Windham sophomore Grace Theriault swims in the 100-yard
breatstroke event at St. Joseph's College during Windham
High's final home swim meet of 2021 against Lincoln Academy
and Bonny Eagle on Wednesday, Dec. 29. Windham defeated
Lincoln Academy 72-31, but fell to Bonny Eagle, 65-62
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

By Matt Pascarella

In their second home meet of the season and the final meet of 2021, the Windham swim team showed nothing but ambition and determination as they hit the water in a tri-team meet with Lincoln and Bonny Eagle.

Last year, the swim team graduated a lot of athletes, so while team numbers are lower than normal this year, they are a competitive squad who are having fun and pushing each other to compete.

That push to compete and swim faster was visible in the final scores of the meet held at St. Joseph’s College in Standish on Wednesday, Dec. 29. The Windham boys beat Lincoln Academy 26-10 and were defeated by Bonny Eagle 48-20.

Windham girls trounced Lincoln Academy 72-31 and narrowly lost to Bonny Eagle 65-62.

Windham senior Nate Fitzgerald came in first in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:29.08 minutes. He also finished first in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 1:08.96.

“Today, I felt pretty good coming in, and I think I performed very well. I won both my races; they gave me some good competition,” said Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald said a lot of the team has improved and dropped times since the start of the season. He said what’s great about the team is they are always very supportive of one another.

Windham freshman Morgan Farley finished first in the 200-yard Individual Medley with a time of 2:53.68.

Sophomore Grace Theriault finished first with a time of 1:27.88 in the 100-yard breaststroke. She also placed second in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 1:04.33.

In the boys 50-yard Freestyle, senior Shantanu Mayfield placed second with a time of 33.99 seconds. Senior Nour Humaid came in fourth with a time of 51.66.

In the 100-yard backstroke freshman Sarah Inman finished first with a time of 1:09.35.

Senior Chloe Desmond was close behind Inman and placed second with a time of 1:17.31.

Desmond said the start of the season has been a lot slower coming out of – and still dealing with – the obstacles of Covid, but it’s starting to pick up the pace and that’s exciting.

“I think they did a great job today,” said Windham swim coach Peter Small. “We had kids doing best times, their technique is clicking in. We saw great strides from last week. If week to week you can just get that technique and hopefully things will click even more so come Southwesterns. While they said they were sluggish, their strokes didn’t show it and they were riding high in the water.” <