Wolfpack wrestling coach Nicholas earns 200th career win

By Matt Pascarella

Windham/Westbrook/Gray New-Gloucester Wolfpack wrestling coach John Nicholas has been coaching wrestling for 25 years and earned his 200th varsity career win last month when the Wolfpack defeated York, 45-24.

The Windham/Westbrook/Gray New Gloucester Wolfpack
Wrestling team gathers with John Jon Nicholas after he 
earned his 200th career victory following a meet at York
High School on Dec. 13.
PHOTO BY DANIELLE BUCKLEY

Nicholas began coaching at Windham in 2018 and the 200 wins span more than 17 years of Nicholas serving as a head coach.

Now a physical education teacher at Wentworth School in Scarborough, Nicholas wrestled at Westbrook High School under Hall of Fame coach Dennis Walch.

After high school, he followed in Walch’s footsteps and was able to coach alongside him for a couple years. Nicholas then got a job coaching at Portland High School.

“I was taught to work hard, pay attention to detail, and try your best,” said Nicholas. “I have been blessed to have great parents, coaches, and teachers, assistant coaches and tough wrestlers who are willing to learn at all three schools.”

On the day of the York match, Nicholas said that he was more focused on preparing the team to face York, as they are a tough team, but the 200th win was in the back of his head.

Windham senior Scott Ingalls is a Wolfpack team captain and has wrestled under Nicholas for four years. In the huddle before the match, Ingalls said Nicholas told the team that while they are wrestling for themselves on the mat, this was a big one. He said it felt good to get the win.

“His care and devotion to the program sets him apart from other coaches,” said Ingalls. “He’s taught me a lot, this is my second year being a captain, he’s helped me develop my own leadership skills and put forth to the program what I can offer through him teaching me.”

On the day of the 200th win, Nicholas said he felt relieved after the Wolfpack beat York. He describes himself as a humble person and it was good to have the team excited after he reached that milestone.

Being able to coach beside Dennis Walch taught Nicholas a lot about being a successful wrestler and coach, with lessons like time management, preparedness and working hard to accomplish your goals. Walch helped Nicholas become a better person and Nicholas now passes on those habits to his wrestlers.

“I always wanted to coach at my alma mater, and I was able to do that for a long time and now continue to,” said Nicholas. “I wanted to create a positive environment where kids enjoy wrestling and want to work hard to achieve their goals.”

He likes where his career has taken him. His teams have brought success into their system by showing up every day, working hard, learning, improving, wrestling tough and having fun.

Wolfpack assistant varsity coach Nick Buckley has coached next to Nicholas for three years. Buckley said Nicholas is a great mentor, has a lot of knowledge – knows what works and what doesn’t work, is consistent with his message, always wants to win and is always looking for that edge.

“When he came [to Windham] he changed the culture,” said Buckley. “It was almost a recreational team ... but when he came [to Windham] now we’re here to wrestle and get better. Getting better is an expectation and winning is a byproduct of that. He made a tougher practice schedule and held people accountable. When you do that teams get better.”

“It is nice to be acknowledged for 200 wins,” said Nicholas. “I hope what it says about me is that I have continued to produce teams that are tough, have good sportsmanship, and keep improving.

He said that he plans to continue coaching the Wolfpack and producing tough competitive teams that keep striving for a state title. <

Wolfpack wrestling begins season at Westlake Tournament

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham/Westbrook/Gray New Gloucester Wolfpack wrestling team kicked off the season by competing in the Westlake Memorial Wrestling Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 3 at Bath Middle School, and it was a very strong start to the season.

The Windham/Westbrook/Gray New Gloucester Wolfpack
wrestling team were participants in the Westlake Memorial
Wrestling Tournament at Bath Middle School on Dec. 3.
PHOTO BY COREEN TANNER 

Windham sophomore Ayden Cofone placed first in the 120-weight class and was voted outstanding wrestler of the tournament.

“It was great seeing the team compete for the first time this year,” said Cofone. “I was proud of how the team did overall, but I still think we had a lot of areas that we need to improve on.”

Cofone said it felt good to take first, and he will use this win to push him toward another state championship.

In the 170-weight class Westbrook junior Gavin Tanner placed first. In the 182-weight class Windham senior Scott Ingalls placed first.

“I felt great,” said Tanner. “It's something I've worked really hard for. This is the first tournament I've ever [taken] first in and I hope to keep it going.”

Ingalls, who’s coming back from an injury said getting this win means he can still perform at a high level. The team winning shows the kind of program being built and how it can lead to success.

Westbrook junior Owen Pillsbury placed third in the 132-weight class. Windham junior Chris Harvey placed fourth in the 152-weight class. Windham junior Griffin Moreau placed third in the 285-weight class.

“We have been putting in a lot of hard work in the practice room, so it was great to get off to a strong start,” said Windham/Westbrook/Gray New Gloucester Wolfpack wrestling coach John Nicholas. “There were a lot of good teams at the tournament so it was nice to see we can compete with the best in the area. We are happy with winning the tournament, but we also know that it's a long season and we have to keep grinding to reach our ultimate goals.” <

Windham/Westbrook/Gray New-Gloucester wrestling finds success at Zeb Leavitt Memorial Tournament

The Windham/Westbrook, Gray New Gloucester
prep wrestling team finished in second place with
a score of 136 just behind Sanford at the Zeb
Leavitt Memorial Tournament at Cheverus High
School on Saturday, Jan. 15.
PHOTOO BY BROOKE REID 

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham/Westbrook/Gray New-Gloucester wrestling team turned in an amazing showing in their first tournament of the season at the Zeb Leavitt Memorial Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 15 at Cheverus High School.

The team was more than ready for this tournament, and it felt great to return to the mat after Covid took a year from them last season. This was the first time the program placed in a tournament when they finished second with a score of 136.

Windham/Westbrook/Gray-New Gloucester put six wrestlers in the finals and had two individual champions: Windham junior Scott Ingalls who won the 170-pound final and Windham freshman Ayden Cofone who won the 113-pound final.

“Everyone on the team chipped in during the day,” said Windham/Westbrook/Gray-New Gloucester coach John Nicholas. “We talked about what it takes to win a tournament and for most of the day we were in first place before slipping a bit in the late rounds. However, we were very competitive all day and pulled off a few upsets along the way.”

Cofone was expecting some hard matches for himself and the whole team and said it felt good to have upperclassman cheering him on as he wrestled. 

According to Cofone, tt meant a lot for him to be on a team that took second place and this win will definitely be motivation for the team, as well as him, in future meets and tournaments.

“This whole season the whole team has been going hard in practice, really preparing us for any competition we face,” said Ingalls. “Getting into the final felt great, as during freshman year I never qualified to wrestle for first or second. It really gave me a confidence boost going into my final match. This top two finish really shows that if we work hard in practice and deliver on the mat in competition, we can really be a top contender.”<

Trail Blazers earn 2-1 hockey win over Gorham in overtime, remain undefeated

Trail Blazer and Windham High senior Aiden Hartwell glides
toward Gorham's goalie to take a shot at goal on Wednesday,
Dec. 22 at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham
during the Windham/Westbrook/Bonny Eagle Trail Blazer
hockey game. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham/Westbrook/Bonny Eagle Trail Blazers had quite a game in their first home game of the season against Gorham. The Trail Blazers tied the game after two scoreless periods. Trail Blazers Bonny Eagle senior Logan Caron scored with 46 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime.

The Trail Blazers’ Sacopee Valley sophomore James Ritter fired the winning shot in overtime for the 2-1 win on Wednesday, Dec. 22 at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham.

The Trail Blazers moved the puck early on and were aggressive. Gorham had a few shots on goal, but Trail Blazers’ defense kept the Rams scoreless.

The two teams took roughly equal shots at their opponent’s goals and remained scoreless in the second period.

Windham’s Aiden Hartwell said the Trail Blazers started slow, but once Gorham scored, Trail Blazers gained momentum and knew they needed a goal.

The Trail Blazers turned up the intensity in the third period and matched Gorham’s goal with Caron’s to tie the game 1-1 with less than a minute remaining.

Caron said he was pretty sure he got the pass from Hartwell and saw an opening in the net. He let the puck rip and saw it bounce in the back of the net.

Windham freshman Sam Foley said Gorham was beating the Trail Blazers to a lot of puck battles and the Trail Blazers were not ready in the first two periods. In the third period they won more puck battles which got them more opportunities.

Ritter shot the puck past Gorham’s goalie 4:36 into overtime assisted by Hartwell and Bonny Eagle senior Bobby Fothergill.

“There was a lot of bodies in front, and I knew the goalie couldn’t see much,” said Ritter. “So, I tried to put it low ... and it just went in.”

Ritter said they lifted each other up, whether in the locker room or on the bench and that led to this win. They realized what they had to do, and they did it.

“They came out a little flat; it’s their first home game in two years,” said Trail Blazers coach Bobby Fothergill. “I think it took them a couple periods to settle in. Ultimately, they executed; they dug deep ... they wanted it, they worked it and they willed themselves that win. It’s a good character win – I’m very proud of them.” <

Windham Middle School cross country teams show promise in first meet

Windham sixth grader Beckett Bragdon heads to the finish line
 during Windham Middle School's first cross country race of the
season against Westbrook and Friends School of Portland on 
Wednesday, Sept. 22 at at Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook.
PBY NMATT PASCARELLA

By Matt Pascarella

In Windham Middle School’s first cross country meet of the season, a one-and-a-half-mile run, many members on the team showed immense achievement and with future meets on the horizon, Windham looks very promising for the upcoming season.

Windham eighth grader Nathan White was first for Windham and came in second overall for the boys with a time of 11:15.31 minutes.

Windham eighth grader Sydney Broadbent came in first for Windham and fourth overall for the girls with a time of 11:23.84.

WMS traveled to Smiling Hill Farm in Westbrook on Sept. 22 to compete against Westbrook Middle School and the Friends School of Portland.

As a team, the Windham boys beat Friends School of Portland 37-28. Westbrook had no score during this race.

The Windham girls came in second with a total of 42 points, Westbrook was first with a total of 49 and Friends School of Portland had a score of 32.

Both Windham teams showed their training has already begun to pay off.

Boys

Windham sixth grader Adam Slomczynski finished second for Windham and fifth overall with a time of 11:21.31.

Windham eighth grader Nathan Paulding finished third for Windham and ninth overall with a time of 11:56.94.

Windham seventh grader Mason Bragdon finished fourth for Windham and 10th overall with a time of 12:07.44.

Nine Windham runners were in the top 15.

White said the race went well, not many hills, though the last hill was pretty steep. White said it felt good to finish first for Windham; he thought he was going to get at least fifth place, so this was great.

Girls

“I think the race went well but I’m still working on finding my pace,” said Broadbent. “The thing that went well was that I had motivation to run faster to catch up to the person in front of me. It felt good to get first for Windham.”

Windham sixth grader Habour Libby finished second for Windham and seventh overall with a time of 12:43.15.

Windham sixth grader Taylor Lucas finished third for Windham and eighth overall with a time of 12:43.88.

Windham sixth grader Mila Thomas finished fourth for Windham and ninth overall with a time of 13:38.69.

Windham eighth grader Kaitlyn Dickson finished fifth for Windham and 14^th overall with a time of 14:14.31.

Six Windham runners were in the top 15.

“I think it went really well,” said Windham Middle School Coach Phil Jackson. “The kids were really excited to run; it’s been two years since we’ve had actual in-person competition.”

Jackson said the team came ready to run and had good attitudes. They went out and did their best, tried hard and had fun. Jackson is excited to see what Windham can do the rest of the season. <

Windham softball All-Stars turn back Scarborough in District 6 opener

Windham seventh grader Addison Caiazzo bats during a 
Windham Little League 10-12-year-old All-Star softball game
against Scarborough on Monday, June 21 at the Westbrook
Little League Complex. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA

By Matt Pascarella

Windham Little League’s District 6 All-Stars team played its first game of the 10-12-year-old softball tournament against Scarborough and easily cruised to a win on Monday, June 21.

Windham knocked in three runs in the first inning, four runs in the second and seventh grader Addison Caiazzo crushed the ball for an in-the-park home run in the fourth inning. Windham emerged with an 8-2 win over the Red Storm in a game played at the Westbrook Little League complex.

After Windham shut down Scarborough defensively in the first inning, it was time for Windham’s All-Star players to get things going. Sixth grader Kaylee Napolitano doubled, then Caiazzo walked. Shortly after, Napolitano stole home. Caiazzo followed Napolitano’s lead and scored. Sixth grader Ava Cole walked. After sixth grader Evelyn Anderson singled, Cole scored. Windham had a 3-0 lead after one inning.

Another a quick three Scarborough outs by Windham and the All-Stars were ready to broaden their lead. Sixth grader Sarah Smyth singled on a pop fly that dropped. Napolitano singled on a bunt.

Windham kept the second inning going when seventh grader Lacie Higgins doubled on a line drive to center field. Smyth and Napolitano scored. Caiazzo doubled on a fly ball to center field and brought in Higgins. Fifth grader Eliana Kostopolous hit a line drive. Caiazzo crossed home plate. Later, Kostopolous scored. Windham led 7-0.

Smyth was not nervous against Scarborough and said she thought both defense and offense played a big part in the win. She said that she thought Windham worked well together as a team.

“This particular group has been working together for a while now,” said Windham coach Ronnie Higgins. “They’re ready to go, they’re excited to play and ... have some fun with it.”

Windham defense was too much for the Red Storm in the top of the third. While Scarborough got a player on base, they remained there until the end of the inning.

In the fourth, Scarborough did put two on the board, but that’s all Windham would allow for the remainder of the game. Caiazzo stepped up to the plate and ripped the ball to deep right field. She rounded second. It looked promising; Caiazzo beat the throw and brought in the eighth run for Windham.

Caiazzo said Windham played well and had strong communication. They were engaged all game. Hitting that in-the-park-home run felt really good to her, she said.

In the top of the sixth, Scarborough had one on. Windham’s defense closed out the game with Caiazzo pitching. Windham finished Scarborough with a strikeout, a ground out and a line out to second.

What’s to come? “Winning,” said Lacie Higgins. <

Windham gets by Westbrook in first round of prep softball playoffs

Freshman Brooke Gerry winds up to pitch during
Windham's first-round state softball playoff game
against Westbrook at Windham High School on
June 8. Windham beat Westbrook 9-2 to advance
to the next round of the playoffs.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA  

By Matt Pascarella

The Lady Eagles softball team played their first-round playoff game, at home against Westbrook on Tuesday, June 8 and advanced to the next round with a huge win.

Windham had a 2-0 lead after three innings but in the fourth inning, Westbrook tied the game. Windham pulled away after a three-run home run from freshman Jaydn Kimball in the bottom of the fourth rocketed the Lady Eagles to an 8-2 lead. They held off the Blue Devils for the next few innings and won 9-2.

Windham’s defense was there from the beginning. In the first inning, after freshman Brooke Gerry struck out two batters, Kimball made the throw to junior and shortstop Amanda Foss who tagged a runner on her way to second.

In the bottom of the first inning, Gerry walked. She got around the bases and stole home on a passed ball to put Windham on the board.

Gerry singled in the bottom of the third inning, sophomore Ella Wilcox popped out to center field. Kimball also popped out, but Gerry tagged up and sloe home safely.

Westbrook hit a home run in the top of the fourth to tie the game at two.

“I knew I couldn’t take anything for granted,” said pitcher Gerry. “Before (playoffs) you want to work to get better. Here (during playoffs) you need to be the best you can be.”

After the Westbrook home run, Gerry said she shut down for a moment, but knew she couldn’t give up and needed to get back up there because her team needed her. Towards the end of the game, Gerry stayed confident and took it pitch by pitch.

In the bottom of the fourth, junior Kelsey Gerry and sophomore Hannah Heanssler both walked. Senior Shyler Fielding bunted and the bases were loaded. A pop up caught and Windham scored. Brooke Gerry singled and the bases are loaded again. Wilcox ripped the ball up the third base line and brought in two runs. Kimball stepped up to the plate and nailed a three-run home run. Windham now lead 8-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, Fielding walked, then Brooke Gerry singled on a line drive to center field. Fielding crossed home plate.

“We have to focus like every team is better than we are,” said Windham coach Fred Wilcox.  We didn’t have our ‘A’ game but we did just enough ... to get ahead and give us a little momentum.” He added they need to approach every game one pitch at a time and stay focused.

Windham’s defense kept Westbrook from getting around the diamond late in the game. After the final inning, Windham advanced to the next round of playoffs with a 9-2 win.

“Our defense played great today,” said Kimball. “That’s what you need ... especially in playoffs where (opposing teams) have seen Brooke throw and we need good defense to be there and have her back and they did that. That was awesome.” <

Huge fifth inning hands CR Tandberg a 10-run Little League win

Fifth grader Mason Rulman of CR Tandberg bats
during a Windham Little League game against
Westbrook 2 played at Ciccarone Field at
Lowell Farm in Windham on Monday, May 10.
CR Tandberg defeated Westbrook 2, 11-1.
PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA 

By Matt Pascarella

Windham Little League’s majors division squad CR Tandberg flexed some muscle and racked up a 10-run victory over visiting Westbrook 2 at Ciccarone Field at Lowell Farm in Windham on Monday, May 10.

The teams were tied for the first four innings, and in the fifth inning CR Tandberg kept the bats swinging and the hits coming to beat Westbrook 2, 11-1.

In the top of the first inning, CR Tandberg fourth grader Joey Small made two stellar catches to get Westbrook’s first two outs of the game. Fifth grader Zach Gaudet did a great job on the mound for CR Tandberg for over three innings.

In the third inning, Westbrook scored. In the bottom of the fourth inning, fifth grader Boston Krainis singled, fifth graders Aiden Rinaldi and Mason Rulman each singled. Krainis made it home to tie the game at one.

CR Tandberg’s pitching and defense made it really hard for Westbrook to make it around the diamond.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, it was a slugfest for CR Tandberg. After Small walked, sixth grader Matt Cole singled. Sixth grader Blake Webster walked and now the bases are loaded. Small stole home. Krainis walked and a runner came in, 3-1 CR Tandberg. Gaudet crushed the ball way into the outfield for a double and drove in two runs.

“I really like that I hit a double (that far),” said Gaudet. “It was a good feeling, when I first hit it; it was a pretty nice double. It would have bounced and hit the warning track probably.”

After Rinaldi walked, the bases are loaded again. Rulman sent the ball into the outfield and drove in two more runs. Sixth grader Gage Chicoine got on base. Fifth grader Lincoln Rulman singled and drove in two runs. Cole singled and drove in two runs and CR Tandberg got the win.

“The kids are really coming together well as a team,” said coach Tim Gaudet. “It’s a new team so it’s taken them a few games to come together; I think once they find that out they’re really going to play hard. We have a really good set of kids here ... they came together in the fifth inning and played well.” <

Lake Region Ice Cats get by Trail Blazers in season opener

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham/Westbrook/Bonny Eagle Trail Blazers traveled to the Bridgton Ice Arena for their home opener against the Lake Region Ice Cats on Monday, Feb. 8.  One of the changes to the 2021 hockey season is instead of playing their standard three periods in games, the teams now play two 22.5-minute halves.

The Trail Blazers came out ready to go. They had good hustle up and down the ice. Shortly into the first half, with 19:34 left to play, the Ice Cats got one between the posts to take a 1-0 lead.

The Trail Blazers continued to take shots on goal, giving the Ice Cats goalie a workout as they tried to tie the score. The Trail Blazers worked hard to be first to the puck and their defense prevented any further scoring from their opponent for the remainder of the half.

At halftime, Lake Region Ice Cats led, 1-0.

In the second half, the Trail Blazers kept up the intensity. They moved the puck nicely. Although the Ice Cats did score a couple times in this half, the Trail Blazers’ defense kept their goals to a minimum. With 8:19 left to play, Junior Aiden Hartwell shot the puck from the side of the ice directly into the Ice Cats’ goal. The score was 2-1, in favor of the Ice Cats after that goal. 

At the buzzer, the Ice Cats managed to get by with a 3-1 win.

“I thought we had great effort,” said Trail Blazers coach Bobby Fothergill. “We just didn’t execute the way we would like. We will get back to practice and keep working hard.” Fothergill added the intensity was there all night.

“I think we have a chance to be very good (this season); if we play like we did tonight with great effort. We just need to execute and the results we want will come.” <

Indoor track performs well as they head towards post season

Wyatt Flibbert

By Matt Pascarella

The Indoor Track teams competed against Biddeford, Kennebunk, Scarborough, Westbrook and South Portland at the University of Southern Maine’s Gorham campus on Saturday, January 11^th.

The Eagles gave it everything they had; pushing themselves to the limit as they worked to perform their very best.

Hailey Applebee finished first in the 800-meter, senior division, with a time of 2:42.38. Applebee also won the girls one-mile, open division, with a time of 5:59.25.

Molly Skvorak finished first in the pole vault, open division, with a height of seven feet six inches. Isabel Dionne finished fourth with a height of six feet.

Scarlette Sawyer finished first in the girls high jump, junior division, with a height of four feet eight inches.

Wyatt Flibbert finished first in the boys triple jump, junior division, with a distance of 35 feet and 10.25 inches. Coming in second was Connor Langstaff with a distance of 35 feet 9.75 inches.

Langstaff finished first in the high jump junior division with a distance of five feet, six inches.

In the 200-meter dash, senior division, Ethan Wert came in first with a time of 24.28 seconds. Wert also finished first in the 400-meter dash, senior division, with a time of 56.62.

Overall, the girls finished third with a score of 143. Overall, the boys finished third with a score of 119.

“We did really good; we had a lot of PRs (personal records),” observed coach Denise Curry. “We had a lot of qualifications for our regional meet. Scarlette Sawyer won the junior high jump for a PR; Hailey Applebee won the 800...that was really good. And Isabelle Dionne won the two mile which was...real big.”

Overall, the boys had solid performances, including multiple athletes qualifying for states,” remarked coach Paula Pock. “Top performers of the day: Connor Langstaff, who received athlete of the meet for the junior division, Ethan Wert, winning both 200 and 400 and Caleb Young with a tough double in the 600 yd/2 mile.”

School records were earned on January 12^th at the Dartmouth Track & Field Relays by Hannah Langstaff & Katelyn Smith.

Hannah broke a 20 year old 400m record to place 3^rd overall, with a school record of 1:01.63 and she won the 800 meter in 2:25.10; another school record!

Katelyn Smith again broke her own triple jump school record and placed second overall in the event, with a jump of 36 feet 8 inches.

The girls that competed at Dartmouth Relays came in 5th overall as a team.

Well Done Eagles!

Trail Blazers get the win in overtime

Hunter Jellison

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham/Westbrook/Bonny Eagle varsity hockey team, the Trail Blazers, hit the ice against the Marshwood/Noble/Traip/Sanford Knighthawks at the Dover Ice Arena in Dover, New Hampshire on Monday, January 13^th.

The Trail Blazers began strong, as they moved the puck nicely and pressured the Knighthawks right away. The Trail Blazers had strong defense and fought hard going after the puck. Halfway into the period, Hunter Jellison, #9, put the puck in the back of the net.

After one period: 1-0, Trail Blazers

Almost immediately into the second period, Knighthawks tied the game. The Trail Blazers continued to go hard after the puck and took multiple shots on goal.

After two periods: 1-1

Knighthawks took the lead at the start of period three. The Trail Blazers pressured and took many shots on goal. The Trail Blazers remained in control in the third period as they worked to tie the game and kept the Knighthawks from pulling away. A short time before the buzzer, Jordan Cantz, #27, slipped the puck around the post and past the goalie.

After three periods: 2-2

When a pile of both Trail Blazers and Knighthawks found themselves in front of the Knighthawks’ goalie, less than 1:30 into overtime, it was Austin White, #34, who pushed the puck in and ended the game.

Final: 3-2, Trail Blazers

“Our discipline was fantastic,” said Coach Greg Leclair. “[Knighthawks] played a very physical game. They took some liberties at times and we’ve been fighting our discipline and not retaliating and tonight we had zero penalty minutes. That is a big step compared to our first game of the year. Our kids stayed composed and we stayed out of the box – and we got the result we needed.”

JV Trail Blazers out hustle opponents

Cole Washinton

By Matt Pascarella

The JV Windham/Westbrook/Bonny Eagle Trail Blazers hockey team hit the ice against Maranacook/Winthrop/Madison/Spruce Mountain/Lawrence at the Casco Bay Ice Arena in Falmouth on Friday, December 27^th.

Within 40 seconds of the puck hitting the ice, Aiden Hartwell, #15, scored. The Trail Blazers went hard after the puck and pressured right out of the gate. Shortly after their opponent tied the game, Keegan Watts, #20, fired the puck passed the goalie. The Trail Blazers rushed to be first to the puck, and in the first period kept the puck away from their goal. Hartwell scored again before the end of the period.

After one period: 3-1, Trail Blazers

Intensity remained high for the following period as the Trail Blazers continued to take shots at their opponent’s goal. Trail Blazers had strong offense and defense and pressured throughout the period. Jack Foley, #5, shot one in the net; seconds later, Hartwell found the back of the net again.

After two periods: 5-2, Trail Blazers

Nothing was going to get in the way of the Trail Blazers getting this win. They continued to pressure from the start of the period and kept up solid defense and offense. The Trail Blazers continued taking multiple shots on goal. Watts fired another one between the posts. A short time later, Cole Washburn, #6, got around the goalie and flipped the puck into the net. The Trail Blazer defense kept their opponent from any last minute opportunities to score.

Final: 7-2, Trail Blazers

“I always tell [the team] to make positive hockey plays, outskate them, outwork them, outhustle them and don’t get caught up in the big hits,” stated coach Bobby Fothergill. “While we’re at the JV level, our execution needs to be better; we’re all here to learn and grow. They were making the right plays, the right decisions and they outhustled them.”

Varsity hockey shaping up to have a great season

By Matt Pascarella

Windham/Westbrook hockey recently added Bonny Eagle to the co-op team after the Massabesic/Bonny Eagle/Old Orchard Beach team disbanded. On Saturday, November 30, Windham/Westbrook/Bonny Eagle, now the Trailblazers, took on Mount Ararat in a preseason game at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham.

The Trailblazers started strong, going hard after the puck and took multiple shots on goal with concrete defense, keeping the puck towards the Mount Ararat side of the ice for most of the first period. The Trailblazers had intensity throughout the period; they moved the puck nicely. They scored three times before the first buzzer.

End of first period: 3-0, Trailblazers

The Trailblazers continued to pressure Mt. Ararat, passing well which led to more shots on goal. The boys did not let up and pressured the entire period.

End of second period: 3-1, Trailblazers

Trailblazer’s intensity never faltered, and they gave 100 percent to close out the game. Less than five minutes into the period, Trailblazers scored. With eight minutes left, they scored again.

Final: 5-2, Trailblazers

“A lot of the kids did some really nice things,” observed Coach Greg Leclair. “We brought in ten kids from Bonny Eagle and welcomed a handful of freshmen, so you’ve essentially got 14 new kids joining 14 returning kids. I think they jelled pretty well to start. It was nice to see the kids recognize that they had a bit of an upper hand and they created chances. I think as the kids get more familiar with each other and more comfortable with themselves, we’re going to give some teams some trouble and I think we’re going to be better than expected.”

Varsity golf gets second consecutive win

Drew Mathieu

By Matt Pascarella

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

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

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

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

Westbrook no match for Windham tennis

By Matt Pascarella

The boys’ tennis team took on Westbrook on Monday, May 13 at Windham.

The match was broken into singles and doubles. Each individual match is best of three games and the

Gabriel McPhail

entire competition is best of five of all the matches played.

The boys were aggressive right out of the gate. They were playing with determination and were focused. They were playing smart, being watchful of the ball with quick footwork.

The singles matches featured Stephen Sepulveda, Vireak Tray and Ben Smith who took win after win after win against their opponents, with Sepulveda winning 6-0 and 6-0, Tray winning 6-3 and 6-0 and Smith winning 6-1 and 6-1.

For the doubles matches, the team of Andrew Wing and Gabriel McPhail crushed Westbrook 6-0 and 6-0. They remain undefeated with seven consecutive wins.

Hayden Bilodeau and Devon Harnden partnered up and also reigned victorious, with scores of 7-5, Windham; 5-7 Westbrook and 7-5 Windham.

Final: 5 to 0, Windham

“I think we are coming together as a team. It's been hard to get going with all the bad weather this spring,” remarked coach Garry Stone. “The guys are hitting their stride and playing their best tennis of the season. We're 5[wins] 2[losses] right now and hoping to keep it going for our last five matches and into the playoffs.”

Varsity softball shuts down Westbrook

Erin Elder

By Matt Pascarella

In a day where many games were canceled due to rain and bad field conditions, the varsity softball team traveled to Westbrook on Saturday, April 25 to take on the Blue Blazes.

The Lady Eagles started strong and early, with Whitney Wilson, #7, hitting a home run in the first at bat. Chloe Wilcox, #22, kept up Windham’s momentum by hitting an inside the park home run to right field. After Erin Elder, #24, walked, later in the inning she was able to score, leading the Lady Eagles three to zero.

In the top of the second, Windham could not be stopped. Kayla Gorman, #15, slammed a double into left field. Wilson got a base hit, and Gorman scored. Wilcox hit another home run, this one outside the park. Wilcox and Wilson scored, six to zero - Windham. Wilcox got another homer in the top of the third.

In the bottom of the second inning, Whitney Wilson brought three batters to the plate and sent three batters away on a pop fly and two strikeouts.

Fast forward to the top of the fourth inning, Windham was up ten to zero. Brooke Phillips, #10, hit a single, Amanda Foss, #5, got a base hit on a ground ball and Lily Beaton, #12, got a single. Phillips and Foss scored. Beaton scored after Wilcox grounded out to first base. Erin Elder singled and brought in W. Wilson and Ellen Files, #8. Ellie Wilson, #2 got a base hit. Sarah Elder, #9, hits an inside the park home run E. Elder and E. Wilson scored to bring Windham’s total to an impressive 18 to zero.

The bottom of the fourth had W. Wilson bringing three batters up and sending three batters away via a ground out and back-to-back strikeouts.

W. Wilson repeated this in the bottom of the fifth and final inning to close the game and throw a no-hitter, with the final score remaining 18-0.

“They had to get in the mindset that we had to come out and play; both teams were playing in the same weather. Whitney threw an awesome game today, really good control of the ball and everybody contributed offensively, defensively; just great all-around game,” stated Coach, Fred Wilcox.

Windham/Westbrook Hockey ends season with a ‘W’

Travis Cole

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham/Westbrook hockey team played their final home game of the season against Marshwood/Noble/Sanford/Traip on Thursday, February 21 at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham.

Windham/Westbrook hit the ice and showed from the first minute they came to win. They were working hard to beat Marshwood/Noble/Sanford/Traip to the puck and were succeeding. Marshwood scores shortly into the first period, but then Keegan Watts #20 answered by scoring right after, tying the game. Windham/Westbrook continued pressuring and did not slow down, with both teams fairly evenly matched throughout the game.

After one period: 1-1

Windham/Westbrook came out aggressive in the second period. Less than three minutes into the period Holden Anderson #4 puts one between the posts, 2-1, Windham/Westbrook. Windham/Westbrook didn’t let up or slow down for a minute, continuing to go hard after the puck, taking shots on Marshwood’s goal. Windham/Westbrook had excellent offense and defense in the second period, giving Marshwood little opportunity to get the puck in the net. With a little over a minute left in the period, Travis Brown #7 scores.

After two periods: 3-2, Windham/Westbrook

Windham/Westbrook was ready to get it done in the third period as they continued pressuring. They had powerful defense, which kept Marshwood from scoring during this period. With less than twenty seconds left in the game, Derek Corbett #28 scored from the blue line, wrapping up a great effort by Windham/Westbrook.

Final: 4-2, Windham/Westbrook

Derek Corbett

“Today’s performance really started on Tuesday,” said coach Greg Leclair. “We played Lake Region and put together a good 45-minute performance. They placed hard from the moment the puck dropped until the final horn and we carried it through to today. The kids stepped up, they did some of the little things. It was a solid 45-minute effort.”

Leclair commented on the team’s efforts this season:

“There’s talent in that room...we can compete with teams like us; now it’s taking the next step and competing against teams that are a little better than us. The kids play hard. I’m excited for what we’ve got in the coming year.”

 The seniors and their families were thanked for their participation throughout their high school careers.

Windham glides past Westbrook

Myla Vercoe

By Matt Pascarella

The fifth-grade girls’ basketball team played Westbrook in a scrimmage on Thursday, February 21 at Windham Middle School. The Windham girls finished their regular season eight wins and two losses. They finished second in their division and made it to the playoffs.

Windham started out with good defense, stealing possessions and scoring early in the game. The Lady Eagles were quick to grab rebounds and capitalize on opportunities to grab a turnover. The team was working very well together, moving the ball around nicely and taking multiple shots on Westbrook’s basket, many resulting in points on the scoreboard. Windham was aggressive in going after the ball and was first to the ball more than once. Westbrook was ahead early on in the game, but Windham caught up quickly and the two teams were evenly matched with the score tied at the half.

Half: 10-10

The Lady Eagles kept up their intensity at the start of the second half, with strong offense and defense, stealing the ball and only allowing Westbrook to score four points in the final half. Windham did not let up, snagging rebounds and turnovers to continue putting points on the scoreboard. The girls had great hustle, as they moved the ball up and down the court. At the buzzer, their determination and hard work payed off as the final score read:

22-14, Windham

“I think in our second half we really did a great job defensively,” remarked coach Ray Fox. “We worked really hard on staying with our man and helping each other out and I think that really showed in the second half...we scored the last [12] points of the game. 

The girls play their quarterfinal game against Gray on Saturday, March 2 at Falmouth Middle School at 11:45am. Come cheer them on!

Windham/Westbrook hockey puts forth best effort

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham/Westbrook hockey team took on Gorham on Tuesday, February 5 at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham.

Derek Corbett

The boys started strong, with excellent teamwork. After several goals were scored early on by Gorham, Windham/Westbrook was working hard to be first to the puck to seize scoring opportunities. They were moving the puck around nicely, and roughly halfway through the first period, Derek Corbett #28, gets one in the net.

End of first period: 4-1, Gorham

Windham/Westbrook stepped up their defense in the second period. They had a strong start and were pressuring Gorham, working to even out the score. Windham/Westbrook more than doubled the shots they took on Gorham’s goal in the second period from the first period. Their defensive effort paid off, as Gorham only got one goal in the second period.

End of second period: 5-1, Gorham

Windham/Westbrook hit the ice in the third and final period to try to turn this game around. They came out aggressive and for the first half of the period had pretty good defense; keeping the puck away from their goal. Windham/Westbrook increased their shots on Gorham’s goal, though nothing went in. Gorham was pressuring hard and managed to score several more times before the buzzer.

Final: 9-1, Gorham

“In spurts we played to our capabilities; unfortunately, we just don’t string enough of that together,” commented coach Greg LeClair. “We had some good moments when we were keeping Gorham to the outside. The second period I thought we played our best hockey of the night; the effort was there. We’re trying to find our footing, and it’ll come. It’s important to have the kids understand that while the results aren’t there on the scoreboard, every day they show up to practice and put forth their best effort, the results will get closer.”

Windham/Westbrook hockey works hard but falls to Brunswick

Cole Washburn

By Matt Pascarella

The Windham/Westbrook hockey team hit the ice at the University of Southern Maine for the first game of the season at home against Brunswick on Saturday, December 8.

Windham/Westbrook started out doing pretty well in the first period with nice teamwork and going after the puck. They took several shots on Brunswick’s goal and managed to keep Brunswick from scoring until, with roughly three minutes left in the first period, Brunswick scored.

First intermission: 1-0, Brunswick

Windham/Westbrook came out with intensity in the second period. Although Brunswick scored twice within the first three minutes, Windham/Westbrook persevered, but needed to be crisper offensively, said Coach Greg LeClair.

One of the highlights of the game was freshman Cole Washburn who helped to contribute by taking the only shot on goal in the second half. “He worked hard, skated hard and was positive on the bench,” commented LeClair.

Second intermission: 4-0, Brunswick

In the final period, Windham/Westbrook looked to turn the game around. They were moving the puck nicely and while they did get a few shots on goal,  nothing went into the net.

Final 6-0, Brunswick

“Not the start we were hoping for tonight...when you’re not first to the puck, you’re not going to be successful. We as a team need to be better defensively and quicker to the puck. If you take care of those two things, a lot of other things just fall into place,” observed LeClair. “We’ll get better, we’re still young. We’ve got to do some different things to matchup against teams; we’ll get there; it’s a process and we’d all like the process to be instantaneous and sometimes it doesn’t work out that way.”