Southwestern Maine Activities Association

Portland High School running back Joe Esposito was named as Maine’s Gatorade Football Player of the Year for 2015. A talented two-way player who led Portland in tackles, Esposito helped lead the Bulldogs to last fall’s Class A North championship. Esposito, who collected 1634 yards on the ground and scored 27 touchdowns for Portland last season, was also selected by the Maine Sunday Telegram as its Player of the Year. Esposito also was a key player for Portland High School’s basketball team this winter.

On January 24, Joe Esposito added to his trophy collecting by garnering Maine football’s biggest prize, the James J. Fitzpatrick Trophy. Sponsored by the Julius (Yudy) Elowitch family since its inception, the trophy is named for former Portland High School football coach and athletic director James J. Fitzpatrick, who served in the latter capacity from 1936-1966 and was a four-sport letter winner at Boston College. Esposito is the fifth Bulldog to win the honor (Mike Rutherford – 1982; Shawn Hawkins – 1983; Joe D’Andrea – 1995; Carl Frye – 2002) since the award was initiated in the early 1980’s. The 45th annual presentation of this award took place in a ceremony held at the Holiday Inn-by-the-Bay in Portland on January 24.

Presenting this year’s Fitzpatrick Trophy was 1990 winner John St. Onge, who starred as a fullback while a player at Biddeford High School. During his stellar career, St. Onge played for the legendary coach Mike Landry at Biddeford and now lives and works in Connecticut. The Fitzpatrick Trophy Committee invites a guest presenter annually, typically a past recipient on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of his receiving the honor.

Other SMAA players honored at the Fitzpatrick Trophy luncheon were finalist Austin McCrum of Thornton Academy and semi-finalist Mahlon Glidden of Scarborough High School. After leading his team to a Gold Ball in 2014, McCrum followed up this past season by passing for 1706 yards and 19 touchdowns in leading his team to the 2015 Class A state championship; he was also named as Maine’s offensive player of the year by USA Today. Glidden was an outstanding two-way player for a Red Storm team that qualified for the Class A South regional playoffs.

Thornton Academy girls basketball coach Eric Marston organized another successful fundraiser this year on behalf of a charity. His “Hoops for Hope” campaign netted approximately $20,000 to be donated towards the Pink Ribbon cause. Money raised through this program can be used by people for a variety of needs, including gas money for travel to cancer treatments or purchases of wigs. Marston’s team also sported brand new pink uniforms they wore during their January 22 contest against Cheverus High School. Thornton Academy joins Wells High School (with its “Shootin’ for a Cure” campaign) as southern Maine schools that have an annual game for such a cause.

Gorham High School girls soccer coach Jeanne Zarrilli was named by the Maine Sunday Telegram as its Coach of the Year. Zarrilli helped lead the Rams to the Class A South regional championship and a runner-up finish in the state championship game. Zarilli had previously led Gorham to a Class B state championship in 2004 and Class A crowns in 2005, 2006, and 2007.

Tim Spear, athletic administrator at Gorham High School, and Todd Livingston, athletic administrator at South Portland High School, represented the MIAAA at the 2nd annual NIAAA Cornhole Tournament at the National Conference for Directors of Athletics in Orlando in December. In organizing this tournament, the NIAAA establishes a 64-team bracket including all state athletic director associations and a number of its standing committees. Teams consist of two players. After an impressive showing in National Harbor, Maryland in 2014, Tim and Todd won two matches in the sixteen-team East Regional before falling in the “Sweet Sixteen”.

Jocelyn Moody of Biddeford High School was named the Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year for the state of Maine for the 2015 season. The Tigers qualified for the Southern Maine Class A playoffs last fall before losing an exciting five-set preliminary round match against eventual state champion Scarborough High School.

Scarborough High School was well represented on the 2015 Maine Sunday Telegram All-State Volleyball Team. Emily Hanson, a senior libero for the Red Storm, was named by the Portland-based newspaper as its Player of the Year. Jon Roberts was selected as Coach of the Year for the 2015 season by the Portland-based newspaper.

Thornton Academy had four members of its senior class sign National Letters of Intent to play Division I or Division II athletics on February 3, the first day of the national signing period for the sports of football and soccer. Thornton Academy football quarterback Austin McCrum signed a NLI to attend Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania while his teammate, linebacker Owen Elliott inked for the University of Maine in Orono. Alexis Nason, an all-state girls soccer goalkeeper, will continue her education at Assumption College in Worcester, where she will join former high school teammate Amanda Arnold in playing for the Greyhounds. Simon Trcka will also continue his education at Assumption and play men’s soccer in that program.

Marshwood High School linebacker Zach Mitchell signed a National Letter of Intent to play football at Wagner College, a Division I university located on Staten Island. Mitchell signed on February 3, the first day of the signing period for football.

Gorham High School soccer standout Cady Houghton signed a National Letter of Intent to play Division I soccer at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York.

Cheverus High School soccer star Brady Levesque will continue his education at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts and play for the men’s soccer team there. Levesque signed a National Letter of Intent on February 3, the first day of the NCAA Division I and II signing period.

Scarborough High School boys cross country coach Jim Harmon was selected by the Maine Sunday Telegram as its Coach of the Year. In addition to boasting a number of outstanding individual runners, Harmon’s program has garnered eight Class A state championships in the past twelve seasons, including the 2015 crown.

Scarborough High School athletic administrator Mike LeGage and his assistant Jordan Ferreira both served as team coordinators at the 2016 MPA basketball tournament at the Portland sites.

Brandon Lajoie of Westbrook High School earned his 100th career wrestling victory during the 2015-2016 high school campaign.

Biddeford High School athletic administrator Dennis Walton is doing double-duty this winter as a Maine Principals’ Association committee member. Walton is joining the MPA Basketball Committee for the first year of a three-year term and also serves as chairman of the MPA Cheerleading Committee.

Blair Marelli, athletic administrator at Noble High School in North Berwick, can also relate to the idea of work overload. When a major snow event forced athletic postponements on Saturday, January 16, Marelli had to manage not only his own school’s sports cancellations, but also two major SMAA events as well. Noble High School was host for the league’s cheerleading championships, and Marelli is also the sport liaison for all indoor track meets held at the Costello Field House at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham. Despite the pressures of time and communication, Marelli skillfully and deftly managed all three responsibilities, and events were moved to January 16. His work on that day is indicative of the challenges faced by Maine’s high school athletic directors in performing their roles, and the skill that people in our state employ when performing under great pressure. Great job, Blair!

Sanford High School boys basketball coach Paul Nolette and athletic administrator Gordon Salls paved the way for a memorable moment for a student manager in a January 29 home game against Thornton Academy. On the occasion of its senior night, the Spartans dressed team manager Joey Burnham, a student with developmental disabilities who, in addition to being a golfer and track and field athlete, also is the team’s basketball manager. Joey sank a three-pointer late in the contest and achieved his dream of scoring in a varsity boys basketball game. The work of the Sanford athletic staff in providing this special memory for the student is emblematic of true sportsmanship and a positive exemplar for others to follow. This story was part of a featured on WCSH-TV, and the shot can be relived by viewing it on You Tube.

A number of SMAA basketball coaches secured milestone victories during the past season. Deering High School girls basketball coach Mike Murphy earned his 300th career win when the Rams defeated Lewiston on December 22 while Marshwood High School boys basketball coach Mike Zamarchi notched victory number 200 in a win at Bath against Morse High School. Gorham High School boys basketball coach Mark Karter earned his 400th career coaching victory in his team’s win over Westbrook High School on January 12. Karter previously coached varsity boys basketball at Westbrook and Mountain Valley. Now in his 31st year of coaching, Karter won 109 games at Mountain Valley and 263 contests at Westbrook prior to coming to Gorham.

Three members of the Marshwood High School wrestling program won individual state championships at their respective weight classes. Kyle Glidden was the champion in the 113-pound division, and teammates Aiden Whitis (138 pounds) and Justin Stacy (182 pounds) also claimed gold medals for the state runner-up Hawks.

Frank Curran of Cheverus High School was named the winner of the Frank Gaziano Defensive Lineman Award and received a $5000.00 scholarship for his achievement. This award was presented at a banquet held at the Augusta Civic Center on January 30. Curran joins 2015 Cheverus grad and former teammate Zordan Holman as a winner of the Gaziano defensive award. Holman is currently attending the University of Connecticut, where he is a member of the football program.

Sierra Yost of Windham High School was named as the WGME-13 A+ Student- Athlete of the Month for January.

Paolo DeMarco of Deering High School won the Class A championship in the 400 meter dash with a time of 50.62 in a meet held at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham.

A pair of Noble High School wrestlers won Class A state individual championships in a meet hosted by their school on February 13. Jake Martel won a title in the 126-pound division, and Josh Grenier garnered gold in the 145-pound class.

Noble High School athletic administrator Blair Marelli served as host for the 2016 Class A state wrestling championships. A longtime wrestling power in the classification, Noble has won ten Class A state championships.

Elisabeth Redwood of Bonny Eagle High School was Class A state champion in the 200 meter dash with a mark of 26.32. She defeated Cheverus High School standout Emily Turner by 0.32 seconds. Turner returned the favor in the 400 meter dash with a championship victory over Redwood by 0.37 seconds.

Juliana Selser of South Portland High School was the Class A champion in the 800 meter run with a time of 2:20.34.

Anna Slager of Gorham High School continues her excellence in distance running with a pair of Class A state indoor track and field championships. The Gorham sophomore won the mile and two-mile races in a meet held in Gorham on February 15.

Nina Tasker of Noble High School won the 55 meter hurdles at the Class A state indoor track and field championships with a time of 8.66 seconds.

Westbrook High School freshman Nyagoa Bayak set a new Class A indoor mark in the high jump with a leap of 5’ 7” while garnering gold at the state championships in Gorham on February 15. Later that evening Bayak played in a tournament quarterfinal girls basketball game at the Portland Exposition Building for the Blue Blazes.

Thornton Academy’s Samantha Curran captured her second consecutive Class A state championship in the shot put on February 15.

Jess Willerson of McAuley High School scored her 1000th career point in the Lions’ 58-36 victory over Portland High School on January 23. Earlier this season, Willerson, who began her high school career at nearby Cheverus High School in Portland, signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, to play basketball next season for the Big Red. Willerson scored 18.3 points per game in the regular season for the Lions (second in the conference) and collected 8.3 rebounds per game. She was named to represent southern Maine Classes AA/A/B in the McDonald’s All-Star Game and was also an All-Academic selection.

South Portland High School standout Madeline Hasson scored her 1000th career point in a home victory over Windham High School on January 26. Hasson’s mother Lynne (McGouldrick) Hasson is the South Portland girls basketball coach and a former standout at both South Portland High School and the University of Maine at Orono. Hasson was the leading scorer in the SMAA for the regular season with 21.7 points per contest and also led the conference in rebounding with 13.1 per game. She was also named to participate in the McDonald’s Classes AA/A/B All-Star game and was an All-State Academic Team member.

Lynne Hasson is one of three SMAA girls basketball coaches who are former recipients of the Edward “Red” McMann Award for being the outstanding player- sportsperson of the Western Maine Class A regional tournament. Hasson won the award in 1982 while playing for regional champion South Portland High School. Tracy (Libby) Lizotte, head coach at Sanford High School, earned the same honor in 1994 when leading Portland High School to a regional title. Lisa (Blais) Manning, currently an assistant coach at Scarborough High School, is a two-time winner of the McMann Award (1978, 1979) during her career at Westbrook High School. This year the McMann Award will be presented to the outstanding player/sportsperson of the Class AA South Tournament. IAABO Board #21, which selects the recipient for this honor, has created a new award (Stovall Award) for Class A South.

Emily Esposito of Gorham High School scored her 1000th career point in Gorham’s 60-28 victory over Bonny Eagle High School in the semifinal round of the Class AA South basketball tournament at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland on February 16. A junior at Gorham, Esposito also won the Edward McMann Award as the most valuable player/sportsperson of the Class AA South Basketball Tournament.

Thornton Academy boys basketball coach Bob Davies is also in the MPA regional basketball tournament record books. The 1994 graduate of Old Orchard Beach High School helped lead the Seagulls to a Class C regional championship and established Western Maine Class C tournament marks for most field goals scored in a game (16) and during the regional tournament (41). Davies also received the IAABO 21 award as the outstanding player-sportsperson of the Class C regional tournament played at the Augusta Civic Center. This season he eclipsed the 150-win mark as head coach of the Golden Trojans, a position he has held since the 2003-2004 season.

Sadie Nelson of Windham High School scored her 1000th career point during the recent girls basketball campaign. Nelson is also a standout performer in soccer and is a four-year starter for the Eagles. She appeared in the 2014 Western Maine Class A championship game against McAuley High School and also helped her team defeat Thornton Academy with a game-winning buzzer beater that same season.

Cheverus High School swimming star Abby Longstaff had an outstanding day held at the Class A girls swimming and diving championships at the University of Maine in Orono. Longstaff edged Brunswick standout Emma Blair to win the 50 yard freestyle event and also added a title in the 100 yard backstroke. Longstaff also led off the Cheverus 200 medley relay squad which captured state championship gold. She was joined at the podium in the relay with teammates Caroline Arpin (100 yard breaststroke champion), Gabrielle Cholish, and Sophia Kruse.

Scarborough High School ice hockey coach Norm Gagne collected his 700th career victory on January. The milestone came when the Red Storm defeated Portland/Deering 6-1 a game played at the William Troubh (formerly Portland Ice) Arena. Gagne, who formerly coached at Gardiner Area High School, Waterville High School, Gorham High School, and Lewiston High School, is ranked second in career victories (first in Maine history) among all ice hockey coaches in the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) record book. A retired English teacher at both Gardiner and Waterville High Schools, Gagne’s career coaching record is 700-293-32 in his stellar forty- one year coaching career. The all-time wins leader is Normand “Bill” Belisle of Mount St. Charles School, private Catholic school located in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Belisle garnered 960 wins during a career that included thirty state championships, 26 of which occurred in consecutive years.

Cheverus High School won the Class A state championship in boys swimming with a score of 339.5 points. Winning individual championships for the Stags were Michael O’Donovan (200 freestyle, 500 freestyle) and Shane Moore (100 freestyle). O’Donovan was also part of state championship relays in the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle events with Moore also part of the former team. Other relay champions included Jacob Griffin (200, 400), Kevin Kane (200, 400), and Ben Tompkins (400).

Scarborough High School won the 2015 Class A boys indoor track and field championship on February 15 at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham. Colin Tardiff was champion in the mile (4:29.16) while teammate Griffin Madden was the winner of the 55 meter hurdles. Sam Rusak captured titles in both the high jump (6’ 2”) and pole vault (15’ 6”). Scarborough also won the championship in the 4 x 800 relay.

Ernie Ruby of Windham High School proved to be Class A boys track’s fastest sprinter with a victory in the 55 meter dash. Ruby crossed the finish line with a time of 6.72 seconds to edge runner-up Thomas Darby of Hampden Academy by .04 seconds.

Windham High School swimming standout Josh Labrecque won the Class A championship in the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.05 seconds.

Elaine Dudley of Massabesic High School won the Class A state championship in the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 1:56.49. She later added a victory in the 100 yard freestyle with a time of 53.80, edging Brunwsick’s Emma Blair.

Thornton Academy golf coach Jeff Camire was named by the Maine Sunday Telegram as its Coach of the Year. Camire, a longtime assistant to former Coach of the Year Mike Verrier, led the Golden Trojans to the crown in only his second season at the helm of the program. Camire also serves as an assistant coach for the Thornton Academy varsity girls basketball team and is a guidance counselor at the Saco school.