(Ed. Note: The basketball season was recapped in last week’s edition)

Winter itself isn’t quite a thing of the past, but the winter sports season has come and gone.

The 2014-15 campaign will long be remembered for producing memorable thrills from start to finish.

On the ice, Falmouth’s girls’ hockey team got to the state final, while Greely and the Yarmouth/Freeport/Gray-New Gloucester co-op squad also qualified for the postseason.

On the boys’ side, Falmouth’s quest for a third straight Class A title came up short, but the Yachtsmen had another strong season regardless. Yarmouth overcame a slow start to produce a solid record and Greely extended its postseason streak.

Indoor track produced a dramatic state title and several top performances.

In the pool, Greely’s boys won another championship, while swimmers and divers from other schools also stood out.

The slopes and trails were the site of the greatest glory, as Falmouth, Merriconeag and Yarmouth all won championships.

Before we transition to spring, here’s one last look at the winter that was:

Winter 2014-15 champions

Team state champions
Falmouth Yachtsmen boys’ indoor track, Class A
Falmouth Yachtsmen girls’ Alpine skiing, Class A
Falmouth Yachtsmen boys’ Nordic skiing, Class A
Falmouth Yachtsmen girls’ Nordic skiing, Class A
Falmouth Yachtsmen girls’ combined skiing, Class A 
Greely Rangers girls’ basketball, Class B 
Greely Rangers girls’ swimming, Class B 
Merriconeag boys’ Nordic skiing, Class C
Merriconeag girls’ Nordic skiing, Class C
Yarmouth Clippers girls’ Nordic skiing, Class B
Yarmouth Clippers girls’ combined skiing, Class B 

Team regional champion
Falmouth Yachtsmen girls’ hockey, West Region 

Individual state champions
Indoor track
Alyssa Coyne, Greely, Class B girls’ shot put
Izzy Evans, Greely, Class B girls’ mile
Emma Egan, Yarmouth, Class B girls’ high jump
Swimming
Jake Perron, Falmouth, Class A boys’ 200 freestyle
Jake Perron, Falmouth, Class A boys’ 500 freestyle
Charlotte Janelle, Falmouth, Class A girls’ diving
Skiing
London Bernier, Falmouth, Class A girls’ Nordic classical
Anna Morin, Falmouth, Class A girls’ Nordic freestyle
Krysia Lesniak, Falmouth, Class A girls’ Alpine slalom
Thomas Lesniak, Falmouth, Class A boys’ Alpine slalom 
Gabe Mahoney, Falmouth, Class A boys’ Nordic classical
Gabe Mahoney, Falmouth, Class A boys’ Nordic freestyle 
Jeannette Cunningham, Greely, Class A girls’ Alpine giant slalom
Margaret Elder, Yarmouth, Class B girls’ Alpine giant slalom 
Abby Condon, Yarmouth, Class B girls’ skimeister
John Lane, Yarmouth, Class B boys’ Nordic freestyle
Fiona Ahearne, Merriconeag, Class C girls’ Nordic freestyle
Samantha Pierce, Merriconeag, Class C girls’ Nordic classical
Forrest McCurdy, Merriconeag, Class C boys’ Nordic classical
Forrest McCurdy, Merriconeag, Class C boys’ Nordic freestyle

Michael’s top five stories

1) Super skiers

Stop me if you’ve heard it before, but no one excels at skiing, downhill or cross country, quite like Forecaster Country schools. The latest evidence came this winter as triumph was the theme at the individual and team levels. Falmouth’s girls won the Alpine, Nordic and combined Class A titles, while the boys added Nordic and combined championships. In Class B, Yarmouth’s girls won Nordic and combined titles. Merriconeag swept the Class C Nordic crowns. If that wasn’t enough, 12 individuals combined to win 14 titles (see above), capping another transcendent season.

2) Dramatic track title for Yachtsmen

Falmouth’s boys’ indoor track team not only showed it belonged in Class A, but it left everyone else in its wake thanks to saving its best for last at the state meet. The Yachtsmen got a strong team performance, but entered the final event, the 4×200 relay, battling Scarborough for top honors. Falmouth needed something big from Andy Clement, Kohl Valle, Nick Sanzari and Tony St. Angelo and got exactly that as the foursome came in first in a time of 1 minute, 33.15 seconds, giving the Yachtsmen top team honors by a mere three points over the Red Storm.

3) Greely wins another one in the pool

While Greely’s boys’ swim team wasn’t able to win another Class B title, the girls did and it couldn’t have been any closer. The Rangers tallied 350.5 points and edged Mt. Desert Island by a half-point for its first crown in three seasons. This was a true team effort, as Greely didn’t produce a single individual event winner. Depth and heart proved to be the difference and another memorable chapter was added to program’s legacy.

4) Falmouth girls make it to state final

Falmouth’s girls’ hockey team was in the shadow of eventual state champion Scarborough a year ago, but this winter, the Yachtsmen had the last laugh. Falmouth stumbled four times during the regular season, including once at Scarborough, but a six-game win streak to close the regular season gave the Yachtsmen the top seed in the West Region. After dispatching Capeflete in the semifinals, Falmouth got another shot at the Red Storm and this time, took care of business, prevailing, 4-2. The Yachtsmen weren’t able to cap their season with a championship, as they lost to Lewiston, 5-2, but they’ll keep knocking at that door.

5) Yarmouth’s surge

Yarmouth’s boys’ hockey started the season 0-5, but never panicked. The Clippers faced a brutal schedule in that stretch and knew that better days were ahead. Were they ever. Yarmouth started to win and soon went on a surge, going 10-2-1 to finish the regular season, capped by an eight-game undefeated stretch. The Clippers earned the No. 2 seed for the playoffs and fought off always-tough rival Greely in the quarterfinals. Yarmouth then had ample opportunities in the semifinals against defending regional champion Gorham in Lewiston, but the season ended with an agonizing overtime loss. Look for next season to start stronger and perhaps have a happier ending.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter:@foresports.

Sidebar Elements

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Falmouth’s Nordic ski team ascended to the top of the podium, as the Yachtsmen ski program enjoyed yet another transcendent season.

Yarmouth’s Katie Clemmer was one of several standout girls’ hockey players in Forecaster Country this winter.

North Yarmouth Academy’s Matt Malcom was one of a plethora of indoor track stars in our midst this winter.