Gus Lappin and his South Portland/Freeport/Waynflete boys’ hockey teammates had a memorable season this winter.

Cape Elizabeth’s Darcy Cochran was one of the top indoor track athletes in Class B this winter.

Scarborough’s Gavin McLeod won a Class A state title in the 500 freestyle last month.

(Ed. Note: The basketball season was recapped last week)

The winter sports season had its share of memorable performances by local athletes.

Scarborough’s boys’ indoor track team won yet another Class A title and several individual athletes from Forecaster Country also turned heads.

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Speaking of repeat champions, Cape Elizabeth’s girls’ swim team did it again in a sport which featured an abundance of local talent.

Cape Elizabeth’s boys’ Alpine ski team, sparked by the Lathrop brothers, repeated as state champs.

Scarborough produced a wrestling individual champion.

On the ice, every local squad made it to the playoffs and a pair made it to their respective regional finals.

Here’s one last look at the winter sports season that was:

Winter team state champions

Cape Elizabeth Capers boys’ Alpine skiing, Class B
Cape Elizabeth Capers girls’ swimming, Class B
Scarborough Red Storm boys’ indoor track, Class A

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Winter team regional champions

Cape Elizabeth Capers boys’ basketball, Class B South
Scarborough Red Storm girls’ basketball, Class A South

Winter individual state champions

Skiing
Devon Lathrop, Cape Elizabeth, Class B boys’ Alpine giant slalom
Killian Lathrop, Cape Elizabeth, Class B boys’ Alpine slalom

Swimming
Rohan Freedman, Cape Elizabeth, Class B boys’ 200 freestyle
Keegan McKenney, Cape Elizabeth, Class B boys’ 500 freestyle
Ethan Smith, Cape Elizabeth, Class B boys’ 100 butterfly
Jade Lindeneau, Cape Elizabeth, Class B girls’ 500 freestyle
Caroline Mahoney, Cape Elizabeth, Class B girls’ 50 freestyle
Caroline Mahoney, Cape Elizabeth, Class B girls’ 100 backstroke
Olivia Tighe, Cape Elizabeth, Class B girls’ 100 freestyle
Olivia Tighe, Cape Elizabeth, Class B girls’ 200 freestyle
Gavin McLeod, Scarborough, Class A boys’ 500 freestyle

Track
Darcy Cochran, Cape Elizabeth, Class B girls’ 55 hurdles
Anthony Clavette, Scarborough, Class A boys’ high jump
Jarett Flaker, Scarborough, Class A boys’ 55
Jarett Flaker, Scarborough, Class A boys’ 200
Jarett Flaker, Scarborough, Class A boys’ 400
Brian Hatch, Scarborough, Class A boys’ long jump
Anna Gardner, Scarborough, Class A girls’ pole vault
Emily Labbe, Scarborough, Class A girls’ 55 hurdles
Rebekah Hunnewell-Dunphe, South Portland, Class A girls’ shot put

Wrestling
Addison Boisvert, Scarborough, 285 pounds

Michael’s Top Five Stories

5) SP boys’ hockey makes history

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South Portland’s boys’ hockey team, which is a co-op with Freeport and Waynflete, enjoyed a very memorable campaign, highlighted by a historic victory. The Red Riots went 10-7-1 in the regular season and on Feb. 6, stunned host Lewiston, 5-1. Not only was it the program’s first-ever victory over the two-time defending Class A champions, but it sparked the Red Riots to the No. 3 seed in Class A South. After holding off No. 6 Cheverus, 4-2, in the quarterfinals, the Red Riots finally met their match in eventual regional champion Biddeford, falling in the semifinals, 3-1. Regardless, it was a campaign to remember. 

4) Cape Elizabeth boys’ hockey returns to regional final

Staying on the ice, Cape Elizabeth’s boys’ team overcame some big graduation losses and remained a Class B South power under new coach Jake Rutt this winter, going 13-5 in the regular season, then downing Yarmouth (2-0) and Brunswick (6-4) to make it to the regional final for the second year in a row. Unfortunately for the Capers, for the second year in a row, they had to play rival Greely in the Class B South Final and despite taking a 2-0 lead after one period, Cape Elizabeth had no answers for the prolific eventual champion Rangers the rest of the way, as Greely prevailed, 9-4.

3) Scarborough boys’ track again has no peer

The Scarborough boys’ indoor track juggernaut rolled on this winter, scoring 104 points at the Class A state meet to beat runner-up Thornton Academy by 34 points, capturing the championship for the eighth time in nine seasons. Not only did Jarett Flaker continue to dazzle, winning the 55 (setting a new record in the process), 200 and 400, the Red Storm also got wins from Brian Hatch in the long jump, Anthony Clavette in the high jump and their 4×800 relay team (Harrison Osborne, Zachary Barry, Tristram Coffin and Noah Drapeau). The bad news for the rest of the state is that there’s no end in sight for this dynasty.

2) Scarborough girls’ hockey arrives a year early

Scarborough’s girls’ hockey team featured 13 freshmen this winter, but they didn’t play like newcomers. The Red Storm posted a solid 13-4-1 record in the regular season and as the No. 2 seed in the South Region, defeated No. 3 Falmouth, 5-2, in the semifinals. Scarborough then gave eventual champion Cheverus/Kennebunk a mighty scare in the regional final, grabbing a 2-0 lead before the Stags came back to prevail in overtime, 3-2.

1) Cape girls’ swimming does it again in record fashion

Cape Elizabeth’s girls’ swim team didn’t just repeat as the Class B state champions, it did so by rewriting the record books. For starters, the Capers scored an amazing 487 points (runner-up Greely had 300.5). Cape Elizabeth’s 400 freestyle relay team (Olivia Tighe, Alicia Lawrence, Hope Campbell and Caroline Mahoney) set a new record, as did the 200 free relay squad (Lawrence, Mahoney, Campbell and Tighe). If that wasn’t enough, the Duke University-bound Tighe set a new state record by capturing the 200 free. The Capers figure to be right back in the favorite’s spot next winter.

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


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