(Ed. Note: For the complete South Portland-Cheverus football game story, with additional photos and a box score, please visit theforecaster.net)

The 2011 fall sports season began with a flourish last weekend and there figures to be plenty of drama to come. Here’s a glimpse at what you might have missed:

Football

While Scarborough’s football team was getting off to a banner start (please see story), Cape Elizabeth and South Portland weren’t as fortunate.

The Capers went to Wells Friday, the site of a 40-point playoff loss a year ago, and gave the Warriors a mighty scare before falling, 14-6. Junior Connor Maguire threw a long TD pass to Billy Brooks to put Cape Elizabeth on top in the fourth quarter, but the hosts answered with two scores to drop the Capers to 0-1. Cape Elizabeth looks to get in the win column Friday when it hosts rival York.

The Red Riots went to defending Class A champion Cheverus Saturday afternoon and stunned the Stags for a half. A 66-yard scoring pass from Jordan Muller to Logan Gaddar put South Portland up, 7-3, and a short TD run from senior Joey DiBiase had the Red Riots within 17-14 at halftime, but Cheverus erupted for 42 second half points, while South Portland could only manage seven (on a 6-yard DiBiase TD run) and the Stags rolled, 59-21.

“We’ve got some kids who can make plays,” Red Riots’ coach Steve Stinson said. “We’re in a process this year. We have to make sure we stay together. This team has the potential to get better every week and take advantage of our opportunities. We had good looks in the pass game. We would have liked to run more early. We weren’t able to establish it.

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“Physically, I don’t feel coming out of this loss that we couldn’t stand up to them. Three or four years ago, we couldn’t even stand up to a good team. We just made too many fundamental mistakes.”

South Portland plays its home opener Friday night against Thornton Academy (1-0 after a surprise 20-6 victory over Bonny Eagle).

“We have Thornton coming to town,” Stinson said. “We’re seeing a good level of talent and that can only make us better.”

Boys’ soccer

Two of the top contenders in Western Class A, Scarborough and South Portland, met in the season opener Saturday. The host Red Storm emerged victorious, 2-0, behind goals from Charlie Mader and Austin Downing. Scarborough improved to 2-0 Tuesday after a 5-0 win at Marshwood (Downing scored twice more). The Red Storm were at Gorham Thursday and host Portland Tuesday of next week as its early gauntlet continues.

The Red Riots balanced their record at 1-1 Tuesday after a 4-0 victory at Massabesic (senior Nem Kaurin scored twice). South Portland had its home opener Thursday against Biddeford and hosts Westbrook Tuesday of next week.

Cape Elizabeth got its season off to a resounding start with a 2-1 win at defending Class B champion Yarmouth. The Capers handed the Clippers their first loss since 2009 behind goals from Tim Lavallee and Macklin Sweeney. Cape Elizabeth hosted York Thursday and has a home showdown against always-strong Falmouth Wednesday of next week.

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Greater Portland Christian School, a Western D semifinalist in 2010, is home against Traip Friday.

Girls’ soccer

On the girls’ side, the Melanie Vangel Show has arrived in Cape Elizabeth. The new sophomore, who transferred from Camden Hills, had a hat trick in a season-opening 4-0 home win over Yarmouth. Lizzie Raftice also scored.

The Capers made it two straight Tuesday with a 4-1 home triumph over Wells (as Vangel went off for three more goals and Raftice had the other). Cape Elizabeth goes to York Thursday and plays at defending Class B champion Falmouth Wednesday of next week.

Defending Class A champion Scarborough opened its title defense Wednesday at home against Marshwood. The Red Storm welcome Gorham in a showdown Saturday, then play at South Portland Monday and Portland Wednesday.

South Portland’s first contest was also Wednesday, against visiting Massabesic. The Red Riots go to Biddeford Saturday, then host Scarborough Monday.

Greater Portland Christian School, now coached by former standout player Megan Waugh, opened Wednesday at Traip. The Lions are at Richmond Friday and visit Calvary Chapel Tuesday of next week.

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Field hockey

Scarborough’s field hockey team is ready to make another deep run this fall. The Red Storm opened with a 7-0 blanking of host McAuley, then improved to 2-0 Tuesday with a 2-1 victory over Bonny Eagle in the home opener. Against the Lions, Emily Bunting and Lindsay Dobecki both had hat tricks. In the win over the Scots, Lindsay Dobecki and Maddie Dobecki both scored as senior Kelsey Howard had a pair of assists. Scarborough was at Westbrook Thursday, goes to Portland Saturday and hosts Sanford Wednesday of next week.

South Portland began the Leslie Dyer Era with a 2-0 home loss to Westbrook Tuesday. The Red Riots were at Portland Thursday, visit Massabesic Saturday, host Marshwood Monday and Kennebunk Wednesday of next week.

In Western B, Cape Elizabeth played host Yarmouth to a scoreless tie in its opener. The Capers welcomed Gray-New Gloucester in their home opener Wednesday, go to Falmouth Friday and powerhouse York Tuesday.

Volleyball

Scarborough’s highly touted volleyball team has gotten off to a very strong start, winning three straight matches by 3-0 scores. The Red Storm beat first-year Lake Region, 25-10, 25-15, 25-11. Emily Robbins had 12 assists, Brittany Bona eight kills and six aces, Lily Lemire six digs and Amber Bowen seven aces.

Against Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough won by 25-20, 25-7, 25-11 scores. Robbins had 16 assists and two aces, Bona eight kills, four aces and two digs and Rachel Webber five kills and four aces. Tuesday, the Red Storm downed Kennnebunk, 25-12, 25-18, 25-0. Bona (13 kills), Robbins (14 assists) and Meghan Mcalary had 29 service points, including 13 aces, and served a complete game, 25-0.

Scarborough’s road is about to get much tougher. The Red Storm are at last year’s Class A runner-up, Falmouth, Tuesday, then meet perennial power Greely, defending champion Biddeford and Falmouth again.

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Cape Elizabeth is 0-3 on the year. In the opener, the Capers fell to Falmouth in three games (9-25, 16-25, 12-25). Tuesday, Cape Elizabeth was beaten by Biddeford in four games The Capers were at Yarmouth Thursday and go to Kennebunk Tuesday of next week.

Cross country

Scarborough’s powerhouse boys’ cross country team (and the girls too), along with both South Portland squads open their regular season at Massabesic Friday.

Cape Elizabeth hosted Gray-New Gloucester and Sacopee in its opener and both teams finished first. The boys were led by senior Thomas Bottomley, who was second individually (17 minutes, 2 seconds). The girls were paced by senior Catherine Tierney, the individual winner (20:01).

The latest coaches’ poll has the Scarborough boys first, South Portland fourth and Cape Elizabeth sixth. The Capers are sixth in the girls’ poll.

Golf

Cape Elizabeth’s golf team is 1-2 in early action, losing by 5-2 scores to both York and Yarmouth before downing Gray-New Gloucester by a 5-2 margin. The Capers were home against Wells Thursday and go to Poland Monday.

Scarborough’s season was scheduled to get underway Tuesday at Deering, but that match was rained out and rescheduled for next Tuesday. The Red Storm opened at South Portland Thursday, then face two huge tests, at home versus Cheverus Monday and at home against defending Class B champion (playing up this year) Falmouth Wednesday of next week.

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South Portland met Falmouth in its first match and lost, 13-0. The Red Riots are home against Portland Monday and go to Deering Wednesday.

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

Sidebar Elements


South Portland senior Dan Medici hauls in a reception despite being blanketed by Cheverus senior Spencer Cooke during the teams’ mutual opener Saturday afternoon. The Stags pulled away in the second half to open their title defense with a 59-21 triumph.

South Portland senior Jordan Muller breaks free from a defender and throws a pass downfield. Muller was effective throwing the ball when he had time.


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