Coyne

Coyne

Janelle

Janelle

Male:

THOMAS COYNE, Senior—Basketball

• Mr. Maine Basketball finalist

• Regional tournament MVP

• WMC Class A all-star, first-team

• WMC Senior-All-Star

• Bob Butler Award finalist

• WMC leading scorer

• Maine McDonald’s Senior All-Star

•  Captain

Coyne was a young man on a mission this winter, making up for lost time with dazzling play as he bookended his superb high school career with state titles.

Coyne grew up playing basketball, as well as baseball and football, but by middle school, he was focused exclusively on basketball, playing AAU as well as making an immediate mark on the Falmouth varsity as a freshman, scoring 14 points in the Class B state final as the Yachtsmen dispatched Medomak Valley to win the championship.

Coyne was a standout as a sophomore, consistently leaving helpless defenders in his wake and burying 3-pointers from well beyond the arc, but Falmouth’s first foray into the Class A tournament ended with a one-point loss to Bonny Eagle in the semifinals. Prior to his junior season, Coyne suffered a foot injury and missed almost the whole year. He returned late, but clearly wasn’t 100 percent and the Yachtsmen were ousted by Portland in the regional final,.

By this December, Coyne was ready to return to prominence and he had a superb senior season. Coyne kicked things off with 29 points in a win at Kennebunk. He was even better in the second game, erupting for 35 points in a victory over defending Class B champion Cape Elizabeth. Coyne’s big scoring games kept coming, as he had 30 points versus Biddeford, 32 versus York, 21 in a win at Brunswick and 25 in a frustrating one-point loss at rival Greely and that was all before Christmas.

The new year brought more Coyne dominance, as he scored 16 points in a loss to eventual Class B champion Lake Region, 28 in a win over Kennebunk, 19 in a loss at Waynflete, 24 against eventual Class AA South champion South Portland, 23 against Fryeburg Academy, 35 versus Westbrook, 28 in a second win over York, 21 against Yarmouth, 22 in a win at Cape Elizabeth and 27 in the regular season finale, a loss to Greely.

Coyne wound up leading the Western Maine Conference with 25.3 points per game (nearly seven per game more than the runner-up). He was also first in assists (5.1), second in made 3-pointers (47) and fourth in steals (2.9).

The Yachtsmen were the No. 2 seed for the Class A South tournament, but they wouldn’t be denied, thanks in large part to Coyne’s play. In a quarterfinal round victory over Westbrook, Coyne had a relatively quiet nine points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals. The big test came in the semifinals against Cape Elizabeth, but Coyne’s game-high 18 points helped Falmouth hold on and win by three. Coyne had 21 points in a regional final win over Brunswick and he was named the regional tournament’s MVP. The Yachtsmen were never seriously tested in the state final against Oceanside and Coyne’s 16 points, five rebounds and four assists served as an ideal punctuation mark to his high school career and it resulted in another Gold Ball.

“It was very important for me to have a strong senior year,” Coyne said. “It was tough not playing junior year. I used that as motivation. I knew we’d have a good team.”

Coyne would be given several postseason honors and was a finalist for the prestigious Mr. Maine Basketball Award. 

Coyne, who said he’s very competitive with his talented younger brother, Colin Coyne, finds motivation from within.

“I’m a very competitive person,” Coyne said. “It’s fun to win.”

Coyne has coached and refereed at the youth level and has plenty to look forward to as a player, as he’ll attend and play basketball at Bates College next year. 

His nonpareil skills will translate nicely to the next level. Thomas Coyne, Falmouth’s Winter Male Athlete of the Year, was the best player on the state’s best Class A team and he made sure he made the most of what proved to be a fabulous senior season.

Coach Dave Halligan’s comment: “I’ve been a much better coach with Thomas. We’ve been blessed to watch him play for four years. If you’re a high school basketball junkie, this is the type of player you want to watch. Every basket Thomas got seemed to be a big basket. That’s what he’s done for us for four years. Great seniors can carry a team on their shoulders and Thomas was one of them.”

Previous winners:

2014-15 Jake Perron (swimming)

2013-14 Joe Lesniak (Alpine skiing)

2012-13 Tom Wilberg (basketball)

2011-12 Jack Cooleen (basketball)

2010-11 Reid Pryzant (track)

2009-10 Stefano Mancini (basketball)

2008-09 Mike Chase (hockey)

2007-08 Tom Winger (track)

2006-07 James Tolan (hockey)

2005-06 Bryant Barr (basketball)

2004-05 Peter Gustavson (hockey)

2003-04 Brandon Bonsey (track)

2002-03 Jon Hutchins (hockey)

2001-02 Garrett Weliever (basketball)

Female

CHARLOTTE JANELLE, Senior—Diving

• Class A state champion

• Maine Swim League Class A Diver of the Year

• Southern Maine Swim League first-team, diving

• All-State, first-team

• All-Academic

• FHS Diver of the Year

Janelle capped arguably the finest high school diving career in Maine state annals with a superb senior season and she isn’t done turning heads.

Janelle was a gymnastics devotee prior to the eighth grade when she suffered a knee injury and decided to try diving. She immediately excelled and by high school was primed to be the best.

As a freshman, Janelle was first at Southwesterns and won the Class B state title, earning Winter Female Athlete of the Year honors in the process. Falmouth moved up to Class A Janelle’s sophomore season, but she added another state title. She did it again as a junior.

This winter, Janelle capped her career by downing all foes, finishing undefeated in dual meets, winning Southwesterns for the fourth straight time with a score of 363.75, then making it four straight state championships by winning Class A with a record-breaking score of 417.40. Janelle will graduate with the third highest 11-dive total of all time.

“Diving came easily to me,” Janelle said. “It’s fun to flip. Everyone’s fun to be around. I dive year-round and no one else really did. When I realized I was pretty good, I did a lot of practicing. This year, I was mostly looking forward to improving my score and winning states.”

Janelle, who also belongs to Service Club and Falmouth’s literary magazine, will dive at Bates College next year, where she plans to study philosophy or psychology.

No doubt she’ll impress at the college level as well. Charlotte Janelle, Falmouth’s Winter Female Athlete of the Year, came late to diving, but did she ever make the most of a transcendent high school career.

Coach Dave Cox’s comment: “I don’t think it’s possible to have a better career than Charlotte had. She was undefeated during her dual meet career. She was a four-time Southwesterns champion and owns the meet record. She’s a four-time state champion and broke the 27-year-old Class A record. She’s a four-time ‘Diver of the Year.’ She worked tirelessly to improve and this year, she added the additional challenge of learning to swim competitively. Modeling the importance of hard work and challenging herself, she’s been a great and popular leader. Always humble and supportive of teammates and competitors, she’s had a lasting impact on the diving community in Maine.”

Previous winners:

2014-15 Ally Hickey (basketball)

2013-14 Anna Morin (skiing)

2012-13 Charlotte Janelle (diving)

2011-12 Megan Fortier (hockey)

2010-11 Nicola Mancini (diving)

2009-10 Sarah Abramson (skiing)

2008-09 Kristin Jackson (swimming)

2007-08 Kristin Jackson (swimming)

2006-07 Alicia Hahn (swimming)

2005-06 Gina Mancini (swimming)

2004-05 Emily Sheldon (swimming)

2003-04 Alison Tozier (swimming)

2002-03 Gina Mancini (swimming)

2001-02 Megan White (diving)

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