MALE:

BEN MACMILLAN, Senior-Football

• Campbell Conference Class C all-star, linebacker

• Captain

A four-year veteran who adores football, MacMillan’s devotion was repaid with a trip to the playoffs in his final season.

MacMillan grew up in Freeport, started playing football in the pee wee league in Brunswick and quickly fell in love with the sport.

“I love the brotherhood, the thrill of winning,” MacMillan said. “It’s my favorite sport. I wanted to make my parents and coaches proud.”

Suffice it to say he did that very thing, delivering bruising hits as a linebacker on defense and blocking and picking up yardage from his fullback position on offense during a four-year varsity stint.

For the 2013 season, MacMillan ran for 384 yards. Defensively, he led the Falcons with 61 tackles, eight sacks and three forced fumbles.

His finest game might have come at Lake Region, when MacMillan had a pair of sacks, recovered a fumble and forced another fumble.

Freeport wound up going 4-4 and made the playoffs for just the second time.

“We had a small team, but we stepped up and we played with bigger teams,” MacMillan said.

MacMillan plans to throw the shot put during indoor track and will throw the shot put and run the 100 outdoors. He wants to play intramural sports in college (possibly at the University of Maine) and is interested in pursuing becoming an English teacher or a physical therapist.

Love of football, a desire to compete against even the toughest foe and a willingness to lead his team through a challenging schedule made Ben MacMillan, Freeport’s Fall Male Athlete of the Year, stand out. He was a special part of one of the best seasons in the young program’s history.

Coach Rob Grover’s comment: “Ben was a team leader. He was a very good blocking back. He led us in sacks and tackles and big defensive plays.”

Prior winners:

2012: Dan Burke (Football)

2011: Jack Dawe (Soccer)

2010: James Purdy (Football)

2009: Miguel Beckles (Football)

2008: Cody Bartlett (Soccer)

2007: Jon Klages (Football)

2006: Luke Charest (Soccer)

2005: Elliott Townsend (Soccer)

2004: Jeff Smith (Soccer)

2003: Josh Zolla (Cross Country)

2002: Chris Vigliotta (Soccer)

2001: Scott Newell (Golf)

FEMALE:

LIVVY DIMICK, Senior-Soccer

Dimick didn’t just fill some big shoes in goal this year, she often dazzled, never more than in the Falcons’ biggest win this century.

Dimick grew up in Durham and came to Freeport for high school. She played defensive center-mid until goalkeeper Aubrey Pennell graduated and this fall, Dimick suddenly found herself on the big stage.

“At the beginning of the season, Livvy came to me and talked about wanting to try goalie and it was obvious from the first time I put her in that the team was comfortable with her,” said Freeport coach Elayna Girardin.

Dimick credits her basketball background will helping her learn the position, but when she gave up five goals to eventual Class B champion Cape Elizabeth in the opener, she found herself at a crossroads.

Instead of hanging her head, Dimick set out to get better and she would do so and then some.

“I didn’t want (what happened in the first game) to happen again,” Dimick said. “I got more comfortable.”

After beating Sacopee Valley and Wells (Dimick made eight saves), Freeport dropped a tough 1-0 decision at Yarmouth, but the effort made the Falcons believe they could beat the Clippers if they earned another opportunity.

Dimick went on to blank Gray-New Gloucester, Fryeburg, Lake Region, North Yarmouth Academy, Wells and Poland and Freeport posted its best record this century.

The Falcons were underdogs going to Yarmouth for the quarterfinals, but after Dimick earned some confidence with a key save early and Freeport struck first, the Falcons went on to make their season with a 1-0 victory.

“Being underdogs fueled us,” Dimick said. “Yarmouth is always a big game for us. We played well against them in the regular season. That’s why I love soccer. Being in a game like that. We knew we’d be strong this year. We were a very close team.”

Freeport lost, 3-1, at Cape Elizabeth in the semifinals, but the Falcons’ season was a rousing success by any measure.

Dimick finished with seven shutouts and stopped 89 percent of the shots she saw.

Dimick, who also plays basketball for Freeport and with the Maineiacs AAU team, mentors freshmen and is considering playing tennis this spring. She is weighing her college options (she’s interested in everything from math to music to journalism) with Syracuse her top choice.

Putting her in goal this fall was certainly the best choice for the Falcons. Livvy Dimick, Freeport’s Fall Female Athlete of the Year, met the challenge and led her team to special things.

Coach Elayna Girardin’s comment: “The team trusted Livvy to get it done or do whatever she needed to do to learn how to get it done. She showed us that repeatedly throughout the season with a mix of routine saves and high ball spectacular saves. Livvy played every game calmly and with intensity and determination no matter how strong the opponent. It’s not the big diving saves that make a good goalie, it’s the goalie who makes everything look routine and clean. That’s what she did game after game.”

Prior winners:

2012: Jocelyn Davee (Soccer)

2011: Kayla Thurlow (Field hockey)

2010: Lauren Easler (Cross country)

2009: Hannah Schuchert (Field hockey)

2008: Molly Susla (Cross country)

2007: Hannah Schuchert (Field hockey)

2006: Molly Susla (Cross country)

2005: Kelsey Nichols (Cross country)

2004: Lucy Garrec (Cross country)

2003: Dani O’Rourke-Suchoff (Cross country)

2002: Michelle Peters (Field Hockey)

2001: Amy Morejon (Soccer)

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

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