Wagner

Rinaldi

Male:

COLBY WAGNER, Senior-Baseball

* WMC all-star, Class B, first-team

* Captain

Advertisement

Wagner was the rock in the Falcons batting lineup and behind the plate, helping the program produce another strong season.

Wagner grew up in North Carolina, but came to Freeport by the time he entered high school and by then, he had spent several years playing baseball.

“It’s always been my top sport,” Wagner said, of baseball. “It’s the most challenging mentally. There are so many things to think about. I like to always be involved.”

Wagner played outfield when he was younger, but became a catcher in middle school and he joined the Falcons varsity team as a freshman and made an immediate impact, hitting .333 with 15 hits and nine RBI. As a sophomore, Wagner played a key role in helping Freeport make a memorable and improbable run to the Class B state final, hitting .417 with three home runs and 18 RBI. He was named a league all-star, an honor he received again after his junior campaign when he batted .396.

This spring, Wagner, who played with his younger brothers, Shea and Gabe, was almost impossible to retire, as he hit .528 with 28 hits, including three doubles, a triple and two home runs. He also drove in 18 runs, scored a dozen and stole five bases.

Wagner had two hits in a season-opening win over Poland, four hits in a loss to Wells, two hits and three RBI in a win over Greely, a single and home run against York, an RBI double in a win at Cape Elizabeth, three hits, including a home run, in a win over Old Orchard Beach, three hits and three RBI in a victory over Lincoln Academy, three hits in a second victory over Poland and a home run in a preliminary round playoff loss to Gray-New Gloucester.

Advertisement

“We saved our worst games for last, but until then, it was a great season,” Wagner said. “It was a lot of fun to play with my brothers.”

Wagner also played with the Maine Lightning travel program, played soccer and basketball at Freeport and plans to attend Davidson College in North Carolina, where he might just attempt to walk on to the baseball team.

Colby Wagner, Freeport’s Spring Male Athlete of the Year, meant everything to the Falcons program, as he came up huge time and again. His shoes will be very difficult to fill.

Coach Bill Ridge’s comment: “Colby is a four-year starter who has been above average at his position, catcher, and at the plate offensively since the day he stepped on the field. As a freshman, he was physically gifted. Throughout the years, he became much more than that. He became a leader in every sense of the word. Colby will be difficult to replace in many ways.”

Previous winners:

2017 Bennett Hight (baseball)

Advertisement

2016 Jack Davenport (baseball)

2015 Jack Davenport (baseball)

2014 Sam Wogan (lacrosse)

2013 Harrison Stivers (track)

2012 Sawyer Williams (baseball)

2011 Hans Pope (lacrosse)

Advertisement

2010 Hans Pope (lacrosse)

2009 Greg Ordway (lacrosse)

2008 Parker Chipman (track)

2007 Luke Charest (lacrosse)

2006 Kelso Davis (lacrosse)

2005 Tim Gray (lacrosse)

Advertisement

2004 Kelso Davis (lacrosse)

2003 Tyler Allen (baseball)

2002 Ben Grant (baseball)

Female:

TAYLOR RINALDI, Senior-Lacrosse

  • WMC all-star, second-team

  • Game Changer award winner

Rinaldi was a top scorer and leader for a Falcons squad which enjoyed a deep playoff run.

Advertisement

Rinaldi started playing lacrosse at a young age and was quickly drawn to the sport.

“I like the dynamic of lacrosse,” Rinaldi said. “It’s different than the other sports.”

Rinaldi played four years of soccer, basketball and lacrosse in high school. In lacrosse, she played in the midfield and it didn’t take long before she made her mark as a goal scorer and in the draw circle.

After helping the girls’ basketball team to its first regional final in over four decades in the winter, Rinaldi was a star this spring, scoring 44 goals, adding 18 assists, 40 ground balls, winning 51 draws and causing 26 turnovers. Along the way, she eclipsed the 100 career goal plateau.

Highlights included three goals and two assists in a victory over Boothbay, three goals in a loss to York, five goals and two assists in a win over North Yarmouth Academy, three goals in a historic first-ever win over Waynflete, seven goals in a victory over Bonny Eagle, five goals in a win over Wells and three goals in a loss to St. Dom’s.

In the playoffs, Rinaldi scored six times in a Class C quarterfinal round win over Boothbay and had four goals in a loss to eventual champion Lake Region in the semifinals.

Advertisement

Rinaldi also belonged to Freeport’s Latin Club and despite not entertaining dreams of playing in college until her senior year, Rinaldi plans to attend the University of Southern Maine next year and play lacrosse with an eye on ultimately going to school at the University of New Hampshire.

Taylor Rinaldi, Freeport’s Spring Female Athlete of the Year, demonstrated an uncanny ability to put the ball in the net this season and she will depart as one of the finest scorers in the history of the Falcons’ program.

Coach Marcia Wood’s comment “Taylor had a huge year this year. She really stepped up her game and took charge on the field. We could always count on her to go to goal or control the draw. She’s relentless on ground balls and really did a great job this year either keeping the ball in our possession or causing a turnover.”

Previous winners:

2017 Alexa Koenig (softball)

2016 Courtney Broderick (lacrosse)

Advertisement

2015 Emily Johnson (lacrosse)

2014 Meredith Broderick (lacrosse)

2013 Jocelyn Davee (lacrosse)

2012 Alexandra Mitch (lacrosse)

2011 Leigh Wyman (softball)

2010 Lucy Whitacre (lacrosse)

Advertisement

2009 Kristen Poulin (track)

2008 Andrea Goodrich (track)

2007 Molly Lincoln (lacrosse)

2006 Amber Klages (lacrosse)

2005 Cassandra Dyer (softball)

2004 Logan Crane (track)

Advertisement

2003 Molly Charest (lacrosse)

2002 Kerry Blenk (softball)

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

Sidebar Elements


Colby Wagner

Taylor Rinaldi


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.