(Ed. Note: For the complete Scarborough-Windham boys’ basketball and Scarborough-Biddeford girls’ basketball game stories, please visit theforecaster.net)

The calendar has flipped to 2014 and the winter sports season is about to turn very serious, very quickly, as believe it or not, the postseason in some sports is a mere month away.

Here’s a look at where local teams and athletes stand as the first full week of the new year commences.

Boys’ basketball

Cape Elizabeth’s boys’ basketball team is in the best position Heal Points-wise entering the new year. The Capers were 6-2 and sixth in the Western Class B Heal Points standings at press time, despite last Saturday’s 71-49 loss at defending Class B champion Falmouth. Eddie Galvin led Cape Elizabeth with 14 points. Tuesday, Cape Elizabeth got back in the win column with a 59-48 home victory over Wells, as Ethan Murphy scored 17 points and Galvin added 15. The Capers played at Gray-New Gloucester Thursday before hosting Yarmouth Saturday, in a game they had a chance to avenge their first loss. Cape Elizabeth goes to Traip Tuesday of next week.

In Western A, Scarborough was 11th at 5-4 at press time after a 72-63 loss to Windham, a 69-46 victory at Biddeford and a 66-53 loss at South Portland. Against the Eagles, in a game played at the Portland Exposition Buildings during the Red Claws Christmas Tournament, the Red Storm dug a deep hole and almost crept all the way back, but despite 20 points from Milani Hicks, still fell short.

“Typical, we fell too far behind and used up all our energy to catch up,” lamented Scarborough coach Tony DiBiase. “We finally showed energy in the fourth period. We didn’t show any in the first three. I don’t have any idea why not. It’s been trending that way for a couple weeks. We can’t play well without energy. If we don’t play with energy, we won’t beat anybody. We don’t have any size. We have to play up and down. If we don’t play fast, we struggle.”

In the victory, Matt Hartl had 18 points, while Hicks and Sam Freeman both tallied 16. Hartl had 15 against the Red Riots. The Red Storm hosts Marshwood Friday and plays a makeup game at home versus Thornton Academy Monday.

“We have to figure it out,” DiBiase said. “We’re not a young team. We have three juniors starting, but it’s an inexperienced team. We’re coaching and teaching as we go along. Obviously, our goal is to get back to the Expo (for the quarterfinals). I think we have enough to be competitive and win big games down the stretch. It’s about us, not wins and losses. It’s how we play. If we play well, we can give most teams a battle.”

New-look South Portland was 4-5 and ninth in Western A at press time after an 81-71 overtime home loss to Deering, a 48-31 victory at Massabesic and a 66-53 home win over Scarborough. In the loss, the Red Riots got 22 points from standout Jaren Muller, but couldn’t ice what would have been a huge upset win at the foul line. Against the Mustangs, Jack Fiorini led the way with 21 points. Muller had 25 points and Fiorini 15 versus the Red Storm. South Portland goes to Biddeford Tuesday of next week.

In Western D, Greater Portland Christian School fell to 0-6 and the No. 15 spot in the Heals after a 45-44 loss at Rangeley Tuesday. The Lions play games at North Haven Friday and Saturday, welcome Pine Tree Academy Monday and play at Highview Christian Wednesday.

Girls’ basketball

On the girls’ side, Cape Elizabeth closed 2013 red-hot and got off to a great start in 2014 with a 36-32 come-from-behind win over visiting Falmouth Saturday. That came on the heels of a 46-29 win at Kennebunk to end the old year. Against the Rams, Hannah Sawyer had 21 points. Emma O’Rourke had 17 points to help rally the Capers against the Yachtsmen. Tuesday, Cape Elizabeth lost at home to Wells, 43-28, to fall to 5-3. Mary Perkins had nine points. Cape Elizabeth (ninth in the Western B Heals) hosted Gray-New Gloucester Thursday (see theforecaster.net for that game story). The Capers are at Yarmouth Saturday and play host to Traip Tuesday of next week.

In Western A, South Portland was sixth at 7-2 at press time after eking out a 50-48 home win over Deering, pounding visiting Massabesic, 80-43, and rallying past host Scarborough, 54-46. Maddie Hasson went off for 25 points versus the Rams and added 19, while Paige Carter finished with 17 against the Mustangs. Hasson had 13 points, Lydia Henderson 12 and Brianna Maloney 10 versus the Red Storm, which is coached by former longtime South Portland coach Mike Giordano. The Red Riots play at three-time defending Class A champion McAuley Friday and play host to Biddeford Tuesday of next week.

Scarborough was 5-4 and 10th at press time. The Red Storm is coming off a 42-28 home win over Biddeford, a 42-27 setback at Thornton Academy and a 54-46 home loss to South Portland. In the win, junior veterans Ashley Briggs and Bailey Adams led the way as Scarborough pulled away in the second half.  Briggs had a team-high 12 points, while Adams added nine points and seven assists.

“It felt good to be out there,” said Adams, who is battling back from a groin injury. “I feel completely healthy, so hopefully nothing else happens.”

“Sometimes you’re hot, sometimes you’re not,” said Briggs. “First half, I made a lot. Second half, not so much, but there’s other ways to help your team without scoring.”

“If you allow a team to have confidence and they hang around, they’ll start to think they have a chance to beat you and in the first half, we definitely did that,” added Giordano. “I liked the way we played the first three minutes of the second half. We came out and took it away from them.”

In the loss to the Golden Trojans, Adams led the way with 10 points. Scarborough is at Marshwood Friday and hosts McAuley Tuesday of next week.

“As young as we are, it’s an adjustment, but the kids have been great and I’ve enjoyed it,” Giordano added. “I’m their fourth coach in four years and I can’t measure up to the other three. We have to take care of the ball and get shots every possession and limit them to one. If we do, we have a chance to compete every game. The schedule gets more difficult, but I think we’re up to the challenge.”

In Western D, GPCS was 0-5 and 14th going into Tuesday’s game at Hebron. The Lions play games at North Haven Friday and Saturday, welcome Pine Tree Academy Monday and play at Highview Christian Wednesday.

Boys’ hockey

Scarborough’s boys’ hockey team was first in the Western A Heals at press time at 6-1-1 after a 7-0 home win over York and a 2-2 tie at Biddeford. Matt Henderson erupted for four goals in the victory. The Red Storm hosts Cape Elizabeth Saturday.

South Portland is ninth in Western A at 3-2 entering Saturday’s game at Marshwood/Traip.

In Western B, Cape Elizabeth entered the week still seeking its first victory. The Capers fell to 0-5-1 after a 7-6 overtime loss to visiting Camden Hills Saturday. Jack Drinan scored twice. Cape Elizabeth (seventh in the Heals) was home versus Noble Thursday and goes to Scarborough Saturday.

Girls’ hockey

On the girls’ side, Scarborough continues to look like the team to beat. The Red Storm improved to 10-0 and first in the West Region after blanking visiting Lewiston (3-0) and host Biddeford (5-0). Elizabeth Gross, Sam Shoebottom and Rachael Wallace had the goals against the Blue Devils. Gross added two goals against the Tigers. Scarborough was at Capeflete Wednesday (see theforecaster.net for game story), visits Leavitt/EL Saturday, plays host to Gorham/Bonny Eagle in a makeup game Monday at 3 p.m. and has a state final rematch Wednesday of next week when it hosts Greely.

Capeflete got back in the win column and evened its record at 4-4 Saturday with a 4-0 win at Winslow. After hosting Scarborough Wednesday and playing at Falmouth Thursday, Capeflete is home versus York Saturday and welcomes Portland/Deering Wednesday of next week.

Indoor track

Scarborough’s boys’ indoor track team had another strong showing at last weekend’s meet at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham, bettering Deering, Cheverus, Bonny Eagle and Portland. The Red Storm got wins from Griffin Madden in the junior 200 (25.88 seconds), junior 55 hurdles (8.56) and senior 55 hurdles (8.73), Joseph Imler III in the junior 400 (1 minute, 0.08 seconds), Colin Tardiff in the junior 800 (2:03.72) and the mile (4:39.18), Sam Ruzak in the junior high jump (5 feet, 8 inches) and pole vault (12 feet), Matthew Blaisdell in the junior long jump (16-7), Elliot Youth in the junior triple jump (35-10), Colin Jones in the senior 800 (2:04.51), Edward James in the senior high jump (5-8), Mike Pino in the senior shot put (47-6), Will Fowler in the 600 (1:20.36), Jacob Terry in the two-mile (10:11.91) and its junior 800 (1:43.6), 3,200 (8:54.28) and 1,600 sprint (4:04.12) relays.

The Scarborough girls were third behind Deering and Cheverus, but got wins from Marisa Carbone in the junior 800 (2:39.01), Katherine Kirk in the senior 400 (1:04.49), Cailley Ledue in the pole vault (8-6) and its senior 800 relay (1:55.51).

South Portland’s boys and girls both won a meet which included Biddeford, Gorham, McAuley and Noble.

The boys’ team got wins from Jake Maloney in the junior 800 (2:12.75), Daniel Giuliani in the junior shot put (43-10.75), John Salamone in the senior high jump (5-4), Duncan Preston in the senior long jump (19-10) and senior shot put (48-10.75) and Michael Cuesta in the pole vault (9-6).

The girls featured event winners Meagan Johnson in the junior 55 (8.19), junior 400 (1:08.02) and junior triple jump (26-10), Callie O’Brien in the junior 55 hurdles (9.97), senior 55 hurdles (10.48) and junior high jump (5-0), Phonsavahn Senesombath in the junior shot put (22-3), Lauren Magnuson in the senior 55 (7.95), senior 200 (28.69) and senior 400 (1:04.76), Shannon Conley in the senior 800 (2:26.88), Janey Blackwell-Orr in the mile (6:24.56), Serena McKenzie in the two-mile (12:55.63), Emma Russell in the senior high jump (4-6) and the junior 800 (2:02.16) and senior 800 (2:01.42) and 3,200 (10:57.81) relays.

There is no SMAA action scheduled for this Saturday.

Cape Elizabeth was scheduled to have its first Western Maine Conference meet last weekend at USM, but bad weather moved it to Monday, when it was postponed again. Saturday, the Capers will square off with Falmouth, Freeport, Gray-New Gloucester, Lake Region, St. Dom’s, Traip and York at 6:30 p.m.

Swimming

Cape Elizabeth’s swim team went to Westbrook Monday and both squads prevailed. The boys were victorious, 111-54, while the girls won, 136-40. The Capers host South Portland Friday.

Scarborough’s most recent meet resulted in the boys winning at Deering, 106-73, while the girls also prevailed, 89-76. The Red Storm goes to Cheverus Friday.

Skiing

The Nordic ski season got underway Saturday with the Telstar Relays, which saw Cape Elizabeth’s foursome of Dana Hatton, Andrew Holliday, Rhoen Fiutak and Julian Pelzer place 18th with a combined time of 49 minutes, 10 seconds. Yarmouth (43:17) was first.

The Western Maine Conference Alpine season was scheduled to start Monday, but poor weather postponed that meet.

Wrestling

Scarborough’s wrestling team took a 1-7 record into Wednesday’s home match versus Marshwood. The Red Storm is at Windham Wednesday of next week.

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