(Ed. Note: For the complete Yarmouth-Greely boys’ soccer, Falmouth-Yarmouth, Freeport-Waynflete and Yarmouth-Greely girls’ soccer and Greely-Cape Elizabeth volleyball game stories, with additional photos, see theforecaster.net)

Field hockey’s postseason is already underway (see story). Soccer and volleyball begin this weekend. Football’s regular season comes to a close this weekend as well. If that’s not enough, golf put a bow on its season this past weekend.

The high school sports spectrum just gets busier and more compelling and here’s a glimpse at where locals stand:

Football

Three local football teams earned victories last weekend and a fourth just missed.

In Western B, Falmouth improved to 6-1 and took a step closer to locking up the No. 3 seed for the playoffs with a 41-7 home win over Mt. Ararat. Touchdown runs from Nick Wissemann, Connor Aube and quarterback Noah Nelson made it 20-0 after one period. TD passes from Nelson to Aube and Austin Wheeler made it 34-0 at the half. A final touchdown pass from Jack Bryant to Brock Welch closed out the Yachtsmen’s scoring. The Eagles got a TD in the final period.

Falmouth (third in the Western Class B Crabtree Points standings) closes at rival Greely in the “Battle of Route 9” Friday night.

Speaking of the Rangers, they suffered a bitter 22-21 loss at defending Class B champion Cony. Sam Peck’s touchdown run gave Greely an early 7-0 lead, but the Rams rallied to go up, 15-7. A long TD pass from Matt Pisini to Peck and a Pisini-to-Andrew Verrill two-point conversion made it 15-15. When Pisini hit Alex Kroot for a touchdown pass, the Rangers took a 21-15 lead to halftime. It lasted until the final seconds, when Cony converted a 4th-and-28, then scored on a short TD run with 12 seconds left. A last-ditch Pisini pass was intercepted and Greely fell to 4-3.

The Rangers hope to beat Falmouth Friday and move into the No. 3 spot. Last year, the Greely won at the Yachtsmen in overtime, 27-20.

In Western C, Freeport snapped a four-game skid with a dramatic 24-18 double overtime home win over Mountain Valley. Brady LaFrance’s early TD run gave the Falcons the jump, but the Cougars rallied to lead, 12-6, at halftime. The Falcons managed to pull even in the fourth quarter on Jacob Farmer’s touchdown run, but the two-point conversion rush failed and it was on to overtime. Quarterback Eli Fox scored a TD on Freeport’s possession, but Mountain Valley answered with a TD of its own. The Cougars missed the extra point, however, and it was on to a second overtime. There, after a defensive stop, the Falcons won it, when Fox hit Jacob Perry with a TD pass.

Freeport (2-5 and ninth in the Western C Crabtrees) closes at home versus Yarmouth Saturday and needs a victory to reach the playoffs.

Yarmouth bounced back from a painful last-second home loss to Cape Elizabeth with a 28-24 home victory over Poland. The Clippers opened up an early lead, then had to hold on for dear life to improve to 4-3.

“We had been coming out flat in most games we’ve played all year, so this week we preached how important it would be getting off to a quick start,” said Yarmouth coach Jason Veilleux. “We came out strong, scoring 21 points in the first half, and holding them to 12, but our inability to execute for four full quarters caught up with us again in the second half. Our defense stepped up big for us when they had to and won the game for us. Special teams were also a huge factor that helped us win.”

Yarmouth appears locked into the fifth spot in Western C, but will have no trouble getting up for a Freeport squad which has never beaten the Clippers. Last fall, in Yarmouth, the Clippers rolled, 31-0.

“We are looking forward to our annual ‘Battle of the Bay’ game with Freeport,” Veilleux said. “Field conditions from the amount of rain we are supposed to get this week could be a factor. We are expecting it to be another hard fought game by both teams. Freeport is coming off a quality win and I believe they need to win in order to make the playoffs, so we expect them to play their hearts out.”

Boys’ soccer

Yarmouth’s boys’ soccer team has moved into the top spot in the Western Class B Heal Points standings and hoped to close the regular season on a high note when it went to rival Falmouth Tuesday night (see theforecaster.net for game story). Last week, the Clippers won at Gray-New Gloucester (8-1) and defending Class B champion Greely (1-0) to improve to 9-2-2. Against the Patriots, the Clippers blew the game open with seven second half goals. Nick Kamra, Adam LaBrie, Noah Pellerin and Christopher Pidden all had two goals. In the win over the Rangers, Connor Lainey’s penalty kick in the 28th minute was the only goal and thanks to strong defense (defending Garrett Flanagan headed away a sure goal late) and clutch goalkeeping from Alex Lyon, Yarmouth, which hit the post twice, held on for a 1-0 win.

“It’s a huge win,” Lainey said. “It feels awesome. Our defense was great. I wasn’t scared once. They held down the fort well. They played tough.”

“It feels great,” Lyon said. “Last season, we were the best team, in my opinion, and they upset us. They beat us in the first game this year, so it just felt right, winning this one.”

“It’s always a battle against Greely,” Yarmouth coach Mike Hagerty added. “We talked tonight about playing this like it was a playoff game and like it could be our last game. We came out tonight with a purpose. I do feel like we deserved to win tonight. I’m happy for the kids.”

The Clippers project to be the top seed and will open the playoffs at home in the quarterfinals Tuesday of next week.

“We have to come out hard,” Flanagan said. “I think we’re hitting our stride right now.”

Greely was coming off a 10-0 home win over Lake Region (Paul Bischoff and Jacob Nason each had two goals). Against Yarmouth, the Rangers had their chances late, but couldn’t get the equalizer.

“I don’t know how we missed those at the end,” Rangers coach Mike Andreasen lamented. “Both teams wanted it a lot.”

Greely (8-3-2 and second in Western B) closed at home against York Tuesday.

Freeport entered its regular season finale against visiting Waynflete Tuesday with a 4-8-1 record. The Falcons were 11th in Western B, but only 10 teams qualify for the playoffs, meaning they had to win that game to get in. Last week, Freeport Freeport lost at Falmouth, 4-0, and beat visiting Poland, 4-2. Caleb Abbott had two goals and Jack Davenport and Quinton Libsack also scored in the victory.

In Western A, Falmouth was second behind two-time defending state champion Scarborough in the Heals with an 11-0-2 record entering its finale versus visiting Yarmouth Tuesday. Last week, the Yachtsmen blanked visiting Freeport (4-0) and Kennebunk (3-0). Against the Falcons, Nigel Dunn, Ben Lydick, Matt Polewaczyk and Ben Wuesthoff scored. Dunn, Wuesthoff and Nick Sanzari had the goals against the Rams. If Falmouth beat Yarmouth, it will be the top seed for the playoffs.

In Western C, North Yarmouth Academy sat eighth at 6-5-2 at the start of the week. Last week, the Panthers lost to visiting Gray-New Gloucester (5-2) and at Wells (6-1). After closing at Poland Tuesday, NYA will play in a preliminary round playoff game against a yet to be determined foe.

The boys’ soccer playoffs begin Friday with the preliminary round on the fields of the higher seeds. The quarterfinals are Tuesday of next week, also hosted by the higher seeds.

Girls’ soccer

On the girls’ side, Yarmouth finished its season on a high note, winning at home over Gray-New Gloucester (3-1), at rival Greely (2-0) and at home over rival Falmouth (1-0) to wind up 8-3-3 and move into the No. 2 seed in Western B. Katie Clemmer, Sara D’Appolonia and Cory Langenbach had the goals against the Patriots. The win over the Rangers, the Clippers’ first in Cumberland this century, saw Eavan O’Neill give Yarmouth the lead in the second half and Clemmer ice it. Goalkeeper Shannon Fallon made some clutch saves as well.

“When we get one (goal), it feels like part of the weight of the world is off our shoulders, but when we get two, especially against Greely, it really feels like the weight of the world is off,” O’Neill said.

“This game was really the turning point for us,” Clemmer said. “We’ve played such good teams that we’re even with. We haven’t been able to finish, but his game set the tone for us to be good in the playoffs.”

“It’s a huge win,” said Fallon. “It’s a huge confidence booster. Greely’s an amazing team. Coming out with a win over them is definitely a big deal.”

“We played a great team,” Yarmouth coach Rich Smith said. “(Greely has) great offensive players, a solid defense.”

Monday, the Clippers were embroiled in another scoreless contest, but with 3:35 left, freshman Sara D’Appolonia scored on a 30-yard floater and Yarmouth beat Falmouth for the first time in eight tries. Better yet, it came on a night when senior captains Fallon, Lane Simsarian and Emma Torres were honored.

“I didn’t know if it was going in or not, but I was open, so I took it,” said D’Appolonia. “That goal gave us an extra boost. We really needed this game and that goal gave us confidence we could get it. We won this game for the seniors.”

“It’s incredible,” Torres said. “It’s always nice to beat Falmouth. This was the most ideal game ever.”

“It seems like things are turning our way,” added Smith. “The girls have learned how to win and finish teams off.”

Yarmouth will host a yet to be determined foe in the quarterfinals Wednesday.

“‘Smitty’ always says that October’s our month,” D’Appolonia said. “I think we’re capable of competing. I want nothing less than to win a title.”

“In my four years, we’ve never been this close as a team and we’ve never been this good,” Torres said. “We’re ready to go. We’re fired up. We’re ready for anything.”

“Confidence-wise, the girls know that if we play well, we can expect to win,” Smith added. “They’re all playing for each other. We have great team chemistry. That’s great to have going into playoffs.”

Despite its loss to Yarmouth, Greely will be the top seed in Western B. The Rangers were coming off a 6-1 win at Lake Region (Jocelyn Mitiguy had two goals to lead the way), but couldn’t take advantage of opportunities in the 2-0 home loss to the Clippers.

“We had chances, but I have to say, we didn’t play well today,” lamented Greely coach Josh Muscadin. “We were off. We couldn’t do anything. Yarmouth deserved the win. I give them credit.”

The Rangers (10-2-1) closed at home versus York Tuesday, then will open the playoffs at home in the quarterfinals next week.

“This is definitely a wakeup call,” said Muscadin. “We have to get back to the level we were.”

Entering Monday’s finale at two-time defending Class C champion Waynflete, Freeport still entertained playoff hopes. The Falcons were coming off a 3-0 home loss to Falmouth and a 3-0 home win over Poland. Monday, Freeport was less than a minute from overtime when the Flyers scored and its season ended at 4-8-2 with a 1-0 loss.

“This game summed up our season,” lamented Falcons coach Elayna Girardin. “We hit posts, we hit the net. We create plays and get chances, but we don’t finish. A couple coaches have said to me, ‘Wow, you’re way better than what your record shows.’ It’s been a tough season.”

Freeport finished 13th in the Western B Heals, but only 10 teams qualified.

In Western A, Falmouth will likely be the No. 6 seed after finishing 6-6-2. The Yachtsmen beat visiting Freeport, 3-0, then lost, 6-5, in double overtime at Kennebunk and fell, 1-0, at Yarmouth. In the win, Tyler Spence had two goals. Spence had two more goals in the loss to the Rams. Against the Clippers, Falmouth was outshot, 26-5.

“We probably had better quality chances in the second half,” said Yachtsmen coach Andrew Pelletier. “I was hoping to get a result, but the girls worked hard.”

Falmouth will host a preliminary round playoff game against a yet to be determined foe.

“We’ll be ready against whoever we play,” Pelletier said. “The girls will be healthy. Hopefully we’ll make a long run.”

In Western C, NYA dropped to 1-11-1 after last week’s 2-0 loss at Old Orchard Beach. The Panthers (16th in Western C, where only 13 teams qualify) closed at home versus Poland Tuesday.

The girls’ soccer playoffs begin Saturday with the preliminary round on the fields of the higher seeds. The quarterfinals are Wednesday of next week, also hosted by the higher seeds.

Volleyball

Yarmouth’s volleyball team has a great chance to win its third Class B title in four seasons. After losing the season opener, at powerhouse Greely, the Clippers closed with 13 successive victories, capped by three-set wins over visiting Cheverus (25-21, 25-14, 25-21), host NYA (25-12, 25-5, 25-21) and host Windham. Liz Clark finished with 17 assists, Kenzie Sheehan had six aces and four kills and Emily Parker had four kills against the Stags on Senior Night. At the Panthers, Libby King had 10 service points and four aces and Morgan Hamre added 16 service points and seven aces. Yarmouth will be the top seed for the playoffs and will have a bye into the semifinals Wednesday of next week. One win and the Clippers will have a chance to defend their title Saturday, Nov. 1, in Ellsworth.

After making the Class B tournament last year, NYA will fall short this fall. The Panthers closed with 3-0 losses to visiting Yarmouth (12-25, 5-25, 21-25) and at South Portland (20-25, 24-26, 15-25). Against the Clippers, Hannah Carr had three kills, an assist and an ace, Anya Siviski finished with nine digs, four assists and three aces and Diana McLeod had five digs and two kills. NYA wound up 3-11 and ninth in the standings, but only seven teams make the playoffs.

In Class A, Greely enjoyed a 3-1 (25-18, 25-15, 15-25, 25-15) win at South Portland, then closed the regular season last Thursday with a 3-0 (25-27, 23-25, 22-25) loss at Cape Elizabeth. The Rangers let a 22-14 first set lead slip away and never recovered as they finished the regular season 12-2.

“We got overconfident and lost our passing (in the first set),” Greely coach Kelvin Hasch lamented. “The tide changed and we couldn’t find ourselves. I thought maybe we could still pull it out, but it wasn’t meant to be. Cape played really well.”

Greely will be the top seed in Class A and has a great chance to win its 10th title in 12 seasons.

“I think we can make a run,” Hasch said. “I think we have the ability. Anybody can win it.”

Defending Class A champion Falmouth projects to be the No. 3 seed after an 11-3 regular season. Last week, the Yachtsmen won in straight sets over Gorham (25-19, 25-22, 29-27), then lost in five sets at Scarborough (23-25, 25-17, 14-25, 25-17, 12-15). Falmouth will host No. 6 Biddeford (9-5) in the quarterfinals Saturday at 2 p.m. The Yachtsmen beat the host Tigers in straight sets Oct. 1.

The playoffs continue Wednesday of next week with the semifinal round. The Class A state match is Saturday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. at Biddeford High School. The Class B state match is the same day in Ellsworth. Start time is 2 p.m.

Golf

The final act of the 2014 golf season was held Saturday at Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro, as individuals vied for glory.

In the all-class girls’ state match, Greely’s Erin Holmes tied for fourth with a score of 76. Thornton Academy’s Hashilla Rivai was the champion with a round of 70. Greely’s Isabella Perry tied for seventh after shooting an 85. Greely’s Jenna Pavis tied for 17th after shooting an 89. Greely’s Katlin Hughes shot a 96 and tied for 26th. Greely’s Sarah Novick placed 31st after shooting 100. Freeport’s Wynne Cushing tied for 33rd after shooting a 102. Freeport’s Alexis Erlandson was 38th after a round of 105. Greely’s Hannah Storey finished 48th after shooting 144.

In Class A, Falmouth’s Craig Smith’s round of 77 left him fifth (Bangor’s Drew Powell and Oceanside’s Nick Mazurek tied for the title with a score of 72). Greely’s Aidan Roberts tied for sixth with a score of 79. Falmouth’s Alex Whitmore tied for 15th after shooting an 83.

In Class B, Yarmouth’s Tyler Hall shot a 99 and tied for 33rd. MCI’s Gavin Dugas (71) was first.

In Class C, NYA’s Brad Potter tied for 13th after a round of 84. Teammate Ben Ambrose shot an 89 and tied for 20th. Owen McCarthy shot a 92 and tied for 24th.

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