Boys’ team:

Jeff Madore, Waynflete tennis

File photo

Like clockwork, Waynflete’s boys’ tennis team won a state championship last month and like clockwork, every three years, the man in charge of the Flyers’ fortunes gets rewarded for his ability to perpetuate a dynasty.

This spring, Waynflete made it 12 straight Class C titles, playing very well against a tough schedule, then again having no peer in the postseason.

For getting the Flyers to meet the challenge once again, Jeff Madore is The Forecaster’s selection for our Portland edition Spring Coach of the Year, of a boys’ team, an award he also received in 2013 and 2016.

Madore played football, basketball and baseball in high school and baseball for a short time at the University of Maine. He took up tennis as an adult and began coaching in 2002 with the Waynflete girls’ program. He took over the boys’ team in 2007 and by the following year, he led the Flyers to a Class C state title.

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And Waynflete has won one every year since.

This spring, the Flyers lost just three matches, all by 3-2 scores, to eventual Class B champion Yarmouth, to Class B South top seed Freeport and to another Class B South contender, Greely.

In the playoffs, Waynflete rolled through the regional field, blanking North Yarmouth Academy, Dirigo and Winthrop. In the state match, Orono was a 4-1 victim and the Flyers had their 12th successive title.

“(This team’s got) great kids, good character and is very resilient,” said Madore, following the state match.

Madore is a retired chemical engineer who will look to engineer yet another title run in 2020.

And that’s highly likely, as Jeff Madore, our Portland edition boys’ team Spring Coach of the Year, doesn’t let history, expectations or tough opponents deny Waynflete its date with championship destiny. Ever.

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Previous winners:

2018 Mike DiFusco (Portland lacrosse)

2017 Mac McKew (Cheverus baseball)

2016 Jeff Madore (Waynflete tennis)

2015 Mike Rutherford (Portland baseball)

2014 Steve Virgilio (Cheverus track)

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2013 Jeff Madore (Waynflete tennis)

2012 Deke Andrew (Cheverus lacrosse)

2011 Mac McKew (Cheverus baseball)

2010 Steve Kautz (Waynflete baseball)

2009 Eric Begonia (Portland lacrosse)

2008 Mike D’Andrea (Deering baseball)

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2007 Mike D’Andrea (Deering baseball)

2006 Stephane Pejic (Waynflete tennis)

2005 Eric Begonia (Portland lacrosse)

2004 Mike D’Andrea (Deering baseball)

Girls’ team:

Theresa Hendrix, Cheverus/NYA softball

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File photo

Cheverus’ softball team didn’t win a game in 2016, the year before Theresa Hendrix took over as coach, nor the following season, her first, but not surprisingly, it didn’t take Hendrix long to turn the Stags into a winner.

After leading Cheverus (which is a co-op program with North Yarmouth Academy) to its first playoff berth in five years, Hendrix has her alma mater back in contention and as a result of her putting the pieces of contention in place, Theresa Hendrix gets The Forecaster’s nod as our Portland edition Spring Coach of the Year, of a girls’ team.

Hendrix was a standout in field hockey, basketball and softball at Cheverus, being named the school’s Spring Female Athlete of the Year in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Hendrix then went on to play field hockey and softball at St. Joseph’s College. She returned to coaching as an assistant with the Portland softball program and also led the Westbrook field hockey team to great things in her limited time.

Her work with the Stags has been very impressive as well. Cheverus/NYA won three games in 2018, then really put it together this spring, eclipsing last year’s win total by game seven and despite a late season skid, finishing 8-8 to earn the No. 9 seed in Class A South. The Stags then built a 9-0 lead at Bonny Eagle in the preliminary round of the playoffs, but couldn’t hold it and the season came to an end.

But a winning tradition had been restored.

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Even better for Cheverus, the school recently announced that Hendrix will be taking over the field hockey program as well.

Theresa Hendrix, our Portland edition Spring girls’ team Coach of the Year, has demonstrated a unique ability to get the most out of players who aren’t too many years younger than she. There figures to be plenty more triumph in the future.

Previous winners:

2018 Bonnie Moran (Portland tennis)

2017 Tim Eisenhart (MGA/Falmouth softball)

2016 Robbie Ferrante (Portland softball)

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2015 Cameron McManus (Portland lacrosse)

2014 Maureen Curran (Cheverus softball)

2013 Jamie Chamberlain (Cheverus lacrosse)

2012 Cathie Connors (Waynflete lacrosse)

2011 Linda Cohen (Waynflete tennis)

2010 Robbie Ferrante (McAuley softball)

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2009 Bonnie Moran (Portland tennis)

2008 Cathie Connors (Waynflete lacrosse)

2007 Jamie Chamberlain (Cheverus lacrosse)

2006 Jamie Chamberlain (Cheverus lacrosse)

2005 Rick Supinski (Cheverus softball)

2004 Cathie Connors (Waynflete lacrosse)

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


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