Scarborough’s volleyball team celebrates a point during last week’s four-set loss at Falmouth.

Cape Elizabeth’s Prezli Piscopo converts a penalty kick during the undefeated Capers’ 3-0 home win over Freeport Monday.

Cape Elizabeth’s Matt Laughlin battles a Leavitt defender for the ball in the fog during the Capers’ 42-20 loss Friday night.

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

The games keep getting bigger and the results remain encouraging for local squads as the fall sports season rolls on.

Here’s a look back at the week that was and a glimpse at what’s to come:

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Football

Scarborough’s defending Class A state champion football team remained undefeated last weekend, but host South Portland didn’t make it easy.

The Red Storm went up, 12-0, after one quarter behind quarterback Chase Cleary’s 27- and 30-yard touchdown runs, and 19-0 in the second period behind a 22-yard Cleary TD scamper, before the Red Riots pulled within 19-7 at halftime on a touchdown pass from Anthony Poole to Caden Horton. South Portland cut the deficit to 19-14 when Poole found Cole Benevides for a score in the third quarter. The Red Riots even had the ball with a chance to take the lead, but Scarborough pulled away for a 33-14 victory behind a 76-yard Jarett Flaker scoring run and a 1-yard TD run from Tyler Gobeil to improve to 3-0 on the year. South Portland fell to 1-2.

The Red Storm return home Friday night to meet 0-3 Windham in a rematch of last year’s state final.

The Red Riots are home Friday night against 3-0 Thornton Academy.

Cape Elizabeth hoped to bounce back from its loss to Wells, but the Capers lost at home to Leavitt, 42-20, to fall to 1-2. The Hornets had a 7-0 lead after one quarter, after scoring on their opening drive and when a Cape Elizabeth drive at the end of the first half fell four yards short of the end zone, Leavitt was up, 17-0, at halftime.

The Capers got on the board midway through the third period on a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andrew Hartel to Matt Conley, but two plays later, the Hornets scored on a 60-yard TD run to restore a 17-point lead. Later in the third, Leavitt added a score and while Cape Elizabeth answered on a 21-yard Hartel-to-Conley scoring pass, the Capers trailed, 30-14, heading for the final stanza.

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There, the Hornets scored to make it 36-14, and after the Capers scored on a 56-yard Hartel-to-Jack Tower scoring pass, Leavitt scored on another long run to account for the final score.

Hartel threw a whopping 47 times, completing 18, for 256 yards and three touchdowns (he was intercepted twice). Conley caught nine balls for 113 yards and two scores.

“I’m happier in spots with the effort,” said Cape Elizabeth coach Aaron Filieo. “I appreciate how the guys came out and battled in the second half. Defensively, we can’t give up those big chunks. We made them earn the field in the first half, but in the second half, they got big plays.”

The Capers look to even their record Friday night when 1-2 Greely visits.

Boys’ soccer

Cape Elizabeth’s boys’ soccer team improved to 4-1-2 after downing host Gray-New Gloucester and visiting Freeport in recent action. Against the Patriots, John O’Connor and Archie McEvoy scored. In the win over the Falcons, McEvoy and O’Connor scored first half goals and the Capers made it stand up.

“It’s important to seize chances when you get them,” said O’Connor.

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“We’re moving in the right direction,” Cape Elizabeth coach Ben Raymond said. “Like every year, we try to get better each and every day, each and every game. We don’t have many year-round soccer players, so it takes time to improve.”

The Capers were home with Class C South power Waynflete Thursday and go to Greely Tuesday of next week.

Scarborough bounced back from its first loss with a 3-0 home blanking of Massabesic Tuesday to improve to 4-1. Patrick Clonan, Ben Hatch and Connor LaBonte had the goals. The Red Storm went to Noble Thursday, have a makeup game at Biddeford Saturday, host Kennebunk Tuesday and visit Windham Thursday of next week.

South Portland improved to 3-2 with Friday’s 4-0 victory at Massabesic, its third consecutive win. Damir Brkic had two goals and Aleks Kaurin and Noah Preifus also scored. The Red Riots were at Kennebunk Thursday and host Windham Tuesday of next week.

Greater Portland Christian School fell to 1-3 after losses last week to visiting Pine Tree Academy (8-0) and host Chop Point (3-0). The Lions welcome Temple Academy Friday and Rangeley Saturday, go to Seacoast Christian Monday and visit Rangeley Thursday of next week.

Girls’ soccer

Scarborough’s defending Class A South champion girls’ soccer team improved to 5-0 after downing visiting Kennebunk (2-1) and host Bonny Eagle (1-0) in recent action. Ashley Sabatino and Grace Pettingill scored to rally the Red Storm past the Rams. Scarborough got a goal from Molly Murnane to beat the Scots. The Red Storm went to Deering Thursday, host Biddeford Saturday and play at Sanford Wednesday of next week. 

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South Portland settled for a 2-2 home tie with Marshwood, then fell to 1-3-1 after a 2-1 loss at Thornton Academy last week. Evelyn Selser scored both goals and Maria Buck made seven saves against the Hawks. Julia Banks had the goal in the loss. The Red Riots had a makeup game at Kennebunk Wednesday, host Portland Saturday and go to Biddeford Wednesday of next week.

Cape Elizabeth continues to live up to billing as the Class B South favorite, improving to 6-0 after recent 3-0 victories at Gray-New Gloucester and at home over Freeport. Maggie Cochran, Grace Gillian and Laura Ryer had the goal (and Prezli Piscopo had three assists) in the win over the Patriots. Against the Falcons, after a scoreless first half, Piscopo scored on a penalty kick, assisted on a goal by Karli Chapin and Ryer then added a goal to keep the Capers perfect on the year.

“At the beginning, it was a tough match, but once we score, we just break other teams down,” said Piscopo.

“We tightened up a few things at halftime,” Cape Elizabeth’s first-year coach Graham Forsyth said. “We’ve set a standard in preseason and the first five games of our season and we didn’t get anywhere near there in the first half. I couldn’t be any more proud of the girls in the second half.”

The Capers were at Waynflete Thursday, then host Greely Tuesday and York Thursday of next week.

GPCS fell to 1-2 after losses to visiting Pine Tree Academy (4-1) and North Yarmouth Academy (10-0). The Lions host Temple Academy Friday, welcome Rangeley Saturday and Richmond Wednesday of next week, then go to Rangeley the following day.

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Field hockey

After several near-misses, South Portland’s field hockey team has gotten in the win column. The Red Riots lost their first six outings, three in overtime, capped by a 4-3 home loss to Cheverus and a 2-1 setback at Kennebunk. Against the Stags, South Portland got two goals from Sydney Sherburne and another from Maddie Drolet, but let a late two-goal lead slip away. Monday, the Red Riots edged visiting Massabesic, 2-1, in overtime. Sherburne tied the game in the second half and Lucie Beaulieu scored in overtime. Abbie Jellison stopped 18 shots.

“I’m so proud of (the girls) and how they never gave up,” said South Portland first-year coach Olivia Madore. “They really had the heart today.”

The Red Riots went to powerhouse Biddeford Wednesday, host Gorham Tuesday and visit Falmouth Thursday of next week.

Scarborough edged host Portland, 2-1, last Thursday behind two goals from Carrie Timpson, then fell from the unbeaten ranks Saturday after a 2-1 overtime loss to visiting Westbrook (Kelby Woolverton had the lone goal) and Tuesday, fell to 5-2 on the year after a 2-0 loss at Marshwood. The Red Storm were home with Deering Thursday, go to Noble Tuesday, then host Bonny Eagle Thursday of next week.

Cape Elizabeth fell to 0-6 after losses to host Lake Region (4-0), visiting York (4-0) and visiting Yarmouth (3-2, in overtime). Christiana Pinette stopped 13 shots in the loss to the defending Class B South champion Wildcats. Isabel Berman and Katilin Norrad scored against the Clippers, but the Capers led a 2-0 first half lead slip away. Cape Elizabeth was at Poland Thursday, hosts undefeated Fryeburg Academy Saturday, welcomes Greely Monday, then visits Freeport Wednesday of next week.

Volleyball

Cape Elizabeth’s defending Class B state champion volleyball team was 6-0 at press time, riding a 23-match win streak, following recent straight set wins at Biddeford, at Yarmouth (25-22, 26-24, 25-17) and at home over Falmouth (25-14, 25-21, 33-31) in a rematch of last year’s Class B state final. Megan Connelly had 12 kills and Tess Dolan added 17 digs in the win over the Clippers. Against the Yachtsmen, where the Capers fought off a whopping six set points in the third game to close out the match in breathtaking fashion, Corina Page had 18 assists, Julia Torre finished with 13 service points, Jessie Robicheaw had seven kills and Connelly had 11 service points and six kills.

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“We knew they had great hitters, but we played as a team and adjusted to what they do on offense,” Connelly said. “We didn’t let one hit let us down mentally. We take pride in being a well-rounded and versatile team. We knew it would be emotional for both teams and we tried to stay calm, cool and collected.”

“We talk in practice a lot about how we’re not the biggest team, or the heaviest-hitting team, but we work on making each other better in practice by not giving each other easy points,” said Cape Elizabeth coach Sarah Boeckel. “If the other teams wins a point, they’ll have to do something special to win the point. That’s our philosophy.”

The Capers hosted Greely Thursday, welcome York Tuesday, then go to Scarborough Thursday of next week.

Speaking of Scarborough, the defending Class A champion, the Red Storm fell from the unbeaten ranks last Thursday in Falmouth, dropping a four-set (10-25, 20-25, 25-17, 18-25) decision despite 15 assists from Mayne Gwyer and nine kills from Catherine Shaw.

“Falmouth is a great team, but we’re not afraid of them and that showed tonight,” said Scarborough’s first-year coach Kim Stoddard. “The biggest difference between the first set at the end was us working as a team and being aggressive with what we do and not letting the ball hit the floor.”

Tuesday, the Red Storm improved to 5-1 after a straight set home win over Massabesic. Scarborough was at Marshwood Thursday, then hosts Greely Tuesday and welcomes Cape Elizabeth Thursday of next week.

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South Portland was 2-4 at press time following a five-set (20-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-23, 8-15) loss at Deering in a playoff rematch and a three-set (25-23, 25-23, 25-16) home win over Cheverus. 

Cross country

Scarborough hosted Deering, Kennebunk and Marshwood in a cross country meet last weekend. The Red Storm boys handed Deering its first league loss in three years and came in first, as Tristram Coffin was third individually (finishing the five-kilometer course in 17 minutes, 20.60 seconds). In the girls’ meet, Scarborough was runner-up to Marshwood. Freshman Megan Randall was second individually in 20:42.

South Portland hosted Bonny Eagle, Gorham, Noble and Windham. The Red Riots boys were third, as Cliff Robbins-Sennewald was the top individual in 15:38. The girls came in fifth. Rachel Kingsley was 16th (20:44).

Cape Elizabeth joined Old Orchard Beach and St. Dom’s at Fryeburg Academy. The Capers boys were first, as Jack Bassett was the top individual in 16:11. The girls also came in first and had the fastest individual in Lila Gaudrault (19:00).

This weekend, Scarborough runs with Cheverus, Thornton Academy and Windham at Kennebunk, South Portland joins Gorham, Massabesic and Portland at Biddeford and Cape Elizabeth runs with Traip Academy and Wells at York.

Golf

Cape Elizabeth’s defending Class B champion golf team enjoyed a 5-2 win over Yarmouth last Thursday as Austin Legge was the medalist with a nine-hole low score of 39. The Capers’ match Tuesday at St. Dom’s was postponed by bad weather.

Defending Class A champion Scarborough improved to 6-0 with a 13-0 win over Portland last Thursday. Anthony Burnham (35) was the medalist. The Red Storm’s home showdown with Falmouth Tuesday was rained out and moved to Wednesday.

South Portland fell to 0-5 after a 13-0 loss to Falmouth last week. Andrew Varipatis had a team-best score of 45. The Red Riots hoped to get in the win column for the first time Thursday at Portland.

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


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