MALE

ANDREW BUTLER, Senior-Baseball

• WMC Class C Player of the Year

• WMC All-Conference, first-team

• Senior All-Star

• Maine vs. New Hampshire Senior All-Star

• Captain

One of the state’s special players, Butler did it all for a Waynflete squad which not coincidentally, got better each of his seasons on the roster.

Butler lives in Lewiston, became a baseball aficionado at a young age and came to Waynflete for high school. When he joined the Flyers varsity team, the program was struggling to field enough players to compete, but they’ve become a playoff regular.

Butler broke in as a catcher, then played first base and was named to the all-conference team. He was equally effective as a sophomore, then really broke out as a junior, becoming a force on the mound, as well as at the plate, leading Waynflete to its first conference title, earning Player of the Year honors in the process.

Butler didn’t exactly rest on his laurels as a senior, hitting .394, posting an on base percentage of .597, scoring 18 runs, driving in 13, rapping five doubles, a triple and a home run, stealing 13 bases and drawing 11 walks in 15 games. Butler led the team or was second in most categories. He was walked or hit by a pitch in 18 of 52 plate appearances. He continued to be effective on the mound and moved to shortstop, helping a young team once again boast a winning record and make the playoffs.

Butler had a pair of hits in a win over Old Orchard Beach, homered and scored four times versus Traip, doubled and singled twice in a loss to Sacopee and earned a win in relief in the Flyers’ final win of the season, versus Traip.

Butler, who also played golf and soccer at Waynflete, credits much of his improvement to playing in the fall and working at Frozen Ropes. Even more credit went to his coaches.

“Zak (Starr) worked with me on hitting,” Butler said. “Paul (Grazia) worked with me on pitching. My curveball came a long way. (Head coach) Steve (Kautz) is a great role model and leader. The program has come a long way.”

Butler has also mentored younger students and is working on his pilot’s license, which segues nicely into his next phase.

Butler is starting basic training at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. He wants to study aeronautical engineering and eventually wants to be a fighter pilot. He may try to walk on and play baseball at the Division I school.

After a transcendent run on the diamond, Andrew Butler, Waynflete’s Spring Male Athlete of the Year, will literally take his next act to the stratosphere. We haven’t heard the last of his excellence.

Coach Steve Kautz’s comment: “It’s difficult to describe what Andrew meant to our baseball program. In a school where 17 is a big roster, it was critical for us to know that Andrew would be there every day, ready for any position and challenge. His on-field contributions were impressive. Equally impressive was how he helped our team on the bench and off the field. No one really pitched to him and he still managed to have a huge impact on offense. His presence in the lineup changed games. He was always early and always stayed late, talking to a teammate, hitting extra ground balls, or just hanging out with the coaches. Andrew’s success was also important to the program because he did it at the perfect time. He showed everyone in the program what it takes to improve, what it takes to compete, and it means to do so with integrity and strength of character. Right now he is Cadet Butler to the Air Force, but he will always be Captain Butler to me.”

Previous winners:

2012: Chris Burke (lacrosse)

2011: Charlie Laprade (baseball)

2010: Brandon Thompson (tennis)

2009: Brandon Thompson (tennis)

2008: Brandon Thompson (tennis)

2007: David Cutler (lacrosse)

2006: Ben Whipple (tennis)

2005: Reid McMullan (lacrosse)

2004: Matt Lacasse (track)

FEMALE

SADIE COLE, Senior-Lacrosse

• All-American

• WMC All-Conference, first-team

• Senior All-Star

• Captain

Cole was not just one of the state’s premier scorers, she also played the sport in a fashion that was beautiful to watch and left her indelible mark on the state’s most storied program.

Cole, who lives in Lyman, started at Waynflete at the age of three and started playing lacrosse soon after, following in the footsteps of her sister, Ellie, four years her senior. Cole started playing on a travel team in middle school and joined the Flyers varsity as a freshman. She quickly emerged as a top scoring threat and helped Waynflete get to the state final her first two seasons, only to see the Flyers fall agonizingly short.

Cole scored some pivotal goals as a junior captain as Waynflete got back to the state game and this time, won it. She was named a first-team league all-star and after working hard during the offseason to improve (while also winning a state title in soccer), she set out to have a senior campaign that was simply dazzling.

Cole scored 63 goals this past season, placing her among the elite scorers in the state. Equally as impressive, she assisted teammates for 31 goals along the way.

Cole had five goals and two assists in a season opening win over Wells. That merely set the tone. She scored five times at Yarmouth, assisted on four goals in a statement-making win at Cape Elizabeth, scored four goals and had six ground balls in a narrow victory at Falmouth, tallied six goals and added three assists in a win over Freeport in a state game rematch, scored five goals in a second win over Cape Elizabeth and had three goals, three assists, won five draws and collected seven ground balls in a home victory over Falmouth.

Her piece de resistance, or so we thought, came at home against Yarmouth May 22, when she scored a season-high seven goals, added two assists, won six draws and collected 13 ground balls. Six days later, at eventual Class A champion Cheverus, Cole scored seven again, this time had three assists and won four draws while collecting nine ground balls. Cole closed the regular season with three goals versus Greely as Waynflete went undefeated and earned the top seed for the playoffs.

Cole and her teammates kept the good times rolling in the postseason, as she had seven goals in a semifinal round win over York, then had four goals and two assists in a regional final victory over Cape Elizabeth. Cole scored just once in the state final against Yarmouth, yet the Flyers prevailed one final time, allowing her and the rest of the seniors to bow out as champions.

“Each year got better,” Cole said. “The whole team is best friends.”

Cole credited coach Cathie Connors, as well as her soccer coach, Todd Dominski, for her success.

“They’re two polar opposite coaches, but I love them both,” Cole said. “Todd gets more out of me than I thought I had to give. Cathie knows me so well. She helped me grow as a person and an athlete. She really drives me and my teammates.”

Cole also credited ridiculously talented classmate Martha Veroneau for motivating her.

Cole scored close to 200 goals in her career. She never hesitated to find an open teammate, could go from graceful to gritty when battling for draws and ground balls and was a terrific team leader who was named one of just three Maine All-Americans.

Cole is very interested in writing and photography, enjoys working with kids and was a member of Waynflete’s Environmental Activist Program. She will follow in Ellie’s footsteps and will attend and play at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colo., next year.

There have been a lot of great Flyers through the years, but Sadie Cole, Waynflete’s Spring Female Athlete of the Year, was truly a transcendent star.

Coach Cathie Connors’ comment: “Since Sadie was a freshman, she steadily stepped up her game and always maintained a beautiful finesse style. She’s an elegant player. She was a wonderful captain as a junior. This year, she took it on again, embraced it and was fabulous. I couldn’t have asked for a better leader. She cares for her teammates. She’s the whole package. She just took it to another level this year. She was so incredible with her stick. So sure of herself. I don’t know if I’ve seen patience in a player like I did with her in a long time. I just adore her. So do her teammates. She’s a great kid.”

Previous winners:

2012: Martha Veroneau (lacrosse)

2011: Scout Haffenreffer (lacrosse)

2010: Morgan Woodhouse (lacrosse)

2009: Christine Ordway (tennis)

2008: Laura Armstrong (lacrosse)

2007: Christine Ordway (tennis)

2006: Christine Ordway (tennis)

2005: Gretchen Koch (lacrosse)

2004: Lily Hoffman (lacrosse)

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

Sidebar Elements

---

Butler

Butler

Cole

Cole

Copy the Story Link