BASEBALL

Coach: Paul Grazia (second year)

2014 record: 8-8 (no postseason)

Top returning players: Jacob Hagler (Senior), Alonzo Antoine (Junior), Thomas Silk (Junior)

Pivotal games: April 27 @ Traip, May 8 SACOPEE, May 11 @ OOB, May 26 @ Sacopee, May 27 @ NYA

Coach’s comments: “I’m very excited about this upcoming season. We lost six seniors from last season, so we have some holes to fill. Fortunately, we have a strong group of underclassmen. They are talented and have been working hard throughout the offseason and they will be counted on to contribute this season.  It will be exciting to see the team continue to come together on the field, compete and challenge themselves every game. Our schedule is tough and all the teams our conference are competitive. If we continue to work hard and some new players step in and have an impact, I think we could have a very successful season and make another push to the playoffs. As always, pitching and defense are key and remain an emphasis in our program. We have a strong core of pitchers and I believe that they will continue to develop and perform well on the mound this season.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Waynflete was very competitive last season, but fell just short of the playoffs, snapping a four-year postseason streak. This season, Grazia, who is assisted by David Gorsky, Gary Wood and Zak Starr, believes he has the pieces in place for the Flyers to play meaningful games in June.

Antoine, Hagler and Silk (a second-team Western Maine Conference all-star in 2014) are the top returners. Senior Alex Lambert and sophomores Tyler Cutrone, Josh Lodish and Peterson Silk will play bigger roles.

While this group will have to fill some holes and will take some time to hit its stride, the upside is promising.

BOYS’ LACROSSE

Coach: Dan Thomsen (third year, 15-12 overall record)

2014 record: 8-5 (Lost, 20-9, to Greely in Western B quarterfinals)

Top returning players: Harry Baker-Connick (Senior), Aidan Olney (Senior), Graham Ratner (Senior), Cooper Chap (Junior), Will Nelligan (Junior)

Pivotal games: May 5 @ NYA, May 11 FREEPORT, May 16 TA, May 22 @ Yarmouth, June 2 @ Freeport

Coach’s comment: “Our team goal is to get better each day and to be playing our best when the playoffs come in hopes to make a run for the state title.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Waynflete got back to the playoffs last spring and expects to be a contender in the toughest region in the state, the Cape Elizabeth- and Falmouth-infested Western Class B, again this spring. The Flyers graduated five seniors, including standout Henry Cleaves, but return ample talent and have a very promising newcomer.

This year’s offense will be paced by reigning second-team all-star Baker-Connick, who had 19 goals and 14 assists last year. Baker-Connick is a top midfielder, along with Chap, who scored 13 goals and added 11 assists in 2014. Chap also takes faceoffs. Nelligan (14 goals, 10 assists last spring) is a top attack. Freshman Ford Malter is a budding star in the midfield. Ratner will be in goal. Waynflete had the unenviable task of opening against two-time defending champion Cape Elizabeth Friday and hung tough before losing, 18-6. Baker-Connick, Chap and Nelligan all scored, as did senior Joe Connors, junior Willy Burdick and Hank Duvall. 

This group should show plenty of improvement between now and June and will be a difficult matchup for anyone in the playoffs.

GIRLS’ LACROSSE

Coach: Cathie Connors (23rd year, 259-48-1 overall record, 12 state championships)

2014 record: 8-5 (Lost, 9-8, to Cape Elizabeth in Western B semifinals)

Top returning players: Helen Gray-Bauer (Senior), Haley Johnson (Senior), Dana Peirce (Senior), Charlotte Majercik (Junior), Christian Rowe (Junior), Isabel Canning (Sophomore)

Pivotal games: April 28 CHEVERUS, April 30 KENNEBUNK, May 2 @ Greely, May 9 @ Scarborough, May 13 FALMOUTH, May 18 @ Cape Elizabeth, May 26 YARMOUTH

Coach’s comment: “The kids are enthusiastic and coachable. We are a young team and we might take a little while to get going, but I am really excited to see what the girls can do when we pull it all together.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Waynflete ran the gamut of emotions last season, struggling early to an unaccustomed 1-2 start, suffering successive losses for the first time since 2002, then turning around to win six straight, capped by a triple overtime epic against Kennebunk. The Flyers were poised to do damage in the playoffs, but for the first time in a dozen years lost to Cape Elizabeth and the season came to a sudden and stunning end. Waynflete then graduated stalwarts Sofia Canning, Leigh Fernandez, Cat Johnson and Ella Millard, leaving some major holes to fill. Compounding the challenge this spring was a preseason injury to senior Hannah Thompson-Greaves, who was poised to have a breakout season.

Waynflete’s youth will necessitate a learning curve, but this group’s upside is very promising, as evidenced by Thursday’s season-opening 13-4 victory at North Yarmouth Academy. In that one, Isabel Canning, who was a role player as a freshman, had four first half goals. Freshman Izzy Burdick, a budding star, scored three times and classmate Lydia Giguere added two goals. Other scorers to watch include Johnson, Rowe, juniors Meddy Smith and Nina Moore (who transferred to Waynflete from Freeport), sophomores Ali Pope and Beata Vest and freshmen LZ Olney, Ali Pope and Ya Stockford. Gray-Bauer (a first-team all-star in 2014) makes things go in the draw circle (she won eight of nine in the first half of the opener), will play a key role in the zone defense and will score some key goals as well. Peirce is another defender to watch. Majercik returns in goal after a solid first season.

As always, the Flyers face a schedule gauntlet that includes defending Class B champion Yarmouth, regional rivals Cape Elizabeth, Falmouth, Greely and Kennebunk and crossovers against the likes of reigning Eastern A champion Cheverus and perennial contender Scarborough. It might take awhile, but youth will be served. Connors, the sport’s most storied coach (she won her 260th career game in the opener), will mold a top contender by June when Waynflete seemingly always does its best work. This group’s progression will be fun to watch.

OUTDOOR TRACK

Coach: Ziggy Gillespie (eighth year)

2014 results:

(Boys) No score @ Class C state meet (9th @ WMC meet)
(Girls) No score @ Class C state meet (8th @ WMC meet)

Top returning athletes:

(Boys) Julian Ireland (Senior), Cody Tiparos (Senior)
(Girls) Phoebe Colvin-Oehmig (Senior), Gemma Laurence (Senior), Maddy Pellow (Senior), Emily Tabb (Sophomore)

Coach’s comment: “We’re a small team, but we’ll score a lot of points. I think we’ll qualify seven or eight runners for the Class C state meet.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Waynflete will make the most of its small numbers this spring.

The boys return Tiparos, who was a second-team all-star in 2014. He’ll be a top sprinter. Ireland is a veteran leader. Sophomore Wilson Moore, who made a name for himself in cross country, is a distance runner of note. Other athletes will look to make a mark as the season develops. The Flyers should be able to score some points at the big meets.

On the girls’ side, Tabb is the top returner. She was a second-team all-star last year and is a top racewalker. Pellow will contend in the sprints. Colvin-Oehmig and junior Ellie Chidsey will be strong in the distance races. Laurence also returns. Several younger girls hope to make an impact as well. This group will be heard from in the weeks to come.

BOYS’ TENNIS

Coach: Jeff Madore (ninth year, seven state championships)

2014 record: 13-3 (Defeated George Stevens Academy, 5-0, to win seventh straight Class C state championship)

Top returning players: Nick Boulos (Senior), Stephen Epstein (Senior), Austin Fanburg (Senior), Clancy Mitchell (Senior), Isaac Salas (Senior), Jake Soley (Senior), Peter Michalakes (Junior), Rowan May (Junior), Brandon Ameglio (Sophomore), John Van Dyke (Sophomore)

Pivotal matches: April 28 @ Cape Elizabeth, May 8 NYA, May 15 @ NYA, May 19 CAPE ELIZABETH, May 20 YARMOUTH, May 22 FALMOUTH

Coach’s comment: “We have 10 returning players. Our hopes are to improve our skills, have fun and play some tennis  in warmer weather.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Waynflete’s left the rest of Class C in its wake every year since 2007 and there’s no reason to believe the Flyers will settle for anything shy of another crown this spring.

Salas (a first-team all-star in 2014), Ameglio (a second-teamer) and Mitchell will play singles. Michalakes (an all-star last year), Boulos, Epstein, Fanburg, May, Soley and Van Dyke were in the running for doubles spots at press time. Freshman Jacob Greene, who can play with either hand, is looking for a spot as well and figures to make a bigger impact going forward.

While Waynflete might have trouble with teams like defending Class A champion Falmouth and two-time Class B titlist Cape Elizabeth, the only squads to beat the Flyers last season, it’s hard to see anyone else solving this juggernaut. By June, Waynflete will likely be saying that eight isn’t enough. There’s no end in sight for this dynasty.

GIRLS’ TENNIS

Coach: Linda Cohen (eighth year, four state championships)

2014 record: 14-2 (Beat Van Buren, 4-1, to win fourth consecutive Class C state championship)

Top returning players: Annika Morrill (Senior), Olivia Troiano (Junior), Sidara Cash-Sortwell (Sophomore), Lexi Epstein (Sophomore), Kiera MacWhinnie (Sophomore), Randall Seder (Sophomore)

Pivotal matches: April 28 CAPE ELIZABETH, May 6 GREELY, May 8 @ NYA, May 15 NYA, May 22 @ Falmouth

Coach’s comment: “Fortunately, we’ve had some indoor practices so the team is shaping up. I need to replace four starters. I’m looking forward to tweaking the team chemistry to hopefully defend our title. One match at a time is always a good plan.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: Like the boys’ team, the Waynflete girls have run roughshod over Class C for several years. This spring, the Flyers have four starters to replace, most notably reigning Spring Female Athlete of the Year Emily White, a first-team all-star last season, and second-team all-star Allie Armstrong.

Epstein, a second-team all-star in 2014, is back at singles. Other players with experience include Cash-Sortwell, MacWhinnie, Morrill, Seder and Troiano. Sophomore Chase Warner, who has come over from lacrosse, will be in the hunt for a singles spot as well. Junior Izzy Davis and freshmen Eliza Cox, Hana Delaney, Laura McLean and Molly McNutt are also new.

This is a work in progress, but by June, as we’ve grown so accustomed, look for Waynflete to be in position to bring home more hardware.

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

Alonzo Antoine returns to help lead Waynflete’s baseball team to the postseason.

Harry Baker-Connick is back for his final season and will play a key role in the Flyers’ success.

Cooper Chap is a top midfielder for the Flyers. He had 13 goals in 2014.

Will Nelligan had 14 goals and 10 assists as a freshman.

Helen Gray-Bauer is in her final high school season. She’ll do a little of everything to help the Flyers to another successful campaign.

Charlotte Majercik played very well last season, her first in goal. She’ll be a strong last line of defense.

Dana Peirce will be key in Waynflete’s zone defense.

Christian Rowe will be in the middle of the Flyers’ success this spring.

Cody Tiparos is a top sprinter for the Flyers.

Phoebe Colvin-Oehmig will lead the Flyers distance contingent this season.

Emily Tabb is one of the conference’s top racewalkers.

Sidebar Elements

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Lexi Epstein and her teammates look for another Class C championship this spring.

File photos.

More photos below.