By Michael Hoffer
MaxPreps.com
On the heels of a transcendent and championship season, Yarmouth High cross country sensation Anna Makaretz added one more impressive feather to her cap last week, when she was named the Maine Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year.
Makaretz, who didn't start running cross country until her junior year in high school, dazzled last autumn from start to finish, winning every race save one (in which she lost by 1/1000th of a second). Makaretz won the Class B individual state title and qualified for the New England championships.
"I'm very honored," Makaretz said. "It came as a complete surprise. This is another first. It's so cool."
Makaretz, an accomplished violinist who also Nordic skis and runs outdoor track for the Clippers, went from being a very good runner her junior year to championship caliber in 2007. She'll take her skills to Brown in the fall, where she'll run and study pre-Med.
"This is an indication that I did things right," she said.
Boys Basketball: Another Round of Classic Games
The 2007-08 boys' basketball season ramped up yet another notch last week with another round of stirring contests.
In Western Class A, South Portland knocked Thornton Academy from the ranks of the unbeaten Saturday afternoon with a 52-49 home win behind 22 points from junior Keegan Hyland. The Red Riots, who had lost a couple close home games earlier this season, made the big plays down the stretch to improve to 8-2 and drop the Golden Trojans to 9-1.
"This is a big win for our program," Red Riots' first-year coach Phil Conley said. "Thornton Academy is well coached and is very good. We had to play our best to beat them."
"We play hard for four quarters all year long," countered Thornton Academy coach Bob Davies. "It was no different tonight. We just wound up on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
"(South Portland's) a great basketball team. They shoot well and play hardnosed defense like we do. They hustle. It was a fun game to be involved in. We just came up a little short."
Cheverus remains the lone unbeaten as it improved to 10-0 Saturday with an easy win over Gorham. Deering bounced back from an upset loss at Bonny Eagle to improve to 8-2 with a narrow home win over Kennebunk.
Scarborough (7-3), Westbrook (6-4) and Portland (7-3) are also near the top of the standings.
In Eastern A, defending state champion Bangor continues to dominate, boasting a perfect record while crushing virtually all comers. Lawrence, Cony, Messalonskee and Edward Little remain within hailing distance.
In Western B, the scintillating show that is the Yarmouth Clippers added two more stirring chapters last week. First, the Clippers rallied past visiting Freeport, 50-48, when senior Ben Groves made a reverse lay-up with 0.9 seconds to go. Yarmouth's undefeated run came to an end, however, Friday at Cape Elizabeth. The Clippers scored the game's first 11 points, but injuries and fouls eventually spelled Yarmouth's demise. The Capers took the lead for good in the third period and pulled away to a 71-50 win, improving to 8-2.
Yarmouth remains in first place in the Western B Heals, but Mountain Valley is coming on strong, while Cape Elizabeth gains confidence every time it takes the floor; Falmouth, Greely and Freeport are also right in the thick of things. After letting sure wins slip away at Falmouth and Yarmouth, the Falcons earned their biggest win to date Saturday night when they went to Greely and won 58-51, improving to 8-2 in the process.
In Eastern B, Maranacook, Camden Hills, Presque Isle, Caribou and Mt. Desert Island are leading the standings.
In Western C, Traip Academy remains unbeaten after a 65-58 home win over Waynflete. North Yarmouth Academy is another solid Western C contender from the Western Maine Conference, but for now, Winthrop and Boothbay Region are the top teams in the standings.
Eastern C is led by Calais, Houlton and Schenck.
Western D continues to be Richmond and everyone else. Valley, Rangeley and Forest Hills are also in the mix.
Eastern D is the Deer Isle-Stonington show, with Central Aroostook, Easton and Woodland close behind.
Girls Basketball: Falmouth Unbeaten No Longer
On the girls' side of the ledger, the Falmouth Yachtsmen suffered their first loss Saturday afternoon, 51-45 at nemesis Lake Region, in a rematch of last year's Western B Final. Falmouth is still leading the Heal Points standings, but York, Lake Region, Fryeburg and Greely are closing in. Mountain Valley has quietly improved to 7-2. The Yarmouth Clippers have won three straight behind the steady play of sophomore Catie Clarke and the sharp-shooting of junior Michelle Moylan.
South Portland continues to steal the show in Western A. The Red Riots stayed atop the standings thanks to a huge overtime win at Westbrook. Deering got back on the winning track with a big home victory over Noble, thanks in large part to 24 points (eight 3-pointers) from senior standout Nicole Garland. The Knights and Blue Blazes are also in the mix, as are Scarborough, Biddeford, Marshwood and Gorham.
In Western C, the Flyers of Waynflete improved to 8-1 Friday after beating host Traip Academy, 68-42. Senior Margaret Veroneau didn't rest on her laurels after breaking the career 1,000 point mark, scoring 27 in the win. Mariam Qazi and Morgan Woodhouse also continued their strong play, scoring 15 points apiece. Monmouth and Madison continue to be the top team in the Heals.
In Western D, Buckfield is looking like the team to beat. Vinalhaven is hot on the Bucks' heels, however.
In Eastern A, defending state champion Cony is one of seven teams battling for top honors. Brunswick, Morse, Lawrence, Oxford Hills, Messalonskee and Bangor are also playing well.
In Eastern B, defending champion Waterville continues to shine. The Purple Panthers have company in Mattanawcook, Gardiner and John Bapst.
The Eastern C parade is led by defending Class D state champion Lee Academy (new to the class this year), Stevens Academy, Washington Academy and Narraguagus. Perennial contender Dexter is struggling at 2-3 to date.
In Eastern D, Central Aroostook, Houlton Christian and Washburn are the top teams at the moment.
Hockey: Biddeford Wins Showdown to Stay Undefeated
On the ice, defending Class A state champion Biddeford had a showdown with top contender Kennebunk Saturday at the teams' mutual home, Biddeford Ice Arena. The Tigers held off the Rams, 4-2, behind another big game from junior Brian Dumoulin to improve to 8-0. Kennebunk is 6-3.
The Rams previously held off potent Falmouth, 1-0, on the road. The Yachtsmen, along with Thornton Academy, Portland, Bonny Eagle and always-dangerous St. Dom's are making Western Class A very interesting with a long way to go.
In Eastern A, Lewiston continues to rule the roost after its impressive 3-0 win over St. Dom's Saturday. The Blue Devils have yet to lose and appear to have a leg up on the likes of defending Class B champion Brewer, Brunswick and Waterville.
The Western B story continues to be all York all the time. The Wildcats improved to 6-1-1 Saturday with a hard-fought 7-4 home victory over Cape Elizabeth, which is suggesting that it could be York's biggest challenger come late-February and early-March. The Capers are just 4-4, but are playing good hockey. Defending regional champion Greely is also turning it on. The Rangers crushed Maranacook, 9-3, at home Saturday to go to 5-5. Brian Allyn and Leland Copenhagen both scored twice in the victory. Leavitt remains a top contender as well.
In Eastern B, Winslow, Gardiner and John Bapst are the cream of the crop. Presque Isle moved into the equation after a stirring 3-2 overtime win over the Black Raiders Saturday.
Indoor Track: Mainers Shine at Dartmouth Relays
Three Maine athletes combined to win four blue ribbons at the Dartmouth (New Hampshire) Relays last weekend.
Competing against top athletes from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, Greely senior throwing star Becky O'Brien, an All-American, captured the girls' shot put with a throw of 46 feet 3/4 inches. Messalonskee's Jessie Labreck won two events, the triple jump (37 feet, 5 inches) and the hurdles (8.38 seconds). She was also second in the long jump.
Brunswick's David Slovenski captured the pole vault, leaping 16 feet. Slovenski became the first Maine schoolboy to exceed a 16-foot jump. It set a new Relays record and tied the all-time New England high school mark.
Michael Hoffer is the sports editor of The Forecaster, a family of weekly newspapers based in Falmouth. He can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.
