The postseason dash to the finish line began, appropriately, Saturday with the outdoor track state meets.

The tennis team playoffs are underway and baseball, softball and lacrosse are about to commence.

The best part of the spring sports season promises to produce drama and memories for local athletes and teams.

Here’s an overview:

Outdoor track

Portland’s boys and girls had the best showing of city teams at the Class A state track and field championship meet Saturday in Saco.

The Bulldogs boys had 65 points, good for third behind champion South Portland (79.5) and runner-up Gorham (79). Portland was paced by Nathan Blades, who won the two-mile (9 minutes, 38.72 seconds) and finished runner-up in the mile (4:17.66) to Noble’s Maddox Jordan.

“I think I would not be where I am without that competition,” said Blades, who will compete next year at the University of Pennsylvania.

Elias Coleman came in second in the 800 (2:00.19) and was third in the mile (4:24.67). Benjamin Prestes placed fourth in the mile (4:25.53). Cordell Jones was fourth in the high jump (6 feet). Asa Winter placed fifth in the javelin (157-9). Aran Johnson finished sixth in the two-mile (9:58.7). Myles Hang came in sixth in the 110 hurdles (15.64 seconds). Portland’s 4×400 relay team (Aziz Mohamed, Ben Mbongo, Charlie Jacques and Coleman) was second to Gorham in 3:31.39. The 4×800 relay squad (Johnson, Liam Alexander, Owen Blades and Jacques) finished fourth (8:18.81).

Cheverus (21 points) wound up in four-way tie for 13th with Bangor, Brunswick and Noble. The Stags were led by Brendan Rogers, who was third in the 400 (50.2) and seventh in the 200 (23.74). Dominic Cortez was fifth in the pole vault (11-6). Ambrose McCullough finished seventh in the two-mile (10:00.01). Joe Osei placed eighth in the shot put (45-8). Cheverus’ 4×800 relay team (Will Barmby, Cash Kellen, Danny McCartney and McCullough) finished third (8:17.44).

Deering (8 points) came in 20th. Ellis Wood was runner-up in the two-mile (9:42.61).

In the Class A girls’ meet, won by Scarborough with 101 points, Portland tied Falmouth for third with 57 points (Bangor was second with 86.5). The Bulldogs were led by distance standout Samantha Moore, who won the mile, posting the fastest time in that event in Class A this season (4:55.69), which was just enough to beat Scarborough sophomore Laurel Driscoll (4:57.15). Driscoll led the first three laps, with Moore on her shoulder.

“I got to the last lap and thought, go now or regret it,” Moore said.

Anneliese Collin was runner-up in the 300 hurdles (45.74), tied for fourth in the pole vault (9-0) and tied for sixth in the high jump (4-10). Alisandra Lindos placed second in the triple jump (35-7.75). Inas Alaari finished fourth in the triple jump (34-00.5). Maia Endicott was fourth in the two-mile (11:53.75). Ella Vinkemulder placed eighth in the two-mile (11:58.05). Portland’s 4×400 relay team (Iman Alaari, Inas Alaari, Lindos and Collin) was runner-up to Scarborough in 4:14.54. The 4×100 relay squad (Iman Alaari, Lindos, Adong Vincent and Inas Alaari) finished sixth (51.76), as did the 4×800 relay team (Alice Anderson, Vinkemulder, Morrison and Endicott, 10:13.72).

Cheverus (32.5 points) came in ninth. The Stags were led by their runner-up 4×100 relay team (Finley Brown, Lizzie Merrill, Alexis Turner and Alaina Holmes, 51.17). Grace Alexander finished fifth in the 800 (5:22.96) and sixth in the two-mile (11:56.91). Brown placed sixth in the 300 hurdles (48.03). Kate Prestes tied for sixth in the pole vault (8-3). Lucy Olson was sixth in the 800 (2:26.73). Cheverus’ 4×800 relay team (Hana Hirschkorn, Annie Vigue, Olson and Alexander) finished fourth (10:09.15). The Stags’ 4×400 relay squad (Brown, Merrill, Gabrielle Blais and Olson) placed fifth (4:17.17).

Deering (23 points) tied Edward Little for 13th. The Rams were led by Mya Landry, who was runner-up in the high jump (5-0). Lara Gin was third in the 400 (59.45). Saya Breiting-Brown was third in the 100 hurdles (15.94) and seventh in the 300 hurdles (48.05). Anika Gin came in eighth in the javelin (94-7).

Tennis

Waynflete’s boys’ tennis team, the 15-time reigning Class C state champion, began its quest for number 16 Monday. The Flyers, ranked fourth in the South Region after an 8-4 regular season, hosted No. 5 Winthrop/Maranacook/Monmouth (7-5) in the quarterfinals. The teams didn’t play during the regular season.

The Waynflete girls, ranked second in Class C South after a 10-2 campaign, hosted No. 7 Mountain Valley (8-3) in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

In Class A South, Portland’s boys earned the No. 8 seed after a 6-6 regular season and hosted No. 9 Windham (5-7) in the preliminary round. If the Bulldogs advanced to Tuesday’s quarterfinals, they’d go to top-ranked, reigning state champion Falmouth (12-0).

Cheverus wound up 2-9-1 and 13th in Class A South, but only 11 teams qualified for the tournament.

Deering finished 1-10-1 and 15th.

On the girls’ side, in Class A South, Cheverus finished the regular season 9-3, good for the No. 3 seed. The Stags hosted No. 6 Kennebunk (9-4) in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

Portland, the No. 10 seed in Class A South after a 6-6 campaign, took on No. 7 Sanford (8-4) in the preliminary round. If the Bulldogs advanced, they’d go to No. 2 Gorham (10-2) for the quarterfinals Tuesday.

Deering finished 2-10 and 14th (only 11 teams qualified).

The semifinals are Thursday on the courts of the higher seeds. The regional finals are Monday of next week at Bates College in Lewiston, which is also where the state matches will be held Wednesday, June 12.

Softball

Cheverus’ softball team earned the No. 2 seed in Class A South following a program-best 15-1 regular season. The Stags will host a quarterfinal round game Thursday at a time to be announced against either No. 7 Massabesic (9-7) or No. 10 Bonny Eagle (7-9). Cheverus got past the Scots May 1 at home (7-3) and rolled at the Mustangs May 22 (11-0, in five-innings). The Stags have never played Massabesic in the playoffs. They’re 0-2 versus Bonny Eagle, with a 12-9 loss in the 2019 preliminary round the most recent.

Cheverus last played May 24, when it suffered its lone loss, 3-1, at reigning state champion Windham. With a long break before the playoffs, the Stags met defending Class D champion North Yarmouth Academy in a scrimmage last week.

“We put each other through some scenarios, some things that we both felt like we needed to work on,” Cheverus coach John Eisenhart said. “We don’t really look at wins and losses in those things. When you can collaborate with another coach like that and have a controlled scrimmage, you can get so much for out of it.

“At the end of the day, it’s about prepping the kids as best you can as a coach for game-like situations, so they know exactly what to do in that situation while keeping it fresh and energetic and fun.”

Portland finished fifth in Class A South after a 12-4 campaign. The Bulldogs hosted No. 12 Westbrook (5-11) in the preliminary round Tuesday. Portland handled the visiting Blue Blazes May 3 (13-3, in five-innings). The Bulldogs are 2-0 all-time versus Westbrook in the postseason, but the last meeting came way back in the 2002 Western A divisional quarterfinals (a 6-2 victory). If Portland advanced, it would go to No. 4 South Portland (12-4) for the quarterfinals Thursday. The Bulldogs lost, 6-5, at the Red Riots May 6. Portland is 4-2 all-time versus South Portland in the playoffs, with a 2-0 victory in the 2018 preliminary round the most recent.

The softball semifinals are Saturday on the fields of the higher seeds. The Class A South Final is Tuesday of next week at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham. The Class A state game is Saturday, June 15 in Auburn.

Deering finished 4-12 and 14th in Class A South, but only 12 teams qualified for the playoffs.

Baseball

Deering was the lone city baseball team to qualify for the postseason, marking an incredible turnaround for the Rams, who didn’t win any of their 16 games in 2023.

This spring, Deering went 6-10, capping its campaign last Tuesday with a 3-0 home victory over Westbrook. Rams senior ace Avery Lawrence was superb for three innings, then worked out of a jam in the fourth and in the top of the fifth, he walked the high-wire, escaping a bases loaded, no out predicament. That sparked the Rams’ offense and in the bottom of the fifth, shortstop Tavian Lauture delivered the game’s biggest blow, a two-out, RBI triple for the lead. Freshman catcher Miles Lawrence added an RBI single and Deering tacked on an unearned run in the sixth. Avery Lawrence did the rest, posting his 10th strikeout to end it, and the Rams had a 3-0 victory.

“It’s huge to come from 0-16 last year to 6-10,” said Avery Lawrence, who will pitch next year at Husson University in Bangor. “We’ve had ups and downs, but we only got 10-run-ruled once this year. Day-by-day, confidence built. I knew we could piece it together.”

“Playing with these guys, it’s been fun all year, winning or losing,” said Lauture.

“These close games are the most fun,” added first-year coach Casey Lawrence. “They keep everybody engaged. To come out on top is great. I’m super-proud of the guys. This season has been very gratifying. This was a great way to end the season, but it’s not the end of our season.”

Deering played at No. 7 South Portland (9-7), the reigning state champion, in the Class A South preliminary round Tuesday (see our website for game story). The Red Riots beat the host Rams, 3-2, May 23. The teams have split eight prior playoff encounters, with the most recent going to South Portland two years ago in the preliminary round (11-1, in five-innings).

“We have to come ready to play against whoever,” Avery Lawrence said. “I’m ready to get the ball. Hopefully we’ll surprise some people.”

“We’re not done,” said Lauture. “It means a lot to make the playoffs. We’ve been through a lot. We have a lot of confidence going into playoffs and we think we can win. I think teams are looking at us more now that we’re winning games. We just have to play good defense. It’s been better lately.”

“Making the playoffs is great,” Casey Lawrence added. “We just have to play solid defense and get some good pitching and put the ball in play. We’re going to keep going and play a little more baseball.”

If Deering springs the upset and reaches Thursday’s quarterfinals, it will play at No. 2 Falmouth (13-3). The Rams lost, 6-0, at the Navigators May 9. Falmouth took the lone prior playoff meeting, 4-0, in the 2016 quarterfinals.

The baseball semifinals are Saturday on the fields of the higher seeds. The Class A South Final is Tuesday of next week at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham. The Class A state game is Saturday, June 15 in Augusta.

Portland finished 5-11 after a dramatic 5-4, eight-inning home win over Thornton Academy in last Tuesday’s finale. Brody Viola walked to open the eighth inning and stole second. With one out Johnson singled to center, with Viola scoring easily. Reegan Buck had three hits and made two spectacular catches in centerfield, one of which preserved the tie in the top of the seventh. Cam Allen pitched 7.1 innings, but had to give way to Hunter Temple due to the pitch count rule. Temple earned the win in relief. The Bulldogs finished 14th in Class A South, but only 12 teams from the region qualified for the playoffs. Portland missed the postseason for the second consecutive year, something which last happened between 2010-12.

Cheverus wound up 3-13 and 16th in Class A South and fell short of the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

In Class C South, the Waynflete/NYA co-op team finished 6-10 and 11th, but only 10 teams made the playoffs, so it fell short for the first time in five seasons.

Girls’ lacrosse

Three of four city girls’ lacrosse teams qualified for the playoffs.

In Class A, Cheverus wound up 9-5 and sixth in the standings after closing the regular season with a 23-5 victory at Deering. The Stags hosted No. 11 Cape Elizabeth (6-8) Tuesday in the state preliminary round. The teams didn’t meet this spring. They met just once before in the playoffs, a 13-11 Cheverus win in the 2006 Western B quarterfinals. A win would likely send the Stags to No. 3 Yarmouth (11-3) for the quarterfinals Friday. Cheverus lost, 10-8, at the Clippers April 23.

Portland finished the regular season 5-9 after a 15-2 home loss to Falmouth and a 9-8 home win over Deering. In the setback, Phoebe Knoll scored both goals and goalie Kristen Mailloux saved 11 shots. In the victory, Leah Sigfridson scored four goals and Knoll tallied five, including the winner with 40 seconds remaining. The Bulldogs earned the 15th and final playoff spot in Class A and went to three-time reigning Class A state champion Kennebunk (13-1), the No. 2 seed, for the preliminary round Tuesday. The Rams won, 19-5, at Portland April 26. The teams had no playoff history.

The Class A state semifinals are next Tuesday at a location to be announced. The state game is Friday, June 14 at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Deering wound up 1-13 and 22nd in Class A following season-ending losses to visiting Cheverus (23-5) and host Portland (9-8). Against the Bulldogs, Shay Rosenthal scored five goals, Elsa Freeman had three and Mel Zalikhov made 21 saves.

In Class C, Waynflete wound up 10-4 and second after a 17-7 win at Lake Region in last week’s finale. In that one, Chloe Marblestone scored seven goals, Tilsley Kelly added three goals and two assists and Lydia Birknes finished with two goals and three assists. The Flyers have a bye into the state quarterfinals where they’ll host No. 7 NYA (6-8) Saturday at a time to be announced. Waynflete beat the host Panthers, 14-5, on May 2. The Flyers are 5-3 all-time versus NYA in the postseason, but the Panthers have won the past three meetings, including an 11-10, double-overtime decision in last year’s quarterfinals.

The Class C state semifinals are Wednesday of next week at a location to be announced. The state game is Saturday, June 15 at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Boys’ lacrosse

Deering’s boys’ lacrosse team capped its strong regular season at 10-4 after a 7-4 loss at Scarborough and a 16-15 home win over South Portland last week. In the setback, Corbin Burke and Joey Foley both scored twice, but the Rams were held scoreless over long stretches of the game.

“We couldn’t quite create what we were looking for,” Deering coach Geoff Arris said. “It’s frustrating. We were feeling pretty good coming in.”

In the victory, Corbin Burke had eight goals, Andrew Burke scored the 200th point of his career and goalie Vinny Cavallaro made 15 saves.

The Rams earned the No. 4 seed in Class A and earned a bye into the quarterfinals. Friday, Deering will host either No. 5 Scarborough (9-5) or No. 12 Oxford Hills (6-8). The Rams lost the only prior playoff meeting with the Red Storm (5-1 in the 2004 West Region preliminary round) and have no postseason history with the Vikings, a team Deering didn’t face this season.

“I’m extremely pleased with our season so far,” Arris said. “The guys have really bought in to everything we’ve worked on. We have a lot of new faces and they’ve stepped up. We just need to relax and trust each other and I think it will come together.”

The Class A state semifinals are next Tuesday at a location to be announced. The state game is Friday, June 14 at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Cheverus finished 4-10 and 17th in Class A (only 12 teams made the playoffs) following losses at Massabesic (11-8) and at home to Portland (15-8) last week.

Portland wound up 5-9 and 18th in Class A after a 15-4 home loss to Kennebunk and a 15-8 win at Cheverus. Andy Marvin scored six goals in the victory.

Three-time defending Class C champion Waynflete earned the ninth and final playoff spot after going 4-8. The Flyers closed with a 10-4 loss at Gray-New Gloucester/Poland last Thursday. Waynflete faced the daunting task of going to eighth-ranked Houlton/Hodgdon/S. Aroostook/Greater Houlton Christian (5-7) for the preliminary round Tuesday. The teams didn’t play this year and had no playoff history. If the Flyers advanced to the quarterfinals, they’ll go to top-ranked Maranacook/Winthrop (13-1) Friday at a time to be announced.

The Class C state semifinals are Wednesday of next week at a location to be announced. The state game is Saturday, June 15 at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Press Herald staff writers Drew Bonifant and Steve Craig contributed to this story.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. 

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