The finish line awaits.

State Championship Saturday.

For lacrosse and softball.

First, comes Championship Wednesday, when tennis team champions will be crowned.

At press time, four tennis, three baseball, two softball, two boys’ lacrosse and four girls’ lacrosse squads were still standing, while several others fell just short of the big prize.

It’s been quite a week and here’s what you might have missed:

Tennis

The Falmouth and Yarmouth boys’ and girls’ tennis teams found themselves a victory away from glory at press time.

Monday, at Bates College in Lewiston, the Yarmouth boys, the four-time reigning state champions, won the Class B South title. The Clippers, ranked first, first eliminated No. 8 Cony (5-0) in the quarterfinals and held off fourth-seeded Greely (3-2) in the semifinals. Monday, Yarmouth downed No. 2 Lincoln Academy, 4-1, as only the second doubles team went down to defeat. Sophomore Alexander Gordon won, 6-2, 6-1, at third singles and freshman James Hartnett followed at second singles, 6-1, 1-6, 6-2. Junior Chris Auger and sophomore John Nicholas clinched the match with a 7-6 (10-8), 4-6, 6-3 victory at first doubles. Senior Andi Cobaj, one of only two holdovers from last year’s state championship lineup (Gordon is the other), completed the scoring with a 6-1, 6-1 victory at first singles.

“We found a pretty nice lineup to use,” Cobaj said. “Hopefully we can keep it going.”

The Clippers (15-0) advanced to take on Mt. Desert Island (13-2) in the state match Wednesday in Lewiston.

Yarmouth’s girls’ team, meanwhile, ranked second in Class B South, won the region for the first time in 20 years, beating No. 7 Gardiner (5-0) in the quarterfinals, eliminating reigning champion Greely (3-2) in the semifinals, then edging No. 5 Cape Elizabeth, 3-2, in the regional final Monday. The Clippers’ match versus the Capers came down to third singles, which Sabina Petrucci won over Elena Rosenberg, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Yarmouth’s other points came at first and second singles, as senior Sofia Mavor and sophomore Adea Cobaj each won, 6-1, 6-0.

“It feels amazing,” Petrucci said. “I wasn’t sure I would be able to do it. I was trying to move and set myself for each shot, but not swing very hard at all. I tend to go for the low-percentage shots and that doesn’t usually work out very well.”

The Clippers (12-3) will battle Caribou (15-0) Wednesday in the state match in Lewiston.

In Class A, the defending champion Falmouth boys, after a perfect regular season, earned the top seed in the South Region and blanked No. 8 Portland in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Gorham in the semifinals before surviving second-ranked Kennebunk, 3-2, in Monday’s regional final to improve to 15-0 and advance to states to take on Skowhegan (13-2) Wednesday in Lewiston. Against the Rams, the Navigators swept the doubles matches, each by 6-1, 6-1 scores. Seniors Charlie Wolak and Daniel Kim played at first doubles. Classmate Karl Chamberlain and sophomore Luke Kusel played at second doubles. Falmouth lost at first and second singles, but Eli Sidhu prevailed at third singles in a compelling match over Jaxson Redmond, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2). Sidhu won the first five points of the tiebreaker and took over serve leading 6-1. Finally, he followed a strong serve and forced one last long return.

“Throughout the whole tiebreak,” Sidhu said, “I focused on serving and volleying, which is how I thought I could put it away. You’ve got to have a short-term memory. It’s a game of runs.”

Falmouth’s girls, the defending Class A South champions, also finished unbeaten and earned the top seed for the tournament. After blanking No. 8 Scarborough in the quarterfinals, the Navigators beat No. 4 Thornton Academy, 4-1, in the semifinals and Monday, defeated No. 7 Sanford, 4-1, in the regional final. Against the Spartans, Falmouth lost at first singles, but seniors Mary McPheeters and Jenna Nunley rolled 6-1, 6-2, at first doubles and senior Adele Gamage and junior Carley Iannetta won, 6-0, 6-1, at second doubles. Senior Gracyn Mick, who paired with junior Gwen Long last month to win the doubles state tournament, shifted to No. 3 singles and won 6-1. At No. 2 singles, senior Charlotte Williamson overcame a sluggish start to win 7-6 (7-4), 6-2.

“Our team is pretty strong this year and we’re all best friends, which is really nice,” Williamson said. “I think that’s what’s been helping us the most.”

Falmouth (15-0) will take on Brunswick (14-0) or Camden Hills (12-2) in a rematch of last year’s state match Wednesday in Lewiston.

Elsewhere, Greely’s boys, who squeaked past No. 5 Cape Elizabeth (3-2) in the quarterfinals, wound up 8-6 after falling to No. 1 Yarmouth, 3-2, in the semifinals.

Greely’s girls, ranked third, got past No. 6 Lincoln Academy (3-2) in the quarterfinals, then lost to No. 2 Yarmouth (4-1) in the semifinals to finish 8-6.

In Class C South, NYA’s boys, ranked seventh, upset No. 2 Spruce Mountain (3-2) in the quarterfinals, then was eliminated, 4-1, by No. 3 Maine Central Institute in the semifinals to finish 6-8.

NYA’s girls, seeded ninth in Class C South, beat No. 8 Winslow in a preliminary round match, then was ousted by top-seeded Maranacook, 4-1, to wind up 7-7.

Baseball

Three baseball teams survived the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds.

Falmouth, ranked second in Class A South, had to embark on a playoff run without senior ace Brennan Rumpf, who suffered a season-ending injury when he broke a bone and suffered a deep cut to a finger on his pitching hand in a freak accident while helping to move the team’s pitching machine.

“Brennan Rumpf’s with us,” said Navigators coach Mike D’Andrea. “He’s still part of this team. He’s in the dugout and helping in other ways, so he’s still a big part of this team.”

The Navigators rose to the occasion without Rumpf, last week, ousting No. 7 South Portland in a quarterfinal round slugfest (19-12) before eliminating third-seeded Thornton Academy (4-1) in the semifinals.

Against the Red Riots, Falmouth erased an early 3-0 deficit and built a 13-3 lead before South Portland scored eight runs to make things interesting. A six-run sixth then put it away. Tyler Simmons had two hits, drove in four runs and scored three, Ethan Hendry had two hits, two runs and two RBI, Josh Polchies scored three runs and had two hits, Caden Berry had two hits and two RBI, Nick Wyse scored three times, Tony Severino drove in two runs and Thomas Healey, Jacoby Porter and Brandon White all scored twice.

“When you get to the playoffs, any win is a good win,” said D’Andrea. “I give South Portland a lot of credit. They didn’t lay down. I was impressed with the way they fought back.”

In the win over the Golden Trojans, which somewhat avenged last year’s semifinal round heartbreak, Jacoby Porter stole the show. Porter doubled twice, singled and went the distance to earn the victory, allowing just three hits. Hendry had two hits and two runs scored and Healey drove in two runs.

“Last night, I knew I was going to get the start, so I really tried to visualize getting that first-pitch strike, because I’ve had some command issues and I knew I had to get ahead,” Porter said. “When we found out we were playing Thornton again, I got kind of flashbacks to last year and how much that loss hurt, so it was a little extra sweet today to get the win over them.”

The Navigators (15-3) took on top-ranked Scarborough (17-1) in the Class A South Final Tuesday. The Red Storm won the regular season meeting, 2-1, May 16 in Falmouth. The teams had split two prior playoff meetings, with a 3-1 Red Storm victory in the 2019 semifinals the most recent. Wyse was expected to get the start.

“In the regular season it was a very close game, anyone’s game, so I don’t think Scarborough is intensely better than us,” said Wyse, a junior. “I’ve just got to go in there and throw strikes.”

If the Navigators get through to the state final for the first time since 2017, they will battle either Messalonskee (15-3) or Bangor (11-6-1) Saturday at 1 p.m., in Augusta.

“We’re going to do what we can do,” D’Andrea said. “We’re going to compete every pitch, every play, offensively and defensively and hopefully it works out.”

In Class B South, top-ranked Greely (17-1) and second-seeded Yarmouth (14-4), the reigning regional champion, were set to square off in a compelling regional final showdown Tuesday afternoon in Standish (see our website for game story).

The Rangers began their playoff run last Wednesday by eliminating No. 8 Freeport, 11-1, in five-innings, getting a measure of revenge over a team which had beaten Greely four times in the playoffs between 2016-22.

The Falcons had advanced by virtue of a 4-0 win over No. 9 Lincoln Academy in the preliminary round the day before. Arlo Boutureira allowed just one hit in six innings, fanning seven. Aaron Converse threw the final inning in relief. Liam Emmons and Will Maneikis paced the offense with two hits and one RBI apiece.

Freeport scored the first run at Greely, on an RBI double from Ben Bolduc in the first inning, but the Rangers went ahead to stay on a two-run double from Ben Kyles and a sacrifice fly from pitcher Sam Almy. A Ryder Simpson RBI single made it 4-1, then Greely got another run on an error. The Falcons loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fifth for Bolduc, but Almy struck out him looking. The Rangers then induced the mercy rule in the bottom half by scoring six times, as two runs scored on wild pitches, Ethan Robeck hit an RBI single and with two outs and the bases loaded, Simpson launched a triple to the rightfield fence to score three runs. Almy earned the victory, striking out 10, and Simpson had four RBI.

“I knew the game was over,” Simpson said, of his final hit. “I thought it had a chance to go out. I was a little sad when it didn’t, but a playoff win is a win. I’ve watched our season end twice losing to (Freeport), so this one meant a lot.

“This just shows the team we are,” Almy said. “Even with adversity, we can come back. (Freeport’s) not the same team (that beat us before), but it’s a great feeling to beat them.”

“Some of the seniors were there for both (regional final losses to Freeport in) 2021 and 2022, so it was in the back of our minds,” added longtime Greely coach Derek Soule. “We’re both different teams, but psychologically, it’s good for me and some of the players to get over that hump.”

Freeport finished 10-8.

“We didn’t get the big two-out hit today and yesterday we had three of those and that carried us,” Falcons coach Steve Shukie lamented. “I was hoping maybe some momentum from yesterday would carry us and it did at first, but we gave it back to them pretty quickly. They took it from us. Outside of the first inning, it was a dominant performance by them. They earned it. Even when they didn’t hit the ball hard, they still found holes.

“I don’t necessarily think we’re the eighth-best team in Class B South, but you play where the tournament puts you. We knew at some point we’d have to beat a really good team. We had a chance today and we couldn’t do it.

“We have a great senior group. A big group. Some of those guys played big roles as sophomores on the team that went to states. We have some key guys coming back, but the seniors will be tough to replace for sure.”

Greely then went on to hold off No. 4 seed and longtime rival Cape Elizabeth, 5-4, Saturday in the teams’ 15th postseason meeting over the past 33 years. The Rangers fell behind, 1-0, in the top of the third, but answered with two runs, as Wyatt Soucie stole home and Kyles had a two-out RBI single. After starter Keeler Vogt escaped a no-out, runners-at-second-and-third jam in the top of the fifth, Kyles hit an RBI double in the sixth and number nine hitter Jackson Leding followed with a clutch two-out, two-run single to make it 5-1.

“I like to think of myself as the 1a hitter, not the number nine hitter,” Leding said. “I was just went up there with the mindset to put the ball in play and it worked out.”

It turned out Greely needed all of those insurance runs, as the Capers scored three times in the seventh and got the tying run on base before Simpson recorded the final out.

“It was definitely tough to watch at the end, but I knew Ryder would come through,” Vogt said.

“It was such a relief to get that out and win the game,” said Kyles. “It’s never over when we play Cape. They’re a great hitting team. We played great defense today and we capitalized. I think we wanted it more than them. We had more energy today.”

“We talk about the importance of insurance runs and you saw it,” Soule added. “We tagged on three insurance runs and we needed every single one of them. That last out was a big sigh of relief.”

Yarmouth began its title defense last Thursday in the quarterfinal round against No. 7 Wells, which opened up a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Clippers would score the next 13 to prevail, 13-3, in six-innings. Five-run frames in the second and fourth innings opened it up. Sam Bradford, Andrew Cheever and Jack Janczuk all had two hits and two RBI, Sam Lowenstein scored three runs and earned the victory and David Swift scored twice and drove in a run.

Saturday, Yarmouth rallied to edge visiting York, 5-4, in a game like no other, a contest that took four hours and seven minutes, featuring two long weather delays. The Clippers fell behind 2-0 three batters into the game, but after the first thunder delay, went in front of the bottom of the fourth, as Aaron Mason beat out a bases loaded infield single which produced two runs, thanks to some daring baserunning, of which there would be more to come, and Cheever walked with the bases loaded to make it 3-2. After the game was paused a second time due to lightning, the Wildcats retook the lead, 4-3, in the fifth. They held it until there was one out in the bottom of the seventh, when Cheever and Swift singled and Lowenstein walked to load the bases for Janczuk, who executed a perfect squeeze bunt, easily scoring Cheever, and when the throw went to first, Swift raced home as well to win it in breathtaking fashion, 5-4.

“I was just thinking no matter what, I had to get it down,” Janczuk said. “I knew Cheever was going to be hustling home and ‘Big Rig’s’ faster than me, so he’d be hustling home too. I had no idea. I figured (Coach Marc Halsted) would probably send Dave, but I was just trying to run. I didn’t even see it. I just heard the boys react. It was a great feeling, probably the best I’ve ever felt in sports. This says a lot about our toughness and our resilience. You can get us down, but we’re never out of it until the final pitch. We keep fighting back.”

“I trust Jack and I knew he’d get it down,” said Cheever. “As soon as I touched home, I turned around to watch Dave slide in safe.”

“I wasn’t sure, but Coach Halsted gave me the wave and I just went for it,” Swift said. “That’s got to be the best I’ve ever felt on a baseball field. It was unbelievable. The fact that it was such a team effort and it took all of us over such a long period of time was pretty special.”

“In that situation, we thought we had the element of surprise,” Halsted added. “We had our best runner at third base and our smartest base runner at second. If I held up Swift, I’ve got Sam Bradford up and he would have absolutely finished the job. We were going to win the game either way. I sent (Swift) because of the catcher looking like he was going to throw to first. I lost my mind right there. Bases loaded. Who does that?

“You could add up every championship won by this group of players and it’s probably in the 50s or 60s. They know how to win and they want to win. I said to them before the bottom of the seventh, ‘This is what you live for every single day when you’re a soccer player, football player, hockey player, basketball player at this school. This is where you eat.’ Nobody was afraid of the situation and everybody had an excitement to take care of the situation. Our whole mission in life as teachers and coaches is to teach young people how to keep moving forward and to never give up.”

Yarmouth beat Greely twice during the regular season, 1-0 in Cumberland May 1 and 2-1 May 15 at home. The Clippers had beaten the Rangers five straight times over the past two years, but Greely held a 5-3 all-time edge in the teams’ postseason series, with Yarmouth’s 6-1 victory in last year’s semifinals the most recent.

“We’ll worry about (Greely) on Monday,” Halsted said. “I have to do my job and execute a good practice Monday and they’ll be excited Tuesday. The guys will be locked in. It’s about excitement, positivity and enthusiasm.”

“We’re certainly capable of playing better than we did in those two (losses),” said Soule. “We’re swinging the bats better now. Yarmouth’s a good team. We’ll have to grind out at-bats, produce some runs and at the same time, pitch and play good defense. It’s good to be back in that game, but it’s been nine years since we’ve won one, so it’s time. I love this team and I love these seniors. We have Monday and Tuesday together, but I’d love another full week with them. We’ll fight like heck to make that happen.”

The Greely-Yarmouth winner will face Ellsworth (17-1), Caribou (10-7) or Oceanside (10-7) in the Class B state final Saturday at 4:30 p.m., at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham.

Softball

Defending state champion NYA was two wins away from a repeat softball title, while Freeport was still standing as well, making history in the process.

The Panthers, last year’s Class D champion, ranked first in the South, had no trouble with No. 8 Greenville (15-0, in three-innings) in the quarterfinals or No. 4 Carrabec (12-2, in six-innings) in the semifinals. In the first game, Lily Rawnsley threw a three-inning perfect game, while Brooklyn Goodman had three hits and four RBI, Cami Casserly had two hits, two runs scored and three RBI and Sadie Morgan scored three times. Against the Cobras, Rawnsley fanned six and drove in two runs, while Hayden Wienckowski scored twice and had three RBI, Jordan Nash had three hits and scored twice and Goodman had two RBI and two runs scored.

NYA (17-1) battled No. 2 Buckfield (17-1) in the Class D South Final Tuesday. The teams didn’t meet this spring and split two prior playoff meetings, with the Panthers prevailing, 9-7, in the 2004 Western D semifinals serving as the most recent. If NYA reaches the state game for the second year in a row, it will take on Penobscot Valley (13-2) or Woodland (14-4) Saturday at 4 p.m., at the University of Southern Maine in Gorham.

In Class B South, Freeport, which posted the best regular season record in program history, finished third in the region and advanced to the regional final for the first time since 1989 after outlasting No. 6 Oak Hill (10-7) in the quarterfinals and holding off a late rally to eliminate No. 2 Medomak Valley (9-8) in the semifinals. Against the Raiders, the Falcons erased a 7-3 deficit with three runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth. Rosie Panenka homered and scored three runs, while Ciara Daly had three hits and three RBI, Celia Cobb and Vanessa St. Pierre each had two hits and two runs and Izzy George had two hits and went the distance to earn the win. In the victory over the Panthers, Freeport dug a 4-1 deficit after two innings, but roared back to lead 9-5 going to the bottom of the seventh. There, Medomak Valley pushed across three runs, but George managed to get the third out to end it. In addition to earning the win, George had three hits, scored twice and had two RBI, while Daly drove in three runs and Panenka and Norah Albertini both scored twice.

The Falcons (16-2) faced the daunting task of facing No. 1 York (18-0), the reigning state champion, in the regional final Tuesday. Freeport lost the regular season meeting, 10-0, in six-innings, May 20, in York. The Falcons also dropped the teams’ lone prior playoff encounter, 11-1, in six-innings, two years ago in the quarterfinals. If Freeport could spring the upset, it would battle either Nokomis (15-2), Old Town (13-4), Ellsworth (14-3) or Hermon (11-6) in the Class B state final Saturday at 12:30 p.m., at USM Gorham.

Greely earned the No. 8 seed in Class B South and got past No. 9 Lake Region, 6-5, in a preliminary round game last Tuesday. The Rangers let a 5-2 lead slip away, but won it in the bottom of the seventh on Mia Stewart’s single. Stewart had two hits and two RBI. Fiona MacArthur had three hits and scored twice and Katie Wallace had two hits and scored twice. Greely was then eliminated, 13-3, in six-innings, at top-ranked York in the quarterfinals to wind up 9-9. Jenna Carignan scored twice in the defeat.

Girls’ lacrosse

Two-time reigning Class B girls’ lacrosse champion Greely and Freeport, last year’s Class C champion, which has moved up to Class B this year, were on a state game collision course at press time.

The Rangers, seeded fourth, had no trouble with No. 5 Cony Friday in a quarterfinal round game played on Freeport’s turf, prevailing, 18-3. Senior standout Asja Kelman erupted for six goals and had seven assists, as Greely improved to 11-4. Jane Flynn and Eva Williams added four goals apiece.

“We were just creating a lot of openings for each other,” Kelman said. “We embedded some motions in the first quarter that worked super well. We’re also communicating so well with each other. We can always push each other through, get assists, which is super important, and gets us goals.”

“We’ve been working so hard on getting that ball movement, and it finally clicked today, and it was beautiful,” Greely coach Becca Koelker said. “The way they were moving the ball and finding each other, it was just really fabulous play, just finding those assists for the scorers. They were very disciplined out there, just looking for the right opportunity. That’s huge growth for us.

“I feel like at the beginning of the season, we were kind of playing as a defense and as an attack, but not together. Really, today, the transitions and goals we got off transitions, that speaks to the cohesion that they’ve cemented (on the field). Now they know how to work off each other.”

The Rangers advanced to meet top-ranked Mt. Ararat (15-0) in a state semifinal round contest Wednesday at 5 p.m., at Messalonskee High School in Oakland (see our website for game story). The teams didn’t meet this year and have just one prior postseason encounter, an 8-2 Greely victory in the 1998 state quarterfinals.

Freeport, seeded second, downed No. 10 York, 13-7, in its quarterfinal, as Lana DiRusso scored four times and Kiley Webber added three goals.

The Falcons (14-1) will take on No. 6 Messalonskee (10-5) in the semifinals Wednesday in Oakland. The teams didn’t play this year and have no playoff history.

If Freeport and Greely play in the state final Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium at a time to be announced, it will be a rematch of a thrilling 8-7 Rangers’ overtime victory way back on April 19 in Freeport, on Williams’ goal. The teams have no postseason history.

In Class A, top-ranked Falmouth and No. 3 Yarmouth advanced to the state semifinals.

The Navigators improved to 15-0 with a 12-0 quarterfinal round win over No. 8 Massabesic Saturday. Riley Davis scored four goals and Peaches Stucker added two goals and two assists. Falmouth advanced to take on No. 4 Windham (13-3) in the semifinals Tuesday in Scarborough. The Navigators eked out a 7-6 victory at Windham May 24. Falmouth was 4-0 all-time versus the Eagles in the tournament, with a 12-7 win in the 2022 Class A North semifinals the most recent.

Yarmouth, seeded third, defeated No. 14 Oxford Hills, 19-6, in last Tuesday’s preliminary round. Brooke Boone led the way with five goals, while Celia Zinman added four and Neena Panozzo and Aine Powers finished with three apiece. Friday, the Clippers overcame a slow start to down No. 6 Cheverus, 10-5, in the quarterfinals. Yarmouth trailed, 3-2, after one quarter, but senior goalie Regan Sullivan came up huge with 13 saves, Panozzo scored five goals, including the 100th of her career, and the Clippers pulled away in the second half.

“It takes a little bit to read the other players and figure them out,” said Sullivan. “After a couple shots, I was able to make saves and my defense shut them down as well. Sonja (Bell), Annie (Hunter), Fiona (Bergen) and Emaline (Hill), they all do a great job.”

“I think this just shows, especially since I’m the third one (on the team to reach 100 goals), that we work hard and we push each other and we’re all capable of doing great things,” Panozzo said. “I owe it to the people above me who push me to be good, especially Regan, because she’s such a good goalie that she helps me with shot placement.”

“In the third quarter, we finally played Yarmouth lacrosse,” added longtime Clippers coach Dorothy Holt. “We were nervous at first. Cheverus is a good team and they capitalized on our mistakes the first two quarters, but the third and fourth, I cannot complain.”

Yarmouth (13-3) battled No. 2 Kennebunk (15-1), the three-time defending state champion, in Tuesday’s semifinal round on a neutral field in Scarborough. The Rams won the teams’ regular season meeting, 8-7, May 1 in Yarmouth. The Clippers held a 5-4 all-time edge in the playoffs, but Kennebunk has beaten Yarmouth in each of the past two state finals, including last year’s 12-10 decision.

“We just have to play as a team and come out strong,” Sullivan said. “If we play together, we can get it done.”

“We’re really strong right now,”said Holt. “We still have some work to do on not throwing the ball away, but we’re right where we need to be. We’re playing much better than last time. It’s going to be a good matchup. They’re good, we’re good. That’s why we’re in Class A is to have these games. It’s fun. The girls are giddy and I still get nervous.”

If Falmouth and Yarmouth play in the state final Friday night at Fitzpatrick Stadium at a time to be announced, it would mark the teams’ third all-time playoff meeting, with the Clippers taking the first two, 14-5 in the 2022 Class A North Final and 8-6 in last year’s state semifinals. The Navigators won the regular season meeting at home, 8-7, way back on April 16.

In Class C, NYA, the No. 7 seed, was no match for No. 2 Waynflete in Saturday’s quarterfinals, losing, 18-5, to finish the year 6-9. The Panthers scored the game’s first goal, but surrendered the next 10 and couldn’t answer. Ava Wilkinson had four of NYA’s five goals.

“It was a tough start,” said Panthers coach Molly Moss-Stokes. “They kept getting us off the draw and we never got momentum to swing our way. We got in a deep hole and Waynflete just a really good team. I hope they go all the way.

“We had a whole new squad this year, so it was about seeing how we could put it together. We came a long way. This year will be beneficial for us going forward. I hope this will light a fire under the girls.”

Boys’ lacrosse

On the boys’ side, Falmouth and Yarmouth were still in the hunt for a championship.

The Navigators, ranked first in Class A, had no trouble beating No. 9 South Portland in the state quarterfinals Saturday, rolling to a 19-7 victory, getting a measure of revenge for last year’s upset semifinal round loss in the process. Falmouth was led by Hayden Davis, who scored four goals and assisted on eight others. Gio Guerrette added six goals, Joey Guerrette had four goals and a pair of assists and TJ Saulter finished with three goals.

The Navigators (14-1) advanced to Tuesday’s state semifinals in Sanford where they met No. 5 Scarborough (11-5), a team Falmouth beat, 14-2, on the road back on April 19. The Navigators prevailed in the teams’ only prior playoff meeting, 15-4, in last year’s state quarterfinals.

If Falmouth gets to the Class A state final Friday at Fitzpatrick Stadium at a time to be announced, it would meet either No. 2 Cape Elizabeth (12-3), the three-time reigning state champion, or third-seeded Thornton Academy (12-3).

In Class B, Yarmouth, the No. 3 seed, had no difficulty advancing by virtue of a 16-4 quarterfinal round win over No. 11 Gray-New Gloucester/Poland Friday night, Colter Olson finished with two goals and seven assists, as he eclipsed the 300-point plateau for his illustrious career, and Hakon Yeo led the way with six goals.

“I was a little nervous coming into the season, but I couldn’t be more happy with how the guys are doing and how they’re really stepping up,” said Olson, who will play next year at Rutgers University in New Jersey. “I’m very excited about 300. Mainly because it’s not 300 goals. It’s very split. The first year, I had more assists than goals. Last year, I was a little bit top-heavy. This year, the assists are there. I joke with (assistant coach) Sam (Miller) because he beat me for the regular season goal scoring record by like four or five goals, but I tell him, ‘If I passed the ball a little bit less, maybe I’d beat you.’”

“I’m not complaining that (Colter) gets attention (from the defense) because he gets me a lot of my goals,” Yeo said. “He’s a great passer, a great player, a great kid. He’s taught me on and off the field. How to be a goal scorer and a good teammate as well.”

“A good achievement in lacrosse is 150 points, so to double that is just amazing,” added Clippers coach Jon Miller, who was once a brilliant Yarmouth goal scorer himself. “I’ve called Colter a once-in-a-decade type player for us. He’s been a big deal. That 300 points is in three seasons. He didn’t play for us freshman year. He dictates the offense. We rely on him more than the average player. He’s done a good job of being selfless at the right time.”

Yarmouth (12-3) battled No. 2 Messalonskee (13-2) in the semifinals Tuesday in Gardiner. The Clippers beat the visiting Eagles, 18-11, back on May 2. Yarmouth won the only prior playoff encounter, 16-1, in the 2003 East Division quarterfinals.

“We have to keep up our energy and team morale,” Yeo said. “We have to be supportive of each other and work hard in practice.”

“We just need to stay composed,” said Olson. “We have to focus on the little things. We have to take a step forward instead of three steps back in the next couple days of practice. We’re just all trying to stay healthy.”

“We just have to get the ball,” Miller added. “Our faceoffs and ball security have improved. We just have to run everything we practice and we’ll be OK. The boys just have to execute and I think they can.”

If the Clippers reach Saturday’s Class B state final in Portland, they’ll face either No. 1 York (14-1), the reigning state champion, or No. 5 Brunswick (9-7) at a time to be announced. Yarmouth lost at home to the Wildcats, 14-7, back on May 15 and is 2-1 all-time versus York in the playoffs, with last year’s 9-3 semifinal round setback the most recent. The Clippers downed the host Dragons, 18-6, on April 19. The teams split six prior playoff encounters, with Brunswick’s 14-13 victory in the 2022 state final the most recent.

Freeport, seeded seventh in Class B, survived No. 10 Camden Hills, 10-9, in the preliminary round, then lost to No. 2 Messalonskee, 15-9, in the quarterfinals Saturday to finish 10-6.

Greely, seeded ninth in Class B, won at No. 8 Gardiner, 8-3, in the preliminary round, but was no match for No. 1 York in the quarterfinals, losing, 12-1, to wind up 8-8.

In Class C, NYA, the No. 6 seed, played a quarterfinal round thriller at third-seeded Wells last Thursday, erasing a three-goal fourth quarter deficit to force overtime. The game went to a second OT, where the Warriors prevailed, 10-9, ending the Panthers campaign at 5-10. Connor Morrissette scored four goals in defeat.

Outdoor track

Several Forecaster Country athletes took part in the New England outdoor track championships Saturday in Durham, New Hampshire.

Greely’s Class B championship boys’ team saw Owen Partridge come in 14th in the 400 (49.96 seconds), the 4×400 relay team place 20th (3 minutes, 33.22 seconds) and Alexander Mendoza finish 33rd in the triple jump (39 feet, 10.75 inches). Yarmouth’s Ethan Hoffman came in 18th in the shot put (50-0.25). Evan Hankins was 24th in the 800 (1:59.84). The Clippers’ 4×100 relay team placed 28th (45.24). Freeport’s Will Spaulding was 20th in the two-mile (9:49.58). Falmouth’s Max Shapiro was 23rd in the 100 (11.16). Teammate Jason Hargesheimer finished 28th in the 300 hurdles (43.21).

On the girls’ side, NYA’s Sarah Moore finished fourth in the high jump (5-3), 10th in the long jump (17-6) and 14th in the triple jump (35-10.5). Graca Bila was seventh in the triple jump (36-9.25), eighth in the 300 hurdles (45.54) and came in 18th in the 200 (26.38). The Panthers’ 4×100 relay team placed 24th (51.68). Falmouth’s Samantha Gaudet placed fifth in the discus (122-10). Ruby Prentiss came in eighth in the shot put (38-5.75) and was 11th in the discus (113-8). The Navigators’ 4×800 relay team was 12th (9:50.94). Falmouth’s 4×400 relay squad finished 21st (4:17.69). Greely’s Class B champion was represented by Victoria Zandan (14th in the long jump, 17-2, and 22nd in the 300 hurdles, 48.36), Rowan Barry (16th in the mile, 5:12.81), Jacqueline Franklin (21st in the 400, 59.86) and its 4×100 relay (25th, 51.73). Yarmouth’s Olivia Wentworth finished 19th in the two-mile (11:31.87). The Clippers’ 4×800 relay squad was 26th (10:18.44). Freeport’s Lilah Hall came in 20th in the 800 (2:22.12). Lucy Huggett was 20th in the mile (5:15.0). Kessa Benner placed 22nd in the pole vault (10-3). The Falcons’ 4×800 relay team posted the 18th-best time (9:57.25).

Press Herald staff writers Steve Craig and Glenn Jordan and Kennebec Journal staff writer Dave Dyer contributed to this story.

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

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