Boys Soccer

Sept. 4 @ Gorham 6 p.m.

Sept. 6 @ Noble 6 p.m.

Sept. 11 Biddeford 6 p.m.

Sept. 13 Thornton Academy 6 p.m.

Sept. 18 @ Cheverus 4 p.m.

Sept. 20 South Portland 6 p.m.

Sept. 25 @ Marshwood 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 29 @ Scarborough 7 p.m.

Oct. 2 Westbrook 6 p.m.

Oct. 4 @ Deering 5 p.m.

Oct. 6 Portland 6 p.m.

Oct. 9 Sanford 6 p.m.

Oct. 11 @ Massabesic 6 p.m.

Oct. 16 Bonny Eagle 6 p.m.

Coach: Colin Minte

Last year’s record: 16-2, won state championship

Key players: Tyler Defosse (Sr.-midfield), Eric Gumaer (Sr.-defense), Marc Reynolds (Sr.-forward), Ian Mills (Sr.-defense), Dalton Mauro (Sr.), Tony Yekeh (Jr.-midfield)

Key games: Sept. 20 vs. South Portland, Sept. 29 at Scarborough, Oct. 4 at Deering

Season outlook: “There are no off nights when you’re the defending state champions, everybody’s gunning for you,” Minte said of his team’s challenge this season. While Windham lost several key components from its senior-laden state championship squad and won’t surprise anyone this season, that doesn’t mean they don’t have the talent to repeat. Defosse will be the team’s workhorse in the midfield and will have to step up into a bigger leadership role this year. The team graduated its top two scorers from last year but returns Reynolds, a forward with great speed and vision who scored twice in the state title game and was a force in the second-half of last season, In the back sweeper Gumaer and right back Mills return to lead a solid defensive corps. Yekeh, a transfer from Portland who started each of his first two seasons for the Bulldogs, will be a big addition, adding another piece to an already dangerous midfield. Minte said his younger squad was more technically skilled but not as athletic or deep as last year’s squad, and that he expects his team to get stronger as the fall progresses and new personnel grow into their roles. The Eagles opened the year with a tough 1-0 loss to fellow contenders Gorham on Monday and will have the bulls eye on their backs all year, but they’ll be contenders come playoff time and have just as good a shot as anyone at being back in the state title game Nov. 3.

Football

Aug. 31 @ South Portland 7 p.m.

Sept. 7 Noble 7 p.m.

Sept. 14 @ Scarborough 7 p.m.

Sept. 21 Cheverus 7 p.m.

Sept. 28 @ Kennebunk 7 p.m.

Oct. 5 Thornton Academy 7 p.m.

Oct. 12 @ Sanford 7 p.m.

Oct. 19 Bonny Eagle 7 p.m.

Coach: Matt Perkins

Last year’s record: 4-4. Lost in Western Maine quarterfinals

Key players: Colby Waterhouse (Sr.-RB/DB), Damian Shepard (Sr.-QB/DB), Joe Francoeur (Sr.-OL/DL), Shawn Francoeur (Sr.-OL/DL), Jacob Perry (Sr.-TE/LB), Matt Aldrich (Sr.-OL/DL), Brad Carpentier (Sr.-OL/DL), Brandon Mitchell (Sr.-OL/DL), Liam Sullivan (Jr.-RB/DB)

Key games: Sept. 21 vs. Cheverus, Oct. 5 vs. Thornton Academy, Oct. 19 vs. Bonny Eagle

Season outlook: All the ingredients are there for this to be a special season in Windham. The Eagles will be one of the deepest and most experienced teams in Western Class A, returning 16 starters from last year’s playoff team. Shepard moves to quarterback from wingback, and with his speed gives the Eagles one of the most dangerous dual-threat weapons in the conference; in his first game at signal-caller the senior ran for four touchdowns and threw for another in under three quarters of play in a dominant 47-13 opening-game victory over South Portland last Friday. Waterhouse is the workhorse out of the backfield and Sullivan should provide speed on the outside as well as on special teams, while Perry should be a target for Shepard in the red zone. Up front the Eagles will be led by the Francoeur twins, starters since their sophomore year, who are joined by fellow seniors Aldrich, Carpentier and Mitchell to give Windham talented and battle-hardened lines on both sides of the ball. The schedule is also friendly to the Eagles, who get fellow top-contenders Cheverus, Thornton and Bonny Eagle all at home. If the Eagles can win a couple of those games and head into the playoffs with some confidence and momentum, a deep run into November is a good bet.

Girls Soccer

Aug. 31 @ Portland 11 a.m.

Sept. 5 Gorham 6 p.m.

Sept. 10 McAuley 6 p.m.

Sept. 12 @ Biddeford 4 p.m.

Sept. 15 Marshwood 12 p.m.

Sept. 18 Cheverus 6 p.m.

Sept. 20 @ South Portland 6 p.m.

Sept. 24 @ Noble 4 p.m.

Sept. 29 @ Scarborough 3 p.m.

Oct. 3 @ Westbrook 6 p.m.

Oct. 6 Deering 4 p.m.

Oct. 10 @ Sanford 6 p.m.

Oct. 12 Massabesic 6 p.m.

Oct. 16 @ Bonny Eagle 6 p.m.

Coach: Deb LeBel

Last year’s record: 12-4

Key players: Jordan Symonds (Sr.-defense), Alyssa Nielsen (Sr.-midfield), Jillian Levesque (Sr.-defense), Christina Pollard (Sr.-defense), Kate Kneeland (Jr.-goalkeeper), Jenna Soucy (So.-forward)

Key games: Sept. 18 vs. Cheverus, Sept. 29 at Scarborough, Oct. 6 vs. Deering

Season outlook: Windham impressed with a Western Maine quarterfinals appearance last season and LeBel said she is optimistic that we will be a contender again this season with a talented roster. The defense will be the squad’s strength, with seniors Symonds, Levesque and Pollard all returning to what should be one of the best back lines in the state in front of Kneeland. Nielsen is the key in the midfield, and the team has been working on making their transition game from defense to offense a quicker one in the preseason. Up top, Soucy, the team’s leading goal scorer with 10 last year as a freshman, will be the catalyst, and she set up all three goals in the Eagles’ 3-0 opening-game victory over Portland last Friday. Windham has the team to make a run in the postseason, but in order to do so LeBel said, “The team needs to believe in themselves that they can beat some of the legendary powerhouses such as Gorham and Scarborough.”

Field Hockey

Aug. 30 @ Deering 4 p.m.

Sept. 1 @ Thornton Academy 10 a.m.

Sept. 5 Cheverus 4 p.m.

Sept. 7 Kennebunk 4 p.m.

Sept. 15 @ Westbrook 12 p.m.

Sept. 17 Massabesic 4 p.m.

Sept. 19 @ Portland 5 p.m.

Sept. 21 Bonny Eagle 4 p.m.

Sept. 25 Noble 4 p.m.

Sept. 27 Marshwood 4:30 p.m.

Sept. 29 @ Scarborough 11:30 a.m.

Oct. 1 South Portland 4 p.m.

Oct. 3 @ Gorham 7 p.m.

Golf

Aug. 30 Westbrook 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 4 Greely 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 6 @ Thornton Academy 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 10 @ Gorham 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 11 Bonny Eagle 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 19 @ Greely 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 20 Thornton Academy 3:30 p.m.

Sept. 25 Gorham 3:30 p.m.

Coach: Adam Manzo (3rd year)

Last year’s record: 1-9

Key players: Brett Howard (Sr.), Michele Begley (Sr.)

Key matches: Gorham, Thornton Academy, Greely

Season outlook: The Eagles are a very young team, returning five players from last year’s team, all with varsity experience. With the graduation of their leader last year, Kyle Gilman, co-captains Howard and Begley, who have been members of the team all four years, look to step-up and take the reign. The Eagles will certainly give their opponents all they can handle in the 2012 season.

Volleyball

Sept. 4 @ Lake Region 6 p.m.

Sept. 6 @ Gorham 6 p.m.

Sept. 10 NYA 6 p.m.

Sept. 13 Cony 6 p.m.

Sept. 19 @ Falmouth 6 p.m.

Sept. 24 @ Greely 6 p.m.

Sept. 27 @ Yarmouth 6 p.m.

Sept. 29 @ Biddeford 11 a.m.

Oct. 1 Gorham 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 3 Lake Region 6 p.m.

Oct. 6 Cape Elizabeth 4:30 p.m.

Oct. 10 @ Cheverus 6 p.m.

Oct. 12 Kennebunk 6:00 p.m.

Coach: Scott Rush-Donohue

Last year’s record: Went 11-3 at junior varsity level last season.

Key players: Lonnie Staten, Merdith Burnett, Lauren Coughlin, Ashleigh Wilson, Nataley Jeffery, Amber Card, Bailey Card, Savannah Johnston, Abby Crowley, Sadie Boyle, Carly Chasse, Crystal Frappier, Julia LoSciuto, Sydney Tanguay

Key games: Sept. 24 at Greely, Sept. 29 at Biddeford, Oct. 1 vs. Gorham

Season outlook: Windham enters its first season at the varsity level expecting to hold its own and compete with every team on its schedule. They’ll be led by a strong front-court of Burnett, Coughlin, Wilson and freshman Jeffery, while the team should have plenty of versatility with girls that can play multiple positions. Captains LoSciuto, Tanguay and Boyle will be looked upon to provide leadership for a team that obviously has no varsity experience. “We will see every game as key, as we are new and most other teams have been organized for many years evolving into highly developed programs,” Rush-Donohue said of his squad’s challenge in its first year playing a varsity schedule.

Boys Cross Country

Aug. 30 @ SMAA Relays 4 p.m.

Sept. 12 @ Gorham 4 p.m.

Sept. 14 @ Thornton Academy 4 p.m.

Sept 21 Home 4 p.m.

Sept. 28 @ Cheverus 4 p.m.

Oct. 5 Home 4 p.m.

Girls Cross Country

Aug. 30 @ SMAA Relays 4 p.m.

Sept. 14 @ Thornton Academy 4:30 p.m.

Sept 21 Home 4 p.m.

Sept. 28 @ Cheverus 4 p.m.

Oct. 5 Home 4 p.m.

Oct. 12 @ Gorham 4 p.m.

Windham’s Jordan Symonds, right, will lead the team defense this season.
Windham’s Marc Reynolds, right, shown celebrating a goal last year, will lead the Eagles’ offense this year.