Coach: Greg Souza
Last year’s record: 10-8
Key players: Patrick Weimer (sr.), Blake Fillmore (sr.), Bailey Ryan (jr.), Keagan Sears (jr.), Jack McCullough (jr.), Corey Walker (jr.), DJ Henrikson (jr.), Josh Richards (jr.)
Key games: “The one we are playing,” says Souza.
Outlook: “To compete one pitch at a time, make the playoffs and see what happens,” says Souza.
Boys Lacrosse
Coach: Josh Plowman (sixth year)
Last year’s record: 6-7, lost in playoff prelims
Key games: Scarborough, South Portland, TA
Outlook: “Westbrook is looking to build off the playoff experience it has gained the last three years,” Plowman says. “The team is junior-heavy with great team leadership.”
Girls Lacrosse
Coach: Kevin Roy (first year)
Key players: Liana Enright, Zoe Shields, Madi Mullett, Sarah Wagner
Key games: TA, Scarborough, Windham
Outlook: Roy is new to the head coaching position at Westbrook, and has some challenges before him. Last year’s Blazes finished around .500, so they’ll look, this season, to improve on that record. Moreover, graduation 2014 claimed a solid group of players, so Roy and Co. will need to rebuild their foundation. His new upperclassmen will need to step confidently into their leadership roles and “help set the tone for a young core of up-and-coming players.”
Coach: Claton Conrad
Key athletes: Maurice Johnson (sr.), Isaiah Manoogian (sr.), Luther Williams (sr.), Nshuti Gato (jr.), Varney Kai (jr.), Nick Childs (jr.), Shammah Gahomera (so.), Josh Lombardo (so.), Brandon Whitlock (so.), Dominic Creenan (fr.), James Brooking (fr.)
Outlook: “The Westbrook boys are hoping to continue their improvement after coming off a strong indoor season at Southwesterns.”
Coaches: Timothy Even (head, third year); Rob Card (asst.); Molly Shannon (asst.); Dave Miklovich
Last year’s record: 4-13, 12th at Southwesterns
Key athletes: Halee Phelps (sr.), Brittney Arsenault (sr.), Bri Barlow (sr.), Gabbi Pabst (jr.), Courtney Arsenault (so.), Kelsey Cavanaugh (so.), Genna Alhilfi (so.), Samantha Thompson (so.)
Key meets: Southwesterns, States
Outlook: “This spring we have 50-plus girls signed up,” says Even, “which is more than double what we had last year.” Even’s three years thus far with the Blazes have been excellent building years, and this outdoor season should be no different. “We return all of our state qualifiers from last year, including XC State Champ Phelps. The story of our success will be the very key new additions.” Those new additions include the Arsenault sisters, top indoor sprinters; Pabst, a top XC runner; Alhilfi, third at indoor States in the shot put; and Emma Sperry, the team’s No. 4 XC runner. “There may be some other kids who step up for us as well, but it’s too early to tell.” Even says. The Blazes have the same basic goals as any group of track athletes: to improve on their personal bests and qualify as many kids as possible for States. “The big difference between the championship goals of this team and the indoor team we just had is the vast number of seniors and juniors we have on this squad. We lacked experience, not talent, indoors, which caught up with us at the end…with more experience we should be in a better position to push for a top spot (against TA, Scarborough, and others) in June.”
Coach: Dee Allen
Last year’s record: 1-15
Key players: Amber Delponte (sr., 3B); Emma Berry (sr., OF); Catherine Galipeau (sr., P/1B); Kerigan Demers (sr., C)
Key games: Marshwood, Windham (a double-header), Portland
Outlook: 2014 was a rebuilding year for the Blazes, so they’ll naturally be looking to better last season’s unsatisfying record. But Allen and her girls have greater confidence and higher hopes than that; they hope to battle into the postseason: “We hope to improve and compete for a playoff spot,” Allen says. “We didn’t graduate anyone off last year’s team, and have some incoming freshmen who play the positions we struggled at last year. With four seniors, we hope to compete in every game.”
Boys Tennis
Coach: Jeff Guerette
Last year’s record: 1-11
Key players: Danny Porell, Jameson Waldron
Key matches: South Portland
Outlook: “There are over 30 boys playing tennis this spring,” Guerette, new to the head coaching post, says, “which is exciting. There is a wide variety of experience on the team, and we are counting on everyone to work hard, improve each day and have fun.”
Girls Tennis
Coach: Mike Makin
Last year’s record: 1-11
Key players: Sage VanEekhout, Courtney Jordan, Isabel Greenblatt, Hailey Francouer
Key matches: “We’re about the journey, not the destination,” Makin says.
Outlook: Makin and his girls look to better last year’s performance, and they have an upbeat attitude toward doing so: “[We’re] measuring our progress in improvement and not necessarily wins,” Makin says. The team returns four of seven starters, and Makin calls the whole squad “fantastic kids who’ll work hard, have fun and create lasting memories.”
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