Boys Basketball

Coach: Jim Ray

Last year’s record: 19-3, Class B State Champions

Key players: Justin Guerette (sr.), Marcus Donnelly (sr.), Jack O’Rourke (sr.), Jay Bottomley (sr.), Quinn Hewitt (jr.), Finn Bowe (so.)

Key games: Falmouth, Greely, Yarmouth, Lake Region Marshwood

Outlook: Expect Ray’s squad to be strong again this winter. The team may have graduated the dynamic duo of Eddie Galvin and Ethan Murphy – last-second heroes of the 2015 Class B State Final – but they retain the rest of the core that made them so dangerous everywhere on the court.

Girls Basketball

Coach: Chris Casterella

Last year’s record: 12-10

Key players: Montana Braxton, Carter Harvey, Maddie Bowe, Mo Lavallee, Jill Petersen

Key games: “All of them,” Casterella says.

Outlook: “We return some veterans, but are also adding a lot of new kids to the mix on varsity, so we’ll be a work in progress,’ Casterella says. The Capers’ goal for the regular season, then, is to improve, and ultimately win enough bouts to reach the playoffs. “There are several strong Class A opponents that we’ll face; some are familiar and some are new to our schedule,” Casterella says, “and our schedule also includes some strong Class B opponents.”

Boys Hockey

Coach: Matt Buotte (fourth year)

Last year’s record: 10-9-1, lost 6-3 to Kennebunk in B West semis

Key players: Matt Riggle (sr., F); Grant Rusk (sr., G); Eli Babcock (jr., D); Ben Ekedahl (jr., F)

Key games: Yarmouth, Cheverus, Camden Hills

Outlook: Buotte expects the Capers to figure into the middle of the Class B pack in 2015. The conference is competitive, and the team lost a good deal of last year’s scoring – roughly 53 percent of it – to graduation in June. Riggle (7G, 8A in 2014) should contribute big on offense, as should Ekedahl (5G, 13A), one of many important juniors/sophomores on the team. Babcock is another central junior, one charged with defending Rusk between the pipes. Rusk, who went 5-4-1 with a 2.37 GAA and .915 save percentage last winter, will be a buoying force as the Capers try to keep their heads above water. “The future is bright,” says Buotte, “but in the present we’ll be looking to stay afloat.”

Girls Hockey (with South Portland, Waynflete)

Coach: Bob Mills

Last year’s record: 7-10-1

Key players: Kate Ginder (jr., D, Captain, Cape Elizabeth); Eliza Connolly (jr., D, Captain, Cape Elizabeth); Hannah Bosworth (jr., F, Captain, Cape Elizabeth); Abby Joy (so., G, South Portland)

Key games: Falmouth, Scarborough

Outlook: “We have a young team this season,” says Mills, “with no seniors and several incoming players new to varsity hockey.” On the other hand, Mills also notes: “We have a core group of experienced players with two seasons of playoff hockey under their belts.” Expect Mills’s greener athletes to circle around their elders, who “could carry the team into a third straight playoff appearance.” Joy is strong between the pipes and fellow South Portlander Sophia Venditti, just a freshman, is an offensive asset who should send plenty of pucks into plenty of nets.

Alpine Skiing

Coaches: Jeff Davis (head), Claude Lemelin (asst.)

Last year’s record: Girls Class B State Champions

Key athletes: Jon Fiutak, Cole Spencer, Emma Dvorozniak, Caroline Paclat, Kinnon McGrath

Key meets: WMCs, States

Outlook: The Gentlemen Capers should look stronger this winter than they did last. Fiutak and Spencer are both solid skiers, and another year of experience will only have improved them. Freshmen will be key, however, as Davis’s top four needs rounding out. The Lady Capers have their eyes trained on a third consecutive State title, though the road will be rough. “We have three solid returners as well as several new racers who will fill the fourth scoring position,” says Davis. Cape moves to Class A this year; while their regular-season schedule this winter will look similar to last winter’s, they will see some new faces at States time.

Nordic Skiing

Coaches: Shawn Guerrette, Stanis Moody-Roberts

Last year’s record: Boys seventh at Class B States, Girls ninth

Key athletes: Calvin Barber, Jack O’Brien, Will Corsello, Jon Fiutak, Henry Menz, Sam Preble, Peter DiNinno, Cullen Sullivan, Caitie O’Sullivan, Zoe Johnson, Hannah babcock, Ella Strout

Key meets: States

Outlook: “The boys could potentially be competitive,” Guerrette says conservatively, before explaining he expects the Gentlemen Capers to improve on their performance at the 2015 State Meet. “Will Corsello and Jon Fiutak developed very quickly last year and had strong showings toward the end of the season,” Guerrette says. Barber and O’Brien are veteran captains, and should lead Cape in their drive into the postseason. On the girls’ side of things, June’s graduation decimated the ranks. “The girls lost many excellent racers last year,” Guerrette says. “Hopefully we’ll be able to field a team at competitions.”

Swimming

Coach: Ben Raymond

Last year’s record: Boys Class B State Champions, Girls third at Class B States

Key athletes: Alex Mukai, RJ Sarka, Tommy Brett, Stephen Bennett, Kyle Long, Connor Thoreck, Owen Thoreck, Sam Loring, Andrew Hererra, Ben Carroll, Oliver Kraft, Rohan Freedman, Matt Yim, Ryan Connelly, Lexie Bakke, Phoebe Coburn, Gabby Lawrence, Mya Hodgdon, Gabrielle Raymond, Sarah Merriam, Nakita Wallace, Rose Baillie, Maggie Baker, Caroline Coburn, Hope Campbell, Zahra Freedman, Alicia Lawrence, Jade Lindenau, Maria Smith, Olivia Tighe, Corinne Wight, Maddie Culkin, Kate Friberg, Casey Concannon, Daphne Te Bokhorst, Maddie McCormick

Key meets: North Southwesterns, States

Outlook: “The boys return a strong group from last year’s state championship team who are looking to repeat,” says Raymond. Mukai, Sarka, Bennett and Brett will lead the Capers on their quest for more hardware; these four seniors are Raymond’s leaders, and his “hardest workers in the pool everyday.” Meanwhile, his juniors and sophomores are also strong; six scored points for Cape in the 2015 State Meet. He likewise expects his incoming freshmen will make an impact from Day 1. “While this team lost a few key swimmers from last year, they should again be battling for the top spot in Class B in February.” Raymond has high hopes on the girls’ side of things, too, as his seniors are strong leaders with a great deal of success under their belts, and his freshmen are real fish: “This is the fastest group of freshman girls we’ve had in a while, and there are at least 12 that could score at this year’s State Meet.” Triumphing at dual meets is not the Capers’ focus this winter; instead, those lesser competitions are but “opportunities to qualify swimmers for States,” as Raymond says. “That’s our focus and hopefully we’ll be at our best in February to challenge for a Class B title.”

Indoor Track

Coaches: Doug Worthley (head, 22nd year); Greg Marles (asst., eighth year); Andrew Lupien (asst., fourth year)

Key athletes: Jared Duperre (sr., distance); Henry Shroder (sr., sprints); Will Steidl (sr., sprints); Nikko Pappas (sr., throws); Sam Feenstra (distance); Katie Oberholtzer (sr., sprints/jumps); Lily Norris (sr., sprints/jumps); Brett McAlister (jr., sprints); Harry Queeney (jr., sprints); Luc Houle (jr., throws); Roman Cloutier (jr., throws); Liv Palma (jr., distance); Anna Friberg (jr., distance); Erin Thibeault (jr., sprints); Emma Schoonover (jr., sprints); Lily Bergh (jr., sprints); Fox Silva (so., throws); Matt Concannon (so., sprints); Hans Kremer (so., sprints); Hajmil Carr (so., sprints)

Outlook: “Picking up several rookie upperclassmen, the boys team looks to improve from last year,” says Worthley. New additions to the Gentlemen Capers include Brandon Ledoux and Riley Pillsbury (both seniors), Matt Galvin (a junior) and Ethan Avantaggio (a sophomore). The team also welcomes a battalion of talented freshmen. Worthley’s girls “look to be strong this season and hope to land in the top six.” The Lady Capers feature a lengthy list of experienced returners who should help vault them to the upper echelons of Class B, and up-and-comers like Kristen Penley and Sophie Garland-Dore (both sophomores) and Emelie Jarquin and Annika Demeter (both freshmen) can be expected to contribute in a big way.

An imposing force beneath the net, Montana Braxton should be big for Cape this winter.Ben Ekedahl returns to the ice for the Capers in this, his junior year.Jack O’Rourke will lead the Capers on the court this year.Eliza Connolly, not even a senior yet, will need to play a big role for the Cape/Waynflete/South Portland girls hockey team if they are to thrive.