Boys’ Team

JONAS ALLEN—Yarmouth basketball

Contributed photo

Yarmouth’s boys’ basketball team missed the tournament in 2019-20. The Clippers rebounded beautifully this winter and while they didn’t get a chance to go on a postseason run, they excelled nonetheless, going 8-2 and closing the campaign with an inspirational and possibly program-altering victory.

While Yarmouth boasts no shortage of talent, the person most responsible for authoring the Clippers’ turnaround was third-year coach Jonas Allen and in light of Allen’s work this season, The Forecaster is naming him our Northern edition Winter Coach of the Year, of a boys’ team.

Allen previously coached at Bates College as an assistant and inherited the Yarmouth program from Adam Smith in 2018. The Clippers made it to the quarterfinals his first season, but fell short last winter and that motivated Allen and his players to improve.

And that’s exactly what Yarmouth did.

The Clippers started with a pair of victories over Lake Region and after losing to Brunswick, got another crack at the Dragons and avenged the setback. Four more wins followed, two apiece over rivals Freeport and Cape Elizabeth, but just when it appeared Yarmouth wouldn’t stumble again, it let a 15-point fourth quarter lead slip away in a stunning, painful overtime loss at longtime nemesis Greely.

Following the game, Allen challenged his team and felt that how they responded would determine the direction the program would head.

Then, in the season finale, at Yarmouth, the Clippers answered Allen’s challenge with a stunningly decisive 64-31 home victory over the Rangers and a memorable campaign had an emphatic, triumphant conclusion.

“This group of kids has bought in in a way we haven’t experienced yet,” Allen said. “They’re unselfish. When you challenge them, they fully respond. The biggest difference this year compared to the previous two seasons was the way the boys in our program responded to adversity. Our four seniors, Will Cox, Cam Merrill, Camden Rollins and Blake Venden, were true character guys. They always put the team’s needs before their own and they were never negative even when things were not going their way. These guys left their mark on this program in a remarkable way. They are leaving the program in much better shape than they found it.”

The Yarmouth program figures to be right back in the tournament hunt next winter and beyond with Jonas Allen, our Northern edition boys’ team Winter Coach of the Year, leading the way.

Previous winners:

2019-20 Tip Kimball (Falmouth skiing)

2018-19 Barry Mothes (Greely hockey)

2017-18 Bill Ridge (Freeport basketball)

2016-17 Travis Seaver (Greely basketball)

2015-16 Dave Halligan (Falmouth basketball)

2014-15 Dave St. Pierre (Yarmouth hockey)

2013-14 Rob Hale (Greely swimming)

2012-13 Deron Barton (Falmouth hockey)

2011-12 Adam Smith (Yarmouth basketball)

2010-11 Adam Smith (Yarmouth basketball)

2009-10 Marc Halsted (Yarmouth hockey)

2008-09 Barry Mothes (Greely hockey)

2007-08 Craig Sickels (Freeport basketball)

2006-07 Adam Smith (Yarmouth basketball)

2005-06 Jorma Kurry (Falmouth track)

2004-05 Scott Rousseau (Falmouth hockey)

2003-04 Barry Mothes (Greely hockey)

2002-03 John Maloney (Yarmouth basketball)

2001-02 Scott Matusovich (Yarmouth hockey)

Girls’ team

TODD FLAHERTY-Greely basketball

File photo

Greely didn’t bring home a Gold Ball or play in a regional final this winter, but the Rangers still enjoyed a triumphant season.

It didn’t come easily, however, as Greely was mortal early and lost decisively to defending Class AA champion Oxford Hills. The Rangers managed to roar to life, however, win their final nine games, go 11-1 and a lot of credit for the team’s turnaround and its perennial success has to go to its coach.

For getting Greely to come to life and enjoy another very successful season, Todd Flaherty is The Forecaster’s choice as our Northern edition Coach of the Year, of a girls’ team.

Flaherty played basketball at Morse, coached in the Morse system for 15 years and spent three years as a coach at St. Dom’s. He then took over a Greely program rich in talent and high in expectations in 2016. The Rangers lost in the regional final his first year, but Anna DeWolfe, Camille Clement, Brooke Obar and Company won the next two Class A state titles. After DeWolfe left to play at Fordham University, Greely then got to the Class A South Final a year ago before losing to eventual champion Marshwood.

Obar graduated last summer, leaving some holes on the roster, but with players like Clement, Mollie Obar, Chelsea Graiver and Kaiyla Delisle on board, the Rangers remained a powerhouse and Flaherty pushed all the right buttons down the stretch.

“There’s no fanfare this year, but the girls made the most of a strange situation and we had fun,” Flaherty said.

The fun figures to continue as long as Todd Flaherty, our Northern edition girls’ team Winter Coach of the Year, has something to say about it.

Previous winners:

2019-20 Dawn Armandi (Falmouth basketball)

2018-19 Seth Farrington (Freeport basketball)

2017-18 Mike Hart (Freeport basketball)

2016-17 John Folan (Greely track)

2015-16 Christina Strong (Yarmouth basketball)

2014-15 Joel Rogers (Greely basketball)

2013-14 Jeff Haley (Yarmouth/Freeport hockey)

2012-13 Nate Guerin (Greely hockey)

2011-12 Jay Lowery (Yarmouth basketball)

2010-11 Mark Ouellette (Greely Alpine skiing)

2009-10 Rob Hale (Greely swimming)

2008-09 Billy Goodman (Greely basketball)

2007-08 Nick Nash (Yarmouth basketball)

2006-07 George Conant (Falmouth basketball)

2005-06 John Keyes (Falmouth swimming)

2004-05 John Folan (Greely track)

2003-04 Jim Seavey (Greely basketball)

2002-03 Jim Seavey (Greely basketball)

2001-02 Eric Austin (NYA basketball)

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter:@foresports.