Boys’ Team

TODD WING—Deering basketball

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Wing took a Deering team with almost no returning varsity experience and led it to a memorable and triumphant season, overcoming an 0-2 start with seven wins in eight games, including an inspirational come-from-behind victory over a previously undefeated powerhouse.

One of the best measures of a coach is how well his or her team develops over the course of a season and based on that metric, there’s little doubt that the Rams were a rousing success and as a result, The Forecaster is naming Todd Wing our Portland edition Winter Coach of the Year, of a boys’ team.

Wing played at Telstar High School and St. Joseph’s College and started coaching at St. Joe’s before coming to Deering to serve as an assistant to Dan LeGage. Wing was LeGage’s righthand man as the Rams won the 2012 Class A state title and when LeGage stepped down following the 2012-13 season, Wing was the obvious choice to step in.

Wing won 90 games in his first seven seasons and Deering made the playoffs every year. In 2019-20, Wing led the Rams to the Class AA North Final, which they lost to eventual state champion Edward Little. Almost all of the top players from that squad graduated, however, and Deering had a lot of holes to fill when the COVID-19-delayed 2021 season finally began.

Not surprisingly, the Rams lost their first two games to powerhouse South Portland, but thanks to the talents of senior Mpore Semuhoza and a strong supporting cast, Deering hit its stride. With Wing getting the most out of every player on the roster and figuring out who fit best where, the Rams went 7-1 down the stretch, shocking then-unbeaten Falmouth, 69-67, in the third-to-last game, a stunning result considering Deering scored one point in the first quarter. If that wasn’t impressive enough, the Rams closed by sweeping rival Portland for a second straight year.

“It’s a year unlike any other,” said Wing, who is also the physical education teacher at Reiche School in Portland. “This season succeeded my expectations.”

The future is bright for the Deering program and its coach, who is now three wins shy of 100 for his tenure.

Todd Wing, our Portland edition boys’ team Coach of the Year, pushed all of the right buttons this season and the Rams figure to remain a top-notch contender as long as he’s on the sideline.

Previous winners:

2019-20 Marco Giancotti (Cheverus hockey)

2018-19 David Elowitch/Tony Napolitano (Portland wrestling)

2017-18 Kevin Haley (Cheverus swimming)

2016-17 Jeff Beaney (Portland/Deering hockey)

2015-16 Joe Russo (Portland basketball)

2014-15 Dan Lucas (Cheverus hockey)

2013-14 Joe Russo (Portland basketball)

2012-13 Rich Henry (Waynflete basketball)

2011-12 Dan LeGage (Deering basketball)

2010-11 Joe Russo (Portland basketball)

2009-10 Bob Brown (Cheverus basketball)

2008-09 Kevin Haley (Cheverus swimming)

2007-08 Bob Brown (Cheverus basketball)

2006-07 Bob Brown (Cheverus basketball)

2005-06 Dan LeGage (Deering basketball)

2004-05 Jack Lowry (Cheverus hockey)

2003-04 Joe Russo (Portland basketball)

Girls’ team

BILLY GOODMAN, Cheverus basketball

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Wherever Goodman goes, he wins. It happened at Greely, it happened in dominant fashion at McAuley and now, he’s turned Cheverus into a powerhouse. Nearly overnight.

And after a superb 9-1 campaign which suggests the Stags are on the brink of championship contention, Billy Goodman is once again The Forecaster’s choice as our Winter Coach of the Year, of a girls’ team.

Goodman was also honored in 2015 and 2017.

Goodman led Greely to 51 wins and a pair of trips to the Western B Final in his three years in Cumberland, then inherited a championship program at McAuley and was part of three straight Class A championship runs. Goodman stayed at McAuley, later Maine Girls’ Academy, until the school sadly closed its doors in 2018, winning 121 times overall. Without a team to run, he returned to his alma mater and his coaching roots and assisted the Deering girls in 2018-19 and not surprisingly, the Rams made a run to remember, getting all the way to the Class AA North Final after a 4-14 regular season.

The Cheverus job then became available and Goodman took over in 2019. His first season saw the Stags go 11-8 and lose to Windham in the quarterfinals. This season, with some key returners bolstered by the arrival of super freshman Maddie Fitzpatrick and Emma Lizotte, the stage was set for greatnesss.

Cheverus opened with a home loss to Portland, then dug a 21-2 hole at the Bulldogs the next time out, only to rally for a palpitating victory. From there, the Stags won their final eight games by an average of 30 points to finish 9-1 (giving Goodman 192 career victories). While Cheverus was left to wonder if could have brought home a Gold Ball this winter, those championship moments will come (probably very soon).

Billy Goodman, our Portland edition girls’ team Winter Coach of the Year, just wins and wins often. What was true at Greely and McAuley is now true at Cheverus and the best is yet to come.

Previous winners:

2019-20 Bob Mills (Cape/Waynflete/South Portland hockey)

2018-19 George Aponte-Clarke (Portland/Deering/Cheverus skiing)

2017-18 Tom Clifford (Portland/Deering hockey)

2016-17 Billy Goodman (MGA basketball)

2015-16 Kent Hulst (Cheverus hockey)

2014-15 Billy Goodman (McAuley basketball)

2013-14 Kevin Haley (Cheverus swimming)

2012-13 Brandon Salway (Waynflete basketball)

2011-12 Brandon Salway (Waynflete basketball)

2010-11 Amy Vachon (McAuley basketball)

2009-10 J.P. Lavoie (Cheverus hockey)

2008-09 Mike Murphy (Deering basketball)

2007-08 John Smith (McAuley swimming)

2006-07 Jan Veinot (Waynflete basketball)

2005-06 Kevin Campbell (Deering track)

2004-05 Lindsay Reagan (Waynflete Nordic skiing)

2003-04 Mike D’Andrea (Deering basketball)

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