FOOTBALL
Cape Elizabeth’s football team captured an elusive Gold Ball last season. The Capers are loaded for bear again this fall as they chase another Class C state title. File photos.
Coach: Sean Green (third year, 15-5 overall record, one state title)
2021 record: 10-1 (Beat Winslow, 53-6, to win Class C state championship)
Top returning players: Nick Laughlin (Senior), Luke Mello (Senior), James Rickman (Senior), Owen Tighe (Senior), Mike Foley (Junior), Brendan Guthrie (Junior), Jake Leiss (Junior), Ceroi Mello (Junior)
Pivotal games: Sept. 9 @ Wells, Sept. 16 FALMOUTH, Sept. 23 @ South Portland, Oct. 7 @ Leavitt, Oct. 14 YORK, Oct. 21 CHEVERUS
Coach’s comment: “The boys are working hard. They’re definitely motivated. Ready to turn the page and write their own story. It’s a fun group to be around. I’m biased, but I think Nick’s the best player in the state and he was last year too. We have a lot of team speed. Our team goal is the same. A Gold Ball.”
The Forecaster’s forecast: Cape Elizabeth’s championship chase came to an end last autumn in epic fashion, as the Capers stunned perennial power Leavitt on the last play of the game in the regional final in Turner, then dominated Winslow in the state game to capture a Gold Ball for the first time. If that wasn’t impressive enough, standout quarterback Caden McDuffie then won the Fitzpatrick Trophy as Maine’s premier senior player. Graduation has taken its toll, but Cape Elizabeth is set to reload and plans to reach the pinnacle again.
Senior Nick Laughlin will keep his eyes on the ball as he’s poised to dominate in the weeks to come.
Laughlin, who made the All-Conference and All-State teams in 2021, is a top returner. A year ago, as a junior, Laughlin produced 28 touchdowns and led the Capers in tackles. He excelled as a rusher and receiver and was unstoppable on special teams as well. Suffice it to say that Laughlin, a captain, will have the ball in his hands a lot in the weeks to come and even if the opposition gears up to stop him, he’ll produce huge numbers. McDuffie, who is now at Louisiana Christian University, is replaced under center by Foley, who will remind many of his predecessor with his ability to run and throw. Ceroi Mello replaces standout Colin Campbell at running back and is poised for big things. Rickman, a league all-star last season, will also get his share of rushes. Junior Tom Hennessey will be a top receiving threat and he’d do the placekicking as well. Captains Luke Mello and Tighe are top tight ends. The line features Guthrie, Leiss and sophomore Tucker Clark. Look for Cape Elizabeth to keep the scoreboard operator busy once again.
The Capers’ defense was underappreciated a year ago and this year’s unit should be strong again. On the line, look for Clark, Guthrie, Luke Mello, Rickman and Tighe to wreak havoc. The linebacking corps is led by Foley, Leiss and Ceroi Mello. Hennessey and Laughlin will look to shut down the opposition in the secondary.
The pieces are in place for a repeat run, but nothing will come easily. Cape Elizabeth will wear the bulls-eye all year (never more so than on Oct. 7 when the Capers go to Leavitt) and the league has several teams capable of ending its title reign, but now that the program has reached the mountain-top, it won’t settle for anything short of getting back. Look for the Capers to play into November again and make more memories if all goes well.
BOYS’ SOCCER
Senior Eddie Caldera will be a top scoring threat for Cape Elizabeth’s boys’ soccer team this season.
Coach: Ben Raymond (17th year, 136-83-29 overall record)
2021 record: 11-6-1 (Lost, 2-1, to eventual state champion Yarmouth in Class B South Final)
Top returning players: Eddie Caldera (Senior), Jack Carignan (Senior), Dimitri Coupe (Senior), Phil Coupe (Senior), Sebastian Moon (Senior), Nate Patterson (Senior), Andrew Trachimowicz (Senior), Sam Cochran (Junior), Keegan Lathrop (Junior), Alex van Huystee (Junior)
Pivotal games: Sept. 3 @ Yarmouth, Sept. 6 GREELY, Sept. 15 @ Freeport, Sept. 20 WAYNFLETE, Oct. 4 YARMOUTH, Oct. 8 @ Greely, Oct. 18 FREEPORT
Coach’s comment: “It’s a good bunch of guys. We lost a decent amount, but we return players at every position. The question is can we score like we did last year? We lost a lot of goals when Tiernan (Lathrop) graduated, but we’ll be dangerous on set pieces. We’ll put the other team in situations they don’t want to be. We usually improve quite a bit during the course of the season. We’re definitely as good as last year, maybe even more skilled.”
The Forecaster’s forecast: Cape Elizabeth fell one goal shy a year ago of its first trip to the state final this century and while the loss of Lathrop, the team’s top scorer and an All-Conference and Class B South all-region selection, will be felt, the Capers still have plenty of talent and could be the team most capable of ending Yarmouth’s title reign come early November.
This year’s offense will be paced by Caldera, Cochran (an all-star a year ago), Moon, new sophomore Tully Haydar and promising freshman Harry Converse. Carignan, a four-year player, will be a force in the midfield. Keegan Lathrop can make an impact on defense, in the midfield or up top. Phil Coupe (who is tremendous in the air), along with Patterson (the lacrosse standout), Trachimowicz and van Huystee will anchor the defense in front of Dimitri Coupe, who returns in goal.
Cape Elizabeth has no shortage of athleticism and hunger. The schedule is, as always, a doozy, but the Capers can go toe-to-toe with everyone they face. Steady improvement will be more of a focus than wins and losses and by the time the postseason arrives, look out. Another deep run will likely be the end result.
GIRLS’ SOCCER
Simply golden. Again. Cape Elizabeth’s girls’ soccer powerhouse won its third consecutive Class B title a year ago and despite the loss of some standouts, figures to be in the hunt again this fall.
Coach: Graham Forsyth (fifth year, 59-2 overall record, three state championships)
2021 record: 17-1 (Beat Hermon, 3-0, to win third consecutive Class B state title)
Top returning players: Piper Duryee (Senior), Juliet Moore (Senior), Evelyn Agrodnia (Junior), CC Duryee (Sophomore)
Pivotal games: Sept. 3 YARMOUTH, Sept. 6 @ Greely, Sept. 13 YORK, Sept. 17 FREEPORT, Oct. 3 @ Yarmouth, Oct. 7 GREELY, Oct. 14 @ York, Oct. 18 FREEPORT
Coach’s comment: “We have an extremely young team this year. We graduated seven starters who were all impact players in their own right. I want to be able to look back at the end of the season, whenever that will be, and say that we as a team gave it our all and improved from start to finish.”
The Forecaster’s forecast: For four seasons, Cape Elizabeth has stood atop the local girls’ soccer world, losing twice in the regular season, then avenging those losses in the regional final in both 2019 and 2021 en route to state championships. The Capers have a long tradition of excellence, but what they’ve accomplished in Forsyth’s tenure might never be seen again. Graduation hit very hard, as standouts Maggie Cochran and Emily Supple have departed after etching their names in program legend, Class B South all-region selections Elise Branch and Caroline Gentile and three other key contributors have moved on as well. All is not lost, however, as with this program, the cupboard is never bare, and while Cape Elizabeth might not be the favorite this time around, rest assured, the Capers will be heard from in the postseason.
Senior Juliet Moore will help anchor Cape Elizabeth’s defense this fall.
Piper Duryee will play a critical role in the midfield, helping to control play and getting the ball to the likes of CC Duryee and promising freshman Noelle Mallory, who has taken part in the US Women’s National training pool for her age group. She figures to make an immediate splash. On defense, Agrodnia and Moore are veterans and will help account for the loss of Branch in goal. At press time, junior Ellis Piper and sophomore Libby Hooper were vying to take over between the pipes.
While most coaches (Forsyth most loudly) will proclaim that Yarmouth is the team to beat in Class B South this fall, don’t sleep on the Capers. Championship tradition doesn’t graduate. This squad might not boast the near-perfect record it’s accustomed to and there will be a learning curve, but by season’s end, Cape Elizabeth will have hit its stride and that could spell bad news for everyone, including the Clippers.
FIELD HOCKEY
Senior Grace Gray was an all-state player a year ago and figures to be dominant again as the Capers chase a regional title.
Coach: Maura Bisogni (seventh year)
2021 record: 13-3-1 (Lost, 2-0, to eventual state champion Leavitt in Class B South Final)
Top returning players: Meghan Conley (Senior), Grace Gray (Senior), Abbie Homicz (Senior), Kaitlyn McIntyre (Senior), Ella Membrino (Senior)
Pivotal games: Sept. 2 YORK, Sept. 12 FREEPORT, Sept. 14 GREELY, Sept. 19 YARMOUTH, Sept. 24 @ Greely, Oct. 3 @ Freeport, Oct. 6 @ York
Coach’s comment: “We are hoping to have another deep playoff run. We have a great senior class, but we also have a junior class with two solid years of JV experience that has been waiting patiently and working hard for their time on the varsity field and now we have a lot of different options for our games. We are hoping that versatility will work to our advantage this season. Class B South is always competitive and everyone improves during the season. We escaped a lot of games last year with a narrow margin, so we are not overlooking any of our opponents.”
The Forecaster’s forecast: Cape Elizabeth was one of the feel-good stories of the 2021 season, as the Capers came from nowhere to win 13 games and reach the regional final for the first time in 21 years. Camden Woods, last year’s Western Maine Conference Player of the Year, has graduated, but there is plenty of talent in reserve.
Gray dazzled last season during an all-star, all-state campaign, giving opposing defense and goalies nightmares. She’ll again be a top scoring threat, along with Homicz and McIntyre (a second-team league all-star in 2021). Conley anchors the midfield. Membrino is a top defender. Junior Zoe Burgard will be in goal. New junior midfielder Mia Frost and freshman Lulu Stoecklein will make an immediate impact as well.
This time around, Cape Elizabeth will get everyone’s best effort and nothing will come easily, but this hungry, senior-laden squad has what it takes to go deep in the playoffs again and perhaps take that final step.
VOLLEYBALL
Senior Amy Rasco has big match experience and will play a major role for the Capers this season.
Coach: Sarah Boeckel (ninth year, 106-27 overall record, two state championships)
2021 record: 13-5 (Lost, 3-2, to Yarmouth in Class B state final match)
Top returning players: Josie Caton (Senior), Amy Rasco (Senior)
Pivotal matches: Sept. 8 YARMOUTH, Sept. 13 SCARBOROUGH, Sept. 19 @ York, Sept. 24 BIDDEFORD, Sept. 27 @ Falmouth, Oct. 3 @ Gorham, Oct. 6 GREELY, Oct. 13 @ Falmouth
Coach’s comment: “This is basically a new squad. We’re really young. We have five freshmen on varsity and two of them will start. We won’t be explosive like we’ve been in the past, but it’s a good, hungry group that wants to get better. I’m not going to worry about wins and losses as much as getting better every day. I think we’ll be very different from September 3rd to October.”
The Forecaster’s forecast: Cape Elizabeth came agonizingly close to winning the state title last season, then was decimated by graduation. While the Capers have many holes to fill, there are some promising players waiting in the wings and by season’s end, they figure to be battling for a championship yet again.
Rasco, a captain, was a second-team league all-star in 2021. She’ll be on the outside and will be a leader on the court. Caton also returns, at libero. Senior Cayden Royall will play opposite. At press time, two freshmen, Ava Devault and Bella Guerin, were battling to replace the departed Maeve McQueeney at the setter position.
For a team reloading, the schedule isn’t very favorable, as Cape Elizabeth again takes on the best of Class A and Class B. While the Capers will have some obstacles to overcome, there’s enough talent, combined with solid coaching, to suggest they’ll figure it out. No one will want to have to beat Cape Elizabeth with their season on the line in the postseason.
CROSS COUNTRY
Junior Hadley Mahoney is eyeing another individual state title this fall.
Coach: Andrew Lupien (seventh year w/boys’ team, ninth year w/girls’ team)
2021 results:
(Boys) 3rd @ Class B state meet
(Girls) 2nd @ Class B state meet
Top returners:
(Boys) Ben Colello (Senior), Nathan Ashe (Junior), Sebastian Hesser (Junior), Finn Morris (Junior)
(Girls) Lydia Branson (Senior), Charlotte DeGeorge (Senior), Ainsley Fremont (Senior), Hadley Mahoney (Junior), Maddie McEvoy (Junior), Emma Young (Junior)
Coach’s comment: “The boys lost four of the top five to graduation, but still have a strong core. The team will look to get back to the state meet, and hope to make some noise by the end of the season. The girls return a bulk of the top seven from last season, including state champion Hadley Mahoney. If things break right, this team should be one of the better teams in Class B.”
The Forecaster’s forecast: Cape Elizabeth’s coming off a terrific season and both squads are poised for big things again.
The boys’ team enjoyed its best state meet finish since 2014 and while lead runners Owen Patry (third at states, first for scoring purposes) and Vaughn Lindenau (10th) have graduated, the Capers do return state meet veterans Hesser (39th), Colello (51st) and Morris (52nd), along with Ashe, who also has experience. Freshmen Aidan Morris and Liam Nudd add depth to a squad that should be able to qualify for states for the 20th consecutive year.
On the girls’ side, Mahoney looks to repeat as Class B individual champion, after posting a time of 18 minutes, 46.85 seconds as a sophomore, 34 seconds clear of the runner-up. Young (ninth), DeGeorge (13th) and McEvoy (40th) also had a strong showing at states in 2021. They’re joined by Branson and Fremont, who look to move up. Newcomers of note include junior Ellie Mainville, sophomore Jane Curtis and freshmen Avery Palmore and Addison Young. After finishing runner-up a year ago, Cape Elizabeth is eyeing its first state title since 2009. Don’t be surprised if the Capers make it happen.
GOLF
Senior Sam Ludington will make his share of big shots this season.
Coach: Dan Sullivan (second year)
2021 results: 7-1 (Tie-4th @ Class B state match)
Top returners: Sam Ludington (Senior), Curtis Sullivan (Senior)
Coach’s comment: “We’re a senior-filled team with four returning starters and with last year’s experience, our goal is to continue to learn the game, improve and get back to the state tournament. I have a great group of players who work hard and will compete. We’re looking forward to a fun season.”
The Forecaster’s forecast: Cape Elizabeth is coming off a typically solid season and this year’s experienced squad hopes to save its best for last.
Ludington (89) and Sullivan (90) both had strong showings at the state match a year ago and will lead the way. Seniors Dylan Ludington and Antonio Dell’Aquila took part at states a year ago, but their scores weren’t factored in. They could play a bigger role this time around. Seniors Brody Glidden, Owen Lee and Andrew Libby and junior Finn Brucker are other players to watch.
The Capers figure to be tough to beat all season and will be favored to get back to states. Once there, the sky’s the limit for this group.
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached atmhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.
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