The Yarmouth boys’ and girls’ soccer teams raised Gold Balls to the heavens Saturday at Hampden Academy, but the Clippers’ road to glory was one fraught with challenges.

Which, of course, makes the latest additions to the trophy case oh so sweet.

Yarmouth’s boys, who have won championships almost annually over the past decade, had to climb uphill this time as the No. 3 seed.

The girls’ squad, meanwhile, which appeared destined to be stymied once again by rival/nemesis Cape Elizabeth, instead avoided the Capers altogether, but had to overcome an unexpected foe in the regional final before overcoming a two-goal deficit and a frightening injury to its veteran goalkeeper in a state game that won’t soon be forgotten.

Indeed, the road to triumph in Titletown made for quite a story.

A couple of stories actually.

“This group understands how important the program is,” said Mike Hagerty, the Clippers boys’ coach since 1997. “Not just girls and boys, but youth too. These two teams, it’s so unique we have such a cool culture. Everyone feels connected, from 3-years-old to 18, everyone feels the same. One town, one program. It’s such a great atmosphere and at every single level, no one emphasizes winning, just doing your best and the results taking care of themselves and boy, have they.”

“I’m blown away by the number of people who were in the row of cars in the parade on the way back into town,” said girls’ team coach Andy Higgins. “(Sunday) night, at the Colts (youth group) meeting, they snuck the boys and girls in with the Gold Balls and the ovation they got was awesome. Those are things that makes this place really, really special.”

Not number one this time

Since Falmouth departed Class B following the 2012 season, Yarmouth’s boys have been team to beat virtually every year. The Clippers were upset by Greely in the 2013 regional final, but bounced back to win four consecutive Gold Balls between 2014-17. After being upset by Cape Elizabeth in the 2018 semifinals, Yarmouth got back to the pinnacle in 2019 and after COVID prevented a postseason in 2020, the Clippers won yet another championship in 2021.

By any other program’s standard, Yarmouth’s 10-2-2 regular season mark this fall would be considered a phenomenal record. For the Clippers, it was a good year, but losses to Cape Elizabeth and eventual Class C champion Waynflete and ties versus the Capers and Freeport led many to believe Yarmouth was going to be ripe for the plucking come playoff-time.

Guess again.

As the No. 3 seed in Class B South, their lowest postseason ranking since 2011, the Clippers flipped the switch just in time to eliminate No. 6 Freeport with surprising ease in the quarterfinals, 5-1, then blanked No. 7 Fryeburg Academy, 1-0 (in a game they dominated) in the semifinals. Yarmouth was the underdog when it went to Lewiston High School last Wednesday to take on No. 1 Cape Elizabeth in the regional final, but despite falling behind twice, the Clippers saved their best for last and prevailed, 3-2, on senior Adam McLaughlin’s late goal.

“We went in as the underdogs and that’s usually not the case, but we used it to our advantage,” said senior captain Owen Redfield.

It was on to Hampden Academy Saturday, the site of multiple Yarmouth coronations, to meet John Bapst in the state final and while the Clippers led much of the game, victory didn’t come without an 80-minute fight.

Senior captain Truman Peters gave the Clippers an early lead, as he finished a cross from Wyatt Anderson.

“I got a ball from Wyatt and was able to finish,” Peters said. “It was big to score first, but I will say we lost our focus after that.”

“We did what we tried to do, get outside and get crosses,” Hagerty said. “We thought we could beat their goalie around the outside. Wyatt served a beautiful ball, then Truman had a beautiful finish. Then, we relaxed a little bit after scoring early.”

The Crusaders tied the score off a corner kick late in the first half. Then, midway through the second half, Peters served a long free kick into the box where senior captain Stevie Walsh, whose legend already includes two soccer playoff game-winning goals last year and an epic game-tying 3-point shot which led to an overtime victory during the basketball state game a year ago, was waiting to head the ball home to put Yarmouth on top to stay.

“Truman played a perfect ball,” said Walsh. “We have a special connection playing together our whole lives. He put it right where he needed to and it was pretty simple from there.”

“I was looking for (Stevie),” said Peters. “I’ve played my whole life with him and I knew if I put it near his head, he’d finish it.”

“Stevie had another big game,” Hagerty added. “He’s so calm under pressure all the time. He knows even with someone on his hip he has the technique to get away. He’s a very smart athlete. It’s not luck that he’s in the right spot all the time. You don’t win head balls just by being able to jump. It’s about angles and timing. His athletic IQ is terrific. He understands time and space as well as any kid we’ve had.”

Peters added an insurance goal, burying a loose ball off a corner kick.

“All year, my role is to stay at the top of the box on corner kicks,” Peters said. “The ball squirted out to me and I had a chance to put it home.”

“Truman saved his best for last,” said Hagerty. “He’s so hard on himself and he’s a great example of kids trying to do too much. He felt like he had to do that early in the season. Once we limited what he did in the midfield, he started playing so much better. You have to let the goals come to you sometimes. Once he started picking his spots and going where he knew where the second ball would be, he had calm hits and great finishes. His reading of the game and trusting of his teammates is one of the reasons why we peaked at the right time.”

That third goal loomed huge as John Bapst drew within one with 3:41 to play, but the Clippers were able to hold on for a 3-2 victory, as they finished the year 14-2-2, won their third consecutive state title, seventh in the past eight postseasons and a state-record 15th overall.

“It’s always sweet to win a championship, but this group of guys really bonded with each other,” Walsh said. “We had some adversity earlier in the season, but we believed we could get it done and when we did, it was just an awesome feeling. A soccer game is not real pressure. We talk about our New Mainers (on the team) and the pressure they’ve faced every day just to get here. That’s way more pressure than a soccer game. We just enjoy soccer and have fun with it. I’d say being in this program there’s always pressure to succeed. It’s a winning program and that’s props to Coach Hagerty. He’s built it up. There’s a target on our back, but I think it’s kind of fun and I look at it as a good thing.”

“All year, we’ve been able to come back and score late goals and we never lose faith,” said Peters. “We can push through adversity. We might be down, but we’re never out. From little kids in the mornings to practices at night, laughing, joking with the boys, it’s meant a lot. It’s been a pleasure.”

“It was a hard game,” senior captain Liam Hickey said. “We battled the whole way through. We started playing when we’re seven-, eight-years-old. For most of us, our whole life has been soccer. I remember being down here watching the high school kids play and now, we have a lot of kids here watching us and we’re role models to them. It feels good to be in that spot now.”

“A championship is a championship, but I feel like with this group of guys and us being so close all years, to win it together is even better (than before),” Redfield said. “We can persevere. A lot of our games we started down and we’ve overcome. We grew as a team.”

“We had some chinks in our armor this year, but I wasn’t worried because I thought we played well in our losses,” Hagerty added. “We don’t get nervous late in games. The kids know they’re prepared. They’ve watched and learned and waited for their chance. We’ve been in a lot of close games and we’ve won a staggering number of one-goal games in this stretch. We expect to be in close games and we know we have another gear. I like to think that has a lot to do with our fitness. We spent time in the weight room and do yoga once a week. We have a nutritionist come in and talk to us. We try to emphasize other things besides just soccer that I think makes a difference in second halves of games.”

In one of the more inspirational sidebars to the season, Hickey, who suffered a serious hip injury in the regular season loss to Cape Elizabeth, managed to work his way back into action for the regional final before seeing even more time in the state game.

“These guys rallied for me and I had a lot of trust in everyone,” Hickey said. “I knew even after I went down, we could still get it done.”

“This does not get old, especially when I still have a nephew on the team who was coming back from an injury, so that was really special,” said Hagerty, who is Hickey’s uncle. “He texted me the night before and said he was good for 80 minutes, but I disagreed. He played a significant amount. When Liam was out, he didn’t sulk. He came to every practice. He was in a wheelchair, then on crutches, supporting his teammates.”

It might be hard to believe now, but Yarmouth wasn’t always a perennial champion, which makes the program’s recent run of excellence that much more appreciated by the coach/dynasty builder.

“Winning my first year in 1997, then not winning for six years was really frustrating,” Hagerty said. “We knew we had to do more and work harder and focus on the youth. In 2004, things changed. All credit to the Lynch family for starting the Colts program. Declan and Eoin were great players and Eoin is still the best player to come out of Yarmouth. His parents had the right perspective. You cannot leave out the Lynch family when you talk about the success we’ve had. It’s built on what they started.”

As always, graduation will take a huge toll on the program and the Class of 2023 will long be hailed.

“This year’s seniors were kind of a forgotten class,” Hagerty said. “They always had a powerhouse class ahead of them and behind them. They’ve always been under-appreciated. There are some late bloomers. Wyatt Anderson hadn’t seen a varsity minute until this year and he’s one of our most important players. Liam and Stevie didn’t really become contributors until junior year. Truman would have contributed earlier, but he had some unlucky injuries. Owen is such a good athlete and hard worker.

“This class is a great example of sticking with it. They had to wait their turn and put in their time and they did. They personify perseverance. They became great role models. They really brought the group together. Those underclassmen felt appreciated and valued. Our culture was the difference this year.”

And as always, the Clippers will have ample talent in reserve as they look to continue the run.

“Our junior class is ready to do the same thing next year,” Hickey said. “They’re really talented. We have good freshman and sophomore classes too. It’s going to be more of the same the next few years.”

“Next year, our talent will be off the charts,” said Hagerty. “Our junior class is so good. Look at the growth of Jonny Fulton and Sam (Lowenstein). They were such a dominant duo as center-backs. We have a lot of pieces back in the midfield and Luis (Cardoso) and Zacarias (Binda) have a lot of upside. (Freshman) Gideon Ahrens has no idea how good he is. He’s ready to explode. I think next year, you’ll see Gideon and Adam McLaughlin have one of the most unique center-midfield combinations as far as two highly technical young players are concerned.

“I think we’ll be as good as we’ve ever been next year.”

Our time

Yarmouth’s girls, meanwhile, had watched Cape Elizabeth win the past three Class B state titles, losing to the Capers in the playoffs each year.

This fall was supposed to be the Clippers’ time, but Yarmouth opened with a loss at Cape Elizabeth, lost again at home to the Capers and also was beaten by eventual Class D champion North Yarmouth Academy, suggesting that more of the same might be in store.

The Clippers earned the No. 2 seed for the Class B South tournament, but Cape Elizabeth appeared to stand in the way.

Until suddenly, the Capers weren’t and Yarmouth burst through the door.

The Clippers blanked No. 10 Freeport (2-0) in the quarterfinals, then did the same to 11th-seeded Gray-New Gloucester (2-0) in the semifinals. While Yarmouth was ousting the Patriots, Cape Elizabeth, decimated by illness, was shocked in its semifinal by York, meaning the Wildcats, not the Capers, would be the Clippers’ regional final foe.

Last Wednesday in Lewiston, Yarmouth dug an early goal and after goals from Feeley to tie it and another from junior Neena Panozzo to go ahead, saw York tie the score, but with time winding down, Feeley scored her second goal and the Clippers went on to a 3-2 victory.

Then, Saturday in Hampden, against a very talented Hermon team, Yarmouth needed every ounce of will it possessed, as it had to play 17-plus extra minutes to capture the elusive prize.

The Clippers didn’t exactly follow the recipe for success in the state final, falling behind in the third minute and going down 2-0 in the 10th.

“Their first two goals caught us off guard, but we came back because we were determined to win,” said junior captain Kadin Davoren. “None of us let down, everybody was there for each other and our energy was through the roof.”

Indeed, Yarmouth simply refused to lose and rallied for one of the most stirring victories in program annals.

First, the Clippers had to overcome a scary, real-life situation, as junior goalkeeper Regan Sullivan, who has emerged as a top last line of defense over the course of the season, suffered a scary injury in the 16th minute, colliding with a Hermon player, then having to leave the game and eventually the facility with a concussion.

“That was a tough situation to watch,” said Higgins. “Play stopped. She was able to walk off with us, which was a positive. I left her with the athletic trainer and she was on the bench. The next thing I knew, she went off and had to leave in an ambulance. We saw that just before halftime and it was tough. The girls were really emotional, but they dug deep and decided they were going to go win it for Regan.”

Enter senior Eden Young, who traveled north not expecting to have the best seat in the house Saturday before suddenly finding herself in a critical role.

“I didn’t expect to play,” said Young, who started on Senior Night and saw a few other limited stints during the regular season. “I was just really worried about Regan. Then I saw Coach (wave me in) and I knew I had to go in. I felt a little nervous at first, but I got connected with everyone on the field and started feeling better. As a goalie, you always have to be ready to go in.”

Feeley started the comeback with one of her patented long shots which found the mark in the 33rd minute.

“I’ve been shooting from distance a lot, hoping it would go in,” Feeley said. “That first goal woke us up and we brought the energy. Our whole team is so positive. We keep each other going even when things get tough.”

Then, with just 49 seconds left before the half, Feeley buried perhaps her longest goal, a blast from 45 yards away which improbably tied the score and gave the Clippers momentum.

“I knew I had to get free from the defender and if I did, I just had to shoot it,” said Feeley. “I knew I’d have a lot of people around me up top, so Coach moved me back a little bit. I took one touch and hit it. It felt good. I was shocked it went in from that distance, but I’m glad I did.”

“We made the change and put Ava back in the midfield because she was so bottled up,” Higgins said. “She found some space and hit two beautiful shots. If you’ve never seen her play before, you think, ‘Wow,’ but we see her do it every day. She’s a special talent on a team full of special kids. I felt like if we could get one before halftime, we’d be in a good spot and then we got another with under a minute to go in the half. You could feel momentum shift.”

Yarmouth pressed for the go-ahead goal in the second half, but couldn’t score.

Then, after the game went to the first of two possible 15-minute “sudden victory” overtimes, the Clippers had some great looks (Feeley even hit the post), but they couldn’t end the game.

“I was pretty frustrated because everyone was really tired, but my teammates picked me up,” Feeley said. “We had to make one more push. I knew we had it in us.”

The contest went to a second OT and Yarmouth produced some great pressure which led to a decisive corner kick, which will go down in program lore.

“The lead-up to what got us the corner kick was all the small things we try to do every game,” Higgins said. “Defensively, the pressure we put on the ball, once we forced a turnover where we go. The space (junior) Aine (Powers) took based on Ava’s reaction in pulling two defenders away. Aine gets tackled, (sophomore) Taylor (Oranellas) follows up and gets the ball back. Taylor hits a great strike, their keeper makes a great save and we get a corner. All these little things came together at once. It was fun to watch.”

Then, with 12:21 to go in the second OT, something the Clippers enjoyed watching even more transpired.

Senior captain Macy Gilroy, the team’s emotional heart and soul, served the ball to the far post where Feeley was waiting to put the finishing touch on the championship victory.

“Ava is always my first look when I take a corner,” Gilroy said. “I saw her and I kind of placed (the ball) where I thought she was going.”

“Macy’s placement on corners is unmatched,” said Feeley, after scoring her 34th goal of the season and her program-best 71st since 2019. “She made it so easy for me. I just had to tap it in.”

“Macy played an absolutely beautiful ball and Ava shook the defender on the line and tucked it in,” added Higgins. “Their connection is amazing. Ava gets a lot of attention and she’ll be the first one to tell you there’s a whole team that grinds together. She scores a lot of goals but they do a great job putting her in the right position.”

Yarmouth 3 Hermon 2.

Let the celebration begin.

“I dropped to the ground out of pure joy and excitement,” said Gilroy. “I knew when I took that corner that Ava would be on the back end of it. To cap it off that way was truly unbelievable. I just have so much trust and confidence in her. To see it actually go in was such a surreal feeling. I’m just so proud of everyone on the team. Everyone was just exhausted from playing so long, but also full of so much excitement. It was so stressful in overtime, but I could feel our team wanted it more. That really carried us through. I’m just forever grateful for this team. It’s pretty exceptional.”

“Our goal was to win a Gold Ball,” said the Boston College-bound Feeley. “Everyone really stepped up and I’m so proud. It’s just the best way to to go out. Playing for Yarmouth has meant the world to me.”

“It was so relieving,” Young said. “My legs were shaking the whole time. The second (Ava’s goal) went in, I just dropped to the ground. It was an absolutely amazing feeling. A lot of the seniors ended our eighth grade year in a really similar way, winning a state championship. To go out on the same note this season felt like the perfect end.”

“When the ball went in the net, it was such a relief,” Davoren said. “I was crying before I got to the celebration. I was overjoyed. It’s been our goal since day one and I was as happy as I could be. To send the seniors out with the biggest win of their career, it feels so good as a junior to do that. We had some losses during the season, but that made us stronger. We didn’t need to go undefeated to win states.”

“I missed (the goal),” Higgins added. “I had turned around to talk about penalty kick-takers (in case no one scored the rest of overtime), then I saw someone jump and the girls were running on the field. It was emotional to see them celebrate. It’s still a little bit surreal.

“It’s special. They’re just an amazing group of kids. I wanted this for them so badly all year and in a conversation with ‘Hags’ (Coach Hagerty), he’d noticed some things and he shared his views and I took a self-assessment and realized that I wanted it so badly for them that I was missing a lot of what was going on. I was able to take a step back and enjoy the journey and realize how fortunate we are to have these kids. We hadn’t given up a goal since (the Cape Elizabeth game, Oct. 3), then we dug ourselves into two holes in the regional and state finals and pulled it out the hard way. The girls have the heart of a champion and they don’t quit.

“We tried to just focus one game at a time. I was worried about the matchup with Freeport, then Gray. I knew those teams were dangerous. York defended so well. The first thing from the Hermon coach was, ‘What happened to Cape?’ I think the girls felt a little disrespected and wanted to prove everyone wrong.”

Long after the victory was official, Yarmouth was still praising Young and the role she played, being thrust into a most difficult situation with the season on the line.

“Eden stepped up more than anyone,” said Davoren. “She was ready to go and everyone is so proud of her.”

“We all wanted to win it for Regan and Eden wanted it a little more than everyone else,” said Higgins. “I always have faith in Eden. She’s a very good goalie. She made some really good saves, which is what she does. She’s a kid who comes in and pushes everyone. She’s been such a good mentor to the younger goalies. She’s a great kid. I was a little worried she didn’t get a chance to warm up, but she responded and she was amazing. I couldn’t be more proud of how she competed and led the kids. What a way to end her career.”

The Clippers now have to part with nine seniors, who all played integral roles in a championship season.

“The seniors were my first freshman group here, so they’ll always have a special place in my heart,” Higgins said. “To go out that way, I’m really happy for them. The credit goes to them. They just battled and competed. Grace Lestage was all over the field all game long. Everyone who didn’t get minutes was so supportive on the sideline. The hard part is I wanted to come back and practice (Monday). We’ll be together one more time at the banquet, then the seniors will go their own way.”

Of course, the cupboard is far from bare and Yarmouth will have a good chance to defend its crown in 2023.

“It’s going to be a lot of rebuilding, but I have trust in everyone who has been here,” said Davoren.

“We have a lot of hardworking players who have been here awhile and know how we like to do things who are going to lead the younger kids coming in,” said Higgins. “Our incoming eighth grade group is pretty strong. We have some work to do, but our future is bright. We’ll enjoy this until next year and there’s 282 days to go, by the way.”

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

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