BOYS’ TEAM
 
Ben Raymond – Cape Elizabeth soccer

Courtesy Michael Van Huystee 

Cape Elizabeth’s boys’ soccer team didn’t wind up reaching its goal of capturing a long-awaited state championship, but the Capers stole headlines for much of the season nonetheless.
Despite the ultimate disappointment, Cape Elizabeth turned the back the clock to the glory days of the 1990s, going undefeated in the regular season and making it all the way to the regional final before finally falling short.

Leading the way, as he has for years and years, Ben Raymond once again got the most out of his players and with that in mind, The Forecaster is naming Raymond our Southern edition Fall Coach of the Year, of a boys’ team.

Raymond was also selected in the spring of 2003, 2010 and 2017 for lacrosse and the winter of 2017 for swimming.

Raymond was a three-sport star at Cape Elizabeth High School, playing soccer and lacrosse, as well as swimming. He went to Springfield College to play soccer and also took part in club lacrosse. Raymond returned to his alma mater and took over the lacrosse program in 1998 (he’s won 312 games and 13 championships) and swimming in 2007 (he has eight combined boys’ and girls’ titles to his credit). After serving as an assistant to Andy Strout and Charlie Carroll, Raymond took over the boys’ soccer program in 2006 and led the Capers to the playoffs every year, including the Class B South Final in 2021 (a 2-1 loss to Yarmouth).

This fall, Cape Elizabeth tied Yarmouth in the opener, then won its next 13 games by a composite 58-6 margin to earn the top seed in Class B South. The Capers ousted Greely and Gardiner to return to the regional final, again against Yarmouth, this time as the higher seed. But a happy ending and a first trip to the state game in a quarter-century wasn’t to be as despite leading twice, Cape Elizabeth suffered a painful 3-2 defeat.

Even in the midst of an agonizing loss, Raymond struck the right tone.

“We talked about how this game doesn’t define our great season,” Raymond said. “All the time you spent together on the field, being the regular season champions, there’s a lot to be said for that. That’s being at your best every single game, not just once in awhile.”

What a season it was and with Ben Raymond, our Southern edition boys’ team Fall Coach of the Year, it’s only a matter of time before the Capers break through once and for all.

Prior winners:

• 2021 Sean Green (Cape Elizabeth football)
* 2020 Mark Diaz (Scarborough soccer)
• 2019 Aaron Filieo (South Portland football)
• 2018 Jim Harmon (Scarborough cross country)
• 2017 Lance Johnson (Scarborough football)
• 2016 Lance Johnson (Scarborough football)
• 2015 Chris Whitney (Cape Elizabeth golf)
• 2014 Mike Murphy (Scarborough golf)
• 2013 Mark Diaz (Scarborough soccer)
• 2012 Derek Veilleux (Cape Elizabeth cross country)
• 2011 Steve Stinson (South Portland football)
• 2010 Lance Johnson (Scarborough football)
• 2009 Aaron Filieo (Cape Elizabeth football)
• 2008 Mark Diaz (Scarborough soccer)
• 2007 Steve Stinson (South Portland football)
• 2006 Aaron Filieo (Cape Elizabeth football)
• 2005 Mark Diaz (Scarborough soccer)
• 2004 Jim Harmon (Scarborough cross country)
• 2003 Mark Diaz (Scarborough soccer)
• 2002 Jack Flynn (Scarborough football)
• 2001 Jack Flynn (Scarborough football)

GIRLS’ TEAM

Mike Farley – Scarborough soccer

File photo

File photoIt took a decade plus some anxious moments this fall, but Scarborough’s girls’ soccer team has returned to the top of the Class A mountain.

Coming off a season which ended with a disappointing playoff loss, much was expected of the Red Storm this season and Scarborough didn’t disappoint, winning every game, including a nailbiter in the state final.

Pushing the right buttons, as he’s done for nearly two decades, is Mike Farley and for leading the Red Storm back to the pinnacle, Farley gets The Forecaster’s nod as our Southern edition Fall Coach of the Year, of a girls’ team.

Farley was also selected in 2010, 2012 and 2019.

Farley lived in Italy for many years before going to high school in Montana, where he played soccer, football and basketball. He came to the University of New England in 1995 and played four years of soccer and two of lacrosse. On the pitch, Farley was part of a conference champion and Division III tournament team in 1998. Farley began coaching as a college senior at UNE. He later spent time with the Odyssey Sport premier program before moving to the high school level.

Farley took over the Red Storm in 2005 and has them in the running for a title every year. Scarborough won Class A crowns in 2010 and 2012 and on four other occasions advanced to the state final.

The Red Storm were upset by Thornton Academy in the 2021 Class A South quarterfinals, but this season, they had no peer, earning early confidence with a win at Windham, then rolling to a 14-0 record.

As the top seed, Scarborough was the hunted in the regional tournament, but downed Portland in the quarterfinals, Cheverus in the semifinals, then Gorham with surprising ease in a battle of unbeaten teams in the regional final. Brunswick gave the Red Storm fits in a state game that was scoreless through 80 minutes of regulation, 15 minutes of overtime and into a second overtime before junior standout Lana Djuranovic scored off a corner kick serve from senior star Ali Mokriski to secure the Gold Ball.

“It was well-worth the wait,” Farley added. “What a game. This feels good, because I know how hard these kids have worked. Last year, I thought we underachieved and this year, they wanted to right a wrong and they had focus all year long. I’m going to savor this one. It was a really fun season. We knew we were good, but as the season went along, you could tell we got better and better. We hit another gear in the playoffs. To grind this out, it shows how much this group has grown as soccer players.”

Look for another strong season in 2023, as Scarborough is always in the hunt and the biggest reason is Mike Farley, our Southern edition Fall girls’ team Coach of the Year.

Prior winners:

• 2021 Maura Bisogni (Cape Elizabeth field hockey)
* 2020 Kerry Mariello (Scarborough field hockey)
• 2019 Mike Farley (Scarborough soccer)
• 2018 Graham Forsyth (Cape Elizabeth soccer)
• 2017 Sarah Boeckel (Cape Elizabeth volleyball)
• 2016 Maura Bisogni (Cape Elizabeth field hockey)
• 2015 Jon Roberts (Scarborough volleyball)
• 2014 Sarah Boeckel (Cape Elizabeth volleyball)
• 2013 Craig Fannan (Cape Elizabeth soccer)
• 2012 Mike Farley (Scarborough soccer)
• 2011 Jon Roberts (Scarborough volleyball)
• 2010 Mike Farley (Scarborough soccer)
• 2009 Kerry Mariello (Scarborough field hockey)
• 2008 Ron Kelly (Scarborough cross country)
• 2007 Kerry Mariello (Scarborough field hockey)
• 2006 Jody King (Scarborough volleyball)
• 2005 Mary Ann Doss (Cape Elizabeth cross country)
• 2004 Kerry Mariello (Scarborough field hockey)
• 2003 Mary Ann Doss (Cape Elizabeth cross country)
• 2002 Maureen Curran (South Portland field hockey)
• 2001 Erin McLaughlin (Scarborough field hockey)

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