North Yarmouth Academy Fall Sports Preview

BOYS’ SOCCER

North Yarmouth Academy’s boys’ soccer team was all smiles after winning the Class D state title a year ago. This fall, the Panthers move up to Class C with a new coach and hopes for the same success. File photos.

Coach: Lawrence Burningham (first year)

2022 record: 11-7 (Beat Madawaska, 2-1, to win Class D state title)

Top returning players: Matt Powers (Senior), Jesse Mutagoma (Junior), Jackson Bartick (Sophomore), Gavin Thomas (Sophomore)

Pivotal games: Sept. 5 FREEPORT, Sept. 22 @ Traip, Sept. 28 @ Waynflete, Oct. 3 @ Yarmouth, Oct. 12 TRAIP, Oct. 17 WAYNFLETE

Coach’s comment: “This is a very young team as most of last season’s starters graduated. Adding in the move up to Class C and these first couple of years will provide a welcome challenge. There is a lot of talent on this team that just needs time to develop. I am confident this team will be a competitive force in this class over the next few years.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: NYA struggled for much of the 2022 season before saving its best for last and going on to win the program’s first championship in four years. Branden Noltkamper has left the program to coach the girls’ team at Cape Elizabeth and Burningham steps in, with help from Brian Dougher. Burningham previously coached at Biddeford, with the Velocity FC club team and as an assistant at Southern Maine Community College. He inherits a squad that has a lot of holes to fill and has the added challenge of being in Class C this year, but write off the Panthers at your peril.

Sophomore Gavin Thomas was a key field player for NYA last season. This fall, Thomas will be the Panthers’ goalkeeper.

This year’s team features Mutagoma up top, Bartick on the wing and Powers as the central-midfielder. Thomas will be in goal, replacing Tanner Anctil. William Wignall will also get time between the pipes. Newcomers to watch include Jacob Colaluca, Ethan King and Cale Woelflein.

NYA is somewhat of an unknown quantity as the season commences, but there is raw talent on the roster. Don’t be surprised if this year’s squad follows the script of 2022 with a slow start, fast finish and a deep playoff run.

GIRLS’ SOCCER

Last autumn, for the fourth straight time, the NYA girls’ soccer team celebrated a Class D championship. The Panthers will be very good again this season.

Coach: Ricky Doyon (seventh year, 73-19-2, four state championships)

2022 record: 18-0 (Beat Penobscot Valley, 8-0, to win fourth consecutive Class D state title)

Top returning players: Graca Bila (Senior), Kailyn McIntyre (Senior), Sarah Moore (Senior), Lily Rawnsley (Senior), Hayden Wienckowski (Senior), Lyla Casey (Junior), Ella Giguere (Junior), Emily Robbins (Junior)

Pivotal games: Sept. 5 @ Freeport, Sept. 26 GREELY, Sept. 29 WAYNFLETE, Oct. 3 YARMOUTH, Oct. 17 @ Waynflete

Coach’s comment: “It’s another solid group. We’re looking forward to the season. It’s tough to replace players like Angel (Huntsman) and Michala Wallace, but we have some good young players. We have to look at the big picture and stay motivated. We have to work hard and do the little things. Our goal is the same. We want to continue where we left off. We won in Class D and I think we can definitely compete in Class C.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: NYA has been an absolute juggernaut in recent seasons and last year was the finest of all, as the Panthers beat eventual Class B champion Yarmouth for the first time and could say legitimately that they would have won Class C and possibly even Class B (Doyon would have liked a shot at Class A champion Scarborough for that matter). NYA did lose superstar Angel Huntsman, All-State selection Michala Wallace and all-stars Anna Belleau and Vy Tran to graduation, moved up to Class C and faces the most challenging regular season in memory, but this group of Panthers, riding a 29-game win streak and a 38-game unbeaten streak, believes it can be the last team standing yet again.

Junior Emily Robbins will score her share of goals again this season.

This year’s squad will be paced offensively by Robbins (12 goals, nine assists in 2022) and Wienckowski (11 goals, five assists during a second-team all-star campaign last season). Casey, McIntyre and junior Delia Fontana join Robbins and Wienckoswki in the midfield and freshmen Natasha Godfrey and Caroline Matusovich could step right in and became major contributors on offense. NYA will be strong in the back behind Bila, Giguere (a second-team all-star last year), Rawnsley, junior Nell Rohde and freshman Charlotte Matusovich. Moore, who allowed just two goals last season, returns as the keeper.

Senior Kailyn McIntyre is a veteran leader for the Panthers.

While the Panthers might not run the table this time around, they’re still going to be quite formidable. By season’s end, NYA will be primed to make another title run and if it can capture Class C after winning Class D four straight times, there might just be no end in sight to the program’s transcendence.

VOLLEYBALL

Coach: Nora Krainis (19th year)

2022 record: 4-11 (Lost, 3-0, to Calais in Class C state quarterfinals)

Top returning players: Charlotte McClatchy (Senior), Sasha Schutz (Senior)

Pivotal matches: Sept. 9 BUCKSPORT, Sept. 9 GEORGE STEVENS ACADEMY, Sept. 20 GRAY-NG, Sept. 29 GREELY, Oct. 14 @ Calais, Oct. 14 @ Woodland

Coach’s comment: “We have few returners and lots of new players and are working on building a cohesive team that can compete in Class C. We’ll have to see how it all plays out with the incredible growth of volleyball in the state and the separation from most other Class C teams. We will be in the mix, as usual. We have dedicated players and hard workers and I think we can make an impact.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: NYA once again reached the playoffs a year ago and this fall, the Panthers are hoping to contend again.

McLatchy and Schutz are the veterans. McLatchy, an outside hitter, who was a second-team all-star in 2022, will play an integral role in the Panthers’ success. Schutz is also a top hitter. Sophomore Joyce Abahari and freshmen Kiana Roundy and Eleanor Zuiches are newcomers to watch.

NYA will give its all every time out and should show steady improvement as the season progresses.

CROSS COUNTRY

Coaches:
(Boys) Peter Sillin (17th year, two state championships)
(Girls) Chris Mazzurco (23rd year, one state championship)

2022 results:
(Boys) Did not qualify for Class C state meet
(Girls) Did not qualify for Class C state meet

Top returners:
(Boys) Caleb King (Senior), Ethan Smith (Senior), Leif MacCarthy (Junior), Chris Noreika (Junior)
(Girls) Olivia Hamilton (Junior), Hadley Smith (Sophomore)

Coach Sillin’s comment: “After missing the state meet for a couple of seasons now, it would be great to return there as a team. The core roster has a couple years of experience and with the addition of Nate Barmby, we should have as good a chance of doing that as we’ve had in the last few years. We have a fun team culture and I look forward to seeing what these guys can do once the training really starts kicking in.”

Coach Mazzurco’s comment: “We are excited to come into the season with large group of new runners. Some new to the sport, some new to high school, but all of them have been working hard so far during season. Everyone is looking forward to a season of continued improvement and being able to score as a team for the first time in a few years.”

The Forecaster’s forecast: North Yarmouth Academy has its sights set on qualifying for states after falling short a year ago.

The boys’ team is led by Noreika, who qualified as an individual last year and posted the 55th-best time at states. Senior Nate Barmby, who transfers in from Maine Coast Waldorf School, was 27th at last year’s Class C state meet. The Panthers also return MacCarthy (51st at regionals a year ago), King (55th) and Smith (75th). Freshman Haddon Doyle will also be in the mix. NYA has enough talent in place to enjoy a competitive season and get to the state meet for the first time since 2019.

On the girls’ side, Smith is coming off a terrific freshman season, which saw her reach the state meet as an individual and post the 14th-fastest time. Hamilton also competed a year ago and hopes to move up. If a few other runners can emerged, NYA will be in the hunt to qualify for states for the first time since 2015.

GOLF

Coach: Charlie Hudson (12th year)

2022 results: DNQ for Class C state match

Top returners: Davis Gall (Senior), Nate Oney (Senior), Maddy Prokopius (Senior), Connor Wolverton (Senior), Zach Leinwand (Junior)

Coach’s comment: “We have a veteran team that looks to return to the state championships”

The Forecaster’s forecast: NYA fell short of states last season, but has a lot of veteran players and some strong newcomers this fall, as it hopes to be at its best in October.

Prokopius was the girls’ Class C state runner-up, as well as an all-star last season and is primed for another great year. Gall, Oney and Wolverton are all experienced and Leinwand is poised to move into the top six. Junior Cayne Leive and freshmen Cam Gardiner, Deagan Nadeau and Preston Randall are new and hope to step right in and help the cause.

NYA should do very well during the regular season and hopes to be at its best for the qualifier. This group could do well as a team while Prokopius steals headlines as an individual.