I wasn’t able to make it to last weekend’s Class A field hockey state championship contest as I was covering a playoff football game, but I was following along closely as the Biddeford Tigers captured their first title since 1990.
When I looked on Twitter and saw the final score flash across my phone, the first person that I thought of was Desi.
Robert “Desi” Desjardins was Biddeford’s No. 1 fan for over a half century and absolutely loved the BHS field hockey team.
Desi died last September at the age of 75, but before he passed away he had a message for the Tigers’ field hockey squad.
“When we visited him for the last time he was like, ‘go get me a win. Go get me a state championship,’” said Biddeford senior Hailey Allen. “And I kept a promise to him and it just felt really good that we got that for him.”
I never got the chance to officially meet Desi, but I felt like I knew him after interviewing several people when he died last year.
“He’s been there for every single thing, every single game — Desi to our program has been the emblem of Tiger Pride,” Biddeford field hockey coach Caitlin Albert told me last year. “I don’t know how to explain everything he means to myself, and to the team and to the girls because it’s just so much.”

It was that conversation with coach Albert last year that made me think of Desi when the Tigers won the title on Saturday — and the Biddeford players were clearly thinking of their No. 1 fan after they captured the crown.
“The sun came out and there was a rainbow after (the state championship game) and it was his colors. I was like ‘oh, my God. This is unreal,’” said Biddeford senior Paige Laverriere.
“To see the rainbow and signs like that, I was just thinking Desi must be looking down so proud of us right now. It felt really good to be able to do that and know we made him proud,” added senior goalie Taylor Wildes.
Allen went to Desi’s grave before the state final and it was there that the Biddeford senior knew he would be there with them during the game.
“Before we even came here for our breakfast (on Saturday), I visited his grave and I kind of made a joke because his stone was out of the ground for some reason — so I was like, ‘oh, he’s coming, he’s coming to support (us),’” said Allen.
Allen has tried to keep Desi’s memory alive through a special tradition that she began after he passed last year.
“Ever since he passed, I did this thing with a rose. I brought a rose to every game to represent him watching in spirit, so I just tried keeping that going this year as well,” Allen said.
Desi’s faith in the Tigers helped them believe in themselves this season.
“He always came into my room and he would talk about the state championship — ‘you’re going to get there, you’re going to get there,’” said Albert. “We felt like he was there all season and I know some people don’t believe in that, but it really felt like it.”
“We kept calling him the field hockey gods, because he always would tell us ‘you’re going to make it to states. I believe in you guys. You’re going to make it to states,’” added Laverriere.
The Tigers would make Desi proud on Saturday — and Allen brought the trophy to his grave so he could share in the celebration.
“I talked to him for a little bit and I said, ‘thank you so much … I’m so glad I kept my promise to you. I hope you enjoy that we got it for you.’”
— Sports Editor Pat McDonald can be reached at pmcdonald@journaltribune.com or at 780-9017. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.