Waynflete’s boys’ soccer team had much to celebrate this fall, winning all 10 games and beating several Class A foes along the way. File photos.

The 2020 fall sports season was truly one of a kind.

For starters, it took awhile for the season to even get the green light from the Maine Principals’ Association and various state agencies and once games began, COVID-19 precautions were front and center.

While football and volleyball weren’t permitted to play a countable, varsity schedule this fall, cross country, field hockey, golf and boys’ and girls’ soccer got the go-ahead.

The games themselves were the real deal and there were ample highlights.

Golf had a very short season, but was the only fall sport which was able to hold a postseason where a Waynflete individual made history.

Cross country saw both Waynflete teams, as well as a couple female individuals: Cheverus’ Annabelle Brooks and Portland’s Alyssa Sigfridson, qualify for the state meet. Unfortunately, less than a week before the state meet was scheduled to be held, it was cancelled due to a rise in COVID cases and a new requirement for runners to wear masks while competing.

Field hockey featured Cheverus again excelling, going 7-1. The Stags might have made a run to the state final under normal circumstances. The Portland/Deering co-op team finished 0-7.

On the pitch, the Cheverus and Portland girls again had terrific campaigns, as the Stags quickly came of age and went 8-1-1, while the Bulldogs finished 7-2. Deering went 2-5-1, while Waynflete posted a record of 4-5-1.

On the boys’ side, two-time Class C champion Waynflete had no peer, winning all 10 games and defeating Class A foes Cheverus, Deering and Portland along the way, while also giving its coach a landmark victory. The Bulldogs proved to be the best Class A team in the city at season’s end and wound up 8-2. The Rams finished 6-4 and the Stags went 2-8.

A season like no other is in the books and hopefully by next fall (if not before), high school sports (and life) will return to normal.

There were some unforgettable moments this autumn and here’s one final look at the best of them:

Michael’s top five stories

5) Portland boys capture “City Cup”

The closest thing we got to a soccer postseason came late in the season when Cheverus, Deering, Portland and South Portland took part in the “City Cup.” The Bulldogs defeated the Stags, 2-1, in the semifinals, while the Rams were losing to the Red Riots on penalty kicks, then Portland got a pair of quick goals from Steve Matanga in the final and went on to a 3-1 victory. The Bulldogs got to finish their season on a high note and call themselves the best Class A team in the city of Portland.

4) Waynflete golfer wins individual title

Waynflete junior golfer George Fahey made history at the Class C individual state championship last month in Vassalboro. Fahey shot a two-over round of 74 to become the first Flyer to ever capture top honors at a state meet. Fahey made four birdies, including three in a row in one stretch, as he held on to win by one stroke over T.J. Folsom of Kents Hill.

3) Cheverus field hockey beats Scarborough in OT…twice

Longtime field hockey rivals Cheverus and Scarborough played twice this season and both games were instant classics, befitting of the teams’ long rivalry. The first encounter came Oct. 1 in Scarborough, where the Stags took a quick 2-0 lead, but the Red Storm rallied and forced overtime. There, in the second OT, freshman Lily Johnson rattled the cage to give Cheverus a 3-2 victory. The rivals met again 13 days later in Portland, where again, the Stags went up, 2-0, only to see Scarborough rally to force overtime, where again, Cheverus had the last laugh, as standout Lucia Pompeo scored the game winner.

2) Deering’s post-goal flip

Deering’s boys’ soccer team had a strong campaign against a challenging schedule, going 6-4, but the Rams’ most memorable moment came on the afternoon of Oct. 8 in a 5-1 home victory over Cheverus. After falling behind early and trailing by a goal at the break, Deering drew even as Carlos Adriano-Muaco scored, but it was what Adrian-Muaco did after the goal that was unforgettable, as he took a few running steps, jumped forward, then landed on his hands, sprung into the air and flipped over, sticking the landing. The flip inspired the Rams, who scored four more goals in a 5-1 victory. Rest assured, the photo, which has already gotten a lot of play on social media, will live on.

1) Waynflete boys excel again, coach reaches landmark

Waynflete’s boys’ soccer team might have been the best in the state, regardless of class, this fall and there’s little question that the Flyers are consistently the gold standard in Class C. Much of that success is due to longtime coach Brandon Salway, who on Oct. 30 won his 300th career game, 6-0, over Sacopee Valley. The victory was vintage Waynflete, as six different players scored and afterwards, the Flyers’ senior captains praised Salway and how and why he’s turned the Flyers into a model program. There figure to be many more victories to come.

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