RILAN SMITH, Senior – Football

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• Class C South all-star, second-team, defense
• Class C South all-star, second-team, special teams
• Captain

Cheverus’ return to 11-man football this fall was a rousing success and the play and leadership of Smith was a big reason why.

Smith made the Cheverus varsity as a freshman and was part of a team that lost in the Class B South semifinals. After missing out on a competitive football season as a sophomore due to COVID, Smith, playing with his older brother, Braden Smith, last year’s Cheverus Fall Athlete of the Year, played an integral role on the Stags’ run to the eight-man large school championship his junior season, scoring on a 48-yard run in the opener against Yarmouth, then capping the campaign with 177 yards and three touchdowns in a state game win over Waterville.

This fall, Smith, a captain, was a force in all three phases of the game, rushing for 449 yards and nine TDs on 120 carries and hauling in six passes for 232 yards (a whopping 39 yards per catch) and a touchdown on offense, registering 41 tackles, 11 passes defended, two forced fumbles and two interceptions, including a pick-six on defense, and averaging 36-yards per punt.

He was on the field for every down.

Smith’s most memorable effort came in a home victory over longtime power Wells, as he returned an interception for a touchdown, added the two-point conversion rush to put Cheverus ahead to stay, then added another two-point conversion rush in a 16-7 triumph. Smith also ran for 85 yards and a score in a regular season loss to eventual Class C champion Leavitt, arguably the state’s best team. In a quarterfinal round playoff win over York, the Stags’ first-ever at the Class C level, Smith ran for 118 yards and two scores on 14 carries. The season then ended with a loss to Leavitt in the semifinals.

But what a campaign it was, as Rilan Smith, Cheverus’ Fall Athlete of the Year, did a little of everything to ensure it was memorable and triumphant.

Coach Mike Vance’s comment: “Rilan is a hammer. He’s tough as nails. Rilan was the heartbeat of our team. He brought toughness and determination to the program and was an example to his teammates. He was an impact player in all three phases of the game. From starting a playoff game as a freshman to playing every down his senior year, Rilan left his mark on our program as a talented and gritty competitor.”

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Prior winners:

• 2021 Braden Smith (football)
* 2020 Jesse Cadigan (cross country)
• 2019 Sean Tompkins (football)
• 2018 Teigan Lindstedt (football)
• 2017 Luc Dionne (soccer)
• 2016 Jack Casale (football)
• 2015 Jake Tomkinson (soccer)
• 2014 Joe Fitzpatrick (football)
• 2013 Joe Fitzpatrick (football)
• 2012 Donald Goodrich (football)
• 2011 Elliot Maker (soccer)
• 2010 Peter Gwilym (football)
• 2009 Peter Gwilym (football)
•2008 Jack Terwilliger (cross country)
• 2007 Galen Munroe (soccer)
• 2006 Andrew Pochebit (football)
• 2005 Anthony Ardito (golf)
• 2004 Max Molleo (soccer)

LUCY JOHNSON, Sophomore – Field hockey

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• Northern New England all-region
* All-State
• SMAA All-Conference, first-team
* Team MVP

We’ve never seen anything like Lucy Johnson.

And luckily for field hockey fans, we get to witness her working her magic for two more seasons.

Johnson rewrote the record book this fall and while she was quite impressive as an individual, she was all about making her team great and the 2022 Stags were an absolute powerhouse this fall.

Johnson burst on to the scene last year as a freshman, joining her talented sister, Lily Johnson, scoring a whopping 28 goals and adding nine assists in playing a major role on a Cheverus squad which went undefeated and won the Class A state title for the first time.

The Johnson sisters are quite a tandem and they have great mutual respect and admiration.

“Since (Lily) plays a different position than me, I look up to her,” Lucy Johnson said. “I know it’s hard to play more defensively. It’s not my strength, but it’s hers. She’s very good at it.”

“Lucy’s a player I look up to,” Lily Johnson said. “I’m older than her, but that doesn’t mean anything. We really work well together and we’re really good at connecting. We can read each other’s minds in a way. I love playing with her.”

Lucy Johnson was even more sensational this season, scoring a program record 49 goals (second only to St. Dom’s Hannah Trottier-Braun’s 59 in 2017 in state annals) and adding 19 assists. Johnson surpassed teammate (and 2021 Cheverus Fall Athlete of the Year) Taylor Tory’s single-season mark by 13 goals and with 77 goals (11 shy of Tory’s record) and 105 points at the midway point of her high school career, her final totals figure to be otherworldly.

Johnson scored twice and added an assist in a season-opening win over Thornton Academy, then she had three goals in a victory over Bonny Eagle, three more against Falmouth, two against Kennebunk, four versus Marshwood, four more against Portland/Deering, two (with three assists) in a key win over Scarborough, four goals in a decisive win at Biddeford, three against Gorham, four apiece against Massabesic and Noble, three versus Sanford and two more against South Portland/Westbrook in the finale.

In 14 regular season games, Johnson produced a hat trick (three goals or more) nine times. On just one occasion (a win over Windham in the second game) did Johnson fail to score multiple goals (she had one in that game).

Her brilliance continued in the postseason. In a quarterfinal round victory over Falmouth, Johnson had three goals. She didn’t score for the only time all season in a semifinal round win over Thornton Academy, but she did have three assists. Johnson returned to her cage-rattling ways in the regional final with four goals, then she scored twice against Skowhegan in the state game, but that was all the offense the Stags could muster and they were stunned, 3-2, and there would be no repeat title. It was Johnson’s first loss in 36 career games, but didn’t put a damper on her transcendence.

“Contributing to either scoring or assisting in every game. Lucy was a key component to our offensive corners and was our flyer on our defensive corners and she was our go-to player to take (penalty) strokes this year as well,” said Cheverus coach Theresa Hendrix. “She was key in propelling our offense. Her ability to be explosive, purposeful with moves and understand attack angles helped our team transition fast down the field. Her ability to get shots of fast and at different angles and with different style shots made her a large threat in the scoring circle.”

Johnson is also a force on the ice in the winter, but field hockey is where she’s already become a legend and she will have a full range of college options when the time comes.

Lucy Johnson, Cheverus’ Fall Athlete of the Year, is a talent without peer and hasn’t even approached her ceiling. Enjoy her brilliance while you can.

Coach Theresa Hendrix’s comment: “Lucy is a special player. She impresses us as coaches. Sometimes we sit back and it’s almost like we’re fans. She brings energy, distributes to her teammates and plays defense as well and that’s what takes her to the next level. What makes Lucy special is her versatility and expansive skill-set. She isn’t just the girl who tips the shots in, or has a hard drive, or can pass well, she can do them all. While she shattered our school goal record, I am most impressed with her number of assists this season. Showing that she continuously tries to set her teammates up as well and knowing when to take it herself and when to be unselfish to help the team. Lucy never gets complacent, she is always wanting more and attacking every opportunity with her highest effort. That effort, consistency and love for the game showed on the field and helped her take her game to the next level while also helping her team improve each day as well. We are lucky to have such a great player and teammate in our program. One last thing about Lucy too, is through her success she stays humble, hard working and wants her team to succeed.”

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Prior winners:

• 2021 Taylor Tory (field hockey)
* 2020 Lucia Pompeo (field hockey)
• 2019 Emma Gallant (soccer)
• 2018 Sophia Pompeo (field hockey)
• 2017 Michaela Jordan (soccer)
• 2016 Hannah Abbott (field hockey)
• 2015 Becca Archer (field hockey)
• 2014 Abby Goodrich (soccer)
• 2013 Elyse Caiazzo (field hockey)
• 2012 Staci Swallow (field hockey)
• 2011 Sarah LaQuerre (field hockey)
• 2010 Emily Sawchuck (field hockey)
• 2009 Emily Durgin (cross country)
• 2008 Bethany Schleh (field hockey)
• 2007 Elizabeth Somma (soccer)
• 2006 Elise Roux (soccer)
• 2005 Meaghan Mingo (soccer)
• 2004 Lauren Metevier (soccer)

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