While cross country is on the cusp of producing its state champions (see story), the postseason fun has just begun in volleyball, field hockey and soccer with the football playoffs about to commence as well.

There have already been upsets, overtimes and dominant performances and this week figures to be action-packed throughout.

Buckle up, as here’s a glimpse at how city teams are faring:

Volleyball

All season, we waited for Cheverus’ volleyball team to make its move.

Suffice it to say, the Stags did it when it mattered most.

Cheverus, seeded 10th in Class A, first upset No. 7 Windham in the state preliminary round last Thursday, rallying from two sets down to win a thriller, 3-2 (21-25, 10-25, 25-19, 25-23, 15-11). Then, Saturday, at second-ranked Thornton Academy in the quarterfinals, the Stags struck again, this time prevailing in four games (25-23, 25-20, 20-25, 25-22).

Despite its modest 6-10 record, Cheverus advanced to the state semifinal round for the first time in program history and will face the daunting task of taking on third-seeded, reigning Class A state champion Gorham (11-4) Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., on the road (see our website for story). The Stags twice lost to the Rams in three sets during the regular season, but you can throw those results out the window at this point. Gorham has won all three prior playoff meetings, including last season’s 3-0 victory in the quarterfinals.

Deering was still alive at press time as well.

The Rams, who also boast a record that doesn’t indicate how competitive they’ve been, earned the No. 9 seed in Class A and eliminated No. 8 Edward Little in four games (25-18, 17-25, 25-23, 25-17) last Thursday in the preliminary round to improve to 6-9.

“Any girl our coach (Nika Francois) puts in there, we trust her,” senior Shea Fenton said. “We just have so much trust for each other on the court.”

“Our offense is the strongest thing that we have right now,” Francois said. “This is a rebuilding year for me. Last year I lost basically my entire team — 12 seniors — so we’ve rebuilt this team from the ground up.”

Deering was at top-ranked Biddeford (13-1) for the quarterfinals Monday (see our website for story). The Rams lost in four sets at the Tigers in the regular season opener Sept. 5. Biddeford won both prior playoff encounters.

If Deering, springs the upset, it will go to No. 4 Bonny Eagle (11-4) for the semifinals Wednesday. The Rams lost at the Scots in five games back on Sept. 12. The teams split two prior playoff encounters.

The Class A state match is Saturday at 4 p.m., at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland.

If, improbably, Cheverus and Deering square off, it would mark the teams’ first meeting this season and their first ever in the postseason.

Portland went 2-12 this season and did not qualify for the playoffs.

Field hockey

Cheverus’ field hockey team, the reigning state champion, earned the No. 1 seed in Class A South for the fourth straight season, after its fourth consecutive perfect regular campaign. The 14-0 Stags hosted No. 8 Massabesic (8-7) in the quarterfinals Tuesday. Cheverus won the regular season meeting, 5-0 at home, Oct. 12. The Stags captured both prior playoff encounters, including last year’s quarterfinal (3-0).

If Cheverus advances, it will host either No. 4 Sanford (10-4) or No. 5 Thornton Academy (9-4-1) in the semifinals Saturday at a time to be announced. The Stags beat both the visiting Spartans (3-0) and the host Golden Trojans (8-1) during the regular season.

The Class A South Final is next Wednesday, at Falmouth High School.

The Portland/Deering co-op team didn’t qualify for playoffs after an 0-14 campaign, which culminated with an 8-0 setback at Gorham in last Monday’s finale.

In Class C South, Waynflete finished the regular season 7-4-1 and earned the No. 6 seed. The Flyers go to No. 3 St. Dom’s (8-5-1) for the quarterfinals Wednesday. Back on Sept. 11, Waynflete lost at home to the Saints, 6-0. The teams have no playoff history.

If the Flyers can spring the upset, they’ll go to No. 2 Hall-Dale/Monmouth (11-3) or host No. 7 Lisbon (7-6-1) in the semifinals Saturday.

The Class C South Final is next Wednesday in Falmouth.

Boys’ soccer

All four city boys’ soccer teams made the playoffs, but one has already been sent home.

In Class A South, Deering, the reigning regional champion, entered the playoffs on a three-game skid after last week’s 1-0 home loss to rival Portland in the regular season finale. Goalkeeper Jack Borland made nine saves, but the Rams couldn’t generate any offense.

“Every time we play (Portland), it’s a playoff atmosphere,” Deering coach Joel Costigan said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s in the summer, the first game of the season or otherwise. I’ve loved how competitive but friendly it is. After the game, guys congratulate each other.”

The Rams finished sixth in Class A South and hosted No. 11 Marshwood in the preliminary round Saturday morning. Deering didn’t generate a single shot in the first half and couldn’t finish in the second, but finally, a little over two minutes into overtime, Samuel Almeida scored to give the Rams a 1-0 victory. Borland made five critical saves.

“The ball came over to me and I just shot it,” said Almeida, through Alberto Casteliano, who served as his interpreter. “It felt very good. I was very excited. It was all about our teamwork. We’re not a team, we’re a family. It was great to have that celebration with the crowd.”

“It was a relief when we scored,” Borland said. “It was a battle. It would have been rough if we lost, but we put up a good fight. It felt good to win this one because I got hurt against them the first time.”

“Marshwood had a great game plan and executed well,” Costigan added. “They played an excellent game and by all accounts, could have won several times if not for Jack making some great plays. We’re not doing enough in the box. Our defense is improving. Guys are winning the ball in the air and winning the second ball, but it’s the final third. We have do better not ball-watching and attack the ball in the box.”

Deering improved to 8-6-1 and advanced to travel to No. 3 Scarborough (12-1-1) for the quarterfinals Tuesday evening (see our website for game story). The Red Storm won the regular season meeting, 2-0, Oct. 12 in Portland.

The Rams are 0-5 all-time versus Scarborough in the playoffs, with a 3-1 setback in the 2014 Western A semifinals the most recent, but Deering will go in with nothing to lose.

“They beat us the first time and now, we need our revenge,” said Almeida, through Casteliano.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Borland said. “We only have a few days of rest. I was hurt last time we played them, so I’m looking forward to playing them. I think we can make another run. We have a really good team. We just have to put it together.”

“We want them,” added Costigan. “We weren’t full strength last time. Hopefully we can motivate the guys to step up to the challenge. Scarborough’s well coached and very disciplined.”

If Deering sprung an upset, it would go to No. 2 Falmouth (11-2-1) or host No. 7 Biddeford (10-5) in the semifinals Friday or Saturday.

Portland finished the regular season 11-2-1 after a 1-0 win at Deering in the regular season finale last week. Ronan Mas’ second half free kick was the difference.

“Of course, we come into this game wanting to win this more than any other, but if we’re not playing them, we want them to go far,” said Mas. “It always means a lot, but we’re all from Portland and we all want the city to win. I’ve been playing varsity three years and this is the first time I’ve won here. This stadium, we couldn’t perform the way we wanted to, but tonight was amazing to change that.”

“Ninety minutes are up and I feel like I aged 90 years,” said longtime Bulldogs coach Rocco Frenzilli. “Historically, we don’t play very well over here (just 6-4-3 over the past two decades). I’m proud of these guys. The guys worked hard, they’re a tight group, they enjoyed playing together and we all enjoy coaching them. I’m very happy for them. It’s a great way to end the (regular) season.”

Portland earned the No. 4 seed in Class A South and will begin its title quest Wednesday at home versus No. 5 Gorham (10-4-1). The Bulldogs lost at the Rams, 2-1, Sept. 20. Portland is just 2-4 all-time versus Gorham in the playoffs, with a 1-0 loss in the 2019 semifinals the most recent.

“I think we can go just as far as last year,” said Mas, referring to a run to the regional final. “We have the potential to go even further. This bracket is so tight. It’s going to be fun.”

“No one will be an easy opponent,” Frenzilli said. “You can’t overlook anyone. I want the guys to have fun and enjoy it and we’ll see where it takes us.”

If the Bulldogs advance, they’ll either go to top-ranked Windham (11-1-2) or host No. 9 South Portland (8-6-1) in the semifinals Friday or Saturday.

The Class A South Final is next Tuesday in Waterboro.

Cheverus finished 12th in Class A South and was eliminated by No. 5 Gorham in the preliminary round Saturday, 2-0, to wind up 5-10.

In Class C South, Waynflete wrapped up a 6-7-1 regular season with a 3-2 home loss to rival North Yarmouth Academy last Tuesday. The Flyers got goals from Abie Waisman and Charlie Reynolds, but surrendered the go-ahead tally with just over 11 minutes remaining.

Girls’ soccer

Two girls’ soccer teams remained alive in the playoffs at press time.

Reigning Class C champion Waynflete finished its regular season 5-8-1 after last week’s 5-1 loss at NYA. Fallon Culley scored for the Flyers, while goalkeeper Rachel Yordon stopped 11 shots.

Waynflete finished sixth in Class C South and goes back to No. 3 NYA (11-3) for the quarterfinals Tuesday. The Panthers won both meetings this season, also prevailing in Portland, 3-0, back on Sept. 21. The rivals had met six previous times in the playoffs with the Flyers’ 1-0 victory in last year’s regional final the most recent.

If Waynflete springs the upset, it will go to No. 2 Hall-Dale (10-0-4) or host No. 7 Winthrop (8-6) in the semifinals Friday or Saturday.

In Class A South, Cheverus capped its 10-2-2 regular season by blanking South Portland, 6-0, last Tuesday. Sophia Monfa had three goals, Jill Foley added a pair and Caoimhe Oliver also found the net.

The Stags finished fourth in the region and hosted No. 5 Falmouth (10-3-2) in the quarterfinals Tuesday (see our website for game story). The teams played to a 1-1 draw in the regular season and split two prior playoff encounters, with Cheverus’ 6-0 victory in the 2018 quarterfinals the most recent.

If the Stags advanced to Friday’s semifinals, they’ll go to No. 1 Windham (12-1-1) or host No. 8 Kennebunk (8-3-4).

The Class A South Final is Tuesday of next week in Waterboro.

Deering ended up with the 12th and final seed in Class A South, but was ousted at No. 5 Falmouth, 4-0, in last Friday’s preliminary round of the playoffs to wind up 4-9-2. The Rams got 11 saves from Annabelle Price, but couldn’t generate any offense.

“(Falmouth) started really fast and put us under a lot of pressure from the jump,” said Deering coach Paul Cameron. “We had to play the rest of the first half on the back foot. We addressed that at halftime. We had to try to bump everyone up the field to generate a bit more offense. Later in the game, we generated a couple opportunities, but it wasn’t enough. (Falmouth’s) a good side. They pass the ball very well.

“It’s my fourth year. We made playoffs my first year and this is the first time since. The girls should be proud of themselves for that. Overall, we’ve had a great season and they’re a great group of kids.

“We lose five starters. Next year, we’re probably looking at a bit of a rebuilding year. We only have one junior. We’ll be young. ”

Portland went 2-12 and failed to qualify for the postseason.

Football

The football regular season came to an end for Deering and Cheverus Saturday afternoon at Boulos Stadium in what became the Joey Foley Show.

After a sluggish start, the Rams went in front to stay midway through the first period when quarterback Tavian Lauture connected with Santino Cavallaro on a 29-yard touchdown catch and run. Foley then scored on a 9-yard run in the second period, a quarter which saw him eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the season, as Deering took a 14-0 lead to the half.

The Rams ended all doubt in the third period, as Foley scored on a 19-yard scamper, then Jordan DiBiase bulled in from the 2. Foley, on his final carry of a most productive afternoon, scored on a 12-yard burst early in the fourth quarter, and Deering went on to a 35-0 victory.

Foley led the way with 221 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries, as he passed not only the 1,000-, but the 1,100-yard plateau in the process, and the Rams finished the regular season 7-1, their best mark since 2008.

“It means everything to me,” Foley said, of his milestone. “That was my goal all year. I have to thank my linemen. Everything worked. We were able to get a lot of yards. I get a lot of pleasure from breaking tackles and running over guys.”

“Joey was very good,” Rams coach Brendan Scully said. “We were missing the guy (Zeke Dewever) who splits carries with him today, so it was kind of Joey’s show a little bit and he certainly got the job done.

“That’s pretty cool (to be 7-1). We’re excited about it. One of the things we’re figuring out is how to be that 7-1 team. How you act and how you have to work every day. We’re still learning and I think we can still get better. Knock on wood, we’ve avoided major injuries. We’re healthy going into the postseason and that’s a nice thing.”

Deering will be the No. 2 seed for the Class B South playoffs and earned a bye into the semifinal round.

“We have to just lock in and give 100 percent all the time in practice,” Foley said. “We want to win. I think we have what it takes to make a run. We have the talent and the coaching.”

“I think we just have to start fast and be ready to go,” said Scully. “When we start quick, we usually end up playing well. If we start slower, we struggle.”

Cheverus had some chances early in Saturday’s game, but couldn’t finish and wound up 2-6.

“We hung in there for a half,” said Stags coach Skip Capone. “We had opportunities in the red zone, but we couldn’t score. (Deering’s) a really good football team. They’re physical.”

The Stags will be the No. 5 seed for the Class B South playoffs and go to No. 4 Marshwood (4-4) for the quarterfinals Friday night. The Stags just lost, 41-13, at the Hawks Oct. 18. The teams split two prior playoff encounters with the most recent coming in 1992.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.