Following a phenomenal Fall sports season that produced 2 state championships, the 2021-2022 winter sports season did not fail to impress. Looking back, the school welcomed home 2 state championships this fall, with the Football and Field Hockey teams bringing home the hardware. Not only did they indicate that they were the top in the state, but they did so in dominating fashion. Both teams captained immaculate seasons, remaining undefeated until the end. The championships also made history for the school. The football team won their 1st Eight-Man Championship and the 2nd since the Eight-Man division commenced in 2019. That championship may also be their last in the Eight-Man division, as Cheverus has applied to play in the 11-man Class C South, beginning this fall. Just up the hill, the Cheverus Field Hockey team won their 1st State Championship in program history, raising a new banner in the Keegan Gym. The Fall season had to end though, but the following Winter Sports season was not to disappoint.
The Stags came back roaring in the winter season, with successful regular seasons all around. Once the playoffs began, a few teams were primed to make a run for their money.
The Girl’s Hockey Team kicked off the championship season on February 9th with an 11-4-1 regular season record. Coming off a tough 1-0 overtime loss against reigning State Champion Lewiston, the girls came in wanting a long postseason run. Their quarter-final matchup pitted them against the Gorham co-op team, whom they had beaten earlier in the season. The Stags rolled into the Semi-finals with a 10-3 win. The win featured goals from 6 different players. Senior Olivia Bradford had a hat trick, sophomores Lily Johnson and Mikayla Talbot scored 2 goals apiece, and sophomore Charlotte Miller, freshman Lucy Johnson, and sophomore Maddie Doherty each added 1 goal. The victory sent the Stags to face Scarborough in the semifinal round. The girls had beaten Scarborough in both of their previous meetings, but the Red Storm remained ready for a fight. Above all else, the game featured phenomenal goaltending from Cheverus goalie Ella Lemieux. The game went scoreless for 3 periods of regulation and 2 periods of overtime play until Scarborough scored the game-winner with only eight seconds remaining in the 3rd overtime. While the Stag’s exited earlier than they had hoped to, next year they return almost all of their starting skaters, as they hope to make a championship run in the competitive Class A field.
The Alpine Ski team was next, bringing their talents to the State Championships at Black Mountain in Rumford. On the 1st day, in Giant Slalom competition, junior Maddie Marcisso led the way for the girl's team, finishing 9th out of 90 skiers. Following her was freshman Aggie Lamontagne in 29th place, and sophomore Sophie Yilmaz in 49th place. On the boys’ side, the Stag’s top finisher was sophomore Will Ray, finishing in 28th place out of 85 skiers. Following him was Senior Aidan Fedrizzi in 65th place and sophomore Patrick Hall in 68th place. On day 2 of competition, the teams raced slalom. The course was a treacherous plate of ice that made skiing very difficult, and the 2nd run was canceled, but that didn’t stop the skiers from competing. On the girls’ side, Maddie Marcisso again led the way with a 10th place finish out of 60 finishers. Following her was junior Olivia McCartney finishing in 44th place. Across the entire field, only 40% of the girls that started made it down without crashing or being disqualified. On the boys’ side, freshman Reis Stamaris led the way finishing 12th out of 67 finishers. Following him was senior Aidan Fedrizzi in 45th place, senior Jack Williams in 46th place, sophomore Patrick Hall in 59th place, sophomore Jimmy Keenan in 61st place, and sophomore Danny McCartney in 64th place. Only one-third of the boys made it down the course without crashing or being disqualified. At the end of competition, the girls placed 15th out of 24 teams, while the boys placed 14th out of 21 teams. Junior Maddie Marcisso and freshman Reis Stamaris each qualified for the state “shootout,” to attempt to represent the Maine team at the Eastern championships. At the shootouts, Maddie placed 22nd, and Reis placed 19th.
The Wrestling team competed in their state championships on February 19th, coming off a successful regional championship meet the week before. The team qualified 5 wrestlers, bringing 2 alternates. Senior captains Marshall Fowler and Sebastian Merrill won regional championships in the 160 lb and 220 lb weight classes, respectively. They each won the runner up titles in their weight classes at states. Senior Braden Smith came in 3rd in his weight class at Regionals, qualifying him for states. Also, Junior Rilan Smith and Freshman Jack Fowler qualified for states, finishing 4th in their weight classes. Freshmen Liam Backman and Jack Fenton were chosen as alternates for the state championships. Following states, Marshall and Sebastian competed at the Maine New England qualifiers. Sebastian won his weight class, while Marshall placed 3rd, sending them both to the New England Championships in Providence, Rhode Island. In doing so, they became the 1st Cheverus duo to compete at the New England Championships.
The Girl’s and Boys Indoor Track teams competed at the Class A State Indoor Championships on Monday, February 21, at USM. 6 boys and 5 girls qualified for the meet, coming off of a successful showing at the Southwestern Championships. On the boys’ side, competition began in the 55 meter dash, where Sophomore Brendan Rogers finished with a time of 6.85 seconds in the prelims, just barely missing the final. In the Mile, Waynflete junior Bryan Stark-chessa (running with Cheverus), finished 5th, in a personal best time of 4 minutes, 36 seconds. Later, in the 800 meter race, Senior Jesse Cadigan and Bryan Stark-chessa finished 5th and 12th, respectively. In the 55 meter hurdles, senior Andrew Griffiths finished 5th in a time of 8.25 seconds. In the 400 meter final, Andrew Griffiths and Brendan Rogers both made the podium, finishing 4th and 7th respectively, with times of 52.32 seconds and 53.30 seconds. In the final track event of the day, the boys 4x200 meter relay team of Andrew Griffiths, Frank Morang, Reagan Bossong, and Brendan Rogers finished 2nd, just 45 hundredths of a second behind Scarborough in a fast, competitive race. Also, senior Frank Morang won the Long Jump state championship with a jump of 21 feet, 9.25 inches. In the Triple Jump, he finished a close 2nd for the runner-up title. At the end of the day, Andrew Griffiths, Jesse Cadigan, and Bryan Stark-chessa each qualified for the New England Championships in Boston. The 4x200 meter relay team also qualified but was unable to compete due to an injury. On the girls’ side, senior Whitmarsh got the day started with a 3rd place podium finish in the Pole Vault, with an 8-foot jump. In the 800 meter race, Freshman Annie Vigue finished 2nd in the state, in a time of 2 minutes, 21 seconds. In the 4x200 meter relay, the girl's team of Caoilinn Durkin, Maddie Hom, Annie Vigue, and Norah Slattery had a podium finish of 5th place. At the end of the day, Annie Vigue qualified for the New England Championships. The teams placed very well overall, with the Boys finishing in 3rd place and the girls in 10th. To follow the state championships, Jesse Cadigan, Annie Vigue, and Andrew Griffiths competed in the New England Indoor Track Championships on Saturday, March 5th at The Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston. Waynflete’s Bryan Stark-chessa finished 18th in the mile, running a personal best time of 4 minutes, 33 seconds. In the 1000 meter run, Annie Vigue finished in 11th place as the top Freshman in New England, finishing in a school-record time of 3:08. Also in the 100 meters, Jesse Cadigan ran a time of 2 minutes, 39 seconds, good for 15th place and just a second off of the school record. In the 600m dash, Andrew Griffiths set a school record with a time of 1 minute, 25 seconds, while finishing 14th. The season didn’t stop there, as Frank Morang won the Emerging Elite Triple Jump at Nike Indoor Nationals, and finished 8th in the Long Jump. Brendan Rogers and Andrew Griffiths also put up some fast marks at the Maine USATF Championships at UMaine to wrap up their indoor seasons.
On February 21st and 22nd, the Boys and Girls competed at the Class A State Championship meets at Cape Elizabeth High School. It was the 1st time the meet was held since 2020. On the boys’ side, individual results came from senior Camden Hom, senior Wyatt England, senior Michael Moseley, and sophomore Brady Hale. Camden Hom finished 27th in the 50 yard freestyle and 15th in the 100 yard freestyle. Wyatt England finished 11th in the 100 yard Butterfly and 16th in the 100 yard breaststroke. Michael Moseley finished 10th in the 100 yard backstroke. Brady Hale also put together some great races, finishing 12th in the 200 yard individual medley and 8th in the 500 yard freestyle. In the relays, the boys 200 yard medley team of Michael Moseley, Bao Bui, Brady Hale, and Wyatt England finished 9th. The 200 yard freestyle team of Michael Moseley, Ryan Flaherty, Doni Hallett, and Camden Hom finished 13th, while the 400 yard freestyle team of Camden Hom, Brady Hale, Michael Moseley, and Wyatt England finished 9th. In the end, the boys finished 12th out of 24 teams. On the girls’ side, senior Taylor Belanger brought home the state championship titles in the 50m freestyle and the 100 yard breaststroke. Other individual finishers included junior Bianca Cunningham finishing 6th in both the 50 and 100 yard freestyle, while senior Deliah Hastings finished 5th in the 100 yard backstroke. In the 200 yard medley relay, Reese Belanger, Cialy Charbonneau, Delilah Hastings, Taylor Belanger finished 4th. In the 200 yard freestyle medley, Hannah Derrig, Bianca Cunningham, Cialy Charbonneau, and Julia Olsen finished 7th. Lastly, in the 400 yard freestyle relay, Bianca Cunningham, Reese Belanger, Delilah Hastings, and Taylor Belanger finished 7th. With these great performances, the girls earned a 3rd place finish out of 23 teams in the state.
Over February Break, the girl’s and boys Nordic Skiing teams competed in their state championship races, held over 2 days at Black Mountain in Rumford, Maine. On the 1st day of competition, classical races were held. Senior Leska Whitmarsh led the way for the girls with a 5th place finish. Following her was junior Anabelle Brooks in 7th place, senior Grace Turner in 24th place, and sophomore Delaney Whitmarsh in 33rd place. On the boys’ side in classical, junior Padraic Keane finished 1st for Cheverus in 43rd place. Following him was freshman Logan Whitmarsh in 60th place. The course was very slushy, and in some spots, underwater, due to rain. Nonetheless, the skiers managed the course and put themselves in good standing going into day 2. Day 2, though, showcased a very different course. The course froze overnight, resulting in a much faster surface. During the day’s Freestyle race, Annabelle Brooks led the way for the girls with a 4th place finish, followed by Leska Whitmarsh in 11th, Delaney Whitmarsh in 24th, and Grace Turner in 32nd. On the Boys’ side, Padraic Keane led the way in 24th place, followed by Logan Whitmarsh in 54th. At the end of competition, the overall results featured Anabelle Brooks in 4th place, Leska Whitmarsh in 7th, Grace Turner in 28th, and Delaney Whitmarsh in 29th. This fantastic performance resulted in a 2nd place finish for the girls! On the boys’ side, Padraic Keane and Logan Whitmarsh finished 32nd and 60th, respectively, giving them an 11th place finish in Class A. Later, at the Maine Team Selection Race, which determines who will represent Maine at the Eastern High School Championships, Annabelle Brooks and Leska Whitmarsh qualified for the team, while Delaney Whitmarsh qualified for the under 16 team.
The Boy’s Basketball team also had a successful year. The team had its best run in a number of years, coming in Coach Richie Ashley's 1st year with the team. Entering the playoffs with an 8-9 record, the stags faced a Portland team they both won against and lost to during the regular season. The game was close throughout, but Cheverus could not find a break and Portland led all the way through. That changed in the last seconds of the game. After senior Seth Huntington grabbed a rebound off of a missed Portland free-throw, he passed the ball up court to junior Silvano Ismail, who took 2 dribbles and put up a prayer from 40 feet out. The ball bounced off the backboard, and fell into the hoop, producing a wave of cheers and a victory for Cheverus. The play was one of if not the most memorable moment of the Cheverus winter sports season, if not in all of Southern Maine. With it, the stags beat rival Portland and advanced to the Class AA North semifinals at the Civic Center. Silvano Ismail finished with a game-high 23 points, while Gio St. Onge added on 11. Seth Huntington and freshman Sammy Nzeyimana scored 3 points each, while junior Nick Manning and freshman Leo McNabb each contributed 2. In the team’s semifinal, the Stags faced a tall, talented Oxford Hills team. Although the Vikings slowed Cheverus’s offense, they held their ground and were able to churn out 46 points. In the end, the Stags came up short, losing 59-46 to an impressive Oxford Hills team that would end up in the Class AA final. Silvano Ismail again had the most points for the Stags, with 15, while Seth Huntington added 8. Gio St. Onge scored 7, Nick Manning added 4, Leo McNabb, Sammy Nzeyimana, and Carter Hoglund had 3 each, and Luke McNabb and Anthony Cloutier contributed 1 and 2 points respectively. With 4 out of 5 of their starters returning next year, the Stags should come back even better next year.
The Boy’s Hockey team also made a great run in the playoffs, in their 2nd season as a co-op. The Stags combined with Yarmouth last season to address low numbers, and the team is already back in contention. The team played a great regular season, which featured many wins and close losses to top programs. Entering the playoffs, the team had a 12-5 record and were seeded 3rd. In the boy’s quarterfinal game against York, the team came out on top with a 5-1 victory. Scoring came from senior Kevin Connolly, Yarmouth sophomore Andrew Cheever, Yarmouth senior Matt Robichaud, Yarmouth senior Oliver Prinn, and junior Ryan Franceschi. With their rout of York, the Cheverus/Yarmouth team showed promise heading into the Class B South semifinals. In the Semifinals, they were matched against Brunswick, whom they had beaten and lost to in the regular season. The game was back and forth from the start, with the score being 2-2 at the end of the 1st period. The 2nd period went scoreless while the 3rd period brought regulation to an end with a 3-3 tie. The game would go into overtime, and it would take 5 overtimes to produce a winner. Unfortunately for Cheverus, their run ended with a Brunswick goal in the 5th overtime that sent the Dragons to the regional final. It was a long, hard-fought game between 2 top teams that just didn’t end the right way for the Stags. The team returns many of their players next year and hopes to make another good run and continue to grow the team.
To end the winter sports season, the Girl’s Basketball team produced the greatest of them all, bringing home a Gold Ball and Cheverus’ 3rd state championship this year. The Stags had a phenomenal regular season, entering the playoffs with a record of 14-3, and the number 4 seed. In the Stag’s quarterfinal game against Portland, sophomore Maddie Fitzpatrick led the way with 27 points as the team made easy work of Portland in a 72-45 win. With the win, the Stags advanced to the Class AA North semifinals at the Civic Center, where they handled Hampden Academy 35-25 in a very defensive game. Senior Lillie Singleton and sophomore Emma Lizotte led the way each with 10 points. That win sent the Stags to the Class AA North Final, where they would play rival Oxford Hills. The girls had both beaten and lost to Oxford Hills in tight games during the regular season, and this game would not be easy. The stags played well all game, keeping it close through the 1st half. It wasn’t until the 3rd Quarter that they began to pull away, They held Oxford Hills to just 3 points in the 3rd, and held a 30-21 lead entering the 4th quarter. The Stags continued to pull away, won the contest 52-36, brought home the regional title, and advanced to the State Final. The game’s scoring was led by Maddie Fitzpatrick with 19 points, while Emma Lizotte added 13. Lillie Singleton scored 9, senior Julia Kratzer pitched in 5, senior Maeve Kelly added 3, and seniors Emily Bontatibus and Hayley Jordan scored 1 and 2 points, respectively. The State Final pitted Cheverus against Gorham, one of the most successful girls' programs of the last decade. The Civic Center was packed, the student section was loud and the crowd was ready for a great game. The scoring started quickly on both sides of the court but remained back and forth, as the 1st quarter ended with 15-13 Cheverus lead. The 2nd quarter featured less scoring, as the teams were tied 19 apiece going into the half. During the 3rd quarter, the Stags came out ready to play, exploding for 13 points, while shutting down Gorham’s offense, and extending their lead to make it 32-23 entering the 3rd quarter. The scoring continued in the 4th quarter, as Julia Kratzer continued to silence Gorham’s offense with her 3-pointers, ending the game with 4, and a game-high 17 points. The game continued until the Stag’s made their final shift change and the clock hit 0, giving the Girl’s Basketball team their 1st ever state championship. In scoring, Emma Lizotte added 14 points, while Maddie Fitzpatrick and Lillie Singleton each scored 6. Maeve Kelly added 6 points, and Emily Bontatibus contributed 2. The Stags graduate 6 seniors this year, but hope to build a young team around Maddie Fitzpatrick and Emma Lizotte and make another run for the title next year.
Overall, all teams had successful seasons, producing many team, individual, and runner-up titles. The spring sports season is sure to be a great one.
Daniel McCartney, Co-Editor in Chief