The Gorham Winter Sports programs have their teams set and their seasons are underway.
Girls’ Basketball: Gorham finished last year with a record of 13-7. The Lady Rams (#3 seed) made it to the semifinals where they succumbed to the #2 seed, Scarborough.
Coach Laughn Berthiume said, “We return nine players from the varsity team and add one talented newcomer to complete our roster of 10.” The roster includes Jacqui Hamilton (SR), Olivia Michaud (JR), Adele Nadeau (JR), Lauren Fotter (JR), Tatyanna Biamby (JR), Anna Nelson (SO), Sophia Michaud (SO), Brylee Bishop (SO), Nicole Walker (SO), and Leah Woodbury (SO).
“This year we plan to utilize a new strategy of playing uptempo to take advantage of our players’ strengths,” Berthiume said. “We will be most successful if we play fast and move the ball offensively,” he added.
Boys’ Basketball: Coach Mark Karter is in his 35th year coaching the Rams. Last season the team went 11-8 ending its season with a loss to Scarborough in the Southern Maine AA Quarterfinals. Key returning players are seniors Nick Strout, Ryan Reno, and Jordan Bretton along with juniors Grant Nadeau and Bode Meader. Key newcomers to the team are senior Alex Burghardt and juniors Stephen Graham, Garrett Smith, Mason Laskey, Josh Allen and Ben Tukey.
Karter said the big match-ups this season are Bonny Eagle, Thornton Academy, South Portland and Windham. He believes the boys will have a tough road in the upcoming season but will continue to improve and play their best basketball when it comes time for the tournament.
“The Southern Maine AA boys schedule is one of the most difficult in the state. Gorham will look to use its perimeter play, coupled with increased post presence to try and navigate a schedule loaded with powerful teams,” Karter said.
Girls’ Hockey: Gorham/Bonny Eagle/ Massabesic/ Westbrook all come together to form a team coached by Nat Germond. Last year’s record was 3-14-1 and the team lost a few key players in Isis Adams, CC Cochrane and Anna Rathbun. Returning players Izzie Wareham, Anna Nault, Phoebe Richards, and Brooke Guimond look to use their experience to help the team along with newcomer Cadence Howard.
Key match-ups for this season are Biddeford, Mt Ararat, Bowdoin, York. “With seven returning seniors we are hoping to improve on last season’s record and achieve a postseason berth. The schedule is front loaded with top ranked teams from last season,” Coach Germond said. He believes if the team can show steady improvement, and maintain a positive attitude through the early season, they have a legitimate shot at returning to the playoffs.
Boys’ Hockey: Last season the Rams finished with an 11-9 record which was good enough for the #5 seed in Southern Maine Class B. The boys’ season ended in the Conference semifinals against the eventual State Champions, the Greely Rangers.
Coach Jon Portwine said, “Eleven seniors and both goalies from last year left the program so there are plenty of spots to be won this fall.” Returning are senior forwards Cole Perreault and Jonah Bird, senior defensemen Aiden Owens, Cam Sawyer, and Peter Richards (who will make the move to forward).
“There are a lot of talented younger players that can make an impact this season.” And while it’s a young team, Portwine added, “if they can continuously improve as the season goes on the Rams should be competitive again in Southern Maine Class B, despite a roster full of first time varsity players.”
Girls’ Swimming: Coach Adam Cyr shared, “We return a large senior class which features senior captains and record holders Laura Bolduc and Ava Pitman. The two ladies will be the backbone of possibly our strongest GHS swim team ever.” The girls are also have a very large and talented sophomore class returning which features Caroline and Allison Bishop, both very talented swimmers who are likely to be in the top five point scorers this season.
While the freshman class is not the biggest, there are two very strong swimmers in Abby Rosingana and Kate Pelletier. Cyr said they bring a lot of swimming experience with them are are strong additions to the team because they fill the few holes left on the roster.
An early contest against Scarborough should prove to be exactly what the girls need to start the season strong and defend their second place finish at the South Westerns Championship meet; with the hopes of a first place finish this year.
“We also hope to crack into the top five for the first time ever at the state championship after our sixth place finish last season,” Cyr added.
Boys’ Swimming: Coach Cyr said the boys team is still on the smaller side with only 12 athletes this season. However, they are hoping to build upon a lot of the new success they had last season. “Our lone senior and captain, Patrick Bishop, looks to be our strongest swimmer in just about every event,” said Cyr. Bishop is backed up by a junior class that features Cody Smith. Sophomore Evan Russo is out for the season with a shoulder injury and will be missed. The largest freshman class yet includes Ryan Jodoin and Kyle Brown. Cyr shared their “work ethic and attitude in just the first week of practices are a great addition to the team.”
Cyr said, “We should be very competitive in almost every meet we swim, even looking to improve the number of wins over last season.” The first meet is a rivalry meet against Westbrook who is similar in size and make-up to the Rams. He hopes the team can get a win in week one, so the boys can look to be above .500 around the halfway mark of their season, then onto a tougher stretch leading up to regional championships.
The boys finished in the top-5 at the Southwesterns Championship last year for the first time and are hoping to repeat that feat this year.
Girls’ Indoor Track: Coach John Caterina is entering his 20th year coaching the girls’ indoor track team. Last season the team placed 2nd in the SMAA Championship Meet and 7th in Class A Championship meet.
Key returning runners are Seniors: Kate Tugman, distance; Iris Kitchen, mid-distance; Abby O’Brien, jumps, shot put; Lydia Drew, sprints; Peyton Morton, sprints; and Quinn Young, jumps. Juniors: Sydney Fox, mid-distance; Gabbie Labarge, jumps; Nevaeh Moore, sprints; Molly Murray, sprints; and Alie Peterson, mid-distance. Sophomores: Alyvia Caruso, jumps and hurdles; Sydney Connolly, sprints; Emma Green, sprints and high jump; Maddie Michaud, sprints; Jillian Morrill, sprints and jumps; and Emma Stevens, mid-distance.
With many key scorers returning, Gorham has the depth and talent to be a contender in both SMAA and Class A competition this winter.
“This is the largest roster ever for Gorham, so it will be important to find the best events for all the athletes, especially the new group of freshmen,” Caterina said.
Boys’ Indoor Track: Coach Jason Tanguay is heading into his 11th year of coaching indoor track. The boys ended their season last year in 7th at the SMAA Championship meet and 9th at the Class A state meet.
Key athletes returning this year are Seniors: Ryan Farr, sprints; Tyler Rollins, sprints; Kyle Ouillette, shot put; Seamus Tims, shot put; and Andrew Tinkham, distance. Juniors: Ryan Gendron, jumps; Reed Henderson, distance; Josh Lehmann, distance; and Ryan Murray, sprints. Sophomores: Andrew Farr, sprints; Calvin Cummings, distance; Landon Bickford, middle distance and jumps; and Evan Russo, pole vault. Top newcomers include Freshmen: Lucien Beardsley, distance; and Christian Butler, sprints.
The key meet this season is SMAA Championships. “Gorham graduated some talented seniors from last season, but the team this year has added many athletes. If these new additions can make positive progress this season, then our team could be competitive in the league meets. It should be exciting to watch the development of this crew,” Tanguay said.
Ski Team: The boys have returning senior captain Jacob Polchies, the team points leader last season. Coach Sean Munkacsi said he expects strong results from returning skiers Nolan McCullough, Sam Cousins, Griffin Loranger and Jack Cunningham. “They will be challenged in every race by a group of freshmen who are looking to establish themselves early on,” he said.
Munkacsi said the girls will continue to be led by their top scorer for the last three years, senior Estelle Ballard. Claire Munkacsi (JR), along with Ballard, finished in the top 15 in last year’s State Championship Slalom race. The two are expected to push each other to improve even more and will be joined by several new girls who will make them competitive in the SMAA.
Cheering: Varsity cheering came in fifth at Regionals and 12th in the State Championship last season. Returning athletes for the team consist of Rebecca Brunner, Caralin Mills, Cassidy Rioux, and Reighley Adams. Coach Julie Dvilinsky shared the focus this season will be on technique and tumbling in hopes of qualifying for the State Championship in 2020, as well as New Englands.
Wrestling: GHS wrestling (which competes with Westbrook) is coached by Peter Grant. In speaking about his Gorham wrestlers, Grant has high expectations for Matthew Reno at heavyweight and Henri Kuntz at 170. Kuntz took third at States last year and is striving for first this year. The rest of the team is young but Grant has high hopes despite the tough brackets.