Foxcroft Academy Athletics: A Week in Review

Ponies ready for huge
semifinal matchup

    The third-seeded Foxcroft Academy field hockey team earned an impressive 5-0 win over No. 6 Winthrop in an Eastern Maine Class C quarterfinal game on Oct. 21. The 14-1 Ponies were then set to face No. 2 Dexter at Husson University on the evening of Oct. 28

    Alli Bourget assisted Fern Morrison and then Madison Fadley to give the Ponies an early 2-0 lead. Bourget scored a goal of her own in the second half to increase the lead to three, and Julia Annis (who assisted Bourget’s goal) scored the game’s final two goals, one coming on a Morrison assist.
    Coach Stephanie Smith was pleased with her team’s effort and execution in the playoff opener. “The girls played hard, skilled, focused, and as a team for the entire 60 minutes,” she said. “We will need to continue to build on this type of play to be on top at the end of this week. We will face the type of competition where one let up, missed opportunity, or defensive breakdown could very quickly end the season.”
    The improving duo of Madison Chadbourne and Abby Simpson split the Winthrop game in net, and the Ponies’ rock-solid defensive unit deserves a great deal of credit for the team’s 12th shutout of the year. “I knew going in to this season our defense would be solid with returning players Avery Carroll, Aliviah King, and Abby Simmons,” Smith said. “These players have provided a tremendous amount of confidence and leadership in our defense, and they made it easier for the other positions on defense to develop and grow strong. One such player is Deseray Lablanc, who I knew would have to be on the field this year but was not sure where. She always played offense in the past, but she recognized and took advantage of the open position on defense and has done extremely well. She is our most improved player and has become a very tough and determined defensive player.”
    If the Ponies are able to get by Dexter, the team will compete for the Eastern Maine regional title at Hampden Academy on Thursday, with the state title game to be played at Thomas College in Waterville on Saturday (starting times to be determined).
    Smith understands that the Ponies face an enormous challenge in the quest to repeat as Class C champs, but she believes they are ready to go. “I certainly get the impression from this team that they are in it and ready to take on this challenge,” she said. “It is remarkable how each game we have a wide spread of contributors to our success. If one player is heavily guarded, someone else steps up. These girls have made it very difficult to defend them. The whole team is tough!”

Ponies honored for play
on the soccer field

    In boys soccer team news, seven Ponies have been honored by the Penobscot Valley Conference. Midfielder Antonio Ayala (10 goals, 11 assists) and defender Nate Church were named to the conference’s First Team while forward Justin Diamond (11 goals, seven assists), midfielder Matt Baiamonte (four goals), midfielder Julian Zepeda (three goals, six assists), defender Eli Olson, and goalkeeper Logan Butera were all named to the PVC Second Team.
    Coach Luis Ayala’s PVC Coach of the Year award is his first as a soccer coach and will fit nicely on the mantle next to his two Maine Wrestling Coach of the Year awards.

Football team knocks off MDI to lock down
No. 3 seed in Big Ten

    The Foxcroft Academy football team rushed for 390 yards and six touchdowns en route to a convincing 43-6 victory at Mount Desert Island High School on Friday. The Ponies improved to 6-2 with the win and have locked down the third seed in the Big Ten Conference. MDI slipped to 3-5 and will travel to Dover-Foxcroft to take on the Ponies in the playoff opener Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m., with the winner heading to No. 2 Waterville the following weekend.
    Toiling in wet and muddy conditions, the Foxcroft offensive line set the tone from the beginning, dominating the line of scrimmage and opening up gaping holes for quarterback Hunter Smith and tailback Pete Boyer. Smith finished with 167 yards and two scores on 19 carries to run his season rushing totals to 875 yards and 13 touchdowns. Boyer churned out 143 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries to go with 16 tackles from his spot at middle linebacker. The senior captain closes the regular season as the team’s leader in rushing yards (1,262), rushing touchdowns (21) and tackles (95), and both he and Smith, who also had 256 receiving yards and four touchdown catches, should receive strong consideration for Big Ten Player of the Year. Chris Storer added 79 yards on just five carries, punctuated by a 61-yard scoring dash late in the fourth quarter.
    Coach Danny White attributed much of his team’s success on the ground to a dominant performance by the offensive line. “The line has continued to improve as the season has progressed,” he said. “We’ve rushed for nearly 2,700 yards in eight weeks, and that doesn’t happen without really strong play up front. Kaleb [Faloon], Sean [Cody], Clay [Carroll], James [Smith], Brandon [Brock], Brandon [Dyer] and Matt [Storer] have all worked very hard to get to this point and are peaking as a unit at the right time.”
    The Pony defense limited the Trojans to 60 yards through the air and 163 rushing yards on 51 attempts. Billy Brock had 12 tackles at outside linebacker, and Connor Holmes continued to be very active in the middle of the defensive line, picking up 10 tackles after notching a career-high 11 a week ago. Gaige Pleninger (10 tackles and a forced fumble), Clay Carroll (eight tackles to finish second on the team with 82), Kaleb Faloon (six tackles) and Hunter Smith (three tackles and an interception) joined Boyer as defensive standouts.
    The Ponies now must prepare to play the same opponent in consecutive weeks (as they did in 2012 when they hosted Mattanawcook Academy in week eight and again in the playoff opener), and they may be doing so in rough weather conditions again.
   White believes that his team is up to the challenge. “We feel as though our best football is still ahead of us,” he said. “Our kids know what is on the line from here on out and are preparing themselves accordingly. The key this week will be to remain focused and not allow last week’s game to influence the way they prepare for this one. Regardless of what happens, it’s the last time our seniors will compete on Oakes Field, and that means a great deal to them.”

Piquette qualifies
for cross country
state championship meet

   Gabe Piquette ran a time of 19:01.16 to lead the Foxcroft Academy cross country team at the regional cross country championship in Belfast on Saturday. The junior’s time landed him 25th out of 111 varsity runners and earned him a spot in the state championship meet back in Belfast this coming Saturday.
   Overall the boys’ team averaged 19:58.45 to finish 11th out of 16 qualifying teams, narrowly missing out on a chance to compete as a team at the state meet for the first time since 2008.
    Coach Brett Almasi was disappointed that his team just missed qualifying for the state meet but knows this was a very successful season. “I am very pleased with their combined effort in this last meet, and more importantly, over the entire season,” he said. “Gabe is slowly reaching his potential as our top runner, and qualifying for states shows that he is able to step up when it matters. Virginia Macomber ended her season on a solid note and has the potential to qualify for states in the next three years. Junior captain Jen Clawson ran the Belfast race through illness, once again showing her dedication to the team. And a very special thanks to Cooper Nelson for completing the grueling task of competing in a playoff soccer game earlier Saturday morning, then rushing to our race to help our team compete.”

Girls soccer fights to the
finish, eyes success in 2015

   The girls soccer team wrapped up the 2014 campaign with a loss at Hermon last Monday. The Ponies fought hard right to the end for first-year head coach Chris Wesley. “The ladies’ attitude and effort was incredible all season long in practices and games,” he said. “Being another new coach to them, they kept themselves open-minded in trying new things. They knew I was going to be different from their previous coaches and never complained or questioned my drills or ideas in practices and games. It can be hard to maintain a positive attitude when you don’t win a game, but they were able to do that and remain focused each and every game.”
    Wesley noted that quite a few players made significant strides over the course of the 14-game season. “The defense was unsettled at the start of the season but sorted itself out due in part to Laura Shorey moving from forward to fullback and doing a great job,” he said. “Emily Sprecher, Des Brawn, and Annie Rich became a three-headed monster at the center fullback positions, Erika Chadbourne learned the fullback position and improved quite a bit as the season progressed, and lastly on defense was Avery Nelson, who held her own as a freshman playing varsity. Other players who rose to the occasion were Kendra Ewer as center mid after playing forward and defense last year. She became a calming influence in the middle of the field and was tough as nails. Jo Panciera as a mid played most of the game and never asked for a sub while she ran up and down the field on offense and defense, and Kayla McCorrison was a physical force for us and used her strong foot to start our offensive attacks many times. The forwards who stood out were Grace Bickford, who put constant pressure on the opposing fullbacks with her size and skill; Cass Panciera, who was one of our faster players, put pressure on the opposition, and was a ball of energy; Shayla Bickmore, with her lethal right foot for constant crosses at the goal and her relentlessness on-the-ball pressure; and finally another freshman, Jenna Clukey, who added another dimension to the team with her knack for the goal and the ball.”
    Wesley also praised his nine seniors  for their effort and leadership over the course of the season. “They were a dedicated group who led by example with their play on and off the field. They were willing to back me on new drills and team bonding events and pulled the team together from the get go. I wish more than anything that they could have felt the feeling of walking off the field as a winner, but they definitely laid the groundwork for a successful program moving forward. They were an incredibly caring group who looked out for each other, and I am just glad to have had the time with them that I did.”
    With a lot of underclassmen earning significant playing time this year, expectations for 2015 are high. “I am looking forward to qualifying for the playoffs next year and showing the league that FA has arrived and is here to stay,” Wesley said. “We will not only be competitive but resilient in turning into a winning team. I expect with a good portion of the team returning that we will have the experience needed to succeed in a tough Class B.”