The Sports Year in Review — Part II

What were the top sports stories of the region over the past year? Our staff reviewed the past 12 months as documented by the Observer and came up with the highlights from 2015. Last week focused on the first half of the year while this week covers the final six months.

July

Bruce Daley was the overall winner of the Slate Man Triathlon in Monson with a time of 25 minutes, 21 seconds while top female Trish Moulton covered the course in 36:39 minutes.

August

For the fourth time in a row, Graham Pearsall, a 2009 Foxcroft Academy graduate, won the FA Alumni Weekend Pony Pride 5K. He completed the 3.1-mile course in 16 minutes, 41 seconds.

Wayne Champeon, who led his Greenville High School basketball team to a 1954 state championship and was named to the Class M all-tourney team, was inducted into the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame. Champeon’s resume included a stellar playing career at the University of Maine as well as an incredible coaching run at Edward Little High School and Foxcroft Academy.

A pair of familiar faces would be in somewhat new places for the new school year as SAD 41 directors approved transferring Principal Julie Royal from Brownville to Milo Elementary School and filling the Brownville post with Carol Smith as teaching principal.

Foxcroft Academy’s senior quarterback Hunter Smith was invited to take the field in the Blue-Grey North-South All-American Bowl, a high school all-star game to be played in January at the home stadium of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Brian Salisbury and Andrew Shorey were named as co-coaches of the Dexter Regional High School varsity football team. They replaced Kevin Armstrong, who stepped down after three seasons at the Tigers’ helm citing increased job responsibilities.

September

The fall 2015 Foxcroft football season suffered a substantial setback during the preseason as senior Hunter Smith dislocated his hip in an exhibition game and junior halfback-linebacker Billy Brock broke a bone in his hand in the same contest.

October

Seniors Gabe Piquette and Jen Clawson of Foxcroft Academy and junior William Straunch of Dexter scored top-30 individual finishes in their respective races to advance to the state cross country meet in Cumberland.

November

Named as all-star selections by the Maine Soccer Coaches organization were FA’s Antonio Ayala, Logan Butera, Nathaniel Church and Tobias Hogfeldt in Boys Class B North; Penquis Valley’s Clayton Preble and Bryce Gilbert of Piscataquis Community in Boys Class C North; and Greenville’s Evan Bjork, Connor DiAngelo and Noah Pratt in Boys Class D South. Charlotte Aucoin and Shelby Ward were recognized in Girls Class D South.

Named to the Penobscot Valley Conference Soccer all-academic team were Antonio Ayala, Toan Bui, Nate Church, Harry Gong, Dylan Harmon-Weeks and Cooper Nelson, all of Foxcroft Academy; Ben Morrill and Christian Mumley of PCHS; and Josh Martin of Penquis. Girls’ honorees include Stacey Allen and Jenna Crane of Dexter; Greenville’s Shelby Ward; Courtney Deane, Cahrey Harris, Haylee Patterson and Lucinda Wingert of PCHS; and Alyssa Murano and Sha-Lynn Trafton of Penquis.

Earning PVC field hockey recognition were Katie Batron and Kolby Kain of Dexter, Allig Bourget, Avery Carroll and Madison Fadley of Foxcroft, and Alanna Page of PCHS, first team; Abby Webber of Dexter and Miriah Chapman and Jordynne Littlefield of PCHS, second team; and Emily Watson of Dexter, honorable mention. Named to the PVC all-academic field hockey team were Carroll and Fadley of FA, Batron, Cassidy Brown, Ciera Handy, Christie Nicholas, Kaitlyn Paquin and Watson of Dexter, and Littlefield, Alexa Merrill, Alanna Page, Tiffany Porter and Rylea Roberts of PCHS.

Chosen by the Maine Field Hockey Association as top student-athletes were Dexter’s Katie Batron, Foxcroft’s Avery Carroll and Alanna Page of PCHS.

December

Football players Tanner Strout and Connor Holmes represented Foxcroft Academy on the Big 10 Conference first team while teammate Cody Strout received second team honors. James Smith and David Salley were selected as honorable mentions. Picked for the Big 10 all-academic team from FA were Nate Church, Abe Simpson, Hunter Smith and James Smith.