Newsletter #5...Honoring a fallen legend

High school sports, like life, isn't always about fun and games or a pleasant distraction. Sometimes tragedy interferes and the high school football community was shaken to its core earlier this month when Tyler Patterson, a former walk-on at the University of Maine and the current coach at Oceanside High School, passed away suddenly at the all-too-young age of 33.

While Rockland and Orono are far from the coverage area, this is a universal story of humanity and how coaches from near and far have come together to support Patterson's family.

Leading the way in this endeavor is Skip Capone, the current coach at Cheverus, who has played a key role in football in the state for decades. Capone has helped organize an upcoming clinic, with the proceeds going to Patterson's wife, Jennifer, and his young sons, TJ and Blu.

"This one hits hard," said Capone. "I'm 70. I've lived a blessed life. To hear of something like this happening to someone whose life is just beginning is tragic. We want to help in any way we can.

"The Maine coaching community is special. We take care of each other and we fight for each other. We may be opponents on a Friday night or a Saturday, but honestly, the rest of the year, we're brothers."

The clinic will be held Sunday, June 1 from 9 to 11 a.m., at Bates College in Lewiston. It is open to grades 7 through 12 and will be a non-padded clinic. The cost is $15 and additional donations are available.

For more information, contact Coach Capone at skipcapone3@gmail.com.

In case you missed it

Here's a look at game stories that have been posted since last week's newsletter:

Greely girls eke out a win at Yarmouth in battle of reigning champs

Yarmouth boys continue to dominate defensively in win over Scarborough

Erik Swenson was perfect in Scarborough's win over Gorham

Cape Elizabeth rallies and walks it off against Greely

Falmouth survives South Portland in 10-inning marathon

Yarmouth softball earns a pivotal win at Greely

Gorham blanks South Portland in the rain

If you haven't already, please subscribe at the champion level for access to all stories from the spring sports season.

And if you missed my Middays with Mannix and Mannix radio spot from last Friday, here's the link:

https://thebigjab.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MMM-5-16-25-Michael-Hoffer-9.mp3

Streaks and milestones

Two area softball players reached milestones Wednesday.

Cheverus sophomore ace Addison DeRoche, who either crushes a prodigious home run or sets some kind of pitching mark seemingly every day, reached the 300 career strikeout plateau in a 10-0 (five-inning) win at Kennebunk Wednesday. DeRoche continues to be otherworldly, currently posting a 7-0 record with a minuscule 0.17 earned run average. She has 92 strikeouts to date.

Windham senior Stella Jarvais, meanwhile, picked up her 100th career hit in an 18-3 (three-inning) home win over Noble.

Thursday, another Windham athlete, girls' lacrosse standout Neve Ledbetter, scored her 100th career goal in the soaring Eagles' 16-6 home win over Marshwood.

Then there's Greely sophomore Kyle Soule, who was recently named the Prep Baseball New England Player of the Week.

Soule went 7-of-14 in that span, crushing two home runs at York and driving in nine runs. The shortstop, who can also pitch, is one of the most highly-touted players in his class.

There are an abundance of local teams riding win streaks at the moment. Here's a glimpse:

Baseball
Scarborough 9 games (21 in a row over past two seasons)
Cape Elizabeth 6

Softball
Cheverus 10 games (14 in a row over past two seasons)
Gorham 4
Windham 4

Boys' lacrosse
Falmouth 9 games (21 in a row over past two seasons)
Yarmouth 9 (15 in a row over past two seasons)
Thornton Academy 8
South Portland 7

Girls' lacrosse
Freeport 9 games
Windham 9

And congratulations to Windham's baseball team, which earned its first victory Tuesday, beating Portland (6-3), and to the Bulldogs, who got in the win column for the first time Thursday at Cheverus by the same 6-3 margin.

Polls

Here's this week's Super6 polls, which includes teams from Thornton Academy to Freeport, through games played Thursday, May 22nd:

Baseball
1 Scarborough
2 Gorham
3 Thornton Academy
4 Greely
5 Cape Elizabeth
6 Falmouth

The Red Storm, behind their brilliant pitching, remain first, while Gorham and TA flip-flop. The Rangers and Capers have been neck-and-neck this season, but Greely's overall body of work gives it a slight edge at this juncture.

Softball
1 Cheverus
2 Gorham
3 Windham
4 Freeport
5 NYA
6 Greely

The Stags continue to steamroll everyone while the Rams and Eagles try to keep pace. The Falcons and Panthers have an interclass showdown Friday.

Boys' lacrosse
1 Falmouth
2 Yarmouth
3 Thornton Academy
4 South Portland
5 Freeport
6 NYA

The Navigators can make their strongest case yet that they're the state's finest team when they host the Clippers Friday. The Golden Trojans and Red Riots are surging and don't sleep on the Falcons, who at last check, were second in the Class B statewide Heal Points standings.

Girls' lacrosse
1 Windham
2 Freeport
3 Cheverus
4 Gorham
5 Thornton Academy
6 Yarmouth

The Eagles just keep getting better and better and have to be viewed as a legitimate Class A title threat. The Falcons are the clear favorite in Class B. The Clippers snapped a five-game skid with wins this week at Waynflete and at home over Thornton Academy. No one will want to see them in their bracket next month.

A look ahead

What might just be the best boys' lacrosse game of the season is set for tonight at 6 p.m., when undefeated, reigning Class A champion Falmouth plays host to defending Class B champion, unbeaten Yarmouth. The Navigators' offense is unstoppable, producing a whopping 169 goals in just nine games (nearly 19 per outing), while the Clippers' defense is magnificent, only surrendering 17 goals in nine contests (fewer than two per game). Something will have to give and you can be sure yours truly will be on hand to chronicle all of the excitement.

Saturday, weather permitting, we'll get a pair of terrific Class A South baseball matchups, as Biddeford hopes to continue its superb and unheralded campaign at a Falmouth squad that scratches and claws every single game, while reigning Class A champion Scarborough squares off with South Portland in a game rife with Heal Points implications at Wainwright Farms.

Monday, is a holiday and unless some games get rescheduled, will be treated as such. with a day off.

Tuesday, Gorham at Thornton Academy highlights the baseball slate, Gorham at Windham could be a memorable softball battle, while in boys' lacrosse, defending Class C champion Wells goes to a North Yarmouth Academy squad which could ultimately be its fiercest competition, while Falmouth plays at South Portland and Thornton Academy hopes to continue its winning ways at Cape Elizabeth.

Girls' lacrosse will take center-stage Wednesday, as Yarmouth goes to Cape Elizabeth for a rematch of a thriller from earlier this season, three-time Class B champion Greely welcomes dangerous York and reigning Class C champion Waynflete goes to Freeport, which is one of the state's three undefeated squads (along with Kennebunk and Mt. Ararat).

Thursday, Gorham's softball team looks to remain the top threat to reigning champion Cheverus and powerhouse Windham when it welcomes South Portland under the lights.

And we'll be right back with another newsletter next Friday, which will feature a special announcement about the website.

Have a great holiday weekend, everyone!

Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffersports@yahoo.com