Sports News

Photo: Cindy Jones from Pixabay

An SHS Varsity Spring Sports Preview

By Bella McCall and Eliza Allen, sports writers (reprinted from The Spartan Times)

With spring sports already underway at Sanford High School, this season’s varsity head coaches have recapped last year’s season and what their goals and expectations are for this season.

BASEBALL

Coach Kyle Bernier enters his 4th year as the head coach of the baseball program.Last year, baseball finished the regular season 10-6 and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Gorham. “There were a lot of positives from last season, but I also felt like we left a little on the table,” Bernier said.

Who are the top returners and/or newcomers this season you are excited about?

There are a lot of guys that I am excited to see what they are capable of this year. We have quite a few guys that will be taking on bigger roles this year, so seeing how they handle that will be fun. A few names to watch would be Scott Robitaille, Tyler Do and Matty Hebert, but I believe we will have a lot of guys that contribute this year.

What are your goals and expectations for this season? Any challenges you anticipate? 

The end goal never changes, and that is to win a state championship. With that being said, we lost a few key pieces from last year, especially on the mound. I expect us to play good defense, be competitive at the plate, and run the bases very well. The question mark for us is going to be on the mound, but from what I have seen so far, I believe we have guys that can collectively put us in positions to win games.

What are you most looking forward to this season?

I am really looking forward to seeing how guys handle themselves in bigger roles this year and, in turn, watching them develop. Our guys have worked very hard so far this preseason, so I can’t wait to see how that translates once the season starts.

LACROSSE – GIRLS

Coach Kelly Foley enters her fifth season as the head coach of the girls’ lacrosse program.Last year, the Spartans went 8-6, falling to a talented Massabesic team in the first round of the playoffs. Last season, they beat Thornton Academy for the first time in program history!

Who are the top returners and/or newcomers this season you are excited about?

We are lucky to see a lot of returners this season. Payton Kimball returns in goal, Kya Duprey will lead our defense, Savannah Knight and Mckenna Nanartowich will run our midfield, and the Sevigny sisters (Paige Sevigny and Sadie Sevigny) and Ali Long will lead our offense. We also have a ton of athletic newcomers, and I’m excited to see them improve.

What are your goals and expectations for this season? Any challenges you anticipate?

I’d like to see another 8-6 record or better. Last year we lost two games that should have been ours, so I hope we learn from those mistakes and come out on top against those teams this year. I’d love for us to get a playoff win as well.

What are you most looking forward to this season?

We have a really talented group of athletes — arguably our strongest varsity and JV we’ve had in years. So I’m very excited to see our players work together, support each other, and challenge each other to be better every day.

TENNIS – BOYS

Coach Nicholas Works enters his third year as the boys’ tennis head coach. Last season, the Spartans made the playoffs and lost a close match with Marshwood, 2-3.

Who are the top returners and/or newcomers this season you are excited about?

We have a lot of newcomers that have a lot of potential that I’m looking forward to see play.

What are your goals and expectations for this season? Any challenges you anticipate? 

Our goal is to make the playoffs once again. This season we will face some challenges early with a completely new roster from last year.

What are you most looking forward to this season?

This season I’m looking forward to see the development of this team’s younger core.

TENNIS – GIRLS

Coach Hailey Francoeur enters her third year as the girls’ tennis head coach. They had an historic year in 2024, as the SHS tennis ladies were Class A State Runner Ups. That’s the farthest the girls’ tennis team at SHS has ever gone in the playoffs. 

Who are the top returners and/or newcomers this season you are excited about?

Some of our top returners are Audrey Payeur, Olivia Adornetto, Lily Gillis and Angelina Hu. We have quite a few new players this season. Lyla Fiandaca and Hailey Payeur have come into the team really strong. 

What are your goals and expectations for this season? Any challenges you anticipate? 

We’re certainly a young team, with almost an entirely new varsity team this year. The girls are working hard and I anticipate we will make our way into the playoffs once again. Right now, it’s all about learning the game and refining our skills. 

What are you most looking forward to this season?

We have a really large team this year, so I’m really looking forward to everyone getting into the game of tennis and becoming a supportive team. It’s been really nice to see ladies show up to the courts early for practice, and staying after practice ends to keep working. 

Anything else you’d like to share?

Come on out and support the ladies at a home match!

TRACK & FIELD

Coach Nate Smith enters his first year as the co-ed head coach for the track and field team after a program restructuring. He had previously been the head coach for the girls’ team for the last two seasons and had been the assistant coach for boys’ track for 22 years.

Last year, the boys’ track team had a very successful season with multiple SMAA and All-State placements. As a team, the boys had a 9-3 record. The girls had a small team but competed respectably all year, winning the Class A South Sportsmanship Award.

Who are the top returners and/or newcomers this season you are excited about?

On the boys’ side, we have Jack Van Gieson leading the way in Pole Vault, Logan Glidden returning as one of the strongest jumpers in the state, and Kadden Veilleux looking to improve upon his success in the throws. We are looking forward to seeing Isaac Pelletier become a huge asset to the team in the distances after being injured last year.

On the girls’ side, we are returning a very strong distance and mid-distance crew with Bella McCall, Samone Gallagher, Annalise Stimmell and Adeline Fiandaca. Lily Peters will be returning as a key factor in jumps and sprints. After a tremendous freshman season in indoor track, Mattea Peters will be a game-changer for the girls in the sprints.

What are your goals and expectations for this season? Any challenges you anticipate? 

The boys’ team graduated many talented athletes last year, but will be strong with many younger athletes stepping up to fill in the spots left open. The girls will look to improve on last season. Both teams have good numbers and will look very different from the beginning of the season to the end as athletes learn their events and make gains rapidly.

What are you most looking forward to this season?

I am looking forward to watching our athletes make goals for themselves and work with our talented coaches to achieve what they have set out to accomplish.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Sanford has the privilege of hosting the SMAA Championships on Friday, May 30. It will be the first time we have hosted the event since 1998.

SOFTBALL

Coach Tori Lawrence, an SHS alum ’21 and assistant volleyball coach here at SHS, enters her first year as head softball coach.

Can you provide us with a brief 2024 season recap?

Softball in 2024 did not play out how most had hoped as we did not win a game. This year will be our growth year with hopes to leave last year behind us and improve for the future of Sanford Softball.

Who are the top returners and/or newcomers this season you are excited about?

This year our top returners are Linda-Rose Krol, Autumn Liston and Bree Tyler. We are excited about our newcomers, Faith Martel and Kennedy Dennis.

What are your goals and expectations for this season? Any challenges you anticipate?

This year our goal is to play competitive softball. We are focusing on growth and correct fundamentals. We want all the girls to get excited about playing and we are hopeful that the program will grow and we will be able to have two teams again by next year.

What are you most looking forward to this season?

We are really looking forward to seeing these girls play their hearts out. We are excited to see our team improve and play their best game.