(Ed. Note: Previews for indoor track, swimming, skiing and wrestling will be added)

BOYS' BASKETBALL

Senior Leo McNabb is a top returner for Cheverus' boys' basketball team and is one of the state's elite players. He'll lead the Stags a long way this winter. File photos.

Coach: Richie Ashley (fourth year, 39-20 overall record)

2023-24 results: 16-4 (Lost, 49-48, in overtime, to Portland in Class AA North semifinals)

Top returning players: Leo McNabb (Senior), Sammy Nzeyimana (Senior), Jameson Fitzpatrick (Junior)

Coach's comment: "We have a good core back and we've had a good start to the season. It's a very close team. A fun group to be around. Our Achilles' heel the past two years has been foul shooting and defensive rebounding. We've got to take advantage of our opportunities and play our game. We play defense well, we're explosive and fast. When we do that, we're tough to play against, but we know that teams will play zone against us to try to slow us down. We've knocked and now, we want to break down the door. We have to have the belief that we can get over the hump."

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The Forecaster's forecast: Cheverus suffered an agonizing playoff loss to Portland last season, but that shouldn't overshadow what was the Stags' best campaign in over a decade. With some special veterans returning and some other key players seeing bigger roles, Cheverus could be primed to be best equipped to end Windham's title reign.

Senior Sammy Nzeyimana is another key returner for the Stags.

McNabb was the Class AA North Player of the Year last winter after averaging a region-high 16.4 points per game. McNabb, a captain who plans to play next year at Catholic University in the nation's capital, also averaged 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals per contest. McNabb (who scored 20 points on Opening Night) can hit shots from the outside and get to the rim. He'll always be the focal point of the opposition, but few can slow him down. Nzeyimana, a four-year starter, is the point guard. He was an honorable mention all-star last season and will be another top contributor, racing up the floor, setting up teammates and getting to the rim himself. Nzeyimana averaged 5.5 points and 4.3 assists a year ago. Fitzpatrick (8.8 points, 4.1 rebounds per game last winter) is a top post threat. He scored 14 points in the first game. Senior guard/forward Shema Rwaganje was a key contributor off the bench last year and will see even more time this season. He's also a captain. Sophomores A.J. Lauture and Nicola Plalum also will be heard from down low. The wild card could be senior captain Aaron Goodman, who sparked Cheverus' dramatic comeback in a 66-60 overtime home win over rival Deering in last Friday's opener with 11 points. Goodman can hit clutch shots and is never shy about doing the hard work that makes a difference between victory and defeat.

Junior Jameson Fitzpatrick will be a top defender for the Stags.

While the Stags are chasing Windham, there are several other top teams in both Class AA North and South to contend with and there will be few easy games. Cheverus welcomes every challenger and knows that a tough regular season slate will pay dividends down the road. After coming so close in recent seasons, the Stags are poised to take the next step. It's been 14 years since Cheverus has appeared in a regional or state final. If this squad reaches its potential, those droughts could come to an end.

GIRLS' BASKETBALL

Cheverus' girls' basketball team had plenty to scream about a year ago, as it won its second Class AA state title in three seasons. The Stags will be a top contender again this winter.

Coach: Billy Goodman (sixth year, 77-15 overall record, two state championships)

2023-24 results: 21-0 (Beat Gorham, 38-24, to win Class AA state championship)

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Top returning players: Rachel Feeley (Senior), Anna Goodman (Junior), Rachel LaSalle (Junior), Addison Jordan (Sophomore), Abby Kelly (Sophomore)

Coach's comment: "We spent a lot of time together over the summer. We need some leaders to step up. We have to be more consistent on offense and we need to rebound because we don't have much size. Defensively, we have girls who play well and we need to continue that. Every night, we could have different scoring leaders. We just want to keep getting better."

The Forecaster's forecast: Cheverus was a perfect champion a year ago, an end result that was far from certain at the season's onset. While everything came up in the Stags' favor last winter, much of that success was due to the brilliance of Miss Maine Basketball winner Maddie Fitzpatrick, the finest player in program history, and Ruth Boles, who emerged as a standout in her own right. That tandem averaged 36 points and 18 rebounds per contest between them. Megan Dearborn was a critical, underappreciated contributor as well. Those top players have departed and while the Stags have a lot of question marks, the answers are in place for another triumphant campaign.

Senior Rachel Feeley is well-known for her strong defense. She's a key returner for the Stags.

Jordan made the SMAA All-Rookie team as a freshman and is a top defender, averaging 1.5 steals per contest. She'll look to get more involved on the offensive end, playing guard or forward. Anna Goodman has plenty of big-game experience in basketball and softball and could be a top scoring threat when all is said and done. Feeley, Kelly (a top foul shooter) and LaSalle (1.5 steals per game in 2023-24) are also veterans who can play multiple positions. The arrival of junior Kylie Lamson from Thornton Academy was a huge gift to the program. Lamson, a point guard who can also help fill the offensive void (she was fourth in Class AA South in scoring last season), will run the show. Junior forwards Immaculata Liwanga and Emme Peters and sophomore guards Maddy Nalls and Emilie Umland will look to play key roles as well in the weeks to come.

Look for junior Anna Goodman to amp up the offense this winter.

Cheverus opened its title defense in style with a 59-16 win over Deering, as Lawson debuted in a Stags uniform with 20 points and Goodman added 10. Coach Goodman won his 250th career game in the process. Cheverus' road to a repeat won't come easily. Class AA has no shortage of tough teams, including Oxford Hills, Edward Little and Bangor in the North and multiple squads in the South, and there will be a learning curve throughout. The Stags will stumble at times, but by season's end, they'll be one of the last teams standing once again and will be difficult to dethrone.

BOYS' HOCKEY (co-op with Yarmouth)

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A long-awaited state title was the prize for the Cheverus/Yarmouth co-op boys' hockey team last season. A lot of key contributors have departed, but a repeat run could be in store.

Coach: Dave St. Pierre (14th year, 139-95-14 overall record)

2023-24 record: 18-2-2 (Beat Camden Hills, 4-3, to win Class B state title)

Top returning players: Brady Martin (Senior), Quinn McCoy (Senior), Owen Walsh (Senior), Johnathan Weinrich (Senior), Colby Carnes (Junior), Ethan Tucker (Junior), Hakon Yeo (Junior), Owen Cheever (Sophomore)

Coach's comment: "We have some depth, but we have some big shoes to fill. We lost six guys who were our heart and soul. We need to fill their leadership roles. It'll take time. The boys are aware that they're wearing the bullseye this year. We hope to stay healthy and have the younger kids grow. Class B South is always tough and it's a deep league again. We'll take our lumps, but we'll grow and be in a position to take a stab at it at the end."

The Forecaster's forecast: Cheverus/Yarmouth has become the model co-op program and after several close calls, it broke through and won an elusive state title last winter. Cheverus/Yarmouth was hard-hit by graduation, as Defenseman of the Year David Swift, league all-stars Andrew Cheever and Ian O'Connor, and Sam Bradford, Evan Hankins and Lucas Soutuyo all departed. The cupboard is far from bare, however, and this squad is poised to steal more headlines.

Senior captain Quinn McCoy will be a top scoring threat for Cheverus/Yarmouth this season.

Offensively, Martin, McCoy (a third-team league all-star last season), Walsh and Yeo (who made the All-Rookie team as a sophomore) will factor into one of the top two lines. Freshman Charles Hughes will be heard from as well. On the blue line, Carnes, the assistant captain, along with Owen Cheever, Weinrich and freshman Griffin Zinman, look to limit the opposition's chances in front of Tucker, who was a second-team goalie as a sophomore and has plenty of big-game experience. Seniors Brayden Fitch (a transfer from NYA) and Johnny Wallace and freshman Milan Polianchev will also have opportunities between the pipes.

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Cheverus/Yarmouth has the pieces in place to do great things again, but it will be a process. For starters, a daunting schedule will test the team on a regular basis. Several players have to get comfortable in either new or more expansive roles and the squad will have to be up for every challenge. Teams like Cape Elizabeth, Gorham, Greely, York and the PLOG (Poland/Leavitt/Oak Hill/Gray-New Gloucester) Kings all hope to end Cheverus/Yarmouth's reign, but the champions won't go quietly and if all goes well, they'll be on the big stage again come March.

GIRLS' HOCKEY

For the second year in a row, Cheverus' girls' hockey team was able to celebrate a state championship. The Stags hope to become the first girls' squad to win three straight this winter.

Coach: Scott Rousseau (ninth year, 116-33-2 overall record, three state championships)

2023-24 results: 18-1 (Beat Yarmouth/Freeport, 4-0, to repeat as state champions)

Top returning players: Lucy Johnson (Senior), Zoey Radford (Senior), Briella Doherty (Junior), Caroline Rousseau (Sophomore)

Coach's comment: "We're a completely different hockey team. Sixty percent of last year's roster is gone. We graduated the best goalie we've ever had, a Player of the Year on defense, another All-State defender and our top scorer is now playing at Salem State. No one is going to feel sorry for us. We have three good freshmen who are fitting in and getting comfortable and we have a core of older players who could have played last year on other teams. It's really hard to win three in a row, but Lucy is one of the best female athletes that the state has ever seen and I didn't think Caroline would be this good playing forward. She's a natural defender. We have good leadership and the kids expect to win."

The Forecaster's forecast: Despite losing some of the finest players in program history to graduation, Cheverus, which includes players from Windham and Medomak Valley, is poised to make a run at another state championship. The Stags will certainly miss the brilliance of departed players like Jaylee Coleman, Maddie Doherty, Lily Johnson, Ella Lemieux and Brynn McKenney, Charlotte Miller and Mikayla Talbot, but the Stags are out to a 3-0-1 start (beating York, Falmouth/Scarborough and the Beacons co-op team by a composite 23-1 score and tying the Gorham co-op, 3-3), suggesting they just might be the team to beat once more.

Sophomore Caroline Rousseau had a tremendous freshman season and she'll be a top scoring threat again this winter for the Stags.

Once again, the offense will be led by Lucy Johnson (who was just named Miss Maine Field Hockey) and Caroline Rousseau. Johnson, a captain, scored 33 goals and had 13 assists last season and Rousseau had 19 goals and 37 assists in 2023-24. Each standout has scored nine times in the teams' victories this winter. Juniors Scotlyn Buxton and Ashley Cloutier and freshmen Anna Bowie and Taylor Lucas figure to be involved in the scoring fun as well. Doherty and Radford, a captain, along with sophomore Grace Townsend, are top defenders, who can also get involved on the offensive end. Junior Ellie Skolnekovich, who has won a pair of state titles in field hockey and served as Lemieux's backup the past two seasons, will be in goal this season. She'll steal the show from start to finish, signing the national anthem, then turning away scoring threats.

Junior Briella Doherty moves to the defensive side this season and will stymie the opposition.

Cheverus figures to have more competition this time around, as there are other formidable teams in South and North regions. Even if the Stags prove mortal over the course of the regular season, their goal is to be at their best in February. Nothing will come easily, but there is still enough firepower on this roster to get this squad to the pinnacle. Again.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at [email protected]. Copy the Story Link

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