Players to Watch: Sr. F Matt Caron, Scarborough; Sr. F Jack Callahan, Scarborough; Sr. G Ross LeBlond, Scarborough; Jr. F Chris Camelio, Falmouth; Jr. F Robbie Armitage, Falmouth; Jr. D Reece Armitage, Falmouth; Sr. D Walsh Troiani-Gagner, Thornton Academy; Sr. F Luke Trickey, Cheverus; Jr. D Evan Whitten, Noble/Wells; Sr. F Cam Gillie, South Portland/Freeport/Waynflete; Jr. F Tanner McClure, Massabies/Bonny Eagle/Old Orchard Beach.
Favorites: Scarborough, Falmouth
These two teams have combined to win the last three Class A state championships, with the Yachtsmen winning back-to-back titles against Lewiston and St. Dom’s and the Red Storm beat the Blue Devils in last year’s final. The twin towers of the South region have met in each of the last four postseasons, with Scarborough finally breaking through last year.
The Red Storm were the last Class A team to lose this season, waiting until their 16th game to do so. But they lost two of their last three, including a 5-0 loss at home to Falmouth to end the regular season. Scarborough went 0-2-2 to finish the season, but a 13-0-1 start was enough to clinch the Red Storm the No. 1 seed.
While Scarborough has relied on a large senior class, it’s been a talented junior class that has paced the No. 2 Yachtsmen. Camelio, Robbie Armitage and Henry Norris form one of the state’s top forward lines, and sophomore goalie Spencer Pierce has been an asset between the pipes. Falmouth is the only team to beat both Scarborough and Lewiston this season.
Darkhorses: Cheverus
Like in the North, their is a big gap from the favorite(s) to the rest of the pack. There was a 60 Heal point gap between the top two and the rest of the pack. Yet the Stags could give the heavyweights some fits.
It was Cheverus, not Falmouth, that played against the Red Storm in last year’s regional final, losing 5-2. The Stags lost a talented corps of players from that team, but the perennial playoff team also returned plenty of capable players. Trickey is a Travis Roy Award semifinalist, and senior classmates Jesse Cyr-Brophy and Garrett Dion have played in some big games. The Stags have an overtime win against Falmouth and an overtime draw against Scarborough to boast this season. No. 4 Cheverus rallied to beat No. 5 Biddeford in the quarterfinals.
Fun Facts: Despite being the region’s top team, Scarborough didn’t dominate in typical top dog fashion. The Red Storm averaged just 3.78 goals per game, but allowed more than two only four times. Three of those came during a four-game winless treak to end the season. … The Falmouth line of Camelio, Robbie Armitage and Norris totaled 93 points. Each player registered at least 12 goals. … No. 3 Thornton Academy made a nine-win jump from last year, from a 2-16 campaign in 2014-15 to an 11-6-1 record this year. … Massabesic/Bonny Eagle/Old Orchard Beach’s Tanner McClure led Class A South with 43 points (21 goals, 22 assists). … Class A South had only three teams with a winning record (Scarborough, Falmouth, TA).
Overview: The path is paved for No. 1 Scarborough and No. 2 Falmouth to meet in the playoffs for the fifth straight year. Then the question is which way does the game go? The Red Storm won the first meeting in its style — a 2-1 grinding victory. Falmouth won the regular-season finale 5-0, finishing off a shaky end to the season for the defending champs. The No. 3 Trojans had a bounce-back year, but don’t have a go-to scorer or much playoff experience on its roster. No. 4 Cheverus has that playoff experience, and No. 5 Biddeford has talent to match the top two, but those teams had to clash in the quarterfinals.
Prediction: Falmouth
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