By Stephen Ham

Special to the Leader

There are a couple of ways you can look at Scarborough’s 13-6 loss to Yarmouth Tuesday, May 5. On the one hand, it was a much closer game than last year’s 19-3 drubbing. And on the other, it showed the Red Storm still have significant work to do if they hope to return to the state championship game.

This was a much closer contest than the final score showed. Scarborough entered the game still smarting from a one-sided loss to Portland, and looking to make a statement about their team. The Clippers came in with some questions about whether they are still the consensus number one team in the state regardless of class.

Yarmouth took the opening face-off and scored easily, just 26 seconds into the game, and it appeared from there this would be a runaway Clipper win reminiscent of last year. Scarborough couldn’t get an offensive possession and didn’t have a shot on goal until 5:42 left in the first quarter.

Kudos to the Red Storm defense in that opening 12 minutes, and in particular to Ryan Kane, who played like a man possessed, stopping shot after shot, keeping the game to a one-goal difference. 

“This game is possibly out of hand if he [Kane] doesn’t show up like he did in the first half,” Scarborough head coach Joe Hezlep said. “He plays phenomenally. He just has a knack for the game.” Slowly, that defensive pressure began to wear on the Clipper middies and the Scarborough offense began to get better possessions.

The Storm got on the board late in the first quarter when Brendan Ham made a quick flip from behind the net to Matt Mayo and Mayo hammered home the score to tie the game at 1-1. During the next five minutes The Red Storm controlled the tempo and sophomore middie Peter Moore scored twice to put the Storm up 3-1, and it began to look like they would pull away to an easy win. 

The Clippers took advantage of Scarborough’s consistent dropped balls to score twice in less than 30 seconds with two minutes to play in the half, and tied the game at 3-3, but more importantly, they gained back their lost momentum.

In the second half, Yarmouth ran off a string of five unanswered goals before Jake Barrett answered for the Storm early in the fourth quarter. By that time, the score was 8-3 and Scarborough would get no closer.

Following the game, Hezlep took his second straight loss in stride. 

“We just couldn’t get it going offensively. We couldn’t hold the ball long enough to get our defense rested. Our defense was still making great plays even at the end of the game, but they were tired. They would miss one play and Yarmouth is good enough to capitalize on that one mistake,” he said.

Scarborough’s offense showed improvement, but still struggled for most of the game to find a rhythm in its possessions. 

“We’ve got to get more guys involved, Hezlep said. “Right now we’re running a little bit thin as well. Some guys are starting to step up and these next couple of games, they’ll have a chance to show what they can do.”

During the past two games, Scarborough had the opportunity to measure itself against two of the top teams in the state, and while they showed they can play on the same field, they’ve also learned hard truths. They simply have to pass and catch better, win more face offs, and show more cohesion particularly on the offensive side of the game. 

The Red Storm will look to regain their momentum before meeting Class A rival Kennebunk and always tough Cape Elizabeth, who will provide two more opportunities to check their progress prior to opening the playoffs.