Staff Writer

By the time the Red Storm over Portland’s Fitzpatrick Stadium abated last Saturday, two more championship trophies had been added to the burgeoning collection at Scarborough High School.

Boys and girls lacrosse teams were crowned Class A state champions as the girls capped an undefeated season with an 11-7 win over Mt. Ararat. In the second game, the boys beat previously undefeated Portland High School, 8-6.

The championships ended a year in which Scarborough teams also won state championships in field hockey, boys soccer, boys cross country, girls basketball and girls indoor and outdoor track.

Departing Athletic Director Gary Groves, soon to become pastor at Hiram Community Church, lost count of the athletic titles earned this year, but senior goalie Marina Sterrer summed up the girls’ win Saturday.

“Pretty sweet end to high school,” said Sterrer after a nip and tuck start to the game became a Red Storm blowout by the end of the first half.

Any joy taken in the upset victory by Red Storm boys over the Bulldogs was tempered by the death of Portland lacrosse player Garrett Cormier, was killed June 17 in an accident in Falmouth.

Scarborough lacrosse coach Joe Hezlep extended his sympathies to Cormier’s family, friends and the Portland team and praised the Bulldogs for deciding to play instead of postponing the game.

“It shows a lot about their kids, how tough they are to come out after something like that,” Hezlep said.

A moment of silence in memory of Cormier was observed before the games, and Scarborough girls and boys also recalled the loss of Steven Delano, a Scarborough senior who died May 8 in an accident on Payne Road.

“We talked Friday after practice and again today about what they have been through. We understand, and the best way to honor them is to come out and play the best game we could,” Hezlep said.

After beating Gorham High School, 15-14 in overtime to reach the state final, it appeared the Scarborough girls were in for another tight contest as Topsham-based Mt Ararat tied the game 3-3 with 14 minutes and 29 seconds left in the first half.

Even then, senior midfielder and co-captain Ellie Morin said she felt the outcome was never in doubt.

“Going into it, I knew we could beat this team. Our team is fast, strong, talented and skilled. There was no way we were going to let them win,” she said.

Using a balanced attack with seven players scoring goals, the Red Storm girls built an 8-4 lead at halftime and never looked back.

Morin scored two goals and had another waved off because she stepped into the goalie’s crease area. Senior attacker and co-captain Lindsay Hagerman scored two goals and had four assists and sophomores Laura Przybylowicz and Kelsey Howard each scored two goals.

Sterrer credited her teammates for steadying themselves after the Golden Eagles showed early tenacity.

“Everyone just kind of stepped it up defensively. They communicated better and helped each other out,” she said.

Because Morin and senior midfielder Brittany Ross had played on the undefeated championship field hockey and basketball teams, coach Marcia Wood said she had been reminded of a possible trifecta from the beginning of the season.

“The pressure’s off, it feels great,” Wood said with a laugh after winning the first girls lacrosse championship since 2006.

While seven seniors overcame archrival Kennebunk and squeaked out the come-from-behind win against Gorham before winning it all, Wood knows she still has a solid core of younger players to count on next season. She said she trusts the team enough that she didn’t have to say anything to them as they took a timeout late in the second half.

“At this point in the season, you have to figure it out,” she said.

What appeared to be a romp for the Scarborough boys changed quickly as Portland charged back from a 5-2 halftime deficit to tie the Scarborough boys at 5 in the third quarter. Although the Red Storm regained the lead with 1:05 left in the quarter, the game was not truly decided until senior midfielder Tennessee Peters scored with 2:20 to go in the game.

Hezlep said before the game he would play Portland 12 times a year if possible. His opinion remained unchanged afterward.

“That’s exactly what you get – a heck of a game played by both teams.”

The boys were down 1-0 early after a one-hop shot by Portland’s Gordon Parker beat senior goalie Brett Leighton to his left with 9 minutes, 33 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Red Storm surged back, as freshman John Wheeler scored less than a minute later. Senior midfielder Nick Neugebauer scored twice in the second period as the Red storm built its lead.

The goals sandwiched Peters’ first goal. The first came with 8:28 left before halftime when Neugebauer intercepted Parker’s clearing pass and fired a one-timer high past Portland goalie Ryan Jurgelevich.

“I just read the play and hoped it found me,” Neugebauer said. “I picked it off, set my feet, and just kind of ripped it.”

The third period became the Caleb Kenney show as the junior Bulldogs midfielder scored three goals to tie the game. His second and third goals were scored 48 seconds apart, but a spin move by Scarborough sophomore John Blasdell set up a goal with 1:06 left in the third quarter to put the Red Storm on top to stay at 6-5.

“We wanted to keep the ball out of (Kenney’s) stick and refuse to let him get the ball. For most of the game, we did that. For 12 minutes we did not and you see how good he is,” Hezlep said.

Neugebauer and Peters each scored a goal in the fourth quarter while Leighton twice stopped Kenney shots. Junior attacker Bronson Guimond scored the last Portland goal with 3:36 left in the game.

“Caleb’s an awesome player – we just had to step up on defense,” Neugebauer said.

Hezlep said two losses to Falmouth and Portland helped instill confidence in his team, because both were hard-fought and came after the schools had dominated the Red Storm in 2009.

The Bulldogs beat the Red Storm earlier this month as the teams tuned up for postseason, and Portland beat Scarborough 14-1 in last year’s regional final.

After losing about 30 seniors to graduation over the last two years, Hezlep said it took some time for an inexperienced team to work together. Leadership from Leighton and Peters, members of the state champion boys soccer team was critical, as was a team-oriented attitude.

“We are balanced, teams have a hard time picking one of us to stop,” Hezlep said.

Staff writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 219