Winter programs are gearing up for the 2024-2025 season
Sanford High School’s winter sports season has begun and there is a lot to get excited about. We’ve reached out to each varsity coach on their team’s goals, expectations, and challenges for the upcoming season.
If you aren’t already, be sure to follow @Sanford_Athletics on Instagram to stay up-to-date on game days, highlights and results!
BOYS BASKETBALL
HEAD COACH: Jake mills
Coach Jake Mills returns for his sixth season as the head coach of the boys varsity basketball team.
How did your 2023-24 season go? What was your record?
We finished the regular season with a 9-9 record and faced a tough first-round playoff loss to Deering.
Who are the top returners and/or newcomers you are excited about?
Our key returning players include senior captains Dylan Gendron, Brady Adams, Ben Terrill, as well as junior Ryan Alexander. While we have several newcomers to the varsity team this year, they bring valuable experience from their time at the freshmen and JV levels.
What are your goals and expectations for this season? Any challenges you anticipate?
Our primary goals are to win 10 or more games and secure a spot in the top half of AA South. The biggest challenge will continue to be the strength of our competition, as we play in one of the most competitive conferences in the state, where every game is a battle.
What are you most looking forward to this season?
I’m excited to work with this group of players. They have a genuine love for basketball and bring great energy on and off the court. It’s a joy to coach them.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
HEAD COACH: Rossie LONTINE-kearson
Coach Kearson enters his eighth season as the varsity girls basketball coach.
How did your 2023-24 season go? What was your record?
The season was a successful season. We made it to the semi finals of the playoffs, where we lost to Gorham in Portland at the Cross Insurance Arena. Our overall record including playoffs was 13-8.
Who are the top returners and/or newcomers you are excited about?
My top returners are all of my returners, Addie Fiandaca (captain), Paige Sevigny, Sadie Sevigny (captain), Ava Hudson (captain), Annie Stimmell, Kya Duprey and Zoey McCann. My newcomers I’m excited about are Avaree Martel, Mollie Puffer, Ella Tederous, Lyla Fiandaca and Jaslinn Johnson.
What are your goals and expectations for this season? Any challenges you anticipate?
My Goals for the season are to continue to grow as a team, have a winning record during the regular season, and to win 2 playoff games. The challenges in front of us is to get better at in game communication on both ends of the floor, make practice very hard so that the games are easy, and to bring the energy every night.
What are you most looking forward to this season?
I’m mostly looking forward to putting this new product on the floor for our fans to come out and see.
You can follow the @Spartan_Girls_Basketball team on Instagram.
COMPETITION CHEER
HEAD COACH: CATRINA WADE
Coach Woodard enters her second year as head coach for competition season.
How did your 2023-24 season go? What was your record?
Last winter, we were 3rd at SMAAs, 5th at Regionals and 8th overall at the Class A State Championship!
Who are the top returners and/or newcomers you are excited about?
I am very excited to have almost all of my team return from last year with my returning seniors Natalie Lam (captain), Taylor Coffey (captain), Maddie Osborne and Ali Long who are strong leaders and ready to succeed this season. That tenacity is rubbing off on all of the team and it’s amazing to see! I have some girls who haven’t cheered a winter season with me, like senior Shania Provencher and junior Mariah Provencher, who never stop pushing to get better and show that you don’t stop working on new skills just because you are upperclassmen! I also had a lot of interest this year with freshmen and sophomores which shows a promising future for our team.
What are your goals and expectations for this season? Any challenges you anticipate?
My goals and expectations for this season are to qualify for the state championship and place in the top 5. The biggest challenge for every winter season is perfecting a routine in a short period of time and building the endurance to hit a difficult and clean routine every competition.
What are you most looking forward to this season?
I am looking forward to seeing my team go out there confidently and hit a clean routine while having fun at the same time! Every season, we create a bond and this team has one of the best bonds i have ever had with a team so I am looking forward to see this bond pay off!
Anything else you’d like to share?
Also, the SMAA competition is being held at SHS on January 25th, so please come out and support our Spartan cheerleaders!!
You can follow @SanfordVarsityCheer on Instagram.
INDOOR TRACK
HEAD COACH: MAGNES LEWIS
Magnes Lewis enters his third season at the helm of the indoor track team.
How did your 2023-24 season go? What was your record?
It was a great improvement from last year. With Tucker Walker securing the program’s first state tite and having a growing program, it was a great year! Our girls team was 1-15 and our boys team was 15-9.
Who are the top returners and/or newcomers you are excited about?
Rhylen Avery, Logan Glidden, and Lily Peters will be our top returners. I anticipate that they will be very competitive in their events. We are very excited to see Jack Van Gieson dual-sport compete in the pole vault. With an outstanding outdoor performance last year, he will be one of the league’s top vaulters for sure. Mattea Peters is an incoming freshman who is fast, and I mean fast. She is hitting times that are nothing less than special. We are very excited to see what she brings meet 1 and beyond!
What are your goals and expectations for this season? Any challenges you anticipate?
I fully anticipate that our girls program will have a sensational season this year. We have a lot of strong athletes in almost every event. This will be the best year for our girls program yet! The greatest challenge will be replacing all our graduated boy athletes. However, with a roster over 50 in the program (and 30 of them being boys ) we are sure that our boys team will find their niche as the season goes on.
What are you most looking forward to this season?
I am looking forward to going to meets with a large team and the fun and camaraderie that comes with that! We are also hoping to continue the trend that outdoor track and cross country started this past calendar year, and bring home a Sportsmanship Award and represent the Sanford community well.
WRESTLING
HEAD COACH: nate smith
Coach Smith enters his 15th year as head coach. The Spartans hope to continue their success at both the regional and state-level competitions.
How did your 2023-24 season go?
Dual State Runners- Up, Londonderry Tournament Champions, Pelham NH Tournament Champions, Sullivan Dual Tournament Champions. What was your record? 18-4
Who are the top returners and/or newcomers you are excited about?
James Chaplick comes back as a State and All-State finalist. We bring back five state competitors in Isaiah Phillips, Canton Hill, Gabe Roberge, Richie Simpson and James Chaplick. Newcomers in our varsity line up that will be strong for us are Jack Van Gieson and Gabe Williams.
What are your goals and expectations for this season? Any challenges you anticipate?
Our goal is to win both State Championships and get our state qualifiers from last season into New Englands. Massabesic, Noble and Camden Hills are also very tough teams and we will have to make sure that our rookies step up and win some key matches this season.
What are you most looking forward to this season?
Our captains James Chaplick, Canton Hill, Richie Simpson and Isaiah Phillips are great leaders and I am looking forward to seeing them teach and support their teammates throughout a tough season.
The Spartan Times 