BOYS' TEAM
Brendan Scully - Deering football
Russ Dillingham / Sun Journal
The turnaround of the Deering football program has been dizzying. The Rams went from one victory in 2022 to four in 2023 to eight this fall and while a lot of terrific players have bought in and made key contributions, the biggest reason for Deering's return to prominence has been the arrival of coach Brendan Scully.
Scully turned the Rams' fortunes around in no time, got them within a win of the state final this fall and the best is yet to come.
With that in mind, The Forecaster is naming Brendan Scully our Portland edition Fall Coach of the Year, of a boys' team.
Scully spent a decade as an assistant at Lawrence, then coached Noble for five seasons (going 26-20) before becoming the athletic director at Massabesic.
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In 2023, Scully became Deering's eighth coach in just over a decade and he inherited a program that had won just one of its previous 16 contests.
Scully immediately turned the Rams into a contender, as they began his first season with three straight victories. Injuries ultimately proved too much for Deering to overcome, but it made the playoffs for the first time in four years before losing to Westbrook in the Class B South quarterfinals to wind up 4-5.
This season, the Rams were the second-best team in the region, losing only to Kennebunk. Deering went 7-1 in the regular season, outscoring the opposition in its seven victories by a composite 259-52 margin, then won a playoff game for the first time since 2011, blanking Massabesic, 21-0, in the semifinals. The Rams then hung tough with Kennebunk in the regional final before going down to a 35-14 defeat to wind up 8-2, their best mark since 2008. Deering pushed Class A champion Portland to the wire before dropping a 21-18 thriller in the rivals' annual exhibition Turkey Day contest.
"It's great and everything for me, but there are some really talented kids here and I just got them pointed in the right direction," Scully added. "The guys deserve it. They're very talented. I saw many of these guys who are playing now when they were sophomores and I saw there was something there then. It just took a little bit for them to grow up and it's very special."
Scully also coaches science at Deering and has the Rams poised to make another deep run next year.
"This gives us great juice going into the offseason," Scully said. "It should spark interest in the student body. It's a great jump-off spot for next year."
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Brendan Scully, our Portland edition Fall Coach of the Year of a boys' team, has proved to have the Midas touch and he returned a proud program to prominence in no time.
Prior winners:
* 2023 Frank Myatt (Portland cross country)
* 2022 Jason McLeod (Portland football)
* 2021 Jason McLeod (Portland football)
* 2020 Brandon Salway (Waynflete soccer)
* 2019 Brandon Salway (Waynflete soccer)
* 2018 Brandon Salway (Waynflete soccer)
* 2017 Rocco Frenzilli (Portland soccer)
* 2016 Frank Myatt (Deering cross country)
* 2015 Jason Jackson (Deering football)
* 2014 Colin Minte (Cheverus soccer)
* 2013 Rocco Frenzilli (Portland soccer)
* 2012 John Wolfgram (Cheverus football)
* 2011 Brandon Salway (Waynflete soccer)
* 2010 Rocco Frenzilli (Portland soccer)
* 2009 John Wolfgram (Cheverus football)
* 2008 Billy Goodman (Deering golf)
* 2007 Andy LeFebvre (Deering soccer)
* 2006 John Simpson (Cheverus cross country)
* 2005 Jim Ouellette (Cheverus golf)
* 2004 Mike Bailey (Portland football)
GIRLS' TEAM
Andrea Musante-Cheverus field hockey
Derek Davis / Portland Press Herald
Perception suggests that Andrea Musante took over a ready-made championship Cheverus field hockey program this fall and while the Stags had all the pieces in place, truth is they still had to navigate a difficult schedule and stay focused throughout to repeat for the first time in program history.
There's a unique pressure that comes with coaching a team facing enormous expectations, but Musante pushed all the right buttons and the end result was another celebration.
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In light of that accomplishment, The Forecaster is naming Andrea Musante our Portland edition Fall Coach of the Year, of a girls' team.
Musante played field hockey at Plymouth State University and served two different stints as a Cheverus assistant (she also was at Yarmouth for two seasons). After Theresa Arsenault left the Stags to become the coach at St. Joseph's College, Musante took over and from the get-go, her team wore an industrial-sized bullseye, but rose to meet the challenge.
Cheverus, featuring superstar and all-time state leading scorer Lucy Johnson, with an abundance of other talented contributors, blanked Biddeford, its biggest threat, in the opener, then later beat the Tigers again, survived host Gorham in double-overtime and wound up going 14-0 for the fourth straight year, outscoring the opposition, 68-2.
The Stags earned the top seed in Class A South and fought off Massabesic's upset bid in the quarterfinals (2-1), then blanked Thornton Academy in the semifinals (5-0). That set up a third showdown with Biddeford in the Class A South Final and for the third time, Cheverus scored first and went on to victory, 3-2. This time around, the Stags didn't have to get past perennial powerhouse Skowhegan in the state game, as the River Hawks had been knocked off in their regional final by Brewer. Cheverus wouldn't be denied and beat the Witches, 3-1, in the Class A state final to finish atop the heap.
"That was an amazing season," Musante said. "I love these girls. They love each other. We've focused a lot this year on team chemistry. This experience has been amazing. I've inherited an amazing team and that's not lost on me. Theresa set them up for success. My coaches have been amazing."
While the Stags will have a very different look next year, don't be surprised if they make a run at the title yet again.
With Andrea Musante, our Portland edition Fall girls' Coach of the Year at the helm, Cheverus will always be in the mix. Regardless of the obstacles.
Prior winners:
* 2023 Nika Francois (Deering volleyball)
* 2022 Carrie Earls/George Sherry (Waynflete soccer)
* 2021 Theresa Hendrix (field hockey)
* 2020 Craig Roberts (Cheverus soccer)
* 2019 Curtis Chapin (Portland soccer)
* 2018 Amethyst Hersom (Deering field hockey)
* 2017 Larry Nichols (Deering volleyball)
* 2016 Craig Roberts (Cheverus soccer)
* 2015 Amy Ashley (Cheverus field hockey)
* 2014 Arthur Mosen (Portland soccer)
* 2013 Todd Dominski (Waynflete soccer)
* 2012 Todd Dominski (Waynflete soccer)
* 2011 Beth Arsenault (Portland field hockey)
* 2010 Noelle Surette (Waynflete field hockey)
* 2009 Amy McMullin (Cheverus field hockey)
* 2008 Ziggy Gillespie (Waynflete cross country)
* 2007 Patsy Fowler (Cheverus field hockey)
* 2006 Dave Levasseur (Portland soccer)
* 2005 Tim Donovan (McAuley cross country)
* 2004 Jon Shardlow (Waynflete soccer)
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at [email protected]. Copy the Story Link
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filed under: cheverus, Deering, field hockey, football
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