Boys Festival of Champions Team Preview
We've taken a look at the top 12 teams in the MaineTrackXC Fan/Athlete poll giving in-depth analysis on each team. With 11 of the top 12 teams competing on Saturday the team race is expected to be a close one with several teams with a chance to come away with the win. Also we'll look at a few out of state teams that could figure into the mix.
#1 Falmouth
The Falmouth boys have been dominant in the first three weeks of the regular season winning all their contests and scoring under 20 points twice. At this point in time, the Yachtsmen boast one of the deepest teams in the state with 7 boys under 19 minutes in the 5k, plus 5 more under the 20 minute mark. They are even more impressive at the 3 mile distance with a whopping 17 boys under 19 minutes, plus 5 more under 20:00. This team comes into the FOC with a fair amount of experience and talent which could mean a top finish for them. 5 of Falmouth's top 7 are seniors, with the other 2 being juniors which puts them one of the state’s older teams. Bryce Murdick is 2 for 3 in wins this year and is ranked as one of the top 15 runners in Maine while Spencer Brown, Josh Simensky, and Scott Lambert form a tough 2-3-4 combo with Sean Soucy, Ian Kurry, and Matt Simmons rounding out their top 7 for the first half. Belfast will be the fastest 5k course that these boys have run so far, so look for them to run fast and be in the mix for the FOC title this weekend. A year Falmouth finished 5th, they will be looking to exceed that on Saturday, and hopefully bring home title like they did in 2011.
#2 Scarborough
The Red Storm have rolled through the first half of their schedule with ease, with only Massabesic being able to give them any sort of challenge so far (25-36 victory over them in week 1). Jacob Terry has led the team all season long with several dominating performances including a 17:09 effort on a bear of a Sanford course in week 2. Jacob Bloom, Colin Tardiff and Andrew Sholl form one of, if not the best 2-3-4 trio in the state with Sean McGovern giving them a very strong #5. Scarborough is coming off of a 24 point winning effort at home on a challenging Smiling Hill Farm course, and will get the chance to chase season bests and a top finish on a much faster Belfast course this weekend. The Red Storm will go head to head with Falmouth for the first time this year, which will be a fun and close match up to watch. A year ago the Red Storm placed 4th, keep an eye on this tough and experienced team this weekend as they shoot for a record 5th FOC team title.
#3 Hampden Academy
The Broncos of Hampden Academy have rolled through their competition early on this season with several dominating performances including a 51 point victory last week in their 9 team meet at Cony. The beasts from the East have been the best team in the state outside of the SMAA/WMC and will be in the mix with Scarborough and Falmouth for the FOC title on Saturday. Caleb Lord and Paul Casavant have been as solid as they come, with both kids posting sub 17:00 performances in the first half of the season. The 3-4-5 crew of Spencer Canham, Ryan Cole, and Will Webb have been excellent thus far as well with their best performance coming on September 11th when those three were separated by 2 seconds (17:37-17:38-17:39). The two low sticks of Lord and Casavant and the great pack running from their 3-5 make them a tough match up for any team in a big meet like the Festival of Champions. All eyes will be on this senior laden team on Saturday to see if they can compete with teams like the Red Storm and the Yachtsmen for the win.
#4 York
One of the largest programs in the state also happens to have had some of the best runners in the state over the past decade including the likes of Mickey Rose and Alex Moser. The 1st Class B team on the list is one of the early season favorites to win the state title this fall. York has always been able to turn out a low stick front runner and a great pack that has given them a lot of success in the past. Even without a lights out front runner this year, they are still finding ways to win all of their meets. Sam Sewell, Evan Hulstrom, and Rex Brockelman have been solid at the top of the Wildcats lineup with Schaffer Rees and Tucker Corbett not far behind. Their top 5 has season bests that span over a measly 20 seconds, which will help them be successful this weekend and down the stretch into regionals & states. This is a strong pack team (typical of York XC), and look for them to be close to the top this weekend if they can navigate the crowded field well together.
#5 Mt Blue
Mt. Blue, probably the toughest team in the state to face purely because the top two runners in Maine occupy their 1 and 2 spots. Aaron Willingham and Dan Lesko have gone 1-2 in all of their meets except for 9/19 when Lesko came in 3rd to Osman Doorow of Lewiston by less than a second. These two athletes give Mt. Blue a great chance to finish in the top 5 at FOC especially with Andrew Roberts, Brendan Hickey, Isaiah Reid and Tucker Barber running well. If they can keep improving and run hard this weekend, it will give Mt. Blue a good chance to finish near the top. Don't count this team out from the overall FOC title. Look for them to give the field a strong challenge.
#6 Massabesic
The Michael Aboud led Mustangs have been stellar in the first half this year, with their star finishing in the top 3 in all of the races and Massabessic beating all challengers except for Scarborough. Even though he is not listed on the Watchlist, Aboud is a top state runner, and has proven it week in and week out. Andrew Mongiat and Remington Gaetjens have been strong as well and give Massabesic a great 2-3 that can challenge the packs of some of the teams in front of them. Graduated seniors Brandon Pratt and Troy Cloutier (who were 4-5 last year for Massabesic) have been replaced by underclassmen Donovan Duffy and Alex Swett who have been a huge lift for the team. With such a strong pack starting to form, Massabesic is looking good to challenge for a top spot at FOC. Beware of the Mustangs this weekend, who will actually be running their first 5k race of the season.
#7 Greely- Not attending FOC but placed 4th at Manchester last weekend
#8 Cape Elizabeth
The defending Class B champion Capers have slowly and quietly been coming on as the season has grown older. Kyle Kennedy and Mitch Morris have led the team through some challenging meets and both have run under 17 on the season, last week the duo had a pair of top 10 finishes at the Manchester Invitational. Juniors Jared Duperre and Vince Tarpo along with freshman Arsen Scheindel have helped keep this team competitive while some other top 5 potential runners, including sophomore Mac Huffard, get healthy. This is a team that will continue to improve as the season goes on, and while they may not be one of the favorites to win this weekend, you can bet that they will be competitive and finish well in the final standings. Morris and Kennedy are among the state’s top 15 runners and will give Cape a good pair of low sticks to start off with. It will be up to 3-4-5 to move up if Cape is going to finish in the top 10.
#9 Gorham
Jesse Southard and Ben Foster have been great this year and will lead a strong Gorham team into this weekend. Both kids have rocked several sub 17 minute performances this season including a pair of 16:30 and 16:37 efforts to open the season at Westbrook. The junior trio of Spencer Linscott, Colin Jones and Sean Pratt have all posted sub 19 performances so far, and will get the chance to improve on those times on a fast Belfast course. Like most of the teams on this list, if Gorham is going to be successful this weekend, they are going to need big races out of their 3-5 runners. If Southard and Foster can finish close to the front of the pack, it will give Gorham a good foundation to start on and could help them towards a top 10 finish. Keep an eye on this strong team this weekend.
#10 Messalonskee
Messalonskee has turned in a fine first half this year using the same method that the York Wildcats have used: strong pack running. The Eagles are one of the younger teams in the top 10 with a smattering of sophomores and juniors occupying their top 5. Owen Concaugh, a sophomore, has led this young team in the early going and even came away with a victory last week (the first of his career) on their home course. Last year Concaugh won the freshman race with an eye popping 17:08.76. The trio of Natale Cardillo, Zach Hoyle, and Carson Bessey have been very solid and even went 2-3-4 in that same meet last week (the three of them were separated by 14 seconds). The Eagles have won all three of their meets this year including a close one over #5 Mt. Blue in week 1. If Messalonskee’s number 5 can move up just a little, then the Eagles will be very dangerous when Saturday rolls around. Watch for this team to challenge for a top 10 spot.
#11 Lewiston
Lewiston has started to put it all together over the past few weeks with Osman Doorow and Isaiah Harris leading the charge. Osman has been great for the Blue Devils in the first half, and even challenged and beat Dan Lesko who is ranked as the #2 individual in the state. Isaiah Harris is probably the most talented male track and field athlete in the state and has used his strength to his advantage early on as well. This course and this type of meet is what a kid like Harris is made for. Belfast has always been a favorite spot for athletes with a lot of leg speed, and Harris’ 1:52 800m legs are no exception. Last year Harris finished 8th and ran a full minute faster than he had all year up that point. Look for him to challenge for the individual win. Keep a close eye on Doorow as well, who has already run his two fastest career 5k’s so far this season. Watch for Lewiston’s pack of Tawane, Mohamed, and Farah to move up as well which should give them enough fire power to finish in or around the top 10.
#12 Merriconeag Waldorf
Finally we come to Merriconeag. For those of you who do not know, Merriconeag is the only school in Maine that only offers XC in the fall. Pretty handy I would say. They have been able to turn out some pretty good teams over the past few years and this year is no different. In a school of 250 kids, they have still managed to find 7 who can run under 20 minutes in a 5k including Tucker Pierce who owns a 16:56 personal best (9/12 @ home) to his name. This team has only lost to York and Greely all year and is hoping to finish well at the Festival of Champions this Saturday. Look for Tucker Pierce to lead the way with a top finish with Zach Neveu, Dylan Wu, and Nick Neveu following close behind. With 2 sophomores and 2 freshmen in their top 7, this is the time of year where the younger athletes explode and improve. This team could surprise a lot of people if some of those underclassmen choose Belfast as their breakout race location
Out of State Teams
Cumberland, RI
The 3rd ranked team in Rhode Island hopes to make the long journey to Belfast well worth it this weekend. Cumberland is one of the favorites to win the team title, so far this season they have a top 5 avearge of 17:04.74. Leading the way is junior Sean Laverty who has run a best of 16:16 this fall. The team is coming off a strong 3rd place finish in the Championship race at the Ocean State Invitational last weekend. A year ago Cumberland finished 6th at FOC, and they have won three previous FOC titles, the last time was 2012. With a victory they would match Scarborough for the most boys teams wins in history.