Small Woodland team remains a big-time success

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Even though the Woodland volleyball team was a likely preseason favorite, the Dragons still had to deal with some trash talk – as in, can Woodland win despite graduating six seniors, including standouts Ashley Marble and Julia Knights?

“People were saying we couldn’t win without them,” said junior co-captain Megan Lord. “We wanted to show everybody what we could do.”

Did they ever – the Dragons ended this season with their third straight undefeated season, third straight state championship and third straight Downeast Athletic Conference crown. They’ve won 53 matches in a row, dating back to the first match of the 2000 season.

Woodland lost just four games in 18 matches this year.

The Dragons’ success is remarkable, especially considering the school’s enrollment.

The 250-student school, which is Class D in most sports it offers, is competing against schools like Bucksport and MDI, which are Class B in most sports, and Class A Cony of Augusta. The Dragons beat out Greely of Cumberland Center, which competes in either Class A or B in other sports, in the state final.

There are only 15 volleyball teams in the state, so everyone plays in one class.

Lord conceded that the Dragons were a bit intimidated when the Rangers stepped onto the floor at the UMaine-Machias gym for the state final.

“We were nervous because we hadn’t played them in the regular season,” she said. “They were all so tall and they were really pumped up for us.”

Woodland edged Greely 11-25, 25-19, 20-25, 25-21, 15-10.

Besides volleyball, Woodland also offers a girls soccer team and cross country for girls. But stretching out the number of student-athletes didn’t seem to have a negative effect.

Both teams had successful seasons, with the soccer team making it to the Eastern Maine Class D semifinals and the cross country team placing second in the EM championship meet.

“It’s awesome. I have pretty close friends in cross country and on the soccer team,” Lord said. “We watch each other’s games and support each other.”

The Dragons also set a number of school individual records in volleyball, though the use of rally scoring this year has increased opportunities to accrue stats than in the past use of side-out scoring.

Phylicia Seavey set a school mark for serving percentage. She was 381-for-396, a sterling 96.2 percent. Other season records included Kelsy Snowman’s 308 assists, Kati Holmes’ 193 kills, and Megan Lord’s 150 digs.

Woodland will graduate just two seniors this year, Holmes and Nicole Lazarro.

Shead battled weak schedule

Eric Pendleton understands why his Shead of Eastport boys soccer team had the No. 8 seed in Eastern Maine Class D even though the Tigers went 11-3 in the regular season and made it to the regional championship game.

Shead had wins against Class D squads Lubec, Woodland, East Grand of Danforth and Jonesport-Beals, none of which made the playoffs. The wins helped Shead to a nice record but didn’t do much for its playoff seeding.

The Tigers also played Class C teams Calais and Narraguagus of Harrington, but neither of those teams advanced to the postseason. Shead split with Washington Academy of East Machias, which wound up sixth in Class C.

The Tigers lost twice to Class D Machias, which was undefeated in the regular season.

“I feel the eighth seed was really indicative of our league,” said Pendleton, who wrapped up his 14th season as the Shead coach. “You had a number of teams there at the bottom so that even though our record was 11-3 we didn’t have much to show for it.

“But I didn’t feel like it was really indicative of where we were but I think we proved that in the long run,” he added.

Shead certainly did that. Despite their weak schedule the Tigers had a stellar postseason until they fell to No. 3 Van Buren 2-0 in the Eastern Maine Class D final.

Shead edged No. 9 Ashland 1-0 in a preliminary game, shocked No. 1 Machias in the quarterfinals 3-2, and upset No. 4 Washburn 2-1 in the semis.

Pendleton, the son of longtime Georges Valley of Thomaston boys coach Sam Pendleton, said the Tigers also advanced despite their lack of postseason experience. Van Buren has won three of the past four regional titles.

“This is the first time we’ve been this far since 1989, so we don’t have that type of success to draw upon,” he said. “Given that, these boys played very well.”

ACL injury sidelines Richards

Spring sports are about six months away, but Bucksport sophomore Jill Richards is already thinking about softball.

That’s because there is a chance the Golden Bucks starting shortstop could miss the season because of a knee injury suffered in a recent soccer game.

Richards tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during an Oct. 12 game against Nokomis of Newport. Bucksport came away with a 2-1 win but lost Richards, who was the Bucks’ third-leading scorer at the time.

“I was going towards the ball and a girl pushed me,” she said. “It locked up and I twisted it.”

Richards is scheduled for surgery Nov. 27. She missed Bucksport’s state-game loss to Falmouth Saturday and will miss basketball season.

But softball is the sport Richards has on her mind.

“They said there’s a possibility I could play softball and I’m hoping I can,” she said. “I’m going to work really hard this winter to try to get back.”

Freshman Brittni Adams replaced Richards in the starting lineup, coach Jack Gordon said. Adams had an assist in the Golden Bucks’ quarterfinal win over Old Town last week.

“It’s hard sitting on the bench and it’s so hard to watch them play,” Richards said.

Jessica Bloch can be reached at 990-8193, 1-800-310-8600 or jbloch@bangordailynews.net.