The best championship streaks in Maine high school sports? Here are a few at the top of the list

The Valley boys’ basketball team takes the court prior to a 2001 home game in Bingham. Morning Sentinel file photo

The Skowhegan field hockey team won 22 consecutive Class A North or Eastern Class A championships from 2001-23, a streak that will stand forever among the greatest runs in Maine high school sports history.

Skowhegan, whose streak ended last week when it dropped a 3-0 decision to Brewer in the A North final, is far from alone in achieving a mark that might never be replicated. From gyms, pools, diamonds and more, there are a number of programs whose winning or championship streaks are all-timers in Maine.

Here’s a look at five them:

Waynflete boys (2008-present), Falmouth girls (2008-19) dominate tennis

The most current noteworthy championship streak belongs to the Waynflete boys’ tennis team. The Flyers’ streak of 16 consecutive Class C titles is the longest state championship streak in any Maine high school sport.

“It’s always a looming number at the beginning of the season,” Waynflete’s Jeff Adey, now a senior, said of the streak following the Flyers’ most recent state title in June. “During the regular season, you don’t really think about it, but when you get here, that’s when it starts to kick in, and you feel it a little bit.”

The Falmouth girls’ tennis team dominated much of the same time period, winning six straight Class B titles from 2008-13 and then five straight in Class A from 2014-18 before falling to Scarborough in the 2019 South final. The team enjoyed a 187-match winning streak from 2008-19.

Valley boys’ basketball sets marks for consecutive wins and state championships (1997-2003)

The few years before and after the turn of the century saw the Valley boys’ basketball team accomplish something that’s never been done before or since in Maine history. The Cavaliers won 101 straight games from 1997-2002 and six straight Class D titles from 1998-2003, both state records.

Valley produced countless legendary players during the run, from Brian Andre to Mark Gaudet to Luke Hartwell to Nick Pelotte. The program’s legacy came not only in the records it set, but how it forced opponents to get better.

Valley brothers Jason and Luke Hartwell celebrate after the Cavs won the 2002 Western Maine class D championship. Morning Sentinel file photo

“I think they were ahead of their time as far as playing AAU and lifting weights is concerned,” Forest Hills Coach Anthony Amero said of Valley in a 2021 interview. “We had to put in the work. If we weren’t going to do it, we couldn’t cry about losing.”

Old Town boys’ swimming team rules the pool (1985-98)

Maine high school swimming has long been defined by dynasties. The best of the bunch are the Old Town boys, who dominated the sport with 14 consecutive Class B championships in the late 20th century.

Old Town won all 14 state titles under the same head coach, Dave Ploch. Although Cheverus, Belfast and Mount Desert Island all sought to knock off Ploch’s team, Old Town’s talent and depth always seemed to win out.

Richmond softball wins 88 consecutive games (2013-17)

There’s so much that can go wrong in a softball game. Maybe the bats go cold; maybe the starting pitcher didn’t bring her A-game; maybe the other team’s pitcher was unhittable that day. That’s what makes what the Bobcats pulled off a decade ago all the more impressive.

Richmond went unbeaten from 2013-15 under Rick Coughlin before assistant Tony Martin took over as head coach in 2016. The Bobcats were again undefeated Class D state champs that year and maintained their state-record winning streak all way to the 2017 state final, in which they were beaten 4-0 by Penobscot Valley.

“Those four, five years there, it was priceless,” Martin said in a 2020 interview. “It took a little bit for that to set in. But when you sit back and think about it, it was a wicked accomplishment for those kids.”

St. Dom’s boys’ hockey goes on unprecedented run (1946-57)

Ask your average Maine sports fan what comes to mind when they hear the name, “St. Dom’s,” and you’re likely to get the same answer: “Hockey school.” That reputation was born early in school history when the Saints won 12 consecutive state titles.

St. Dom’s teams in the era made USA Junior Hockey’s national championship game in 1953 and 1955, taking the title in the later year. Dixfield Academy’s win in the 1958 state championship game that snapped the streak is still considered one of the sport’s greatest upsets.

Honorable mention

Camden Hills girls’ soccer (2016-21): Beginning with a 3-1 win over Edward Little on Sept. 23, 2016, the Windjammers went on to win 71 consecutive games and four straight Class A titles. Bangor beat Camden Hills 1-0 on Sept. 29, 2021, to snap the streak – the longest in Maine soccer history (boys or girls).

Orono (1977-82) and Marshwood (1983-1987) football: The Red Riots won a state-record 48 consecutive games and five straight Little Ten Conference titles before falling to Stearns in the 1982 LTC final. Marshwood won 47 straight games and four straight Class C crowns before losing the 1987 Western Class B final to Wells.

Mt. Blue girls’ Alpine skiing (1992-2002): Rick Hardy’s team dominated the slopes in the late ’90s and early 2000s, winning 11 consecutive state titles before Leavitt dethroned the Cougars in 2003. Mt. Blue then won eight straight from 2005-12.

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