Seacoast high school athletes Hooper and Lyford named Athletes of the Week
Baseball player Jackson Hooper and lacrosse goalkeeper Benten Lyford secured the weekly titles following online polls that closed on Thursday.
Jackson Hooper of Portsmouth High School and Benten Lyford of Winnacunnet High School have been named Seacoast high school Athletes of the Week for the period of June 1 to 6. The awards, presented by York County Community College, were determined through online polls hosted at seacoastonline.com/sports and fosters.com/sports. Voting for the weekly honours runs from Monday through midnight Thursday.
Hooper, a baseball player, secured the title with 334 votes, representing nearly 30 per cent of the total cast. He defeated a field of nominees that included Oyster River lacrosse player Demitrius Tsakiris, who finished second with 281 votes, and Winnacunnet lacrosse player Spencer Zigler, who received 232 votes. Other nominees included Exeter’s Alex Carrigan and St. Thomas Aquinas’ Conall Ciaschini.
The recognition follows a pivotal performance on Saturday, June 6, when Hooper contributed a clutch two-run single. This play helped Portsmouth secure a 5-3 lead in their Division I quarterfinal match against Exeter, an game the team ultimately won 6-5. Portsmouth head coach Tim Hopley described Hooper as well deserving, noting his growth throughout the year and predicting a significant senior season in 2027.
Lyford, a girls lacrosse player, won her category with 469 votes, capturing nearly 50 per cent of the poll. She finished ahead of Portsmouth’s Raegan Lawton, who received 213 votes, and Newmarket’s Brielle Duffy, who had 112 votes. Other nominees in her category included St. Thomas Aquinas’ Julia Bryan and Traip Academy’s Jacqueline Diallo.
Lyford’s selection coincided with a strong showing in the net for Winnacunnet. On June 6, she recorded six saves in a Division II semifinal victory over Goffstown, which ended 11-6. She also made five saves in the Warriors’ Division II quarterfinal win over Merrimack. Winnacunnet head coach Glenn McKenzie praised Lyford’s outstanding week and remarkable season, highlighting her total of 108 saves for the year.
Hooper joins a list of previous boys winners for the spring season, which includes athletes from Portsmouth, Oyster River, Spaulding, Winnacunnet, and Exeter. Lyford follows a series of girls winners this spring, including players from Oyster River, Portsmouth, Exeter, Traip Academy, Spaulding, and Winnacunnet.
