The University of Maine football team announced on Tuesday that Carter Peevey has been named the starting quarterback as the team prepares for their 2024 season opener next Friday night at Alfond Stadium. In other news, former Cheverus High School standout guard and incoming Black Bear freshman Maddie Fitzpatrick has suffered an injury and will be out for the season for the women’s basketball team.
Peevey, who transferred to Orono in January from Mercer, is 6 foot 3 and 220 pounds and is a native of Lawrenceville, Georgia. Last season he helped propel Mercer to a 9-4 record and a first round FCS playoff victory over Gardner-Webb. In 2023 he passed for 2,275 yards (201-303) with 11 touchdowns, while adding 325 yards on the ground on 125 attempts with 12 touchdowns. The graduate student Peevey had been battling Black Bear senior Anthony Harris for the starting job. Harris appeared in seven games last fall completing 13 of 18 passes for 111 yards and one touchdown behind starter Derek Robertson who transferred to CAA foe Monmouth. Maine is hoping to have more success in 2024, coming off back to back 2-9 seasons (3-13 in CAA) under head coach Jordan Stevens. The season opener is next Friday night at Alfond Stadium under the lights in non-conference action against the Colgate Raiders out of the Patriot League with a 7 p.m. kickoff time.
The two-time Maine Gatorade Player of the Year Fitzpatrick, who helped to lead the Cheverus Lady Stags to a pair of state championships, including a 22-0 mark in 2023-24, suffered a knee injury during a summer practice and will be out for the season. She was also named Miss Maine Basketball for her superb senior season with Cheverus, where she averaged 23 points, 11 rebounds, and almost five steals and five assists per game. The Black Bears were hoping to find some added scoring punch this winter, as reigning America East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Anne Simon graduated. Simon helped lead Maine to a 24-10 record, a conference title, and an NCAA Tournament berth in the 2023-24 campaign. Head Coach Amy Vachon in a press release commented, “In her short time in Orono, Maddie has made an indelible impact on our program. Unfortunately for Maddie and our team, she will not be able to compete in the 24-25 basketball season”. Vachon went on to add, “We will support Maddie every step of this journey as she works to return to the court. Her debut as a Maine Black Bear on the court may be delayed, but she will return better than before.”
