Medomak Valley’s Darryl Townsend won the 300th game of his soccer coaching career when the Panthers beat Belfast 3-0 on Thursday, Sept. 19. (Mic LeBel photo)
The Medomak Valley boys and girls soccer coaches achieved significant milestones in games on Thursday, Sept. 19, against Belfast.
Lady Panther coach Darryl Townsend secured his 300th career win with a 3-0 victory at home in Waldoboro, and boys coach Brian Campbell earned his 100th career win with a 3-0 win on the road.
Townsend began his coaching career at Georges Valley High School in 1995 and coached there until 2010, accumulating 191 wins, 43 losses, and 30 ties. Two years after he started coaching, Townsend led Georges Valley to a one-loss season.
Georges Valley merged with Rockland High School and became what is now Oceanside High School in 2011. Townsend continued his girls soccer coaching journey at Oceanside from 2011-2016. In those six years, Townsend’s teams had a record of 68-20-10. After the 2016 season, Townsend stepped away from coaching, saying he was no longer having fun, as the kids were changing and he was changing.
Townsend took up coaching again after a near-death experience. He was bit by a tick that gave him Babesia, a co-infection of Lyme disease, which attacked his spleen. Bleeding internally, Townsend was LifeFlighted with a ruptured spleen. Luckily he said, Townsend had a good medical team around him and recovered. He lost 50 pounds as a result of the ordeal.
After recovering, Townsend was approached by Larry Jensen, the Medomak Valley girls soccer coach, who asked if he would help out with the team as the assistant coach as a well to help him heal. Townsend then went on to be the assistant coach for Bri Morrill, one of his former players.
When Morrill stepped away from the post after having her second child, Townsend was offered the job of head coach. He initially informed Athletic Director Matt Lash he was happy staying on as assistant, but Lash told Townsend a new coach might be intimidated having him as the assistant coach.
Townsend left the decision to his daughter, Grace, who was playing soccer in the Medomak program at a lower level.
“She said, ‘I want you to do it, Dad,’” he said, and in 2020 Townsend took over head coaching duties.
Now in his fifth season with the Lady Panthers, Townsend has a record of 37-14-3, and an overall career record of 301-27-43.
Every year he has coached, Townsend’s teams have made the playoffs. He was named Maine Coach of the Year in 2009, won eight League Coach of the Year awards, and was inducted into the Midcoast Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. In his coaching career, his teams have had double-digit wins every year but two.
His teams played for two state titles, with Georges Valley winning the Class C state championship in 2009. His teams have played in a half dozen regional title games and have won at least a dozen league titles.
He has an average of 12 wins a season, out of a 14-game season.
Townsend said one of his notable wins was at Georges Valley. His team won a state title by beating private school Waynflete in the regional finals and Orono in the state title game.
Another notable win was a 3-1 semifinal playoff victory over powerhouse Wells at Lincoln Academy under the lights.
Medomak Valley boys soccer coach Brian Campbell is reconized for the 100th win of his coaching career, which was accomplished Thursday, Sept. 19 against Belfast, before the homecoming game against Lincoln Academy on Saturday, Sept. 21. (Mic LeBel photo)
“That was a pretty incredible win,” he said.
Townsend said what made the 300th milestone win special was that his daughter and one of his sons, Sam, were able to witness it.
“That was perfect. The only thing that could make it better was if my other son could have been there,” he said. “It was special to have all the people around late in my career.”
He said his teams have always been consistent and competitive.
“That is what I am pleased with. Consistency is what I am most proud of with the kids,” he said. “Eighty percent of the kids don’t play until the season. What they have accomplished, I am really proud of.”
This year’s team is off to a 6-0 start.
“They are a good group that really wants to work hard for each other. I always believe they can improve,” Townsend said.
Townsend said he plans on coaching at Medomak for at least two more years until his daughter graduates.
“Then we will see. Life is forever changing. I’m keeping my options open,” he said.
Campbell’s entire high school coaching career has been at Medomak Valley. He took over the varsity Panther squad in 2010 from Butch Taylor. His first winning season was in 2015, when the Panthers went 9-3-2. The following year, they were 11-2-1, and, in 2019, they went undefeated in KVAC play at 12-0-2.
When Campbell took over the program, his goal was to return the Panther squad to the playoffs. Medomak has done just that, making postseason appearances in six of the last seven seasons.
Wins that stand out for Campbell include his first career win, which was over Oceanside High School.
“It was a weird moment. I said, ‘Look, I’m a coach now,’” he said.
Another notable win was his first playoff win in 2014, when Medomak beat Old Town 1-0 in overtime and penalty kicks.
“That was a satisfying playoff victory,” he said.
Campbell said he has no plans to retire from coaching in the near future.
“I am having fun,” he said. “I have a great group of kids, and have a good group of kids coming up.”
Campbell kept his approaching milestone of 100 wins a secret from the boys on his team at the beginning of the season.
“I just talked to them about what we needed to do to be a complete team,” he said.
After his 100th win, Campbell said to his team, “You are a special group. You got me to 100.”
“This group is really a great group to celebrate with. They gave me the game ball and they all signed it,” he said.
Campbell has tried to determine just how many boys have gone through the program during his coaching tenure, all of whom helped get him to the milestone.
“It must be hundreds of them,” Campbell said. “Hopefully we have more (wins) to come.”
