Hall of Honor - Class of 2023
12th annual induction ceremony held of Saturday, April 27, 2024
Inductees: Leo Cantara '69, Chris Cote '92, Michelle (Gagnon) Owen '06, Roland Labonte '59, Casey Laflamme '98, Mildred Pelletier '78, 2006-2007 Boys Ice Hockey
Leo Cantara is a 1969 graduate of Biddeford High School, where he participated in football, basketball, baseball, and track. While at Biddeford High School, Leo was a premiere multi-sport athlete. Although most remembered for his feats on the gridiron, Leo was also selected as member of the Big Seven All-Conference team in the sport of basketball. Today, Leo is still the 4th highest scorer for the Tigers with 875 career points. This was before the implementation of the 3-point shot.
In the sport of football, Leo was a member of the 1967 State Championship Team; it was the first sanctioned state championship in Biddeford High School history. An All-State recipient as a running back and a defensive back, Leo dominated opponents with his athleticism and grit. After serving two years as the team's quarterback, Leo moved to the running back position. The move ultimately landed him a feature in Kickoff Magazine in 1968 as a Top 100 high school running back in the country.
During his freshman and sophomore years, Leo was the starting catcher for the Tiger baseball team before transitioning to track and field during his junior and senior years. Upon graduating, Leo attended the Southern Maine Vocational School and played basketball before being drafted to serve in the United States Army, where he served his country in Germany for two years.
Chris Cote is a 1992 graduate of Biddeford High School, where he participated in football, basketball, and baseball. While at Biddeford High School, Chris was a respected 3-sport athlete and a leader of his class, being named a team captain in all three sports his senior year.
Following the 1990 state championship season where he played an integral role as a defensive back, Chris led the Tigers to another championship season his senior year as the team's quarterback and safety. During his 1st team All-State campaign, Chris amassed 1,357 passing yards with 16 touchdown passes and rushed for an additional 202 yards with 8 rushing touchdowns. That year, Chris was selected to represent Biddeford in the annual Lobster Bowl Classic and was named the team’s co-captain.
In basketball, Chris scored 507 career points ranking him 30th in school history. He made 85 3-point shots ranking him 5th all time. During the 1991-92 season, Chris hit 59 3-point shots, which is 2nd all-time in school history for a single season. Chris finished his career averaging 18 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds a game.
Chris was in 3 state championship games in his career, winning two of them. He was also presented with the Steve White Award, presented annually to the top male athlete in the graduating class.
Michelle (Gagnon) Owen is a 2006 graduate of Biddeford High School, where she participated in soccer, volleyball, basketball, and softball. While attending Biddeford High School, Michelle was a premier 3-sport athlete for the Tigers. Known as a well-rounded student, Michelle also graduated Top 10 in her class and was a member of the National Honor Society.
Michelle was named captain of the basketball team in her senior year. Her dedication, work ethic, and selflessness made her the recipient of Defensive Player of the Year for the Tigers. The same attributes were recognized in volleyball, with awards such as Rookie of the Year, Most Dedicated, and Number One Hitter.
Despite her versatility, Michelle’s greatest accomplishments were in softball, where she led the Tigers to their 1st state championship in 2006 as the team’s senior pitcher. Michelle finished the regular season with a 17-3 record with a 0.92 earned run average. In 99 innings, she struck out 74 batters. On the mound, Michelle put the Tigers on her back during the championship run with a 4–0 postseason record and a 0.42 earned run average. She defeated the three 1st-team SMAA pitchers to win the regional championship and brought home the state championship by defeating the Gatorade Player of the Year pitcher in the state championship game vs. Cony High School.
Roland Labonte is a 1959 graduate of St. Louis High School, where he participated in football, basketball, and baseball. While at St. Louis High School, Roland was a standout 3-sport athlete. A leader among his peers, he was also the captain of the basketball and baseball team during his senior year.
An All-State, two-way starter for the Eagles, Roland was a member of the 1958 undefeated state championship team. Between 1957 and 1958, he also scored 5 touchdowns of 97, 72, 70 and 58 yards, as the team's punt returner. In basketball, Roland scored a career 561 points ranking him #29th all-time for St. Louis High School. In 1959 Roland won the State of Maine Foul Shooting Contest, sinking 49 of 50 foul shots. Roland was also a 4-year starter and letterman in baseball for the Eagles and was 1st team All-Conference his senior year.
Upon graduation, Roland attended St. Francis Xavier and was a 2-year starter for the school’s football team. He transferred to New Brunswick following his sophomore year and was a 3-year starter, playing both sides of the ball. During his senior year in 1964, Roland was named the team captain and awarded the Corbet Medal Award, emblematic of the most valuable athlete at the University of New Brunswick.
Casey Laflamme is a 1998 graduate of Biddeford High School, where he earned the reputation of being one of the most prolific boys ice hockey players in Biddeford High School history. The four-year starter was a 1st-Team All-State selection and team captain for the Tigers his junior and senior years.
Casey made an immediate impact on the Tiger’s hockey program. In his freshman and sophomore seasons, he combined for 31 goals and 31 assists. In his senior season, Casey played for both the Tigers and the Junior Hockey Great Northern Snow Devils. That season he scored 25 more goals and added 16 additional assists to his sports resume. He was voted the Most Valuable Player at the Class A All-Star Game and became the first player in Biddeford High School history to be honored with the Travis Roy Award, presented annually to the top male ice hockey player in the State of Maine. Casey was also chosen twice to represent New England in the Chicago Showcase Tournament and once to represent Maine with the Maine All-Star Juniors in an international tournament in Sweden.
Upon graduation, Casey went on to play Division I Men’s Ice Hockey on a partial scholarship for Fairfield University. At Fairfield, he was a four-year starter, scored 9 power-play goals as a freshman, and finished his collegiate career with an impressive 70 total points. Senior year, he was chosen as one of the team captains for the Stags by his coaches and peers for his dedication, leadership, and passion for the sport.
Millie Pelletier is a 1978 graduate of Biddeford High School, where she participated in cross country, gymnastics, and outdoor track. During her four years, she earned 13 varsity letters and was named captain of all three sports. According to her then-track coach, and Hall of Honor inductee, Bill Harriman, “Millie was the young woman who started to put women athletes on the map at Biddeford High School.”
In the sport of gymnastics, Millie was a two-time state champion in both vaulting and the uneven parallel bars. She earned “most dedicated” in cross country in both her junior and senior years. For two years, Millie ran indoor track on the boys team despite not being permitted to compete in meets. As a result, she played an instrumental role in getting girls outdoor track back for BHS female athletes by launching a petition to reinstate the program.
Millie's accomplishments in outdoor track were numerous. She set 8 records in her career and was named team “MVP” all four years. Overall, she captured 7 total individual state championship titles. She was the first Maine Class A female to qualify for the New England’s, finishing 4th in the high jump.
As a senior, Millie was presented with the Brother Richard Hebert Award, presented annually to the top female athlete. She was also inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame as a scholar/athlete for excellence in athletics and academics. Upon graduation, she attended the University of New Hampshire on a full-track scholarship.
The 2006-2007 Boys Ice Hockey team finished the regular season with a 17-3 record. The team entered the postseason with four seniors who had never won a postseason game in their high school careers. After a 6-1 quarterfinal victory over Bonny Eagle, the Tigers advanced to the southern region semi-final game to face the Kennebunk Rams, a team they had lost to in the regular season. The Tigers avenged their loss to the Rams with a 3-1 victory, assuring them that they would realize the goal they set the season before, following their opening-round loss, of making it to the Southern Regional Final.
The Tigers' semi-final win pitted them against the preseason favorite Scarborough High School, a team that boasted 15 seniors, an explosive offense, and a standout goaltender. Played in front of a packed arena at the Cumberland County Civic Center the team approached the game the same way they did all year. The loose and relaxed Tigers, led by captain Jeremy Grebin, set the tone on the ice and came away with the 6-2 victory. The team was crowned the Class A South Regional Champions, and they set their sights on an accomplishment almost impossible to imagine- the State Championship.
It had been 30 years since the boys ice hockey team had won a state title, when the Tigers won the Class B title in 1977. To earn the title, the Tigers would have to beat Lewiston High School, a school that had amassed 20 Class A State Championships and was playing in its third consecutive championship game. They had never lost a game to Biddeford High School. With every advantage seemingly in Lewiston’s favor, the Tigers would also have to beat them in their home ice arena, the Lewiston Colisee.
Behind a Biddeford crowd roaring in support, the Tigers defeated Lewiston 4-1 to earn their first Class A State Championship. The Tigers not only captured their very first Class A title, but they also became the first York County team to ever win a state championship in the 70 years of Class A ice hockey.
The 2006-2007 state championship season was one to remember, and today we induct them into the Biddeford Athletics Hall of Honor to ensure that we always will!