But his exit from the field was limited to only a few steps at a time. He would walk a short distance, then accept a greeting from a co-workers or friend. He’d get a little further, and stop again, this time for a photo — a selfie, even.

He would pose with a former player. He would wait for a photo shoot with the Gold Ball trophy, even giving it a prolonged kiss. Then he’d continue on his way, only to be stopped again by more players offering hugs, handshakes and congratulations.

Finally, for a few moments, the victory was about him.

While Saturday’s championship victory was a milestone moment for the Lewiston soccer program and its players, past and present, it was a long-awaited achievement for McGraw. It’s one that anyone with ties to Lewiston or its beloved coach coveted.

“The kids and the fans up there, I think for everybody here, Mike has a special place in everybody’s heart,” Lewiston athletic director Jason Fuller said as he watched the awards ceremony Saturday while a boisterous Lewiston crowd celebrated. “He bleeds blue and white. He’s devoted his whole life to this program, the school as a whole. I can’t say enough about him. He’s an amazing guy.”

For 33 years, McGraw has coached the soccer program. He has been a coach, teacher, friend and family to generations. He has achieved great thing, winning regional titles and building a successful and respected program. He has shaped the lives of kids for decades and made a significant difference in his school and his community as a teacher and mentor to generations of students and athletes. He is the guy with the big voice and the bigger heart, adored by all who have known him.

Yet despite the impact he’s had in his role as coach and teacher, there was always one glaring achievement missing — a state championship. And anybody that has admired and respected “Coach” longed for him to earn the reward he so greatly deserved.

“He’s loved by everybody,” Fuller said. “That’s the type of person he is. He cares for everybody. It doesn’t matter if they played for him in his first year or were here in recent years. He looks out for everybody. He’s always done that. That’s what makes it special. It’s not about him. It’s never been about him. It’s about the program and about the kids. To see him finally get one is an amazing thing for everybody.”

Coach’s extended family

When the Blue Devils won the regional championship for the second year in a row last week, McGraw was beaming. His smile lit up as each player came forward to receive his medal. He grinned and offered thumbs-up or interacted with each player. He gave them all bear hugs. He was thrilled as a victorious coach, but he was even happier to be a proud part of these players’ achievements.

On Saturday, after his team finally claimed that elusive state title, he wasn’t sure how to react.

“It’s a little bit surreal right now,” McGraw said. “I won’t really know what I feel (until later). When it finished, I was emotional, and I said I wasn’t going to be emotional. I can’t help it. All I was doing was looking for my wife.”

For decades coaching soccer and basketball, McGraw has made significant sacrifices. Family time was impacted the most.

Later Saturday night, social media was trending McGraw’s way. Posts of congratulations flooded his pages and those of the program’s supporters, and the Gold Ball quickly made the rounds around town for pictures. One of those photos included McGraw, the trophy and his family.

“It’s a relief,” Kevin Albert, who was a member of the Lewiston team that reached the state championship game in 1991 and lost to Brunswick, said. “As alumni, we blew our chance there. We’ve been waiting year after year, waiting for one team to get there and see if they could do it for him. And really do it for everybody, the whole community, the alumni, give us something to be proud about.”

The late Paul Nadeau was Lewiston’s first coach. McGraw succeeded him in 1982. The late Mike Berticelli, who coached men’s soccer at Notre Dame, was a high-profile name associated with Lewiston soccer and was a proud and wonderful supporter of the program.

But it has been McGraw carrying on the Blue Devils’ soccer legacy for decades. He is the face and the voice of Lewiston boys’ soccer.

Hoarse sense

In Lewiston, the fall season’s progress isn’t measured by the colored leaves on the trees, but by what remains of McGraw’s voice. Depending on how late it is in the season, McGraw’s voice consistently cheers his players on with some wavering degree of strength and raspiness.

His distinct voice lingers in the hearts and minds of his players. It always inspired them. He rarely has shouted negative things, only positive reinforcement, and the players have responded. The trademark of McGraw’s teams has been hard work and determination.

As times changed, McGraw had to evolve. He didn’t change his dedication to the game, the team or the cause. He didn’t change his belief in working hard and working together. But he progressed as a coach and took on new challenges. He dedicated himself to becoming a better coach so that he could make his players and teams better.  

The arrival of African refuges to the city altered the makeup of his program and created new challenges on and off the field. There was more skill and speed, something his Blue Devils had only in glimpses in the past. His job was to utilize the influx of skilled players while maintaining that hard work and togetherness. He also had to unite a group of players that now had varying backgrounds and experiences.

“He just brings everybody together,” said Mike Wong, a defender who was a senior on last year’s team that won the regional final and lost to Cheverus in the state championship. “All the articles being written about the different cultures, it really is true. He brought people together. The way he brought those guys together and pulled off a state championship is amazing.”

McGraw saw the opportunity to not only build a successful soccer program but also to use soccer to provide an example of blending cultures and enhancing understanding between people. His soccer team serves as a great model of diversity for the school and the community. And yet they were just a bunch of kids having fun playing soccer.

“He did a great job bringing all the guys together and building one team that had one goal,” senior forward and captain Abdi Shariff said. “It was just a phenomenal season. I think we left a mark on the community. We’re history now and it’s something that’s going to stay with us for a long time.”

Past and present united

The stands at Fitzpatrick Stadium were full of Lewiston soccer fans Saturday, many of whom also are fans of McGraw.

Albert, wearing his faded No. 19 jersey from 1991, was there with his family, and a variety of other teammates who played for Lewiston. An abundance of other alumni were there, hoping for that coveted state championship win. Many others followed along from afar.

“You still feel part of it,” Albert said. “We had our whole family here watching. For us to just have one and finally be able to say we took one home, it’s great.”

It was a bit bittersweet for Wong to see Lewiston win Saturday. He was a teammate to many of this year’s players and suffered the heartbreak of last year’s loss. While graduated, he still feels part of a Blue Devils’ soccer family in which McGraw is patriarch.

“We’re all a part of this,” Wong said. “It’s incredible, especially for Coach. We wanted it so badly last year. We’ve been heartbroken the last few years. It’s great to see these guys pull it off. They really deserve it.”

Even a day after the victory, it still seems hard to believe that it actually finally happened. Lewiston is the Class A boys’ soccer state champion, finishing a perfect 18-0.

The team is ranked No. 22 in the country in the most recent USA Today/NSCAA Top 25.

And “Coach” has one significant line newly crossed off on his to-do list.

kmills@unjournal.com