Week 5 Thoughts on the Weekend

- It is finally October. Just as the temperatures in the air cool down, the temps on the gridiron heat up. So much remains to be done though. And let look how fair we have come since pre-season began on August 14th. Who knows what the rest of the regular season holds in store after the sort of weekend we just went through.

- We keep an eye on a variety of stats and numbers each week. For the most part it creates some interest. Then there are a few things that create an anti-interest. We know that not everybody likes to hear the negatives. But sometimes you have to mention the darkness to help emphasize the glorious dawn. It is with that reference that we talk about Maine’s southern-most team in Kittery known as the Traip Academy Rangers. Since the inaugural year of 8 man in Maine and a week 16-14 week five Rangers victory over Telstar, it has been rough for them. Rough in the way of the state’s longest active losing streak that was at 22 games as of last week. That streak is now history as the Rangers won at their home Memorial Field over the Mount View Mustangs by the score of 42-6.

- Friday night featured two border battles as Bonny Eagle traveled to Merrimack to play the 1-3 Tomahawks while Edward Little hosted the 0-4 Spaulding Red Raiders. Unfortunately neither game went in favor of the Maine teams against the New Hampshire peers. The Scots found themselves in a four-touchdown deficit at the end of the third quarter before getting two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 27-14 loss. Then there was the game in Auburn where things started out on rough footing as Spaulding recovered a fumbled opening kickoff return by Edward Little, and then proceeded to run it in for the first of eight rushing touchdowns on the day for a 57-18.

- Friday saw a battle of the top two Southern Class A teams as number one Sanford hosted number two Thornton Academy. And after a back-and-forth first half of scoring between the team that had Thornton Academy up 21-14, the Golden Trojans scored three second-half touchdowns to defeat the Spartans 41-14 and extend their winning streak to three after an 0-2 start. Sanford was held to a season-low 149 rushing yards on the game, while four of Thornton Academy’s six touchdowns came via the run on a day where they accumulated 260 of their 332 yards of offense by the ground. Mauricio Sunderland, Harry Bunch, and Henry Kenniston accounted for those four rushing touchdowns.

- Portland and Windham had the makings of an intriguing Friday night showdown between two of the top Class A teams. What it turned out to be was a rout as the Bulldogs won 35-7 to extend their unbeaten streak to five games. The Bulldogs used a punishing ground game to out gain the Eagles 230-179 on the run. By most play-making metrics Portland held the edge. They had 67 plays to Windham’s 43. They had 18 first downs to Windham’s 9. And they converted 10 of 15 first downs to Windham’s 2 for 10. Aidan McGowan had a solid night in the backfield as he gained 159 yards on 25 carries with four touchdowns. Reegan Buck accounted for Portland’s other touchdown. However, he had to leave the game early due to an injury.

- Cony twice fought back from deficits against Mt. Blue, and then saw a two-point Cougars conversion fail in overtime, to win on Friday by the score of 27-26. Both teams relied extensively on the passing game as they combined for 519 yards in the air. Cony quarterback Parker Morin completed 19 of his 39 passes for 308 yards. Along the way he got touchdowns on passes to Parker Sergent (2), Ethan Demmons (1), and Davyn Flynn (1).

- Westbrook quarterback Giovanni Staples and running back Gavin Tanner had quite the evening during the Blue Blazes 40-14 win in Gorham. The two combined for 366 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 33 carries. Tanner had the bulk of the carries (24) and yards (254), while Staples had the majority of the scores (3). The win moved Westbrook into the middle of the pack in Southern Class B, while the loss for Gorham dropped them into a tie for sixth place.

- Leavitt’s four-game non-regional tour brought them to Class B Lawrence on Friday. And like every game for the Hornets thus far this season, they walked away victorious with a 62-32 score. After Leavitt took an early 20-6 first quarter, the Hornets scored four touchdowns between the end of the first half and the start of the third quarter to put the game out of reach. Those scores came via a 57-yard touchdown run from Noah Carpenter, a 5-yard touchdown run by Maddox Demers, a 35-yard scoring pass from Carpenter to Landon Daigle, and a 5-yard touchdown run by Colten Taylor. Lawrence was able to twice stop running time in the fourth quarter, with their 32 points being the most scored on a Leavitt team during their 16-game unbeaten run.

- Since the end of the 2022 season, it has been rough for Cape Elizabeth. The Capers came into Friday’s game with York at the bottom of Southern Class C and in the midst of their longest losing skid (four games) since 2004. By the end of the first half the Capers held a 22-20 lead on two touchdown passes from Brady Inman to Mike Foley and Logan McVeigh, as well as a touchdown run by Foley. However, York had narrowed that lead with a late first half touchdown followed by a touchdown in the third quarter to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game. In the fourth quarter Foley would score from a yard out for his second rushing touchdown and third overall score of the game. With the successful two-point conversion it made put Cape Elizabeth up by a field goal, which lasted to the final buzzer for the 30-27 win.

- The Friday battle of unbeaten Northern Class C leader Medomak Valley and unbeaten Northern Class D leader Foxcroft Academy showcased a clear reason why the Ponies are not just one of the top Class D teams, but also one of the top teams in the state. They held down a normally potent Panthers ground game to only 124 rushing yards while out gaining them with 282 rushing yards of their own. Gage Beaudry led the way for Foxcroft Academy with 15 carries for 188 rushing yards and three touchdowns. And defensively, the Ponies extended their shutout streak to 16 quarters since allowing a fourth-quarter kickoff return for a touchdown during the first week to John Bapst.

- Poland came to Wells on Friday looking to extend their winning streak. The Wells community was out in full force on Armed Forces night. And the Warriors had something to prove after a 2-2 start and a middle-of-the-pack placement in Southern Class D. By the end of the game Wells gave the home crowd plenty of cheer about with a 32-6 victory and reminded the class why they were a favorite back in pre-season. The Warriors held a 20-0 lead at halftime on touchdown runs by Eli Potter and Dominic Adrien as well as a 37-yard scoring pass from Brooks Fox to Conner Whitten. Adrien and Potter finished the game one-two in yardage (53 and 52 respectively) with each scoring another touchdown in the third quarter. And that same team approach on the ground (nine players ran for a combined 229 yards) for the offense also served the team well on defense. So smothering was the Warriors defense that they held Poland to just nine yards of total yardage in the first half. At game’s end the Knights only accumulated 46 offensive yards and seven first downs, both dwarfed by Wells’ 309 total yards and 19 first downs. The Knights were also held to just two third down conversions on eleven attempts.

- If there is one take-away from Camden Hill’s 29-28 double-overtime victory over Gray-New Gloucester on Friday, much like their previously four victories, is that they keep finding ways to win. In a game where the Patriots kept the score very close to the final buzzer to force overtime. In the first session both teams traded touchdowns with unsuccessful two-point conversions to keep the game tied 22-22 and force a second session. Gray-New Gloucester would score on their possession but was unable to get the two-point conversion to hold a 28-22 lead. Camden Hills scored on their possession. During the two-point conversion they would get marched back five yards due to a false start. With the ball placed at the seven-yard line, the coaches elected to go with the rarity of a PAT kick. It is a rarity in the 8 man game due to a kicking team having three fewer lineman to block. However the snap was good, the hold was good, and Owen Reynolds was able to get his kick away and successfully through the uprights for the point and the victory for his team.

- Dirigo relied upon two momentum-changing events to seize the initiative in their Friday night game against unbeaten Maranacook. The first was a kickoff return for a touchdown by Owen Smith, which was in response to a deep pass by Kody Goucher that found Robbie Vivenzio in stride along the right sideline for a 79-yard touchdown pass. That return, and the ensuing two-point conversion run by quarterback Hudson Lufkin, tied the game 8-8 in the first quarter. Dirigo would take a 14-8 lead in the second quarter on a quarterback keeper for a touchdown by Lufkin. However, Maranacook tied the game up later in the first half on another touchdown pass from Goucher to Vivenzio. The second momentum-shifting moment happened in the third quarter when the Cougar’s Dakota White picked up a fumble and returned it to the endzone for a touchdown. Lufkin would add to the lead with another touchdown run to make the score 28-14. In the fourth quarter the Black Bears narrowed that deficit as Goucher threw a third touchdown pass to Vivenzio. But that was as close as they would get with Dirigo holding on for the win.

- Last year it was all Oxford Hills in their cross-border battle against Portsmouth-Oyster River. The Vikings won that week eight battle by the score of 48-13. Those ClipperCats were 4-4 after that game while Oxford Hills was 8-0. Things have changed over the year. We all know about Oxford Hills. Portsmouth-Oyster River has been on a perfect start. They came into the Saturday game in South Paris with a 4-0 record courtesy of wins against Spaulding, Winnacunnet, Dover, and Manchester Memorial by the combined score of 154-34. They were also a combined 3-12 after four weeks. So the question was if the ClipperCats had been challenged yet. They met up with Oxford Hills and immediately set a tone with a 20-7 halftime lead. The Vikings scored the last two touchdowns of the game though. The got on the board in the second quarter on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Brady Truman to Brayden Murch. Along the way the ClipperCats turned the ball over three times, and both teams combined for 18 penalties. The Vikings narrowed the gap to a single score when Truman found Murch on a 20-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. But things did not get any closer than that as Oxford Hills fell 20-14. The loss is their first back-to-back defeats since losing to Thornton Academy and Scarborough in 2019.

- Fryeburg Academy had a statement win on Saturday with their 27-7 victory over previously undefeated Cheverus. Quarterback Cohen Carter threw three touchdown passes for the Raiders as they took a 20-0 halftime lead. While they scored just a single touchdown in the second half, they held Cheverus to only a single touchdown. The victory bumps Fryeburg Academy into second place in Southern Class C.

- Yarmouth took a 32-8 lead early in the second half of Saturday’s game against Mountain Valley, of which they got 24 consecutive points, and then matched the Falcons score for score the rest of the way in the 46-38 victory. The game was played almost entirely on the ground as the two sides combined for 816 rushing yards. Mountain Valley responded in the third quarter with two touchdowns of their own to get within a score of the Clippers. That would be as close as they could get as each time they scored Yarmouth would respond. Back-to-back losses by Mountain Valley puts them into fourth, just ahead of Waterville and 20 points back of third place Mount Desert Island. Yarmouth continues their hold on first place in the South.

- Southern 8 man small school leader Old Orchard Beach continued their unbeaten run with an 82-0 victory over Sacopee Valley on Saturday. The Seagulls held a normally potent Hawks offense off the board for a fifth consecutive shutout, the longest such run by any Maine team going back to 2004. Their 21 quarters of shutout football, dating back to the 2022 8 man small school state championship, ties them with the 2012 Foxcroft Academy Ponies for the third longest shutout stretch. After that are the 2021 Cheverus Stags (22 quarters) and the 2015 Winslow Black Raiders (23 quarters). Their 82 points represents the most points scored by a team and the largest margin of victory in an 8 man game. That margin of victory remains one point off from an 83-0 victory by Old Orchard Beach over Sacopee Valley in 2012. Offensively, Wesley Gallant scored on four of his five runs with 154 rushing yards. Brady Plante threw touchdown passes to Brayden Mansur, Riley Provencher, and Kooper Gervais. Provencher also returned a punt return for a touchdown and ran for a touchdown in the in the second quarter.

- Northern 8 man small school leader Orono continued their unbeaten run with a 55-16 win at Dexter on Saturday. The Red Riots took to both the air and the ground in their win. Jack Brewer threw five touchdowns on the day going 13 of 20 for 258 yards. Orono ran out to a 39-0 lead at halftime, getting three more touchdowns in the second half. Their 54 points allowed is second to Old Orchard Beach’s mark.

- As we mentioned earlier in the day on Sunday, there remains one more game and that is Houlton hosting Valley. The game was rescheduled from Saturday to Monday at 6 pm. We will complete their Crabtree rankings upon the completion of the game.

- The MPA announced earlier this week, upon appeal from Falmouth to the MPA Interscholastic Management Committee, that Falmouth will only be prohibited from participating in this year’s football playoffs. This is significantly less than the indicated punishment referenced by the MPA football committee – not being allowed to take part in MPA varsity competition for two years. This means that all teams in Northern Class B, with the exception of Falmouth, will be in the regional playoffs.

- New Hampshire tracker
Bedford defeated Nashua North 45-0 on Friday. The 5-0 Bulldogs will be at 3-1 Dover next Friday.
Bishop Guertin defeated Timberlane 58-14 on Saturday. The 3-2 Cardinals will host 5-0 Pinkerton Academy next Friday.
Dover defeated Manchester Memorial 40-20 on Friday. The 3-1 Green Wave will host 5-0 Bedford next Friday.
Merrimack defeated Bonny Eagle 27-14 on Friday. The 2-3 Tomahawks will host 2-3 Windham next Friday.
Portsmouth-Oyster River defeated Oxford Hills 20-14 on Saturday. The 5-0 ClipperCats will host 4-1 Exeter next Friday.
Spaulding defeated Edward Little 57-18 on Friday. The 1-4 Red Raiders will travel to 1-4 Manchester Memorial next Saturday.
Winnacunnet lost 28-7 to Bangor on Saturday. The 0-5 Warriors will host 1-4 Goffstown next Friday.

- Quote of the week
"It means a lot for us. We came in, we were ranked below Class C teams, a bunch of teams we felt we should be higher than. But this is just the start. We’re still rolling. We’ve got Portland next week. It’s going to be a good game, a tough game. We’re past this. This game’s over now."
Jamier Rose, Noble quarterback

- Streak tracker
There are 10 unbeaten teams in Maine, down from last week’s 15.
4 team ended their winning streak of 4 or more games; Cheverus (4), Maranacook (4), Medomak Valley (4), and Poland (4)
The longest active winning streaks belongs to Leavitt (16), Foxcroft Academy (13), Old Orchard Beach (12), Yarmouth (8), and Messalonskee (6)
There are 13 winless teams in Maine
2 team ended their losing streak of 4 or more games; Traip Academy (22 and Scarborough (6)
The longest active losing streaks belongs to Madison (13), Valley (11), and Edward Little (11), Lake Region (9), Mount View (9), and Mt. Blue (9)

- First place teams after week five
Class A North – Portland (change from last week)
Class A South – Sanford (no change)
Class B North – Messalonskee (no change)
Class B South – Kennebunk (no change)
Class C North – Oceanside (change from last week)
Class C South – Leavitt (no change)
Class D North – Foxcroft Academy (no change)
Class D South – Poland (no change)
8 Man Large School North – Camden Hills (no change)
8 Man Large School South – Yarmouth (no change)
8 Man Small School North – Orono (no change)
8 Man Small School South – Old Orchard Beach (no change)

- Five games of interest to us in week six
Oxford Hills at Bonny Eagle
Old Orchard Beach vs Maranacook
Gardiner at Cheverus
Sanford at Kennebunk
Noble at Portland

What are your thoughts on the weekend?