LEWISTON – The field was soaked, and getting slicker by the minute. The wind was driving raindrops into players’ faces. Points were going to be scarce in last Friday night’s game between Lewiston and Gardiner, and both teams knew field position or an extra point might make the ultimate difference.

Lewiston scored the first points of the game on a third quarter touchdown. Jeff Thiberge, Lewiston’s sophomore kicker, lined up for the extra point, and tried to ignore the elements and importance of the kick.

“It was nerve-wracking, especially when the game’s kind of coming down to me,” said Thiberge.

Gardiner blocked the kick, then scored late in the fourth quarter to tie the game. The Tigers also missed the PAT that would have won the game before pulling it out on a touchdown in overtime.

“Sometimes, (special teams is) the difference in a game,” Thiberge said.

Take the kicking game for granted at your own risk, warns Livermore Falls coach Brad Bishop.

“The punt is the most important play in the game because either a bad snap or a block or a fumble or a penalty can create bad field position,” Bishop said.

Lewiston coach Bill County knew long before last Friday night’s game how special teams can make, or break, a game. But even he admits it’s the most overlooked aspect of football.

“You hear all the time, kind of exaggerated, that it’s at least one-third of the game,” said County. “It’s tough to work it into a practice plan. I certainly can’t tell you that we give it one-third of the practice time.”

Lewiston’s punter and kicker work on their kicking for 15 minutes before every practice. The Blue Devils devote almost their entire Thursday practice to special teams, but County pointed out that it’s very hard to simulate game conditions in practice because “special teams can be very violent, especially kick return.”

No team gets more out of practicing its return game than Lewiston . All-state kick returner Aaron Daly ran back two kickoffs and two punts for touchdowns last season. His successor, junior Jake Angelides, has returned kickoffs 82, 83 and 84 yards for touchdowns already this season.

“What you want is somebody who’s willing to find the seam and has breakneck speed,” County said.

“We just try to keep it as simple as we can,” said Lewiston special teams coach Kevin Stilphen. “We don’t throw a lot of rules at them. Just catch the ball, get it upfield and let the blockers take care of the guys in front of you.”

While coaches try to keep things simple for their special teams players, they know they can’t take anything for granted. Even a task seemingly as simple as snapping the ball from center has to be refined from the first day of practice.

“August 18th, fifteen minutes into practice, I’m after people to long snap. That has a huge influence on special teams,” Stilphen said. “It’s not easy to do.”

Many coaches use special teams as a way to give their younger players their first exposure to varsity football, but some aspects of the kicking game can’t be trusted to just anybody.

“One year at Lawrence, I had my starting quarterback long snap,” Bishop said. “He was about 5-10, 140, if that. He was the best long-snapper we had, so we used him.”

Whether they’re the long-snapper, the kick returner or the point on the wedge, special teams players are a different breed. Stilphen said he looks for players with good speed and a willingness “to mix it up”.

Players, particularly kickers, also need to be capable of dealing with the pressure that is unique to their one-third of the game.

“You’ve got to have a short memory,” said Stilphen. “If you miss a snap or a kick or a block, you can’t dwell on it.”