Every game has playoff implications in a short season, but late-season matchups always lend a lot more clarity to the playoff picture. Such is the case this week as Class A wraps up its regular season and classes B and C reach their penultimate week.

There is still much to be settled in the Pine Tree Conference. A Lewiston win over Edward Little and a Windham loss to Oxford Hills puts the Blue Devils in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the winner of tonight’s Skowhegan-Mt. Blue tilt can count on a desirable third or fourth seed and home field advantage in at least the first round of the playoffs.

Tonight’s games
Skowhegan (5-2) at

Mt. Blue (5-2), 7 p.m.

All season, one got the feeling that there would be something on the line for this traditional regular-season finale. The Indians made sure of that by losing to Brunswick last week, 14-0, a game in which they collected just 165 yards in total offense. The revamped Cougar defense, led by Cal Miller and Nate Bolduc, knows running back Jared Walker is capable of gaining that on his own if they don’t keep the holes closed.

While the defense has allowed 10 points per game during Mt. Blue’s current four-game winning streak, the Cougar offense, surprise, surprise, leads the PTC in scoring, averaging more than 30 points a game. Running back Lance Meader has been the primary threat most of the season, but QB Garrett Lake and the passing game have strung together impressive back-to-back performances. Lake torched Lawrence for 182 yards and three TDs passing last week in a 41-20 win.

Greely (2-4) at Mountain Valley (5-1), 7 p.m.

Following a surprising 2-1 start, Greely has lost three in a row by a combined score of 175-20. Tailback Zak DiSilvestro is their offensive spark.

The Falcons should be rested and ready coming off their bye week. Running backs Eric LePage and Aaron Arsenault and QB Zach Fergola lead a steadily improving offense.

Winthrop (1-6) at Boothbay (5-2), 7 p.m.

How times have changed in the Campbell Conference. Just last season, this matchup would have been hailed as the game of the year. Now youth and injuries have cut down the Ramblers. Winthrop hopes to rejoin Boothbay among the conference elite while sophomore running back Tavis Hasenfus continues to develop as one of the league’s best young backs. Boothbay, meanwhile, picked up the pieces from its loss to Lisbon three weeks ago with back-to-back routs of Traip and Old Orchard. Jon Ferrin and Jake Hodgdon lead a rejuvenated running attack.

Buckfield/Dirigo (2-5) at Liv. Falls (5-2), 7 p.m.

Week after week, the Cougars have shown they fit right in with their physical, smashmouth style. Running backs Scott Wetherell and Craig Langervin can be a relentless outside-inside combination, while freshman QB Jamie Henderson showed how he’s matured last week by leading the Cougars on a 74-yard game-winning drive with just over three minutes to play against Winthrop.

The Andies can clinch their first playoff berth since 1999 with a win. Were that not enough incentive, they’re also hoping to get their offense revved up again after losing to Lisbon last week, 22-6. About the only positive for the offense last week was running back Brad Bryant, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark.

Fryeburg (0-6) at

York (2-4), 7 p.m.

York comes off its bye week after a 32-7 win over Falmouth. QB Eric Rostad has thrown three TD passes in the last two games. Andrew Stacy and Aaron Cressy lead the Raiders.

Saturday’s games
Lewiston (2-5) at

Edward Little (1-6), 1 p.m.

There won’t be as much at stake in the 159th “Battle of the Bridge” as there was in the 158th or 157th, but that doesn’t mean we’re in for a square dance at Walton Field, either. Lewiston needs a win and a Windham loss to clinch a return to the playoffs. The Blue Devils wouldn’t mind exacting a little revenge for last year, when the Red Eddies swept both games between the two teams, including the PTC championship. Lewiston leads the series all-time, 82-64, with 12 ties.

The Devils snapped a five-game losing streak last week with an impressive 28-7 win over Mt. Ararat. Running back James Spaulding returned to his early-season form with last week’s 219-yard, four-touchdown performance. Nick Lajoie and Jake Angelides led a ball-hawking defense that forced five turnovers in the win.

EL seeks relief from its own five-game losing streak in which the defense has given up an average of 36 points per game. A win would end a disappointing season on an up note and give the young Eddies something to build from for next year. QB Steve Simpson hooked up with Kenny Poulin and Matt Nadeau to get the Eddies’ passing game going late last week against Windham.

Windham (3-4) at Oxford Hills (4-3), 1:30 p.m.

The Vikings are happy to be back home after back-to-back road losses at PTC front-runners Brunswick and Gardiner. They didn’t help themselves in either game when they squandered early scoring opportunities. Running backs Jim Bower and Tyler Slack and QB Tim Cote will try to get the Vikes into the end zone early and often. The defense will be charged with stopping Windham junior running back Chris Molleur, who rushed for 156 yards and four touchdowns against Edward Little last week.

Morse (2-4) at

Oak Hill (4-2), 1:30 p.m.

Oak Hill is coming off a 49-12 loss to Winslow. Knowing that there’s a good chance they could face Winslow again in the playoffs, the Raiders begin their quest to close the gap against a Morse team that has won two straight after losing its first four.

QB Adam Labbe and RB Kyle Harrington, the third-leading scorer in the PTC, look to get the Raider offense untracked after struggling to make positive yardage against Winslow. Tony Poulin (54 tackles, third in the PTC) leads the defense.

Jay (6-1) at Cape Elizabeth (3-4), 1:30 p.m.

With arch-rival Livermore Falls looming next week, Jay hopes to solidify its playoff positioning with a win against the pesky Capers. The Tigers have won five in a row, with the offense averaging 33.2 points per game in that span led by QB Justin Wells and a balanced running game of Kyle Richards, Austin Ouellette and Shawn Jacques. The defense has given up just two touchdowns in those five wins and has shut out three of the last four opponents.

Cape has made a lot of noise in its first year out of the Developmental League and is coming off a 42-20 win over Madison. Eliot Cohen rushed for 283 yards and three touchdowns (and also picked off two passes) last week.

Traip (0-7) at

Lisbon (7-0), 1:30 p.m.

The Greyhounds continued to steamroll through what is shaping up to be an undefeated regular season with a 22-6 win over Livermore Falls last week. QB Chris Kates engineered three long scoring drives with running backs Tony Walker (125 yards) and John Tefft (94 yards) as the Greyhounds outgained the Andies by a two-to-one margin. The same trio also leads a defense that will try to be the third straight team to hold Traip scoreless.

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