Pine Tree Conference football fans are wondering if it can happen again.

Last year, the fifth and sixth seeds, Edward Little and Lewiston, respectively, emerged from a deep post-season field and staged a memorable conference championship game. This season, eight more teams will bid for league supremacy, and there are some that feel the bracket is once again so deep that it’s possible that a couple more lower seeds could pull off some surprises.

“You look at the eighth seed, Lewiston, and they’re a tough football team,” said Oxford Hills coach Paul Bickford. “Up and down (the bracket), there are a lot of very good football teams.”

It could simply come down to who has the most momentum going into the playoffs. Several teams can make a case that they have the hot hand.

“We think we’re playing our best football,” said Mt. Blue coach Gary Parlin. “We were a little apprehensive before (last week’s win over Skowhegan) because we’d won four straight, but we’d won four straight against teams with losing records. We were real anxious to see how we were going to do against one of the real quality teams, and the kids responded well. Now, all you’ve got left is quality teams.”

But Mt. Blue’s five-game win streak isn’t even tops among the eight playoff participants. Brunswick has won seven straight since an opening-night loss to Gardiner, which itself has won four in a row. Bangor has reeled off six straight wins. Lewiston shook off a five-game midseason losing streak and thinks it regained momentum by ending the regular season with two wins in a row. Oxford Hills got back on track last week after losing back-to-back games to Brunswick and Gardiner.

One of those winning streaks will have to be extended by three games in order for one of these teams to call themselves PTC champions. It all begins tonight with the quarterfinals. Here’s a look at the matchups.

No. 5 Skowhegan (5-3) at

No. 4 Mt. Blue (6-2), 7 p.m.

The Cougars beat the Indians last Friday night at Caldwell Field, 28-6, on the strength of a defense that held Skowhegan to just 118 total yards, 61 rushing, and drew three interceptions and four sacks.

“We just played them straight up,” said senior defensive lineman Cal Miller. “We followed their guards. When they pulled, we followed them. They showed us where the ball was going to be.”

The defense has yielded just 10 points per game since the Cougars’ last loss on Sept. 19 to Bangor.

“(Assistant coaches) Roger Bolduc and Craig Collins have come up with some good game plans. But along with the game plans and getting (junior linebacker) Jordan Stevens back (last week), our seniors have been really stepping it up,” Parlin said.

The Cougars shuffled some of their seniors on defense in the middle of the season and the moves have paid off. They switched Derek Taber from defensive tackle to defensive end and added Lance Meader to the mix at free safety.

They’re also getting healthier. Tackle Tom Gopsill is now close to 100 percent after battling an injured kneecap for most of the season.

Skowhegan threw the ball with uncharacteristic frequency last week. Yes, they were playing from behind for most of the second half, but they were also tied in a scoreless game for all but about 10 seconds in the first half. The Indians went to the air 11 times in the first half, 23 times for the game. Their dynamic running duo of Jared Walker and Zach Davis combined for just 23 carries for 87 yards.

“One thing that really surprised the coaches was the number of touches Walker had (nine),” Parlin said. “We think he’s going to get a lot more carries Friday night.”

So could his counterpart on Mt. Blue’s side, Lance Meader. The senior tailback has rushed for over 1,300 yards and 16 touchdowns, including 197 yards and two scores last week. QB Garrett Lake and WR Nate Bolduc give the Cougars the ability to stretch the defense.

No. 8 Lewiston (3-5) at

No. 1 Bangor (7-1), 7 p.m.

“The one advantage to being the number eight team in a one-eight matchup is there’s no pressure,” said Lewiston coach Bill County. “You go up there and you lay all your cards on the table and you figure out what you’ve got.”

The Blue Devils held a similar philosophy last season, though they were a sixth seed then, and pulled off a first-round upset over higher-ranked Mt. Blue.

This year, though, Lewiston meets up with a top-seeded Bangor team that yielded 14 points to Edward Little in Week 1 and has not given up more than seven points in a game since, including three shutouts.

“I’m not sure you can go toe-to-toe with them,” County said. “They put a lot of guys in the middle and they’re very tough on the inside, so we might have to go to the option more.”

That would mean more of a role for sophomore quarterback Chris Ford, who has alternated under center this season with Dustin Carrier. The Blue Devils run the option when Ford is in the game, and County thinks he has improved his decision-making late in the season to entrust the offense to him.

More often than not, Ford will be looking to pitch the ball to senior tailback James Spaulding, a big, speedy runner with breakaway ability.

Bangor’s offense features another back with power and speed in senior tailback Mike Prentiss, one of the leading rushers in the PTC. But Prentiss isn’t a one-man wrecking crew. The Rams also count on tough inside running from fullback Ben Payson and a change of pace from 5-6, 140-pound tailback Tyler Heber, who often lines up in the backfield with Prentiss.

“Heber gives them that counter to the outside,” County said. “As soon as you put to much attention on Prentiss, he can get outside, and, boy, is he fast?”

Noted for their strength and experience up front with defensive leaders such as Steve Poussard and Steve Cobb, the Blue Devils will nevertheless be relying on a small but improving secondary to keep Bangor’s big plays rushing and passing to a minimum.

No. 6 Oxf. Hills (5-3) at

No. 3 Gardiner (7-1), 7 p.m.

The Tigers beat the Vikings, 20-3, in their only regular-season meeting two weeks ago. Oxford Hills squandered some opportunities to make it closer because of penalties, dropped passes and other fundamental mistakes.

The Vikings’ biggest problems, though, were Randy Irish, Nate Munzing and Craig Toulouse, who shut down explosive sophomore tailback Jim Bower and, in Irish’s case, sacked QB Tim Cote twice. Oxford Hills will have to give Bower room to run and Cote time to throw by winning the battles at the line of scrimmage.

“We just need to come off the football and have the offensive line sustain their blocks. That’s the focal point for our offense,” Bickford said. “That’s going to create some space (for Bower). They’re a very good defensive unit.”

Since an offensive outburst against the “Cat Pack” is quite unlikely, Oxford Hills’ defense, led by seniors Shawn Fanjoy and Kass Eells, will have to rise to the occasion. The Gardiner offense has come to life ever since it was shutout by Mt. Ararat in the Tigers’ only loss (Gardiner scored two safeties in a 6-4 game). Justin Labourdais (171 yards against the Vikings) and Munzing (87 yards) lead a unit that has rung up 148 points in the last four games.

“Offensively, they’re pretty methodical and run the football well,” Bickford said.

No. 7 Cony (3-5) at

No. 2 Brunswick (7-1), 7 p.m.

Brunswick makes its first post-season appearance since 1985 and has the talent to make its return a memorable one.

The Dragons boast the best fullback in the state in Phillip Warren, who chalked up over 1,400 yards and 18 touchdowns this year. QB Ralph Mims lends big-play ability with his speed, size and leaping ability, which the Dragons occasionally exploit by splitting the basketball star out wide for some over-the-top passing. Tailback Devin Shepard is a slashing counter-point to the bruising Warren.

Cony has struggled to put points on the board this season (11 ppg), but has also had to deal with injuries at some key skill positions. Running backs Ricky Brown and Miles Whitlock are the ones the Dragon defense will have to stop.

rwhitehouse@sunjournal.com

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