PORTLAND – Two 11-0 teams with an intertwined playoff history. A warm late November afternoon forecasted for Fitzpatrick Stadium. The dreams of a few dozen young men playing out before a few thousand eyes in living color.

It’s a dramatic setting that will be the Saturday afternoon destination for the small working-class towns of Lisbon-Lisbon Falls and Dover-Foxcroft, likely to have tumbleweeds rolling through their respective Main streets by the 2:30 kickoff.

Okay, it’s just a football game. But, still, what a football game. These aren’t just two undefeated teams (the only duel of unbeatens in Saturday’s triple-header). They’re two 11-0 teams that, while they’ve been as dominant as their shared record indicates, have had plenty of chances to back down and have stubbornly refused to do so every time.

They’re two teams with coaches who have studied this week’s opponent and have noted qualities they admire in their own teams. Coaches say that kind of stuff all the time, in all team sports. But in this case, let’s hope it’s true, because both football teams have done a lot to distinguish themselves this year.

The Ponies were preseason favorites in the Little Ten Conference. Bringing back 12 starters and oodles of seniors from last year’s Class C runner-up was only part of the reason, They had a smart, strong-armed double-threat at quarterback in Josh Withee, some fleet receivers, an inside-outside running game, and two all-conference defenders returning to play linebacker They smashed most of the competition, which they have outscored 294-74. They’ve also passed two difficult tests against a formidable Stearns team, overcoming the elements and the Minutemen the second time in last week’s 6-0 OT thriller,

The Greyhounds’ well-documented season began less optimistically. With just five starters returning, most prognosticators had them eking into the playoffs as a fourth seed or not getting there at all Yet their underclassmen played like veterans, their offensive line gelled quickly, their athletic backfield made big plays, and the defense executed gut-check stands with its back to the goal-line. They announced themselves with a convincing mid-season win over the defending state champions, Boothbay, then wrestled the Western Maine title away from the Seahawks,and in the process answered Foxcroft’s dominance back East by outscoring their brethren in the West, 329-72.

Offensively, these are two similar teams. They can be predictable as long as it’s working, which it usually is. But they can also be dynamic and explosive if the situation calls for it. Both teams boast bruising fullbacks, Tony Walker for Lisbon (1,100 yards, 13 TDs) and Lincoln Robinson for Foxcroft, capable of breaking big runs. Both have do-it-all at halfback in Lisbon’s John Tefft (and Foxcroft’s Bobby Gilbert (1,100 yards and 15 TDs rushing) who make plays in all facets of the game.

Both offenses are in the capable hands of athletic quarterbacks, though the skills of each are emphasized differently by their respective coaches. First-year quarterback Chris Kates leads Lisbon with a cool head, speedy legs and a seldom-used right arm that is at its best in the clutch. Foxcroft’s Josh Withee, son of head coach Paul Withee, is the focal point of his offense, with an arm capable of hitting receivers in-stride 50 yards downfield and two legs capable of ripping off yardage in similarly spacious chunks.

With two receivers to worry about, Matt Ernest and Greg Perry, who are averaging around 30 yards per catch and have combined for 16 touchdowns, the Ponies can keep the Greyhounds from loading up at the line of scrimmage to contain their three-headed running game. Since Foxcroft is capable of grinding it out as well as anybody with their running backs, Withee is the key. The senior is at his most dangerous outside the pocket. The Ponies like to run the waggle to put him in a position where he can get out of heavy traffic and throw the ball downfield or tuck it in and showcase his running skills.

“He throws not just a good deep ball but he throws a catchable ball,” Lisbon coach Dick Mynahan said. “He has a nice release and they give him plenty of time to throw. He’s going to be one of those guys that’s going to be hard for us to put pressure on.”

Pressure is the Ponies’ game on defense. Robinson and Gilbert, the former an all-conference linebacker last year and the latter a all-star defensive end converted to linebacker this year, anchor a defense that surrendered just 130 total yards to Stearns last week.

“They have a couple of linebackers on the inside who are two of the best that I’ve seen around,” Mynahan said. “And their defensive backs are also speedy. They have great coverage. They’ve had so many games that they’ve won by such large margins that they’ve had a lot of practice.”

Lisbon hopes it isn’t put in a similar position. The Greyhounds’ strength is running Walker inside and Tefft and Kates outside, using multiple looks, including shotgun, power I, option, three- or four-receiver sets, from which they are almost equally efficient. They’ll pass only when the defense gives it to them or the clock and scoreboard demand it, but still have big-play potential with Tefft out of the backfield and Derek Roy or Levi Ervin downfield.

“They’re just very balanced and diversified,” said Paul Withee, in his 14th year at the Foxcroft helm. “They can go power with the fullback or use their speed and run outside with Tefft or use the Kates kid running option. We haven’t seen a team that diversified.”

Walker, Tefft and Kates lead a defense that bent but rarely broke last week against Boothbay and, with significant contributions from Ervin, Elijah Treffts and Carl Grady, came up with the big stop when they needed it most.

So with the two teams equally equipped at the skill positions, the game will come down to two pairs of rebuilt offensive and defensive lines two who earned their stripes this season. The ones who man the trenches, lesser-know names like Chris Lewis or Kris Preble for Foxcroft or Jacob Sprinkle and Randy Chaloux for Lisbon, will probably ultimately decide who takes home the gold ball.

“That’s going to be the difference in the game,” said Withee, who has now led the Ponies to four state title games. “In most situations like this, it is going to come down to who controls the line of scrimmage.”

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