Surprise teams, a possible championship preview and a matchup between two of the state’s best running backs highlight Week 3 of the high school football season.
Coming off an improbable last-second win over Lawrence, unbeaten Edward Little hopes to carry the momentum to Oakland tonight for an intriguing Pine Tree Conference contest with Messalonskee.
Lisbon travels a bit further up I-95 to challenge Mattanawcook for early-season bragging rights in Class C.
There are some important games on Saturday’s docket, including an Eastern B headliner between two teams coming off shutout losses, Belfast and Oak Hill, and the game of the week in the PTC matching Lewiston and Skowhegan and their hard-to-tackle running backs, Jared Turcotte and Aaron Chambers.
There’s plenty of action in the region this weekend, so let’s take a closer look at the key matchups:
Edward Little (2-0) at Messalonskee (1-0), today, 7 p.m.
The Red Eddies thrilled the Walton Field partisans by ending the so-called “Hersom Bowl”, matching Maine’s coaching twin brothers, Jim and John Hersom, with an answered prayer. Troy Barnies and Jon Demers hooked up on a 53-yard TD pass with four seconds left to pull out the 6-0 win. Overlooked was the outstanding performance by the EL defense, led by Nate Chantrill and Adam Redmun, which limited Lawrence to just six first downs and has given up just 13 points through the first two games.
The surprising Eddies face their biggest test so far with Messalonskee, which is coming off its bye week well-rested from a 37-6 opening night win against Mt. Ararat.
Versatile Ted Fabian threw a 20-yard touchdown pass and ran 12 yards for another score. Tailback Dan May also had two scoring runs.
Lisbon (2-0) at Mattanawcook (2-0), today, 7 p.m.
Two pre-season favorites to win their respective conference’s do battle in perhaps the most anticipated crossover matchup in Class C.
Lisbon hasn’t allowed a point yet this season, outscoring Livermore Falls and Dirigo by a combined 82-0 in the first two weeks. The Greyhounds held the overmatched Cougars to minus-38 yards total offense and no first downs last week. Offensively, Levi Ervin has already collected six touchdowns on the ground, Dan Willis three.
Long-time former Stearns coach Art Greenlaw has taken over at Mattanawcook and boasts one of the most potent offenses in Class C, led by tailback Duncan Markie, who has compiled 336 yards rushing over the first two games while averaging over 11 yards a carry.
Belfast (1-1) at Oak Hill (1-1), Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
It’s been a long week for both teams. The Lions have been stewing over a 16-0 loss to rival Winslow last week, while the Raiders have been left to contemplate a 6-0 loss to MDI that was decided by an interception return for a touchdown with 16 seconds left.
Belfast lost just two starters on offense but has struggled out of the gate. Sean Leeman gained 216 yards in the Lions’ overtime win over Gardiner in Week 1, but the entire offense managed just 56 rushing yards against Winslow.
Oak Hill’s Eric Daniels (14 carries, 64 yards) topped that effort all by himself last week, but the Raiders turned the ball over five times to help out MDI’s defense.
Lewiston (1-1) vs. Skowhegan (1-1), at Madison, Saturday, 7 p.m.
The two best running backs in the Pine Tree Conference, if not the state, share the spotlight at Skowhegan’s home away from home.
Lewiston junior Jared Turcotte has made the leap from a super sophomore to a 215-pound superstar, rushing for 229 yards and three TDs in an opening night win over Bangor, then topping that performance with a 347-yard, five TD tour de force in last week’s loss to Mt. Blue.
Turcotte’s speed and stiff-arm have evoked comparisons to Fitzpatrick winner Jeremy Tardiff. Skowhegan senior Aaron Chambers doesn’t conjure up such comparisons, but the 200-pound battering ram frustrated would-be tacklers in last week’s 34-21 victory over Oxford Hills by never going down on the first or second hit.
Around the region
Action under the Friday night lights includes winless Cony hosting unbeaten Mt. Blue. Oxford Hills hopes to bounce back from the loss to Skowhegan by traveling to Lawrence, which is in the same boat after the tough loss to EL. Like the Vikings, Livermore Falls is still searching for its first win amidst a brutal early schedule that doesn’t get any easier tonight when it hosts Boothbay. Leavitt travels to Morse while eyeing its second straight win. Gray-New Gloucester, still in search of the first varsity win in program history, has the unenviable task of taking on unbeaten defending Class B champion Mountain Valley at Hosmer Field.
Saturday’s schedule matches Jay against Dirigo.
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