New and improved

In a segment of history marked by recession and the death of entire industries, this weekend’s regional championship pairings again prove that Maine high school football is in nothing but an unprecedented growth cycle.

Four of the dozen surviving teams did not even exist at the varsity level in their current class at the start of the decade.

Windham, which will host Saturday’s Western Class A final against Cheverus, spent a segment in the Campbell Conference developmental division — taking its lumps from the likes of Mountain Valley and Wells — before making the relatively quick climb to its current perch.

The home teams in the Western B and C title games share overlapping growth charts.

Only six years ago, both Cape Elizabeth and Dirigo played in the Campbell’s C division as developmental squads. Like the Madison-Carrabec and Calais-Woodland teams of today, the Cougars were a cooperative endeavor with Buckfield. This year, each has stood alone in multiple senses of the word.

Dirigo dropped football prior the 1990 season after a proud past that included four state championships.

And then comes Yarmouth, the out-of-nowhere regional finalist in only its third varsity season. Prior to the eight-game winning streak that earned the Clippers a trip to Dixfield on Saturday, Yarmouth lost 19 of the first 20 games in its history.

Of course, four-time Class A champion Bonny Eagle is the model for such start-ups, having launched its program in the 1990s. In that same period, Gorham, Mt. Ararat, Falmouth, Gray-New Gloucester, Greely, Poland, Nokomis, Camden Hills, Maranacook, Freeport, Sacopee Valley and Mt. View also either started or revived dormant programs. 

Still waiting in the wings for a possible move to varsity status: Monmouth, which fielded an undefeated junior high team this year; Buckfield; Telstar; and a smattering of schools now playing eight-man football in Aroostook County.

Precautionary tale

It’s almost impossible to watch a highlight or attend a live game lately without seeing a player sustain a frightening concussion. 

So you’ll excuse Dirigo fans if they lost their breath for a second last Saturday when quarterback Nic Crutchfield took a third-down snap, seemed to lose his balance and collapsed to one knee on the Harlow Park turf.

Two plays earlier, Crutchfield was hit hard on a bootleg, begging the question about his health when he didn’t return to the game after limping to the sideline.

Rest easily, Cougars faithful.

“No, it was my hip,” Crutchfield said. “All of a sudden it locked up and I couldn’t move it for a second. I was fine, but as long as the score stayed the way it was (a 26-0 lead and eventual margin of victory over Winthrop), it made sense not to go back in.”

Crutchfield threw two touchdown passes and set up another Dirigo score with a defensive interception prior to his departure.