Weekend peek

All games Saturday

Western Class B

Mtn. Valley (8-2) at Cape Elizabeth (10-0)

So here we are for the fourth consecutive year. It’s worth noting that the Falcons prevailed the first three times, including a shutout on Cape Elizabeth’s FieldTurf after the Capers celebrated (operative word; they did everything but tear down the goalposts) their first-ever win over MV in the final game of the regular season. This year’s opening round went to Cape by technical knockout, 34-0, marking Mountain Valley’s first time on the business end of a shutout in its 21-year history as a program. Key for the Falcons is finding a happy medium between shutting down relentless runner Tom Foden and the aerial attack of Ezra Wolfinger and Finn Melanson. Foden still found the century mark in the first meeting, even as Melanson caught three TD passes in jaw-dropping fashion. The Falcons would love to control the tempo as they did in avenging a 19-point loss at York. Matt Duka and Brady Fergola have the ability to accomplish that behind Cole Clark, Ryan Laubauskas and a gritty offensive line.

Western Class C

Yarmouth (8-2) at Dirigo (10-0)

More proof that this isn’t your big brother’s Campbell Conference. Not many of us can remember the last Western Class C final that didn’t somehow involve Winthrop, Boothbay, Lisbon, Livermore Falls or Jay. How have the new kids on the small-school block joined the popular crowd? With excessive speed and an uncanny ability to score 35 points in four or five minutes. Yarmouth has enjoyed one of the most stirring playoff runs in recent memory from its No. 7 seed, stopping Livermore Falls and Old Orchard Beach on the final play of the game for startlingly similar, walk-off 35-28 and 34-28 victories. Dirigo? Subtract a cosmetic touchdown scored by Maranacook in the final minute and it’s been a 68-0 smoke show highlighted by long bombs, breakaway runs, interception runbacks, punt returns, strip sacks and scooped-up fumbles. If you win with seniors and have to lose a big game to learn how to win one, as the historical cliches claim, it’s hard to pick against the Cougars. But if victories that send your supporters scurrying for blood pressure medication are a sign of destiny, then faith in the Clippers isn’t blind, either.

Eastern Class B

Gardiner (8-2) at Leavitt (10-0)

Neither team was healthy at quarterback when the teams met three weeks ago in Turner. Forrest Chadwick, the Tigers’ do-everything star on both sides of the ball, sat out to heal nagging injuries and get himself ready for the playoffs. Watch the film of last week’s 20-13 win at Morse if you want to see how it worked. As for Leavitt’s Eric Theiss, he went home at halftime of Leavitt-Gardiner I with a stomach embattled by something worse than butterflies. Of course, all he did before retreating to bed was run for two TDs, throw another and roll up more than 250 yards total offense in a 35-0 victory. Theiss sells the fake in the spread offense as well as any quarterback not named Tebow. And with the incendiary Josh Strickland and Jordan Hersom able to run wild around him, that’s bad news for any defense. Worth noting: Other than Theiss’ three roundhouses, Gardiner defensive coordinator Matt Brown’s boys counterpunched the Hornets as effectively as anybody in the Pine Tree Conference did. Leavitt’s was even better, though, holding the Tigers to three first downs all night.

Western Class A

Cheverus (8-2) at Windham (9-1)

There never was doubt that John Wolfgram, who built state championship programs at Gardiner and South Portland, would put Cheverus back on the map for something other than basketball. But key injury or not, nobody saw a 35-6 semifinal road rout of Thornton coming. Now the Stags encounter Windham after dealing the Eagles their only loss in Week 2. Cheverus held explosive Jack Mallis to 34 total yards in a 27-13 win. Over the rest of the regular season, Windham averaged 35 points per game and allowed 10. The Eagles used a two-point conversion in OT last week to beat Bonny Eagle, 22-21, ousting the team that won four of the last five state titles.

Eastern Class A

Brunswick (9-1) at Bangor (10-0)

Hard to believe that Bangor has won only one regional title since losing the final to Brunswick at home in 2003. That PTC crown came the next year. The Rams’ hopes of ending the five-year drought rest heavily on the shoulders of Lonnie Hackett, who may have a leg up in the Fitzpatrick Trophy chase. But Brunswick has its own game-changer in all-purpose Rashon Edgerton, who splits time between tailback, wingback, tight end and flanker. The Dragons have won seven straight games.

Eastern Class C

John Bapst (9-1) at Foxcroft (10-0)

If these two teams are head and shoulders above the Little Ten Conference, you could make the case that there’s a long neck after the Ponies’ one-sided win in the final game of the regular season. But the Crusaders are the reigning state champions. Danny White, a 2003 graduate of the powerful Foxcroft program, is now the Ponies’ coach. He’s opposed by Bates graduate Dan O’Connell, who inherited Bapst in the mire of a 41-game losing streak six years ago.