DIXFIELD — Either way, Maine high school football history gets made this afternoon at Harlow Park.

Dirigo High School has its mind on an undefeated season and its first gridiron championship of any kind since 1975.

Yarmouth High School, three seasons into its varsity existence, hopes to extend an eight-game winning streak and complete the most unlikely, dramatic playoff push of this or any season.

Western Class C and the Campbell Conference are guaranteed a first-time champion. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m.

“I’m more excited about this game than I’ve been for anything else in my high school career,” said Dirigo senior guard and linebacker Mason Cote. “I’m just so pumped. I can’t wait.”

No. 1 Dirigo (10-0) has been the favorite since the sound of last season’s final horn. No. 7 Yarmouth (8-2) is the gritty gadfly that needed the last play of the game to knock out No. 2 Livermore Falls and No. 3 Old Orchard Beach, the latter in overtime.

But there are startling similarities, too.

Both teams flaunt a cadre of seniors who began working toward today’s goal before they had a varsity program to emulate.

Dirigo sat out more than a decade before beginning its revival as a cooperative effort with Buckfield. Standing alone, the Cougars have steadily advanced their win total each season from two to four to five to eight, and now double digits.

Yarmouth’s season-opening losses to OOB and Oak Hill dropped the Clippers to 1-19 as a program. Its point totals in eight straight subsequent victories: 56, 56, 48, 64, 64, 56, 35 and 34.

“They put the ball on the ground a lot against Old Orchard, but they just find a way to win,” Dirigo coach Doug Gilbert said of Yarmouth. “We’ve watched a lot of film. They ran all over the field against Lisbon.”

Each side flaunts a deep delegation of running backs with contrasting styles, athletic receivers and a double-threat quarterback.

Nic Crutchfield and favorite deep target Alex Miele fuel Dirigo’s vertical passing game. Spencer Ross is explosive in the open field as a runner or receiver. He’s joined in the backfield by Tyler Chiasson and Bryan Blackman.

Yarmouth’s answer to Ross is Brodie Woodson, who is decidedly bigger at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, and just as dangerous. 

Four-year starter Eric Estabrook engineers the Clippers’ offense under center. Yarmouth has prospered on the ground by feeding its foes a steady diet of David Dietz, Nate Pingitore, Woodson and Estabrook.

Outscored 442-49 two years ago, Yarmouth improved steadily on defense as multi-year starters Spencer Dorsett, Andrew King and Woodson (all linebackers) and Phil Lane (tackle) have matured.

Dirigo’s defense is senior-dominated and adept at forcing turnovers. Cote, Dowland and Fenstermacher provide speed at linebacker, as do pass-rushing defensive end Kyle Hutchinson and the ball-hawking secondary of Miele, Crutchfield and Ross.

“We’ll use all the weapons we’ve had all season,” Gilbert said.

Yarmouth trailed OOB 14-0 and 20-7 before rallying to last weekend’s win. The Clippers cannot afford to spot points against Dirigo, which trailed in only one game all season and rolled through the first two rounds of the playoffs against Maranacook (42-8) and Winthrop (26-0). Dirigo scored all but one of its playoff touchdowns in the first half.

Today’s winner will become only the fifth different school to win the Campbell ‘C’ title since 1996, joining Lisbon, Boothbay, Winthrop and Jay.