The world is about to learn about Maine high school football, seen through the prism of the burgeoning Mountain Valley/Cape Elizabeth rivalry.

“The Rivals,” a documentary which follows the Falcons’ and Capers’ quest for the Western Class B championship during the intense 2007 season, premieres at 9 p.m. Saturday on Smithsonian Channel.

In a news release, Smithsonian Channel bills the film like this: “Two high schools, two football teams, battling for glory. Excpet the champs are the have-nots, and the underdogs are the ones on easy street.”

Lone Wolf Productions of South Portland produced the film. Kirk Wolfinger, the director, is the father of Ezra Wolfinger, the Capers’ backup quarterback that season, but the film is an even-handed and engrossing account of two teams, two communities and two coaches — Mountain Valley’s Jim Aylward and Cape’s Aaron Filieo — and their quest for a common goal.

After screenings in Rumford, Cape Elizabeth and othe points around the state, the film was well-received on the independent film festival circuit. It won the Audience Choice Award at the 2010 Woods Hole Festival, Best Picture at the 2010 Phoenix Film Festival and Best Documentary at the 2009 Los Angeles Reel Film Festival.

What’s the point

Jay’s forfeit victory over Sacopee Valley last week will go down in the books as a 1-0 win, not 2-0 as previously reported.

By national federation rules, high school football forfeits are recorded as 1-0, unless the game is forfeited in-progress and the team that did not forfeit is ahead, in which case that score is the final score. In college football, forfeits are 2-0 in the record books.

Sacopee Valley forfeited last Friday’s game because it didn’t have enough players to compete. Injuries and academic ineligibilities decimated the roster and the Hawks decided for force the game mid-week.

Jay will see its first action on the field Friday night in Maranacook. The Tigers’ first home game will be Sept. 17 against Oak Hill.

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