Lewiston coach Bill County wouldn’t have minded breaking from tradition this year and having arch-rival Edward Little on the schedule for, say, Week 1, rather than Saturday’s season finale.

Seven weeks ago, the Red Eddies were still in transition, with a new coach, Dave Sterling, hired barely a month earlier, and a team searching for its identity.

“Coach Sterling got hired late, and I knew from the beginning if you were going to get them, it would have been best to get them early,” County said with a chuckle. “This time of year, there are no young kids anymore. They’ve played. They’ve matured. They understand the system. They’ve got a little confidence and some momentum.”

As the 167th “Battle of the Bridge” rolls around (1 p.m., Lewiston High School), the Red Eddies (4-3) have established themselves as a formidable foe for the Blue Devils (6-1). After starting the season with two hard-fought losses to Brunswick and Lawrence, EL won four of the next five, the last three in a row.

“We developed as we went along,” Sterling said. “We were getting to know each other in the beginning. We had some close games and we had chances to win. We figured out how we can win as a team.”

The catalyst for their success has been the defense, which is third in the PTC in points allowed (72) and has given up just six points over the last three games, including back-to-back shutouts against Skowhegan and Mt. Ararat.

“Part of that development was the defensive line, the three kids that are there,” Sterling said. “Avery Jackson never comes out of the game and is a great athlete. Cory Spruill and Steven Bangs, their accepting their roles of just being defensive players allowed the other four offensive linemen to just concentrate on their jobs. It helped the whole team across the board because we became not as dependent on the trusty 11 or 12 that most high school programs depend on.”

“Spruill at the nose guard can really change an entire game plan,” County said. “He’s quick and he’s strong and you really have to account for him on every snap.”

The Eddies’ defensive line will play a big role in slowing down Lewiston’s prolific and diverse running game. Fullback Joe McKinnon ranks sixth in the PTC in rushing after collecting 155 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s 28-0 win over Cony. Tailbacks Jeff Keene and Jeff Turcotte rank in the top 11 in conference rushing and have big-play ability, while Matt Therrien provides a quick-footed change of pace and is a weapon on kick returns.

“They’re an excellent offensive team as far as running the football,” Sterling said. “They have several people they can give the ball to that can perform in open space, as well as a good line that gets off the football and creates the push at the line of scrimmage to just give those guys the crack they need for running room.”

Lewiston’s offense has grown over the course of the season, so concentrating solely on the run could prove risky for the Eddies. Chris Madden and tight end Cody Dussault, who has scored on five of his 10 catches and is averaging 36.4 yards per reception, can go over the top of the defense.

“Chris Madden has done a nice job throwing the ball,” County said. “Granted, most of it is play-action that comes out of our run game. But, like them, we’re not afraid to pull it out when we need to.”

EL has a not-so-secret weapon it can pull out and use in multiple ways — senior tailback Teven Colon. The PTC’s third-leading rusher is 35 yards shy of the 1,000-yard mark for the season after 200-plus yard performances each of the last two weeks.

Colon’s ability to break off long runs, even after he’s been contained for three-and-a-half quarters, has forced the Devils’ defense to get back to basics this week in practice.

“One of the things we’re going to try and do is eliminate the big plays,” County said. “We’ve really worked hard at keeping our feet. He’s not a kid you can dive at. He’s going to make you miss. You’ve got to be technically correct when you tackle him.”

Talk about balance, EL quarterback Josh Delong has 334 yards passing and 334 yards rushing. He’ll have to deal with a fast and physical Devil defense led by linebacker Ben Wigant.

“They’re solid across the board,” Sterling said. “They keep plays in front of them. They take advantage of an opportunity when they have it. That’s why they’re one of the better teams in the state right now.”

More than bragging rights are at stake. With a win, Edward Little may be able to avoid PTC favorites Lawrence and Bangor in the first round of the playoffs, which begin next week. Lewiston, which leads the all-time series, 88-66-12, already has clinched the PTC South crown, but that is little more than window dressing. With a win Saturday, the Devils can reward themselves with a home game in the playoffs

“As much of a rivalry as it is,” County said, “and as meaningful as it is to win the game for that purpose, we really need to win this game to secure a home playoff game and take care of next week.”

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