RUMFORD — Mountain Valley High School is hosting another Western Class B football championship at 12:30 p.m. today.

Getting to this game each November only feels like the Falcons’ divine right. It is undeniably, however, an expectation of their extended community.

They’ve now played in seven consecutive regional finals and nine of the last 11. Since 2004, Mountain Valley has claimed a state championship every even-numbered year.

Yes, history has a burdensome side.

“This is a really sick job sometimes. You win 13-0 over Greely and you go home and feel like you surrendered America’s freedom or something,” said Mountain Valley coach Jim Aylward. “There’s some pretty high standards around here.”

Take Mountain Valley’s recent relationship with today’s opponent, Wells, for example.

The Falcons have owned the series for a decade, so it’s somewhat forgotten that the Warriors (along with Leavitt) were Mountain Valley’s chief rival of the 1990s. Wells matched Mountain Valley with three regional titles in that decade.

And the last two years have signaled a return to the heavyweight title fights of yesteryear.

Mountain Valley needed an interception in the end zone to seal a 27-20 win at Wells in September 2009. In this year’s regular-season rematch at Chet Bulger Field, punter Rashad Lavoie’s 75-yard, broken-field run after an errant snap provided the margin in a 14-6 Falcons victory.

“Our best play was a snap over our punter’s head. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” Aylward said. “He made a hell of a run, though. He really did.”

Both teams piled up the points by more conventional means this season. Mountain Valley (10-0) scored 378. Wells (9-1) chalked up 331.

Doing that against one another is a different story. Mountain Valley has six shutouts and gave up its season-high 12 points to York long after the game was in hand. Mountain Valley, York and Greely were the only opponents to hit 14 against Wells.

“I certainly don’t expect to see us running up and down the field on them, and I don’t expect to see them running up and down the field on us. I think it’s going to be a terrific game,” said Aylward. “People who like good, old-fashioned football where there’s not a lot of balls flying through the air and big plays but people getting to the football and tackling well, that’s the game they’re going to want to go see.”

Cam Kaubris leads Mountain Valley both at quarterback and in the secondary. Taylor Bradley topped 1,000 yards for the season in last week’s 43-6 semifinal rout of Falmouth.

Christian Durland, Ryan Glover, Ben Higley and Taylor Carey headline the opportunistic defense along with defensive backs Kaubris, Bradley and Izaak Mills.

Durland, Kaubris and Bradley all started as sophomores on the 2008 Class B championship team.

“We know our kids are going to play hard. We know our kids are going to play with a lot of heart,” Aylward said. “If we can control our emotion, that’s a step in the right direction.”

Wells features junior quarterback Paul McDonough and a cast of explosive playmakers. Louis DiTomasso, Chad Whitten and Michael Moats each had a lengthy touchdown scamper in last week’s 47-7 rout of Cape Elizabeth.

That win made Wells the first team other than Cape to face Mountain Valley in the final since 2005. York pulled off the upset in Rumford that year.

“We have a lot of respect for them, and there’s no shame in admitting that. I told the kids there’s four really good teams still playing in Class B,” Aylward said. “If you’re playing now, you’re good. The end. It’s not a fluke.”

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