RUMFORD — Kyle Duguay looks like he stepped out of a chiropractor’s “before” pictures, forced to pivot his entire body rather than swivel his neck when someone calls his name.

Matt Hosie walks with a shuffle and tries to hide the wince. Not the ideal situation when the word “running” is in your job description.

It all has the ultimate domino effect on Izaak Mills — healthy, by November football standards, but never quite sure where he’ll be line up when Mountain Valley High School quarterback Zak Radcliffe is barking out signals.

They’re bruised, battered and in a constant state of flux. Which, when you think about it, might be the ideal situation for one of the best backfields in the state as it heads into Saturday’s Western Class B championship at Wells.

Lace ’em up and tear it up. What’s the worst that can happen?

“We don’t have a lot of depth,” Mountain Valley coach Jim Aylward said, “but the kids that we have are tough. I’ll take ’em.”

Duguay, Hosie and Mills have combined for more than 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns. And yes, probably a mile or two of used trainer’s tape.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound junior Hosie sat out Mountain Valley’s quarterfinal victory over Spruce Mountain with a left ankle injury.

He was a game-time decision in the semifinals against Cape Elizabeth, and that initial decision was no.

“If Duguay would have stayed,” Hosie said, “I probably wouldn’t have touched the field.”

On his fourth carry of the game, however, Duguay was stood up and spun around by the Cape defense. It left his 5-foot-9, 160 pound frame — to see him in street clothes is to know that both numbers are generous — in 300-pound linebacker Andrew Lavallee’s line of fire.

The resulting hit left Duguay with whiplash. He was transported to the hospital, where he underwent x-rays while his team took care of business, 13-0.

“Lavallee swan dived on me. That’s what it felt like,“ Duguay said., “It’s like my neck stayed in one spot and my body went in another. I wrenched it pretty hard.”

Mills, who filled in at fullback two weeks ago, lined up at halfback in Duguay’s absence. Hosie also hobbled into place, delivering as many crucial blocks and courageous runs up the middle as the gimpy joint would allow.

Moving around is nothing new for Mills, who is also the Falcons’ second-leading receiver. He started at quarterback for much of his sophomore season while future Fitzpatrick Trophy finalist Cam Kaubris was sidelined with a shoulder injury.

“You learn every position on the way up whether you like to or not,” Mills said. “You catch onto things.”

Duguay (1,083 yards, 15 TDs) and Hosie (1,031 yards, 9 TDs) faced their share of medical emergencies long before the Falcons’ latest title run.

Summer shoulder surgery sidelined Duguay throughout his entire junior campaign.

“He was penciled in as the starting tailback last year. We were going to play (Taylor) Bradley in a different way,” Aylward said. “It’s nice to see him come out and have a good year. He was here every single practice last year.”

An offensive lineman until eighth grade, Hosie, until recently, enjoyed his first year of relative good health since that middle school debut.

He was knocked out by concussion as a freshman and slowed by a broken wrist his sophomore season.

“I still like the blocking part,” Hosie said, “but running is a lot easier than blocking.”

Both the starting backs are big-play threats at full strength.

Hosie notched a 96-yard touchdown run at Spruce Mountain in the third week of the regular season. Duguay saved his best for Mountain Valley’s biggest games at the end, running for 200 yards in a 20-14 victory at Cape Elizabeth and following it a week later with 246 yards and two scores in the playoff win over Spruce.

“At the start of the season, no one predicted us to be anything, but over the course of the year I feel we improved in every game,” Duguay said. “We got better every week. We practiced harder. It’s just been rough knowing that we’re all hurt.”

If you know much about Mountain Valley’s history — grit, determination and 17 regional finals appearances in 23 years — you don’t need to ask about anyone’s status for Saturday.

Duguay stood in a hooded sweatshirt and played spectator at Tuesday’s practice, but his absence was precautionary.

“I expect him to go. His mother says he has to. She’s tougher than him,” Aylward joked.

Hosie rested Monday but was in full pads a day later.

“It’s been better,” he admitted, “(Friday) hurt. I was playing on adrenaline. That was it.”

Mills will be ready for whatever action the score and anyone else’s soreness dictate.

As a co-captain with Duguay, Ryan Glover and Nate Nicols, he won’t allow any of it to redefine the Falcons’ expectations.

“We’ll be ready,” Mills said. “No excuses.”

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