TURNER — What Leavitt football has accomplished the past six years isn’t unprecedented in the Maine high school history books.

It’s close, however. And when you consider all the variables and complications that go into it, it’s nearly inconceivable, if not impossible.

The Hornets have won five regional championships in six years, adding the latest hardware to the trophy case with a ferociously fought, 14-9 victory over Wells in Saturday’s Class C West final at Libby Field.

How rare is the feat? A quick scan of the Maine Principals’ Association record books reveals that only three schools have done it.

Foxcroft most recently fashioned five of six, from 2002 to 2007. The Ponies made it six Class C title game appearances out of eight in 2009.

Stearns won the Little Ten Conference title five consecutive years, ruling Class C East from 1991 to 1995.

And few longtime observers will forget Marshwood’s Class B-C dynasty of the 1970s and 1980s. The Hawks actually strung together two such streaks, winning 12 state or regional titles in a 15-year span.

The contrast between Leavitt’s 2013 and 2014 teams is a classic example of why such success doesn’t usually continue without a few hiccups or dreaded rebuilding years. The Hornets graduated 19 seniors from the team that routed Spruce Mountain and Winslow en route to the state title.

Will Parkin, Mitchel Davis and Billy Bedard were the only players in the regular rotation who returned. An opening-night, double-overtime loss at home to Cape Elizabeth suggested that Leavitt would be fine, but also that it had some voids to fill.

“We really haven’t thought a lot about that (history),” Leavitt coach Mike Hathaway said. “Everything’s been about trying to get this team there, and with as many guys as we lost off last year’s team, to see this group come together. There’s not a lot of seniors out there, but the ones we have give us great leadership.”

Bolstered by the emergence of junior quarterback Levi Craig (34 touchdowns passing, eight rushing), Leavitt reinvented itself as a prolific aerial attack.

Max Green, Gabe Seeley and Mitchel Davis took advantage of myriad mismatches in the secondary, each making more than 40 catches. Green grabbed a 46-yard TD to get Leavitt going on Saturday.

“Toward the beginning we didn’t really have an identity as a team,” said Parkin, a tackle and linebacker. “As it progressed, some of the kids moved to new positions and they just realized they were better suited for that. Hard work throughout the whole week every week is what’s been the key.”

Success breeds success by making a school’s best athletes gravitate to the program.

Parkin (13 sacks) and Taylor Woodbury (11) emerged as the dominant pass rush combination in the Campbell Conference. Both are soccer players who converted after they reached high school.

Seeley was a first-year varsity player. Julian Kirouac (tailback) and Bryce Cobb (defensive tackle) were among the sophomore role players who emerged as impact juniors.

“I don’t know how people expected it to go this season,” Wells coach Tim Roche said. “They didn’t have a lot coming back and we did. We knew how hard we worked. Somebody has to lose these games.”

In recent years, Leavitt hasn’t often been that team.

The lone bump in the road was a shocking upset at home against Belfast in the 2012 Class B East quarterfinals. A Mt. Blue juggernaut that beat Leavitt during the regular season stormed ahead to the regional and state titles.

Leavitt’s current seniors were in seventh grade when now-assistant coach Eric Theiss (quarterback) and Josh Strickland (tailback) led the 2009 Hornets to the Class B Gold Ball.

This year’s group has drawn comparisons to the 2010 squad, which overcame those graduation losses to reach states before losing to Mountain Valley. Wells edged Leavitt in the 2011 state game.

Then reclassification intervened, and Leavitt changed leagues, inheriting new opponents and challenges.

Now the Hornets will battle the Winslow Black Raiders for the second time in 363 days.

“These guys have done a great job,” Hathaway said. “It never gets old. We’ll go every year if we can make it.”

“It’s just the coaching staff,” Craig added. “They did a great job of finding what we’re best at and getting it out of us every week. And our defense, we’re small but we’re fast, and we swarm to the ball. Coach just used our strengths and he emphasized it every week.”

koakes@sunjournal.com

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