AUBURN — CJ Jipson made what might be the play of the year for the Edward Little football team against Oxford Hills last weekend, hauling in a final-play, 44-yard touchdown catch in the back of the end zone to beat the Vikings at the buzzer.

But he’s not the only receiver on the Red Eddies’ roster who has the ability to make such a play.

EL coach Dave Sterling has an embarrassment of riches at the position, with senior Tyler Blanchard and junior Maxx Bell joining the senior Jipson, and he knows it.

“I don’t think I’ve had that,” Sterling said. “I know some schools have. And when they do, it’s very exceptional. They do quite well with their season. I’ve been fortunate enough to coach the Lobster Bowl a few years, and to have this caliber of receivers on the field, I can only compare it to when I’m coaching in the Lobster Bowl.”

The Red Eddies’ plethora of quality pass catchers isn’t a new revelation this season. The trio, along with the graduated Isaac Cote, led Class A North in receiving last year. Now the plan is to just build on last year’s success in the passing game.

“It’s expanded,” Sterling said. “We had a very good offensive plan, but through their work from last year … and to have these three come back, and understand our offense, it’s just remarkable of what we can accomplish, and as well what they expect out of each other.”

The receivers know what they can expect out of each other because they know each other so well. All three of them played on the EL baseball team this past spring, as did new starting quarterback Grant Hartley. Having that built-in chemistry has helped Hartley in his first season as the starter, according to Sterling.

“We know what each other is going to do,” Blanchard said. “When we’re running routes, Grant knows where we’re going to be. It’s almost like we’re in his head, kind of.”

The players turned that baseball chemistry into football chemistry during 7on-7 work this summer, which Blanchard said went well.

“It was big having 7-on-7. Just getting used to each other and having the different route combinations,” Jipson said. “A lot of us have played with Grant all the way through middle school. So to have that connection is huge.”

The passing game had its best showing in the win over Oxford Hills. Hartley entered the game completing a total of 12 passes between his first two games, but hit on 17 against the Vikings — all to his talented trio. Jipson caught three for touchdowns, while Blanchard hauled in another.

“We knew we needed to do a few things different,” Sterling said. “The way that Oxford was playing their defense, as well as the matchups we were able to create on the field, moving CJ and Tyler and Maxx around — Maxx was able to catch some balls out of the backfield, CJ we were able to move him from one side of the field to the other to create mismatches in the secondary, and Tyler to get him on the outside as a unique athlete. With those three working like that, it gave us a better opportunity against Oxford Hills.”

“It was a big spark in the offense,” Jipson said. “We struggled running the ball, and (Caden) Begos, one of our best running backs, got hurt. So to be able to throw the ball like that, and get a few touchdowns, was huge. And of course the end-of-the-game play.”

That game-winning play highlighted Jipson’s best attribute, which he said is “just catch the deep ball.”

“Mine’s probably speed,” Blanchard said.

“I’d say my shiftiness, and like little agility stuff,” Bell said.

“Maxx Bell has unique lower-body ability because he’s also a skier, that he can cut, plant, move around,” Sterling said.

When asked how being a skier helps him as a receiver, Bell’s initial response was “I don’t know,” but he did add that his legs are “huge.”

“I’m just really quick when it comes to the short passing game,” Bell said. “Little, short dump-off routes, and I’m quick to get to the certain spot where the ball’s going to be, or juking players out.”

Bell is the only one of the three to not catch a touchdown pass from Hartley, and he has more rushing attempts than receptions so far. But he said that doesn’t really matter to him.

“My plays are not usually designed as touchdowns,” Bell said. “It doesn’t really bother me as long as we’re winning.”

To piggyback on Bell’s team-first sentiments, none of the three was willing to call themselves the best of the bunch, nor Hartley’s favorite target — though Jipson has the most catches of the trio. They all were in agreement that “the best” depends on what the situation calls for, and Hartley’s favorite depends on the game plan.

“We’re friends, on and off the field,” Blanchard said. “Every Sunday we go to CJ’s house, we watch football, play fantasy (football) against each other.”

“If someone makes an error or makes a bad play, it’s easy for us to pick each other up,” Bell said.

The trio is at its best when lined up in a “bunch” formation, with all three split out to one side of the line. Jipson said all three of them get a smile on their face when a bunch play is called.

“Teams don’t really know how to cover us,” Blanchard said. “After we played Bangor, their coach came up to us and said they had to put four guys on the three of us just cover us all on that one side.”

The three receivers showed their worth in the stunning win over Oxford Hills. They will need to keep doing just that in order for the Red Eddies to break through into the top tier of Class A North.

“We’re going to rely on them all the way through,” Sterling said. “We’ve had some key injuries through the season, and these three have been able to help us overcome those injuries so we can have that real dynamic to our offense, where we can be inside-outside, as well as get vertical, and also create a lateral stretch on the field.”

wkramlich@sunjournal.com

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