Quarterback Dalton Therrien, from Oak Hill, runs with the ball for the West team, as Dillon Hummes, representing Edward Little for the East team, tries to block him during the 27th annual Maine Lobster Bowl Classic held in Biddeford last year.

Quarterback Dalton Therrien, from Oak Hill, runs with the ball for the West team, as Dillon Hummes, representing Edward Little for the East team, tries to block him during the 27th annual Maine Lobster Bowl Classic held in Biddeford last year.

As the only Edward Little representative at the 28th Annual Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic, Tyler Blanchard wasn’t sure how he would fit in with his teammates on the East squad when training camp opened last Sunday at Foxcroft Academy.

“I was a little nervous coming in. I knew a lot of kids from Lewiston and kids that we played in from our conference, but I didn’t know a lot of people from outside our conference,” Blanchard said. “We’ve all really jelled together and we’re pretty close.”

Players on the East and West will have had six days to jell by Saturday’s 4 p.m. kickoff at Hill Stadium at Thornton Academy in Saco.  The West leads the all-time series, 18-9, but the bond that brings together is the game’s cause, which is summed up by the game’s slogan: “Strong legs run so that weak legs may walk.”

Net proceeds from the Lobster Bowl benefit the Shriners Hospitals for Children. 

“It’s great to see people from all over the state of Maine from all different classes coming together and bonding to support such a great cause,” said Dirigo’s Bryce Whittemore, a defensive end for the West. “It’s been great to be a part of it.”

Players and cheerleaders make more than just a one-week commitment to the Lobster Bowl. They start in April with team meetings at the Kora Temple in Lewiston, where they learn about their fundraising responsibilities (a minimum of $500 per participant).  

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If that doesn’t drive home the point that it is more than an all-star game,  the appearance of a former patient to impart the life-saving work done by the Hospitals for Children usually does.

“It really opened my eyes about what this game is about,” said Mountain Valley’s Kyle Farrar, a kicker and defensive back for the West. “Growing up, I knew what about the Lobster Bowl and I always knew I wanted to go. But like one of our players said in a meeting the other day, it’s bigger than us. It really is. It’s not only for us to go show off our skills and how talented we are. It’s for the kids at the hospital. We’ve raised a lot of money for those kids, which is awesome.”

The offensive fireworks of last year’s game left fans in awe, and there is plenty of talent to keep the scoreboard operator busy Saturday.

Quarterbacks Garrett McSweeney of Skowhegan and Taylor Heath of Cony lead the East. Among those joining them in the backfield are Fitzpatrick Trophy finalist Dylan Bolduc of Portland and Ryland VanDecker of Oxford Hills, but both quarterbacks came from pass-oriented offenses, so expect receivers such as Blanchard and Oxford Hills tight end Connor Bickford to be heavily involved.

Both teams feature big offensive lines. The East line, which includes Mt. Blue’s Brandon Durrell and Adaryan Ray of Oxford Hills averages 264 pounds. 

Oak Hill’s Adam Mooney anchors a smaller West front, averaging 253 pounds, which will protect quarterbacks Cam Day of Bonny Eagle and Frankie Veino of Sanford. Leavitt running back Hunter Sirois will also be in the backfield, while Lisbon quarterback Tyler Halls highlights a receiving corps that also includes Oak Hill slot Steven Gilbert.

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Among those charged with containing all of that offensive talent are defensive linemen Tanton Mattson of Lisbon and Caulin Parker of Spruce Mountain, and linebacker Alec Brown and safety Cam Scott of Winthrop/Monmouth for the West, and Lewiston safety Roman Dennis for the East.

This year’s game was moved to Thornton Academy from Biddeford’s Waterhouse Field, which was closed after the bleachers there were found to be unsafe. Hill Stadium hosted the first Lobster Bowl in 1990.

East Roster

# Player Name Position Height Weight School

1 Chris Farnsworth DB 6’1″ 190 MDI

2 Taylor Heath QB 6’1″ 175 Cony

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4 TJ Crawford RB 5’10” 182 Old Town

5 Griffin Nye DE 6’0″ 200 Hampden

7 Jesse Devereaux LB 5’8″ 185 Brunswick

8 Josh Geagan LB 5’10” 195 Bucksport

9 Dominic Casale DB 6’3″ 170 Cheverus

10 Tyler Blanchard WR 5’10” 180 Edward Little

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11 Jackson Gordon DE 6’4″ 200 Brunswick

12 Nick Archambault LB 6’0″ 190 Portland

14 Dylan Hutchinson DB 6’0″ 175 Winslow

15 Gunner McAllister DB 5’10” 165 Lawrence

17 Zach White DB 6’1″ 175 Dexter

20 Austin Brown SLOT 5’6″ 160 Houlton

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21 Colby Furrow WR 5’10” 175 Mt. View

22 Josh Buker SLOT 5’11” 175 MCI

23 Tyler Hafford WR 6’2″ 175 Brewer

24 Colby Dexter DB 5’11” 170 Messalonskee

27 Roman Dennis LB 5’10” 190 Lewiston

34 Josiah Grace DB 5’8″ 160 Orono

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35 Dylan Bolduc RB 6’0″ 180 Portland

36 Kenny Rickard DL 5’8″ 220 Winslow

37 Ryland VanDecker RB 5’10 200 Oxford Hills

40 Rylan Benedict DL 5’9″ 185 Cheverus

42 Cody Rice DL 5’8″ 185 Nokomis

43 Kaleb Caron DE 6’0″ 210 Gardiner

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51 Adaryan Ray OL 5’10” 280 Oxford Hills

55 Owen Boardman OL 6’0″ 250 Skowhegan

57 Max Rogers LB 6’3″ 230 Waterville

59 Hunter Allen OL 6’1″ 315 Skowhegan

60 Ben MacDonald OL 6’0″ 250 Windham

62 Matt Storer DL 6’2″ 280 Foxcroft

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63 Austin Labee OL 6’0″ 310 Bangor

66 Brandon Durrell OL 6’0″ 265 Mt. Blue

67 Jacob Lennon DL 6’1″ 210 Lawrence

75 Travis Tran DL 6’0″ 220 Belfast

76 Garrett Casburn OL 6’1″ 205 John Bapst

77 Keith Jordan OL 6’0″ 235 Ellsworth

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80 Justin Villone TE 6’1 190 Wash. Acad

81 Carter Ward WR 5’9″ 185 Mattanawcook

82 Garrett McSweeney QB 6’1 195 Skowhegan

83 Gage Modery WR 6’0″ 190 Stearns

87 Connor Bickford TE 6’5″ 245 Oxford Hills

88 Mitch Jarvais WR 6’2″ 195 Madison

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Head Coach — Matt Perkins, Windham

West Roster

# Player Name Position Height Weight School

1 Ben Ekedahl WR 6’3″ 175 Cape Elizabeth

2 Joey Curit DB 5’7″ 180 Biddeford

4 Hunter Sirois RB 6’0″ 195 Leavitt

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5 Ethan Belanger WR 5’11” 215 Sanford

6 Tyler Halls WR 6’1″ 175 Lisbon

7 Nate Scott DB 5’9″ 150 Winthrop/Monmouth

9 Finn Zechman DB 6’0″ 180 S. Portland

10 Deandre Woods DE 6’3″ 220 Wells

11 Frankie Veino QB 6’2″ 220 Sanford

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12 Cam Day QB 5’11 175 Bonny Eagle

13 Angelo Succi DB 6’0 170 Traip

14 Owen Berry DB 5’10” 165 Wells

15 Steven Gilbert SLOT 5’10” 175 Oak Hill

20 Brandon Martin H-Back 6’0″ 220 Falmouth

21 TJ Morrill WR/K 5’11” 165 Freeport

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22 Remi LeBlanc WR 5’10” 170 Yarmouth

23 Drew Davis RB 5’9″ 180 Maranacook

24 Kyle Farrar DB 5’9″ 170 Mtn. Valley

25 Logan Pomerleau DB 5’8 150Noble

26 Riley Dempsey DB 5’10 170 Wells

29 Aren Dickman LB 5’11 220 Scarborough

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31 Jared Vigue LB 5’9″ 170 Massabesic

32 Raz Baltazar LB 5’6″ 165 Morse

33 Robert Hetherman LB 6’0″ 190 Mt. Ararat

34 Ryan Daley H-Back 5’11” 180 York

36 Nick Howard DL 5’8″ 200 Sanford

40 Alec Brown LB 5’8 195 Winthrop/Monmouth

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 42 Rob Dacey DB 5’10” 170 Deering

44 Patrick Saunders LB 5’10” 220 Kennebunk

45 Matt Anderson DE 6’0″ 190 Gorham

50 Parker Gammon OL 6’1″ 220 Bonny Eagle

51 Austin Roy DL 5’10” 185 Greely

52 Tyler Stewart OL 5’10” 225 Medomak

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62 Taunton Mattson DL 5’10” 240 Lisbon

63 Jon Gillis DE 6’1″ 195 OOB

64 Nick Bartholomew OL 6’3 265 Thornton Academy

65 Adam Mooney OL 5’9″ 260 Oak Hill

67 Kyle Holman OL 6’3 300 Thornton Academy

69 Kevin Ventura DL 6’0″ 215 Fryeburg

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71 Ben Roakes OL 6’0″ 210 Lake Region

74 Loukas Coussoule OL 6’2″ 285 Marshwood

73 Dakota Joy OL 6’3″ 260 Scarborough

72 Kirby Morrell DL 6’2″ 220 Bonny Eagle

74 Loukas Coussoule OL 6’2″ 285 Marshwood

76 Dave Redmond DL 6’1″ 260 Westbrooke

77 Bryce Whittemore LB 6’0″ 175 Dirigo

Head Coach — Mike Fallon, Sanford

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