POLAND — The Area Youth Sports [AYS] youth football team – comprised of students from the fifth and sixth grades – experienced a day like no other on Saturday, Nov. 2, which saw a redemption win against Dirigo to claim the Central Maine Football League Youth North Championship.

Area Youth Sports youth football team members hold their trophies Saturday afternoon, Nov. 2, after claiming the Central Maine Football League Youth North Championship at Poland Middle School in Poland. The Phoenix defeated the Dirigo Cougars, the only team to beat the Phoenix in the regular season. Submitted photo

Dirigo received the ball first but was forced to soon punt after the Phoenix kept them from making a down. On its first possession, the Phoenix made several first downs and saw Jace Giroux racing into the end zone to take a six point lead. The extra point attempt failed.

The rest of the first half saw both teams either turning the ball over on downs or punting it away. Dirigo held the Phoenix from advancing into the end zone near the end of the second quarter to finish the half with a score of 6-0.

In the second half, forward motion was prevented by both teams until the fourth quarter. Grayson Hodgkins found the end zone for the Phoenix and Thayer Hebert followed for the two-point conversion and a 14-0 score. Late in the fourth quarter Harvey Cote rushed into the end zone to tally a final score of 20-0 after the two-point pass attempt fell short.

“The members of the team decided to do a weekly voluntary workout after the 4th of July,” Eric Gemelli, head coach said Saturday evening. “It was not mandatory. Even the week with football camp they showed up.”

Gemelli said he had some difficulty speaking because he had called out so much support and encouragement to the team during and after the game.

A sign on this truck Saturday morning, Nov. 2, draws attention to Maci Gemelli the only girl on the Area Youth Sports youth football team of fifth and sixth graders. The team received a sendoff parade from behind Spruce Mountain High School in Jay to start the trip to Poland Middle School in Poland where the team beat the Dirigo Cougars to claim the championship. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

The team’s theme this year was “to be the hardest hitting team in the league,” Gemelli said. “Our motto was ‘seek and destroy.’ These kids have been working so hard. They decided it was time to put in the effort, do the work.”

The Phoenix finished the regular season with a 5-1 record against opponents in their league. On Oct. 6, with a score of 32-14 Dirigo emerged victorious – the only team to score against the Phoenix. On Sept. 7, Maranacook was defeated after the Phoenix scored 42 points and didn’t allow a score. On Sept. 14 the Mt. Blue Area Youth Giants were defeated 28-0 while on Sept. 21 Mountain Valley lost 42-0. On Sept. 28 it was the Mt. Blue Area Youth Patriots on the losing end with a score of 38-0 and on Oct. 12 Telstar lost 28-0.

With a score of 28-0 the Phoenix defeated Lisbon in a playoff game on Oct. 26 to reach the championship game. That same day, Dirigo defeated Gray-New Gloucester 27-0 to earn the right to play again.

Kayla Turner of Jay on Saturday morning, Nov. 2, attaches a number two to her car window in preparation for a sendoff parade from Spruce Mountain High School in Jay. Her stepson, Liam Turner’s jersey number is 22 and the team was heading to Poland Middle School in Poland where it claimed the Central Maine Football League Youth North Championship. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

During the regular season, Dirigo posted a perfect 6-0 record against teams in their league. The Phoenix allowed Dirigo to score the fewest points in any game they played this year. Two teams were not able to score against them, three teams managed six points while only the Phoenix scored 14 in their matchup.

In addition to gaining redemption over Dirigo and securing the championship, the Phoenix will also remember the lead up to that success.

Parents began arriving behind the Spruce Mountain High School around 9 a.m. and quickly got to work decorating their vehicles. One truck acknowledged the lone girl on the team. A cool, windy morning made it a bit challenging. Several football players wrapped new Spruce Mountain blankets around them. Others ran alongside the parked vehicles or played touch football on a grassy knoll to keep warm.

Liam Turner of Jay on Saturday morning, Nov. 2, is seen peering out of the sky light of his parents’ car during a sendoff parade from Spruce Mountain High School in Jay. Later in the day, his football team won the Central Maine Football League Youth North Championship by defeating the Dirigo Cougars 20-0 at Poland Middle School’s football field in Poland. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

Jay and Livermore Falls police cruisers and fire engines appeared soon afterwards in preparation for a sendoff parade through Jay and Livermore Falls. Just before 10 a.m. the Livermore Falls cruiser and Jay firetruck made their way onto Route 4 with vehicles carrying team members following. A few players waved from sky lights with the majority hanging out or waving from passenger side windows. The Jay firetruck completed the procession.

Community members in the parking lots of Memco in Jay and Dollar General in Livermore Falls plus other locations between the school and the bridge crossing the Androscoggin River in Livermore Falls waved banners and cheered as the procession made its way towards Poland.

A video of the sendoff is posted on the AYS Football Facebook page,  https://www.facebook.com/groups/287226933958243.

Austin Merrill at left and Emmett Gemelli on Saturday morning, Nov. 2, run alongside vehicles while wrapped in a Spruce Mountain Phoenix blanket behind Spruce Mountain High School in Jay. The two are members of Area Youth Sports youth football team made up of fifth and sixth graders from Jay, Livermore and Livermore Falls. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser

This is Gemelli’s seventh year as an AYS football coach and his first as head coach of the youth team. He was assisted by Shane Mason, Justin Merrill, Adam Clark and Trevor Giroux.

Team members are Richard Farrar, Caleb Hodgkins, Eli Ayer, Reese Mason, Ethan Knowles, Maci Gemelli, Emmett Gemelli, Liam Turner, Zander Webber, Harvey Cote, Abel Clark, Austin Merrill, Jace Giroux, Ollie Bruen, Stanley Harnden, Tucker Cyr, Jace Bourassa, Conner Blodgett, Dom Crenshaw, Thayer Hebert, Owen Medrano, Damion Woodsome, Grayson Hodgkins and Otto Richardson. There were no siblings on the team.

“This is what you get when you put in the work,” Gemelli said.