Noble quarterback Jamier Rose and the Knights are back in a regional final. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Noble and Bangor making a Class A regional final is fun, worthy news. Same for Deering in Class B South. It’s been 27, 13, and 14 years, respectively, since those three schools have been in a trophy game.

But what about the Maine high school football programs that are right back where they were a year ago – in a regional final? There are plenty that fit the bill and they deserve some recognition.

“People might think it’s easy. It’s not easy. It’s a hard thing to get back to that level of football,” said Tim Roche, coach of defending Class D champion Wells. “Every year it’s a whole new team and new leadership.”

All four 2023 11-man champs – Thornton, Kennebunk, Leavitt, and Wells – are alive. So, too, are 2023 state finalists Portland, Lawrence and Foxcroft Academy, along with Greely and Old Orchard Beach from the eight-man ranks. Regional runners-up Fryeburg Academy, Medomak Valley and Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale are also back, while Stearns/Schenck has gone a step further, winning the eight-man Small School North final. It faces OOB in Saturday’s Small School championship at Kennebunk High.

Thornton is playing in its 12th regional final in the last 13 seasons. The Golden Trojans are 8-3 in West/South title games and have gone on to win six Class A championships.

Thornton Coach Kevin Kezal cited coaching staff stability, including at the middle school level; the town’s deep youth program and offseason commitment to improvement as key components of the program’s consistent success.

“You win titles from January to August in football,” Kezal said. “If you fail to do the work in the offseason you’re not going to be there in the end.”

FALMOUTH DOESN’T FIT NEATLY into either the long-absence or always-there category. The Navigators played in the B North final just two years ago, falling to eventual state champ Skowhegan, and were on the threshold of winning B South at Marshwood, losing 31-28, in 2017.

On the other hand, Falmouth has never won a regional football title. This season’s turnaround has been remarkable. Last year, the Navigators were 2-6. A forfeit loss disqualified them from the playoffs. Longtime coach John Fitzsimmons resigned under pressure from parents and players.

Falmouth’s Logan McVeigh celebrates after a touchdown during a game against Lawrence earlier this season. The two teams will meet again in the regional final on Friday night in Augusta. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

Falmouth is 9-0, has outscored opponents 311-61, and will face Lawrence in the Class B North title game on Friday night at Cony High School.

Falmouth’s defense has been superior all season. Now the offense is humming with explosive plays. Falmouth had five 30-plus yard touchdowns in both Week 7’s 48-3 win against Lawrence and Friday’s 51-7 semifinal win against Messalonskee.

LAWRENCE HAD STIFFER COMPETITION this year in B North after rolling through the league in 2023. Falmouth and Cony claimed the region’s two byes. Yet with Colton Carter at running back and an offensive line that’s finally executing at a top level, the Bulldogs have won three straight, including a 28-18 triumph over the Rams on Friday to return to the regional final.

“The kids have done well to continue to work hard through our season,” said Lawrence Coach John Hersom. “We felt in that (39-35 win) against Hampden Academy (in Week 8), our offense was really starting to click, and since then, our defense has been seeing a lot of good improvement.”

MUCH OF WINSLOW’S 2024 SEASON has been spent trying to fit the pieces together on what was clearly a talented, physical offensive line. With the Black Raiders in the Class D North final, it’s safe to say they’ve found a winning formula.

After a 35-21 loss to John Bapst in Week 5, Winslow put Zane Erickson at tackle, moved Seth Bard to guard and slotted in Jacob Garcia at end. It’s paid dividends for the Black Raiders, who have won four straight games to reach the regional final Saturday against Foxcroft.

Winslow’s Hassan Hobbi, center, works through drills with teammates during a practice earlier this season in Winslow. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

“We’re getting healthy, and being able to move some kids around to get things rolling with our line, it’s made all the difference in the world,” said Winslow Coach Wes Littlefield. “We hauled them in after that game and said, ‘OK, this is what we’re going to do; we’re going to make some changes,’ and we did.”

In the D North semifinal, that line paved the way for Liem Fortin (331 yards, two touchdowns) and Hassan Hobbi (207 yards, two touchdowns) to put up huge numbers as Winslow took down John Bapst, 56-34. The win helped the Black Raiders achieve something else Littlefield hoped they would after that Week 5 loss.

“I told them back then, ‘My goal is to be playing against Foxcroft in the Northern Maine championship,’ ” said Littlefield, whose team lost 35-3 to the Ponies in Week 3. “I reminded them that after the game Saturday and said, ‘Hey, you made that come true, so it’s time to show them you can play with them.’ ”

Winthrop’s Cody Cobb runs with the ball against Dirigo in the Class D South semifinal game Friday in Winthrop. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

WINTHROP’S BACKFIELD reached milestones in a 36-6 victory over Dirigo in a Class C South semifinal game on Friday night. Cody Cobb broke his father Geoff Cobb’s single-season 11-man school record for rushing touchdowns with 21 after scoring four times. Geoff Cobb scored 20 in 1992. Dick Hodgdon had 21 rushing touchdowns during the 1943 season when Winthrop played six-man football.

Cody Cobb’s running mate, Carter Rivers, moved to sixth in Winthrop’s history for rushing yards for a single season. His 173 yards on Friday gave him 1,195 for the season. Geoff Cobb has the single-season record for rushing yards with 1,530 during the 1992 season.

Rivers and Cody Cobb (837 yards) have combined for 2,032 rushing yards this season.

The Ramblers’ opponent in the D South final also has two high-production backs. Wells seniors Dom Buxton and Eli Potter are both over 1,000 rushing yards this season, Roche said, after they each ran for more than 100 yards in a 55-14 semifinal win against Oak Hill.

– Mike Mandell of the Kennebec Journal and Nathan Fournier of the Sun Journal contributed to this report.