Summer scarcely has yielded to fall, and it’s already time to be downright giddy about the potential of the 2008 high school football campaign.

Fifteen schools in the tri-county area lace up the pads and cleats every weekend. Six – Edward Little, Lewiston, Leavitt, Mountain Valley, Winthrop and Dirigo – are still undefeated as we storm toward the halfway point of the campaign this weekend.

If you’re wondering how that compares to an average autumn, two or three typically make it this far unscathed. Lewiston, Mountain Valley and Winthrop set up shop in the same prime real estate a year ago.

Any number on the north side of three and we’re usually left with the foreboding feeling that somebody’s pursuit of perfection is a fluke, and that .500 remains well within reach. There’s no such aura of overachievement this time around.

Not since 2002, when Lewiston and Edward Little met in the Pine Tree Conference championship game as league newcomers, have both programs been this good simultaneously. Hopefully it’s enough to keep unattached city folk coming to the games, for a change.

Lewiston is this year’s mystery team despite its recent success. Wesley Myers hasn’t gone positively berserk with a 200- or 300-yard game yet, but he’s a workhorse who helps the Blue Devils control the clock and the chains while a green offensive line gets acquainted with varsity football. Defensively, Lewiston doesn’t get torched by the big play frequently as in years past, and it flaunts a shutdown secondary.

I suspect the Devils are for real in a PTC where the giants lack their usual teeth and horns. Barring disaster, Lewiston should be 5-0 when it makes the journey to Bangor on Oct. 10.

Edward Little has lived up to the hype, which usually is a cinch when you went 1-7 the previous year. Combine Cody Goddard’s command of the offense, Buddy Foss’ sprinter’s speed, Dylon Therrien’s hard-nosed play on both sides of the line of scrimmage and Sean Daigle, Shane Ciriello and Dominique Bailey’s hops, and there’s no way the Eddies would be denied this fall.

Friday’s trip to Bangor is fascinating on so many levels. Bangor demolished EL at Walton Field one year ago. Only three starters are back for the Rams, though, on a team that has suffered back-to-back losses to Brunswick and Lawrence.

Can you picture Bangor sliding to 1-3? Remember the last time it happened? Me either.

The Red Eddies are the much better team on paper. It isn’t even close. Yes, I know EL didn’t look like it could have run the ball against a Pop Warner team last Friday night. Forgive that. Brunswick is probably the most physical team the Red Eddies will encounter unless they make it to Fitzpatrick Stadium on the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

Imagine Lewiston and EL both being 7-0 when they reunite next month. Hey, high school football is all about huge dreams in little towns, so cut me some slack.

As for Mountain Valley, well, until football employs the four-class system that seems to elementary to most of us in this time of unparalleled growth, what we see is what we shall get in heavy doses.

The Falcons won’t be challenged until their, um, rivals from Cape Elizabeth spend a few hours slumming at Ol’ Hosmer on Halloween Night. Even then, I suspect we will be forced to redefine challenge as “failing to cover a three-touchdown spread.”

Mountain Valley’s freshmen are getting more time in varsity games than Justin Staires and Matt Laubauskas. What I wouldn’t give to see this team in the PTC, Class A or B.

Please see prior comment about big dreams and small towns. Thank you.

Being in Eastern Maine would revive the Falcons’ relationship with their true geographic and traditional football rival, Leavitt. No better year than the present, either.

Mike Hathaway did a credible job talking up Gardiner, Waterville, Winslow and even Morse in the preseason, but the Hornets’ systematic stinging of Winslow last weekend left no doubt who stands as the favorite in PTC ‘B.’

How cool if MV and Leavitt end up a combined 22-0 or even 21-1 and playing for a state championship after so many inexplicable years without a meaningful game?

Big dreams. Small towns.

Nobody’s surprised to see Winthrop walloping the competition in the Class C division of the Campbell Conference. Painfully young offensive line or not, the Ramblers’ biggest problem is unleashing its cadre of talented backs and receivers while being limited to one football. Somehow, they’re getting by.

There is no better story in the state than the Dirigo Cougars. Dropped football for a decade; lost out on a playoff berth via Heal Points in a three-way tiebreaker last season; moved freshman fullbacks to the starting offensive line; played four consecutive games on the road to start the season, including Mountain Valley (exhibition) and Lisbon and Jay (regular season).

The playoffs are inevitable. A Western Maine championship looms in 2009.

Positively dreamy.

Blame your local teams for this state of mind I’m in. Then join me in getting out to watch them this weekend. There hasn’t been a better year to do so in a long, long time.

Kalle Oakes is a staff columnist. He’s been covering local high schools since he attended one.