JAY – Trevor McCourt has had a lot of important assignments as a three-year starter for the Jay Tigers, but none more important, perhaps, than helping a teammate make weight.

Zane Armandi, McCourt’s fellow senior, had his jaw wired shut and was sidelined for six weeks after breaking his jaw early in the football season. The versatile wing-back lost 10 pounds on the required liquid diet before he was finally declared healed the day before the Tigers’ season-finale with Livermore Falls. McCourt and his teammates were determined to help their teammate get his strength back quickly.

“We’ve been feeding him. We’ve been sitting him down with the linemen, making him eat some meals,” McCourt said.

“I’ve gained four pounds,” Armandi reported.

Regardless of how many trips they’ve made through the lunch line, Armandi and McCourt are both pretty hungry to extend their high school football careers. That will be their goal this week when their fourth-seeded Tigers meet the top seed in Western C, unbeaten Lisbon.

It would be understandable for the pair to feel a little short-changed if their season ends Saturday. After promising sophomore years where each played an important part in getting Jay to the state championship game, both have had to deal with injuries and the accompanying frustration.

First McCourt, a bruising fullback and punishing linebacker, tore an MCL in his knee early in his junior year. Just as he was getting healthy late in the season, Armandi went down with a broken collarbone.

Other than some pesky cramps and a twisted ankle, McCourt has been able to stay on the field this year. Armandi, though, suffered the broken jaw in a Week 2 loss to Dirigo, just as he and McCourt were establishing themselves as one of the top inside-outside running combinations in Class C. Armandi’s injury hurt the Tigers in a number of ways.

“When we’ve lost (Armandi), we lost our best receiver, our best running back, our punt returner, our kick returner…” Jay coach Mark Bonnevie said. “That’s a lot of positions to fill.”

McCourt has had to fulfill a lot of expectations ever since he was Jay’s leading rusher as a sophomore. Fans expected him to become one of the dominating two-way players in the conference and carry the Tigers back to the playoffs each year, but injuries, his own and Armandi’s, have put more weight on his shoulders.

“He’s dealt with it great, and I think it’s happened to him again this year,” Bonnevie said. “After we lost Zane, we watched the video, and wherever Trevor went, there were people following him. He definitely had a lot more attention put on him.”

“We got through (Armandi’s injury). We had some rough spots during the season, but he’s back. It’s a full house now,” McCourt said. “It gives us that threat again on offense, the inside-out attack.”

Mr. Inside is just as eager to throw a block for Mr. Outside as he is to score a touchdown, and vice-versa. Both set the competitive tone for the Tigers, though with different methods.

“Their personalities are a little different,” Bonnevie said. “Trevor’s a little more of the serious guy on the field and off the field, and Zane, he’s not quite so serious. He’s always good for lightening up the situation a little bit.”

“Trevor’s the intimidator. He’s a machine. You don’t want to get in front of him or you’re going to be hurting. He’s one of the best blockers I’ve ever run behind,” Armandi said. “I’m usually quiet. I just do my thing. I just wait for the ball to come in the air.”

The ball has a tendency to come to Armandi, even when he’s on defense. Last year, he had a team-leading seven interceptions before the injury. The Tigers missed his ball-hawking presence in the secondary this year.

“It’s a lot better having him in there. He gives us that threat in the secondary,” McCourt said. “That’s how we lost two pretty big games, not having him back there.”

Despite all of the adversity, McCourt and Armandi have helped lead Jay to the playoffs each of their three years as starters. Regardless of what happens Saturday, they shouldn’t feel they’ve been shortchanged, either.

“It’s been kind of like a roller-coaster. It has it’s ups and downs, but you’ve just got to roll with the punches, and I think we’ve done that pretty well,” he said. “We’re here in the playoffs, which is what we wanted to accomplish.”