Week 6 Thoughts on the Weekend

- As we mentioned on Friday, it is the halfway point of the football season. From the pre-season to now and from now to the post-season. The Crabtree rankings now are all too crucial. Wins and losses have greater ramifications for those chasing a higher playoff spot or for those consolidating their position in a region.

- At the start of the season we posted our annual Crabtree Rankings explainer. As we get closer to the end of the regular season the questions surrounding it increase exponentially, as does the misinformation that surrounds it. So here is a link back to that explainer - https://www.facebook.com/MaineHighSchoolFootball/posts/pfbid02VNvK92Bvz1fR7b9nZdMss32aRaMm4eiWfkxd93Q1wcQqjqUTv8xHvJB9sab7yqWfl

- Upset finishes were a prominent part of Friday evening as seven games were won by the team with the lower record. Among them was 1-4 Massabesic defeating 4-1 Deering, 2-3 Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale defeating 4-1 Poland, 2-3 Mt. Ararat defeating 4-1 Brunswick, and 2-3 Greely defeating 5-0 Yarmouth.

- Since starting the season 0-2, Thornton Academy has ran up four consecutive victories as of Friday after defeating South Portland 14-0. The Golden Trojans took their first lead early in the first quarter on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Wyatt Benoit to Xander Cantara. The Red Riots defense would able to keep things within a touchdown until a fourth quarter 36-yard touchdown run by Mauricio Sunderland doubled up the score. Turnovers would be a big part of South Portland’s struggles as they committed four of them – two interceptions and 2 fumbles.

- During Oxford Hills’ back-to-back losses to Leavitt and Portsmouth-Oyster River, a common theme was that they went behind at halftime and just weren’t able to overcome that deficit at game’s end. That is simplifying both games but you get the point. This time around the Vikings overcame a two-touchdown deficit to Bonny Eagle. The tying score came on an Oxford Hills fourth and four from the Bonny Eagle 24 yard line. A screen pass from Brady Truman to Hunter Tardiff turned into the tying touchdown with 10:24 left in the game. Both teams would have opportunities to clinch the victory. However, turnovers would be their undoing. Bonny Eagle had a perfect opportunity on the following drive to retake the lead but would fumble the ball at the Oxford Hills five yard line with 4:47 to go. Oxford Hills had their chances but a dropped pass in the end zone was only compounded by a Vikings fumble near midfield. Once the game went to overtime and with Oxford Hills having the opening possession of the first round, it was Jake Carson that took the ball into the end zone. A successful Brady Delamater PAT kick put the Vikings up 21-14. Bonny Eagle was only able to gain a yard on the ground as Terrell Edwards went zero for three passing, the last being an incomplete pass on fourth down, which ended overtime with an Oxford Hills 21-14 win.

- Cony showcased their aerial game Friday night behind a 480-yard passing effort from Parker Morin as they defeated Bangor 55-20. When Bangor got on the scoreboard Parker had already thrown touchdown passes to Parker Sergent and Lance Theriault while Anderson St. Onge scored on a 40-yard touchdown run. At the half Parker threw three more touchdown passes – twice to Sergent and once to St. Onge. In the second half St. Onge added two more rushing touchdowns to go along with his 121 rushing yards on 16 attempts. Sergent finished the night with 11 receptions for 165 yards and three touchdowns. Bangor would get two touchdowns in the second quarter but they could not find a way to shut down Cony’s passing game. Cony out gained Bangor 656 to 287. There is another category that Cony out gained Bangor, albeit something not positive, and that was their 13 penalties for 95 yards.

- After Massabesic’s rough start, one that saw them go winless in their first three games, the Mustangs have won two of their last three games. Their most recent was a 17-14 victory over Deering on Friday. After exchanging touchdowns in the first quarter, Massabesic made it a two-score game with a rushing touchdown and a field goal in the second quarter for a 17-6 lead. Deering drew close after scoring on a fourth quarter punt return for a touchdown, but got no closer as Massabesic celebrated the home victory.

- After Fryeburg Academy lost the season opener to Leavitt at the start of September, they have won their last five consecutive games to put them into second place in Southern Class C. Their most recent victory was Friday in a 43-6 victory over York. It is the third straight game where the Raiders have allowed only a single touchdown. On offense, Cohen Carter threw for 154 yards with three touchdowns in the air while rushing for a fourth score. Logan Walton was an effective on offense as he was defensively. He caught two of Cohen’s touchdowns while picking off two York passes. Fryeburg Academy will close out their season with back-to-back home games against Poland and Wells.

- It has been a trying season for Cape Elizabeth. In their first fourth games they were outscored 171 to 27 with three of those loses going to running time. After last week’s 30-27 victory against York, they tried for a second consecutive victory against 4-1 Medomak Valley on Friday. And for those expecting the Capers to get mauled by the Panthers, it was anything but that. After a scoreless first period, Cape held a lead into the second half on a touchdown pass from Brady Inman to Logan Mcveigh and a rushing touchdown by Mike Foley. Medomak Valley did get onto the board with an Aaron Reed touchdown run, his first of four on the night. The Panthers continued that rushing attack in the third quarter with Reed getting touchdown runs of 74 yards and a single yard to put Medomak Valley up 20-14. Mike Foley helped put Cape Elizabeth back on top 22-20 with a rushing touchdown at the goal line at the beginning of the fourth quarter. With the ball back in their hands, Medomak Valley did not relinquish it as they chewed up ten minutes of clock. This culminated in a one-yard touchdown run by Reed with just 26 seconds left in the game. That time was just not enough for Cape Elizabeth to get a score as Medomak Valley left with the victory.

- Conventional football wisdom says that you need the ball to score points. And keeping the ball out of your opponent’s hands is a very effective way to prevent them from scoring. Those aspects are very important when going up a team like Leavitt. However, things did not start off favorably for Lewiston as their opening two possessions both resulted in turnovers that lead to 14 points by Leavitt. By the end of the first half their lead saw at 51-0. Lewiston got onto the scoreboard with two touchdowns in the second half, but the game was still out of reach at the end with a Leavitt 51-13 victory.

- Oceanside continued they winning ways Friday with a 46-0 victory in Freeport. The Mariners have only allowed 6 points, a touchdown, in their last four games. And once again on the scoring ledger was a big dose of quarterback Cohen Galley who threw two touchdowns and ran for three more. We’re not sure where he ranks in Maine regarding offensive production, but his 32 scores (17 passing and 15 rushing) on 1,001 passing yards and 715 rushing yards should have him near, if not at, the top. And in addition to that he can probably “:fill up the Gatorade cooler, walk the dog, and paint your back porch”. But we digress there.

- Foxcroft Academy has been mowing through their opponents this season. And maybe mowing might not be descriptive enough to describe the sheer domination by the Ponies. With their 62-0 victory over Maine Central Institute, they have blanked their fifth consecutive opponents and lead the state with the fewest points allowed – 6. That’s 20 quarters of shutout football. Their season will wind down with a home game next week against Freeport and a road game at Winslow.

- While Poland was in the midst of their four-game winning run, the co-operative of Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale was in a struggling run of 1-3 where they were finding ways to put up points but unable to limit opponents from doing so. Last week the roles reversed as the Ramblers held back a potent John Bapst offense in a 7-6 victory, while the Knights fell to Wells by the score of 32-6. That set the stage for Friday’s game in Poland between the two teams. While Poland was able to move the ball at times, points were tough to come by against a stingy Ramblers defense that held them to just 178 yards on the game. Going the other way, the Ramblers benefited off of two second-half Poland turnovers. The first was a mishandled punt in the third quarter by the Knights that gave the Ramblers back the ball. 14 plays later they picked up a 14-0 lead. Later in the fourth quarter Ben Porter picked off a Knights pass and ran it in for a touchdown to increase the Ramblers lead to 21-8. Carter Rivers would dash all hopes of a Poland comeback with a 76-yard touchdown run with 1:38 remaining in the game that gave the Ramblers the final score of 28-8.

- Until 2012, Brunswick and Mt. Ararat engaged in a cross-river football rivalry that was decidedly one-sided. In fact, one would need to go well beyond 2004 to find the last time an Eagles team beat the Dragons in football. Once the 2013 move to four classes happened it split the two rivals with Brunswick going to the East/North while Mt. Ararat went to the West/South. Even though Brunswick continued to exhibit an 11-man dominance while Mt. Ararat struggled. When 8 man came along, with breathed fresh air into the Eagles program, revitalizing their fortunes. Brunswick meanwhile has not had the best of times as of late. With the Dragons move to 8 man, they have been on the climb their season. The Eagles meanwhile have had a tough season. This set the stage for a return of the Androscoggin River rivalry, the first regular season game between the two since November 2nd, 2012. The Dragons struggled to pass, with quarterbacks Cam Beal and Robert Bowen going a combined 7-20 and 47 yards. Mt. Ararat on the other hand ruled by the rushing attack with all 494 yards coming via the run. While Brunswick was limited to 2 of 14 on third down conversions, Mt. Ararat convert three of their four attempts. While Brunswick was limited to 9 first downs, Mt. Ararat picked up 15 of them. Beal and Jimmy Cook combined for 110 rushing yards to go one-two as yardage leaders for the Dragons. Mt. Ararat’s Dash Ferrell had a career night as he ran for 346 yards and scored seven touchdowns. This was all part of Mt. Ararat’s 64-14 victory on Friday.

- Only Mt. Ararat and Cheverus have been able to hold Yarmouth to a touchdown since their move to 8 man. The Clippers last loss came on October 28, 2022. On Friday, during their seniors night, Greely held Yarmouth to just a touchdown and toughed out a gritty 12-8 victory over the previously undefeated Clippers. Wes Piper picked up both of Greely’s touchdowns while the defense held Yarmouth’s ground game to 124 yards. McGonagle, who last week ran for 503 yards and scored four touchdowns, was limited to 94 yards and a touchdown.

- Friday’s 8 man small school South showdown between Old Orchard Beach and Maranacook presented the two highest scoring teams in the class. It presented plenty of questions of just where each team was at and what sort of game they could present against the other. When Maranacook’s Owen Dunn returned the game’s opening kick-off for a touchdown it ended the Seagulls scoreless streak of 21 quarters. But the Seagulls then went about showing that they were about much more than a streak. In the next eleven minutes and change that was the first quarter Wesley Gallant ran for a touchdown and caught a scoring pass from Brady Plante while Riley Provencher scored on two punt returns. The score was 30-7 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter Maranacook got their first offensive touchdown of the game on a 27-yard pass from Kody Goucher to Owen Dunn. However, Old Orchard Beach added to their lead with two touchdown passes from Plante to Provencher and a second Gallant scoring run. Gallant had a third rushing touchdown in the third quarter. With the Seagulls up 56-13 and subs coming into the game, they still scored two more touchdowns on a 35-yard run by Reid MacNair and a 57-yard run from Jimmy Dion. Maranacook got a last jab in near the end of the game as Dunn scored his third touchdown on a 31-yard pass from Goucher. But the Seagulls would leave victorious 66-19. They out-gained the Black Bears 500 yards to 141 yards while out-rushing them 362 yards to 29 yards.

- The Ellsworth Eagles gave an early scare to Bucksport, but the Bucksport Golden Bucks rallied from a 22-8 deficit to go on a 24-point run while forcing three Ellsworth turnovers as part of a 48-34 victory. Ayden Maguire three for 161 yards and 3 touchdowns while rushing for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns for Bucksport, and Thomas Jude threw for 321 yards and 3 touchdowns while also rushing for a touchdown. The win for Bucksport, combined with their week one victory over Stearns, has them locked into second place come playoff time.

- Saturday’s showdown between Kennebunk and Sanford was viewed as a battle of the rushing attack between two good Southern Maine teams. They came in as two good teams. But at the conclusion of the game it was clear that Kennebunk was in another world as the Rams beat the Spartans 35-0. Jonah Barstow had himself quite the day as he averaged around ten yards a gain with his 201 yards and three touchdowns. The defense forced three turnovers and scored their second shutout of the season. Their 24 points allowed is the second fewest in classes A through D.

- In a sloppy game in the rain, it was Nokomis and their rushing attack that carried the day with their 26-18 victory over Hampden Academy. While both teams combined for ten turnovers (four fumbles and an interception each), the Warriors outgained the Broncos 198 to 12 on the ground. Seth Bowden was a yard shy of 100 yards while rushing for two touchdowns and catching a Logan Washburn 6-yard pass for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Their fourth touchdown came from linebacker Roger Leonforte, who returned a fumble for a touchdown.

- Next week is the seventh and final week for both 8 man classes. With that in mind we are going to tackle the scenarios by region. Of course with this endeavor there are certain scenarios that can only happen with certain results so we will try our best to explain them. Please bear with us as we try our best to explain this in a way that makes sense.

***8 Man Large School North – A Camden Hills win locks them in first. A Camden Hills loss and a Morse win puts Morse in first place and Camden Hills in second place. A Mount Desert Island win puts Camden Hills in first, Mount Desert Island in second, and Morse in third. The winner of Mountain Valley and Waterville gets fourth place. Spruce Mountain will finish sixth no matter what happens.

***8 Man Large School South – A Yarmouth win locks them in first. A Brunswick win with a Spruce Mountain win with a Mountain Valley win puts Yarmouth in second place. A Brunswick win with a Greely win with a Camden Hills win and/or a Waterville win with a Mt. Ararat win puts Mt. Greely in second, Mt. Ararat in third, and Yarmouth in fourth. A Brunswick win with a Greely win with a Waterville win with a Camden Hills loss puts Mt. Ararat in second, Greely in third, and Yarmouth in fourth. Gray-New Gloucester will finish fifth and Lake Region will finish sixth no matter what happens.

There is a possibility that, depending on certain results, things might go differently than we are forecasting. Forecasts are based off four Crabtree numbers we ran on each team – win best-case scenario, win worst-case scenario, loss best-case scenario, and loss worst-case scenario. A best-case scenario is if all non-common opponents won. A worst-case scenario is if all non-common opponents lost. A non-common opponent is an opponent that did not play anybody else on a team’s schedule.

***8 Man Small School North – Orono will finish first, Bucksport will finish second, and Stearns will finish third no matter what happens. A Houlton win or a Houlton loss with a Dexter loss puts Houlton in fourth and Dexter in fifth. A Houlton loss and a Dexter win puts Dexter in fourth and Houlton in fifth. Mattanawcook Academy will finish sixth, Ellsworth will finish seventh, and Valley will finish eighth no matter what happens.

***8 Man Small School South – Old Orchard Beach will finish first, Dirigo will finish second, and Maranacook will finish third no matter what happens. A Sacopee Valley win or a Sacopee Valley loss with a Boothbay loss puts Sacopee Valley in fourth and Boothbay in fifth. A Boothbay win and a Sacopee Valley loss puts Boothbay in fourth and Sacopee Valley in fifth. Telstar will finish sixth, Traip Academy will finish seventh, and Mount View will finish eighth no matter what happens.

Based on all the potential situations that we foresee, none will result in there being a three-way tie with a need for a coin toss.

We hope this made sense to everyone.

- New Hampshire tracker
Bedford defeated Dover 42-10 on Friday. The 6-0 Bulldogs will host 2-4 Concord next Friday.
Bishop Guertin lost to Pinkerton Academy 56-17 on Friday. The 3-3 Cardinals will travel to 4-2 Keene next Friday.
Dover lost to Bedford 42-10 on Friday. The 3-2 Green Wave will host 3-3 Timberlane next Friday.
Merrimack defeated Windham 23-20 on Friday. The 3-3 Tomahawks will travel to 0-6 Nashua South next Friday.
Portsmouth-Oyster River defeated Exeter 20-6 on Friday. The 6-0 ClipperCats will travel to 2-4 Windham next Saturday.
Spaulding defeated Manchester Memorial 42-19 on Saturday. The 2-4 Red Raiders will host 1-5 Manchester Memorial next Friday.
Winnacunnet defeated Goffstown 28-14 on Friday. The 1-5 Warriors will travel to 3-3 Alvirne next Friday.

- Quote of the week
"It’s just everybody kind of pitching in, and that’s how you win games ... you do it as a team. And I’m really proud of these guys, of how they did it tonight, and last week."
Dave St. Hilaire, Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale head coach

- Streak tracker
There are 9 unbeaten teams in Maine, down from last week’s 10.
1 team ended their winning streak of 4 or more games; Yarmouth (8) 
The longest active winning streaks belongs to Leavitt (17), Foxcroft Academy (14), Old Orchard Beach (13), and Messalonskee (7)
There are 10 winless teams in Maine, down from last week’s 13.
1 team ended their losing streak of 4 or more games; Gray-New Gloucester (6)
 The longest active losing streaks belongs to Madison (14), Valley (12), Edward Little (12), Lake Region (10), Mount View (10), and Mt. Blue (10)

- First place teams after week six
Class A North – Portland (no change)
Class A South – Thornton Academy (change from last week)
Class B North – Messalonskee (no change)
Class B South – Kennebunk (no change)
Class C North – Oceanside (no change)
Class C South – Leavitt (no change)
Class D North – Foxcroft Academy (no change)
Class D South – Wells (change from last week)
8 Man Large School North – Camden Hills (no change)
8 Man Large School South – Yarmouth (no change)
8 Man Small School North – Orono (no change)
8 Man Small School South – Old Orchard Beach (no change)

- Five games of interest to us in week seven
Bonny Eagle at Sanford
Messalonskee at Lawrence
Mount Desert Island at Morse
Brunswick at Yarmouth
Leavitt at Thornton Academy

What are your thoughts on the weekend?