Ponies, Lynx in crucial game Bangor taking on Lawrence

The midpoint of the high school football season is already upon us and teams like Bangor and Brewer go from crucial, “statement” games to games they’re favored to win while teams like Foxcroft and Mattanawcook face off in games that could decide the top spot in their conference.

Bangor (2-2) at Lawrence (1-3), Cooper Stadium, 7 p.m. Friday: The Rams seem to have righted their ship with back-to-back dramatic wins over playoff-caliber teams and escaped a murderous September schedule at .500.

The Rams’ offense isn’t as high-scoring as last season, but they are moving the ball, as their 1,014 total yards (third among Pine Tree Conference teams) can attest. The Rams are led by quarterback Zak Ray (20-of-48 for 344 yards, three touchdowns), tight end P.J. Dowe (five catches, 171 yards, three TDs), and tailback Ryan Largay, who is starting to settle in at tailback with 328 yards on 94 carries, more than half of those yards coming the last two weeks. Largay’s development has coincided with a two-game win streak, and the Rams’ ability to play the power game as well as finesse is crucial to their success.

Lawrence has gotten off to a slow start, but came up with a big win over perennial playoff contender Oxford Hills of South Paris last week. The Bulldogs don’t have their usual hard-nosed running attack as the list of the PTC’s top 12 runners features no ‘Dogs backs. They also have no one among the top passers or receivers and are ranked ninth among team offense in the 12-team league, but Sean Leary is sixth among PTC tacklers with 48 total.

Brewer (4-0) at Hampden (0-4), 7 p.m. Friday: The Witches are burning up the schedule with their hottest start in recent memory and a big, point-worthy win over Scarborough on the road last week. Brewer’s defense is third (194.5 yards per game) in the LTC while its offense is sixth (270.5)

The young Broncos are struggling as they try to develop offensive consistency as they are ranked 11th in the 14-team LTC in offense with 185.3 yards per game. The Broncs are also struggling defensively as their 336 yards-per-game yield puts them last.

“We made a good statement with that win over Scarborough, but we can’t just relax. These are the games we have to win and to do that, we have to keep our focus,” said Brewer coach Josh Emmett.

Brewer back Josh Caldwell is third among LTC point-scorers with 36 points and leads one of the deepest offensive backfields in the conference with 413 yards on 73 carries. Caldwell, Seth Emerson, and Chris Fox are ranked fifth, sixth, and ninth, respectively, yardage-wise in the LTC.

Foxcroft Academy (4-0) at Mattanawcook Academy (3-1), Lincoln, 7 p.m. Friday: The Ponies are the hottest Class C team in the LTC and they’re visiting the second-hottest team in the Lynx of Lincoln, who are coming off an emphatic win over MCI.

Weather permitting, this could be one of the most offensively-balanced games of the season as both squads pass and run very well.

MA’s Dustin Hanscom is the LTC’s top quarterback with 704 yards and eight TDs on 39-for-72 passing while Jon Carney (372 yards, seven TDs) and Brad Greenlaw (195, one) are first and third, respectively. Tailback Tyler Gardiner is third in rushing with 423 yards and five touchdowns.

The Ponies have a deep and balanced backfield featuring Danny White (189, two), Josh Sands (169 yards, two), and Lincoln Robinson (114, three).

Maine Central Institute (2-2) at Orono (2-2), 7 p.m., Friday: The visiting Huskies and Red Riots are coming off humbling losses last week, so both are spoiling to rebound with a big win, and the winner of this game will have a legitimate shot at the playoffs while the loser will have to scramble to keep pace.

Some of the other top games dotting the schedule include:

Dexter (1-3) at Stearns (1-3), Alumni Field, 7 p.m. Friday.

Skowhegan (4-0) at Messalonskee (1-3), Memorial Field, 7 p.m. Friday.