Road to Portland starts tonight Bangor-Edward Little, Brewer-Old Town among openers

First came a week or more of double- and triple-sessions.

Then came controlled scrimmages, followed by exhibition games.

But all that preparation gives way to the real thing this weekend, when 66 high school football teams begin their pursuit of state championships in Classes A, B and C – all of which will be determined Saturday, Nov. 20, at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.

“You want to win every game you play,” said Bangor coach Mark Hackett. “But our kids know the difference between a scrimmage or an exhibition and the real thing, and they’re excited about getting out there Friday night.”

Bangor vs. Edward Little, 7 p.m. Friday, Walton Field, Auburn: Bangor is one of the favorites in the Pine Tree Conference Class A ranks despite graduating its starting quarterback, a top two-way end and 2,000-yard rusher Mike Prentiss from the 2003 club that reached the Eastern A title game.

The Rams boast a huge line featuring seniors Eric Anderson, Kyle Oliver, Andrew Trundy and Jeremy Tyler, and will have a considerable size advantage against an Edward Little team they defeated 42-14 in the 2003 opener.

“We’re not real big up front, and we’re using a lot of newcomers, but they have a real good work ethic,” said EL coach Jim Hersom. “Playing Bangor is going to be a physical challenge for us as well as a challenge to hang in mentally and stay focused, but I think our kids are excited about the challenge.”

Bangor will be led by senior quarterback Brian Hackett, who will make his varsity debut after a solid performance in the Rams’ 28-18 exhibition loss at Lewiston last Friday. The job of trying to replace Prentiss falls to the duo of senior Aaron Gallant and junior Nick Payson, while senior Anthony DeRosa is a returning starter at wide receiver.

Edward Little, 1-7 last year, has a senior passing combo in quarterback Steve Simpson and wide receiver Brent Miller. Another wideout, Jon Demers, is one of several sophomores expected to play key roles for the Red Eddies.

EL will employ several running backs, among them seniors Rob Leighton and Matt Nadeau and juniors Dustin Lavalley and Chris Ash. Matt Chantrill, a junior center, is the only returning starter along the line of scrimmage.

“Last year they had a lot of guys who were young and small, and now they’re more experienced and bigger,” said Hackett. “They’ll be real sound defensively and try not to beat themselves,” said Hackett.

Old Town vs. Brewer, 7 p.m. Friday, Doyle Field, Brewer: Brewer begins its quest for a fourth straight playoff berth against an Old Town team that continues its rebuilding process.

“The intensity and focus really came up this week,” said second-year Brewer coach Ed Ortego. “Now we need to see that transfer into what we do on the field Friday night.”

Junior Ricky Porter, a converted halfback-wingback, will make his first varsity start at quarterback after an effective preseason of running Brewer’s option attack. The Witches have just 11 seniors, a contingent led by captains Chad Szylvain, wingback-linebacker Jake Richter and lineman Ryan Brooks.

Old Town went 0-8 a year ago, but second-year coach Dan Baker has doubled his roster size from the 2003 squad. The Indians feature a talented lineman in senior Tyler Eastman and a sophomore quarterback in Jarrett Lukas who started a year ago. Eastman and Lukas captain the Indians along with junior end Travis Shaw and junior fullback-linebacker Jared Goody.

“Old Town’s improved, especially on offense,” Ortego said. “Our job is to execute really well. We want to generate excitement among the players and the community.”

Orono vs. John Bapst, 7 p.m. Saturday, Cameron Stadium, Bangor: This opener matches two teams on the rise in the LTC ranks, with both expected to compete for Eastern Maine Class C playoff berths.

John Bapst has more than 50 players out for football under second-year coach Dan O’Connell, while Orono has a new leader in veteran coach Bob Sinclair and a roster double the size of the 2003 Red Riots.

“You look at Orono, [Class B] Old Town and John Bapst, and all three teams have strong football traditions but have been down lately,” said O’Connell. “But you look now and all three are coming back, all three have good numbers out for football and that’s good to see.”

John Bapst returns many of its key players from last year’s club, including quarterback George Keefe, running back Travis Carey and wideout Corey Pattison, who had 236 receiving yards and three TDs in a 26-25 preseason loss to Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln last weekend. The Crusaders also have four returning starters along the offensive front.

Under Sinclair, Orono is switching to the Oklahoma split-T offense, with senior Adam Chase the starter at quarterback and fullback Joe Fullwood, halfbacks Mardy Simon and Mo Nazmy and tight end Joe Simon providing a veteran presence.

“We’ve got to be able to run the football and minimize our mistakes,” said Sinclair. “And the third key is that we’ve got to be solid defensively against their I-formation.”