The Bangor Rams have played in 10 Class A football finals during the last three decades, winning five gold balls.

The Bonny Eagle Scots have been playing Class A football only since 1995.

That history represents one difference between the teams that will meet in Portland at 2:30 p.m. Saturday for the state championship.

Athletic assets may be another, more important, point of contrast.

Bangor is the state’s biggest team, averaging about 6-foot-4, 255 pounds per man along the line of scrimmage. Bonny Eagle is smaller, averaging about 6-foot, 210 pounds.

“I think most people are looking at this as a matchup of size against speed and quickness,” said Bonny Eagle coach Kevin Cooper.

One question entering the contest will be how the teams’ size, speed and quickness might be affected by playing the game on Fitzpatrick Stadium’s artificial FieldTurf surface.

Bonny Eagle has played at Fitzpatrick twice this season, with regular-season victories over Deering of Portland and Portland High.

Bangor practiced in Portland earlier this week.

“We love the field,” said Bangor coach Mark Hackett. “The game will play like it did in August, not like a mud bowl like it would be if you played on a standard field now.

“I’m not against playing in the mud, I think it’s a great thing and I think we’d be real good in the mud, but for the fans and the players and to bring multidimensional offenses to the state and make it fun to watch, the FieldTurf is great. People can run shotgun if they want, and even if it’s raining it’s not going to be muddy so they run that type of offense.

“We won’t be running it.”

But Bonny Eagle will, using the shotgun in an effort to maximize the impact of its speed and quickness. So far, so good for the Scots, who are 11-0 behind the offensive leadership of Fitzpatrick Trophy candidate Matt O’Donnell.

Already named the Southern Maine Activities Association player of the year, the 5-10, 175-pound senior quarterback has rushed for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns and passed for 1,090 yards and 17 TDs. Kyle McKague (24 receptions, eight TDs) and David Lancaster (15 catches) are his top targets.

“Their quarterback’s phenomenal,” said Mark Hackett. “He can run and throw, the only thing that’s negative is that he’s not the biggest kid in America, so that’s one thing we can say.”

Fullback John Wiechman, a 5-9, 195-pound junior, has averaged 11.1 yards per carry while rushing for 1,264 yards (11.1 yards per carry) behind an offensive front featuring SMAA lineman of the year Jeff Thompson, a senior tackle.

“[Wiechman’s] also the nose guard, and he’s as good a football player as I’ve seen in the state this year on both sides of the ball,” Hackett said.

Wiechman teams with tackles Josh Avery and Charlie Butler to give Bonny Eagle a strong run defense, a strength that should be tested by a Bangor offense that’s averaging 230.5 rushing yards per game.

Junior tailback Nick Payson leads that charge with 1,479 rushing yards and 21 TDs on 253 carries while running behind fullback Ricky Dexter and linemen Eric Anderson, Kyle Oliver, Jeremy Tyler, Andrew Trundy and Andy Gould,

“Bangor is big, strong and physical, and they’re doing a great job of running the football,” Cooper said. “They line up Payson behind that big offensive line and Payson runs hard and they block hard for him. They get a lot of yards, and they wear you down.”

Bangor (10-1) also has a capable passing game led by senior QB Brian Hackett (48 of 97, 780 yards). His favorite target is wideout Anthony DeRosa (26 catches, 502 yards, three TDs), but wingback T.J. Vanidestine (13-149) and tight end Aaron Gallant (3-93) are other formidable targets.

Defensively the Rams are led by linebackers Ricky Dexter (83 tackles), Payson and Mike McPike, who is tied for third on the team with 66 tackles despite missing four games due to injury. Oliver, Anderson and Gallant are other top tacklers, while end Nick Buchanan has four quarterback sacks.

One other key to Bangor’s success has been its turnover margin. The Rams have committed just 10 turnovers in 11 games, while the defense has forced 23 turnovers.

Bonny Eagle, meanwhile, has been adept at forcing turnovers, according to Cooper.

“We’re just going to have to play flawless football to beat that team,” said Hackett. “We’ll show up and play and do the best we can do, and if they beat us we’ll shake their hands, but we’re not just going to go down there and be happy to be there. We’re going down to compete.

“I feel that they’re the best team we’ve faced, and that we’re the best team they will have faced.”