Tymoczko, Gilbert, Aldus among Fitzy semifinalists

Josh Aldus of Belfast, Bobby Gilbert of Foxcroft Academy and Nick Tymoczko of Bucksport are among the 10 semifinalists for the 34th annual James J. Fitzpatrick Trophy.

The award honors a high school senior football player based on on-field performance, academics and community and school service.

Other semifinalists are Brad Bryant of Livermore Falls, David DiGravio of Mt. Blue of Farmington; Chris Duffy of Messalonskee of Oakland; Ryan Flaherty of Deering of Portland; Ben Grant-Roy of Biddeford, Colby Lamson of Marshwood of Eliot, and Matt O’Donnell of Bonny Eagle of West Buxton.

Aldus rushed for 1,531 yards and scored 27 touchdowns this season at Belfast, marking the second straight year he has topped 1,000 yards. He led the Lions to a 6-4 record and a berth in the Pine Tree Conference Class B semifinals after helping Belfast win the 2003 Class B state championship.

Gilbert also is a two-time 1,000-yard rusher, having gained 1,979 yards and scored 37 touchdowns in 11 games for Foxcroft this season. He led the Ponies to a 9-2 record and a berth in the LTC championship game this fall after sparking FA’s run to the 2003 Class C state title. Foxcroft’s record during Gilbert’s three years with the Ponies was 32-3.

Tymoczko rushed for 2,741 yards and scored 40 touchdowns in leading unbeaten Bucksport to the 2004 Class C state championship – capped off by a 330-yard, three-TD performance in the state final against Jay. Tymoczko established LTC regular-season records with 2,071 yards and 33 touchdowns, then added 670 rushing yards and seven more TDs in three postseason victories for the 12-0 Golden Bucks.

Among the other semifinalists, Bryant ran for 2,100 yards with 23 TDs; DiGravio rushed for 402 yards and caught 37 passes for 512 yards; Duffy rushed for a PTC Class A-best 1,557 yards during the regular season; Flaherty passed for 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns; Grant-Roy rushed for 825 yards with seven touchdowns; Lamson had 1,659 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, while O’Donnell both passed and rushed for more than 1,000 yards in leading Bonny Eagle to the Class A state title.

Three finalists will be named from the field of semifinalists, and the winner will be announced at a Jan. 16 banquet in Portland.

Leavitt leaves Brunswick grid post

Dick Leavitt, who guided the Brunswick High football team to the 2003 Eastern Maine Class A championship, has resigned from that post after 10 years due to health reasons.

Leavitt suffers from a degenerative spinal condition that has become increasingly painful since his initial surgery in April 1998, and he plans to begin a pain management program to deal with his condition.

“Due to the constant pain I deal with I am not able to give the program the attention that it needs and the kids deserve,” he said. “I have always considered it a privilege to be the head football coach at Brunswick High School but the time is right for some one else to lead the kids.”

The Bowdoin College graduate took over the Brunswick program in 1995 and built the Dragons into a contending team within the Pine Tree Conference ranks. He was instrumental in establishing a youth football program in the community and gradually improving the school’s football fortunes to the point that it won its first regional title since 1963 in 2003.

The Dragons finished 6-3 in 2004, advancing to the PTC quarterfinals before dropping a 16-13 decision to Bangor, the eventual Eastern A champion.

“I am very proud of the fact that I will be able to walk away from the Brunswick program knowing that I have left it in a position where it can compete with schools like Bangor High School,” said Leavitt. “It has taken a lot of hard work but that was the only way that I knew how to improve the situation, and that was to outwork people.”

Leavitt said his long-term goal is to return to the sideline at some point in the future.

Tigers may move to Class B

The SAD 11 board of directors will consider Thursday night a proposal to drop Gardiner High School’s football and outdoor track teams to Class B beginning next year.

Currently, the Tigers petition the Maine Principals’ Association to play in Class A in those sports, as well as field hockey, according to Gardiner athletic director Karen Perry. At present, there are no plans for field hockey to drop to Class B.

Gardiner is a Class A school in most sports, including basketball, but already fields Class B teams in ice hockey, swimming and indoor track.

The Gardiner football team finished the 2004 season with an 8-2 record in the Pine Tree Conference Class A ranks, losing to Bangor in the regional semifinals.

But coach Matt Brown’s club finished the season with just 35 players in grades 10-12, along with approximately 25 players in the freshman class.

Gardiner’s enrollment was 751 as of Oct. 1, according to Perry, well below the Class A minimum enrollment for the sport of 850. Perry added that enrollment trends in the lower grades in SAD 11 suggest the high school classes in the near future will continue to shrink, leaving a reduced talent pool for all sports, including football.

“We’re not just looking at just the schedule we have now and our success within the league,” said Perry. “But we’re looking at the number of kids who have to play both ways, not only the upperclassmen but with the freshmen and sophomores.”