DOVER-FOXCROFT – Bobby Gilbert arrived at Foxcroft Academy in August 2002 never having played a down of organized football, but with a definite game plan.
Three years later, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound product of Beaver Cove has been accepted at the University of Maine and is looking forward to joining the Black Bears’ Division I-AA football program.
“When I came to FA I had the goal of getting to play Division I football,” Gilbert said. “Even if I hadn’t been involved with a state championship team, which I was fortunate to be part of, or if I didn’t win any individual awards, my major goal was to play Division I, and now I’m on my way.”
Gilbert is considered a “preferred walk-on,” not receiving an athletic scholarship but recruited to join the UMaine football program.
He brings to the Black Bears some impressive credentials, particularly given the fact his career is still in its infancy – Gilbert has played in just 35 varsity games.
Gilbert rushed for approximately 3,500 yards in three seasons after transferring to Foxcroft from Greenville High before his sophomore year.
As a junior, he topped 1,000 yards while leading coach Paul Withee’s club to a 12-0 record and the Class C state championship. In the state final, he rushed for 167 yards and showed his breakaway speed with TD runs of 77 and 61 yards in the Ponies’ 26-20 victory over Lisbon.
Last fall, Gilbert established school records with 1,971 rushing yards and 37 touchdowns on offense, and he also a team-leading 105 tackles as Foxcroft finished 9-2 and reached the Eastern C final for the third straight year.
Gilbert was named a finalist for the Fitzpatrick Trophy, given annually to the top high school senior football player in the state.
While at Foxcroft, Gilbert helped the Ponies to a 32-3 record with one state title and a pair of Eastern C championships.
“He’s a kid who’s really only played football for three years,” said Withee, “but he has really become a student of the game. He’s always trained for football even when he’s playing other sports, and he has a tremendous amount of dedication to the game. The Maine coaches are going to be to be pleasantly surprised.”
The 19-year-old Gilbert is also a two-time Big East Conference Class B first-team all-star in basketball, and has been a standout sprinter for Foxcroft’s track team, though he has opted to play baseball this spring for the first time since eighth grade.
But football is the first athletic love for Gilbert, who has been timed at 4.61 seconds in the 40-yard dash and bench-presses 12 repetitions of 225 pounds.
“Probably his best quality is that he’s a good person,” said Withee, who noted that Gilbert currently is taking part in an independent study program with a local physical therapist and volunteers at the Piscataquis Regional YMCA helping people who require physical therapy.
“He’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever had.”
Gilbert, who also considered attending Albany, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, isn’t sure of his ultimate college position, though his high school experiences were as a running back on offense and as a linebacker and safety on defense.
“My first year, I’ll play on special teams or anything I can to contribute on the field,” said the son of Henry and Jeri-Ann Gilbert. “I just want to continue to improve and try to take this to the highest level possible. It’s my dream.
“People told me it was far-fetched when I said I wanted to play Division I, but I know now that I can.”
Class C crossovers slated
The state’s two Class C football conferences, the LTC and Campbell Conference, will engage in crossover games for the first time since 1998, according to the new league schedules for the 2005 season.
The need for crossover games arose when each league dropped from 10 to nine teams with the switch of Maranacook of Readfield from the LTC to the Pine Tree Conference Class B ranks and the shift of Cape Elizabeth from the Campbell Conference to Western Maine Class B.
Each Class C team now will play a full eight-game schedule against teams from its own conference, then one additional game against a foe from the other Class C conference to complete a nine-game regular-season schedule.
Crossover matchups were based on several factors, according to Lisbon High athletic director Jeff Ramich.
“We looked at the recent tradition of the teams, some projections for next year, and the travel issue,” he said.
As a result, there will be one crossover game each week, beginning with a Week 1 rematch of the 2004 Class C state title game, as reigning state champion Bucksport will visit defending Western C titlist Jay.
Other crossover matchups will have Foxcroft Academy hosting Livermore Falls in Week 2, followed by Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln hosting Lisbon, Orono at Boothbay, Rockland at Old Orchard Beach, John Bapst of Bangor at Winthrop, Traip Academy of Kittery at Dexter, Stearns of Millinocket at Dirigo of Dixfield and Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield hosting Madison in the final week of the regular season.
The current schedule involves a two-year cycle, so the same crossover matchups will be held in 2006, only this time at the other school’s home field.
“We ranked teams in each league one through nine based on last year, and generally it came together pretty quickly,” said Ramich.
At least one adjustment had to be made to address excessive travel. Under the original projections, Traip and Stearns – the most southern and northern teams in the state – would have been matched up, but that was changed so that Traip now will play Dexter and Stearns will face Dirigo over the next two years.
Both the LTC and Campbell Conference will use identical playoff qualifying criteria, criteria that would not immediately incorporate the crossover games, according to Orono athletic director Mike Archer.
Playoff seedings will be determined by using the Crabtree Point System for games played within the conference. Ties in the Crabtree points would be broken by the following criteria in this order: head-to-head play, Heal Points involving all games, Crabtree Points involving all games, overall record, and, lastly, a coin toss.
That means the crossover games would not be involved in determining playoff position until the third criterion, Heal Points involving all games, Archer said.
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