Early wins a good sign for Trojans

When Andrew Leiser walked down the halls of Mount Desert Island High School two weeks ago, he was greeted by a few skeptical classmates.

“You won?,” they asked.

This time, Leiser and his teammates had the response they’ve sought for more than a year. Indeed, MDI had knocked off Maranacook of Readfield 6-0 in the opening week of the 2005 football season.

It was a long way from a year ago – when the Trojans not only went winless but were outscored 386-34 – and represents the first step on what everyone in the program hopes is the road to respectability.

The second step came last weekend, when MDI won again, edging Oak Hill of Sabattus 6-0 on an interception return for a touchdown with 35 seconds left.

“It was a bit of a shocker for everybody,” said MDI coach Mark Shields. “I think we were the only ones, the players and the coaches, who thought we could win that game.”

And so the Trojans are 2-0, a major accomplishment already given that MDI went 4-31 from 2001 through 2004.

“It’s just two ballgames, but it’s two ballgames that show that maybe the program’s moving in the right direction,” Shields said. “It’s nice to see people in the community talking about MDI football in a positive way, especially for the kids who have stuck with it.”

And while the team, which visits 1-1 Hampden Academy tonight, may not be ready to challenge all of the Class B elite yet, there are signs the football fortunes on the island may be turning around.

For now, there are talented juniors like Leiser who persevered through some major growing pains while starting as sophomores in 2004. Now they are poised to lead whatever renaissance is to come.

“It was pretty difficult when we were getting beat like we did last year,” said Leiser, an offensive tackle and linebacker. “But I saw some bright spots. We were 6-1 [on the freshmen team in 2003], and I thought if we stuck with the program and worked hard in the offseason, good things would come.”

Coaches and players cite that commitment to offseason training, something not always a given in programs lacking a winning tradition.

“A lot of kids have been in the weight room,” said Leiser. “There’s a lot of energy, guys feeding off each other, and we’re feeling confident.”

The high school program now numbers more than 50 players, a roster reinforced by the impact of the Acadian Football League, a relatively young local feeder program that teaches football skills to kids before they get to high school.

Most of the juniors on this year’s varsity squad came through the AFL.

“When we were in seventh grade, there were 13 of us on a team,” said Leiser, “and the same 13 kids are still playing.”

And winning. But while they are 2-0 now, it’s unlikely the Trojans will finish 9-0 – though optimism is growing.

“We’ve played with the first two teams, and we expect to do that every week,” Leiser said. “That’s our goal.”

The Trojans believe it’s an achievable goal, boosted by some early season evidence. They’ve found ways to win twice already, and have put themselves in position to contend for one of their league’s eight playoff berths.

“When we won at Maranacook, some of the kids in school came up and said, ‘You won?,'” said Leiser. “They weren’t really taking us serious, they talked more about how bad the other team must be.

“Then we won last Saturday, and now we like to brag that we have the best record in the league.”

Ernie Clark may be reached at 990-8045, 1-800-310-8600 or eclark@bangordailynews.net