HEBRON – The annual Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic and the weeklong training camp that precedes the game serve multiple purposes.

At the forefront, proceeds from the event, which this year features top high school football players from the Class of 2006, benefit the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Last year alone, $61,000 was raised for that charity.

It’s also a chance for many of the nearly 90 players who suit up to bond with teammates that previously were opponents, or other players they knew of only through media reports or word of mouth.

But for many of the participants, the week leading up to the game and the game itself provides an extra opportunity to prepare for college football careers.

“It’s definitely a head start,” said Ben Caldwell, who helped lead Brewer High to the 2005 Class B state championship and is set to join the Husson College football program next month in Bangor. “I’m already hitting now, this is definitely the fast-track way to playing a football game. You’re off all summer and you’re working out, but it’s nothing like this. The first day of practice here we were hitting.”

Most of the players arrived at the Lobster Bowl training camp at Hebron Academy on Sunday morning in decent physical condition, as recommended to them by their head coaches, Rockland’s Daryle Weiss of the East and Jay’s Mark Bonnevie of the West.

“Right now I’m just kind of getting the cobwebs out,” said James McPhee, a linebacker from Foxcroft Academy who heads for training camp at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine in mid-August. “I’m getting a jump-start on my conditioning, and once I get back home I’ll start running and doing my agilities and stuff and be right back into it.”

There was little time to ease into Lobster Bowl camp, given that Monday’s practice schedule included triple sessions.

“Everybody looked in pretty good shape, except a couple of people,” said Chad Cottrell, an MMA-bound offensive lineman from Bucksport. “I felt fine, ready to hit.”

And while physical conditioning is an integral component of preparing for both the all-star game and preseason college practices, getting back into the football mind-set several weeks ahead of schedule is another benefit to those who plan to continue their playing careers beyond Friday night’s 17th annual Lobster Bowl, scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start from historic Waterhouse Field in Biddeford.

“It’s fun, because you see kids who have been I-formation tailbacks, and now they’re running triple-option and zone, and you see offensive linemen who have been drive blocking and man blocking, and now they’re running zone concepts,” said Weiss.

“It’s been a good learning experience I think for some of these guys who are going off to play in college. It’s a good jump-start for them, and definitely will put them a little ahead of some of the other freshmen.”

The West has won 14 of the first 16 Lobster Bowls, including a 23-12 decision last year in a game delayed for nearly two hours by a violent thunderstorm. The East’s last victory came in 2003, and the players on this year’s squad have been eager to get back on a winning track since they arrived in camp.

“The competition level is definitely raised,” said Caldwell. It’s really good for the state and for the Shriners to get the best in the East against the best in the West playing together. It should be a heck of a game, I can’t wait for it.”

Fitzy winner absent

One prominent member of the Maine high school football Class of 2006 who won’t be participating in this year’s Lobster Bowl is reigning Fitzpatrick Trophy winner John Weichman.

The tailback and linebacker from two-time defending Class A state champion Bonny Eagle of Standish wasn’t part of the West team’s preseason training camp this week.

Jason Fuller, athletic administrator at Lewiston High School and general chairman of the Lobster Bowl, said all players must complete various prerequisites in order to be eligible for the game, including individual fundraising, and Weichman did not complete those prerequisites.

Each team still has one Fitzy finalist on its roster, Aaron Chambers of Skowhegan on the East squad and Ken Paul of Massabesic of Waterboro on the West. The University of Maine-bound Chambers is slated to play tailback in the Lobster Bowl, while Paul is listed as a linebacker on the West roster.

Hartley takes EL post

Darren Hartley, a veteran high school football coach in the Lewiston-Auburn area, recently was named the new head coach at Edward Little High School in Auburn.

Hartley, who is the athletic director of this year’s Lobster Bowl in addition to serving as defensive coordinator for the West squad, comes to EL after recently serving as an assistant at next-door Lewiston High.

Hartley replaces Jim Hersom, who resigned in June after four seasons as the head coach at his alma mater.

Hartley also is a former head coach at Lewiston and still teaches at that school, but he will be tasked with turning around a rival program that has struggled since winning the 2002 Eastern Maine Class A championship.

Edward Little is 4-20 over the last three seasons, including 2-6 last fall.