Edwards, Rams set for Eagles

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Week 5 of the high school football season may provide plenty of midseason drama, with playoff scenarios now moving ever-so-closer from the far away to the here and now.

Bangor Rams (4-0) vs. Messalonskee Eagles (2-1), 7 p.m. Friday at Oakland: Bangor built a 22-0 lead a year ago, then held on for a 22-17 win that knocked Messalonskee from the unbeaten ranks.

This year it’s the Eagles that would like to enhance their Pine Tree Conference Class A postseason hopes at the expense of the undefeated Rams.

“Messalonskee always plays us tough,” said Bangor coach Mark Hackett. “They’re physical, they’re well coached and they’re aggressive.”

Messalonskee – now sporting a double-wing offense – is coming off a 24-12 win at Brunswick. In that game, the Eagles controlled the ball for 19 minutes of the first half while building an 8-0 lead, then scored early in the third quarter to take charge.

David Hash rushed for 101 yards on 25 carries, while quarterback Lucas Thomas added 69 yards on 10 tries.

“To me the double wing is like the four corners in basketball,” said Mark Hackett. “It tests your patience, and it’s very good at getting 3 or 4 yards at a clip.

“You’ve got to play your assignments, trust your teammates, and hope you play better than they do.”

Bangor cruised past Cony of Augusta 34-7 last Friday, as Ian Edwards passed for 130 yards and four first-half touchdowns to four different receivers: Alex Gallant, Ryan Weston, Kyle Vanidestine and Shane Walton.

Edwards also had a big first half against Messalonskee last year, completing eight passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns, two to Tom Crews and one to Weston.

Belfast Lions (2-2) vs. Leavitt Hornets (2-2), 7 p.m. Friday, Libby Field, Turner Center: While Belfast and Leavitt boast the same record, they seemingly are headed in opposite directions.

Belfast has bounced back from an overtime loss to Gardiner and a one-sided defeat at Winslow to post resounding victories in its last two games.

Leavitt lost to Morse of Bath two weeks ago, then edged winless Maranacook of Readfield 2-0 last Saturday.

Belfast traditionally comes on strong in the second half of the season. A win against the Hornets would reaffirm that status as well as enhance the Lions’ playoff hopes.

Old Orchard Beach Seagulls (4-0) vs. Rockland Tigers (2-2), 7 p.m. Friday, Wasgatt Field, Rockland: Rockland faces a tough challenge in its crossover game.

Old Orchard Beach is one of two undefeated teams in Western C. While their opponents have a combined 3-13 record, the Seagulls are armed with the knowledge that they rallied from a 16-6 halftime deficit for a 28-16 victory over the Tigers last year.

Rockland is among five teams seen as top contenders for the LTC’s four playoff berths, tied with 2-2 Bucksport behind 4-0 Foxcroft Academy and 3-1 Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln and John Bapst.

The Tigers continue to be one of the league’s top offensive teams behind QB Andrew Weiss, tailback Mike Marsh and wideout Josh Elwell, but they’ll need a solid defensive effort against the Seagulls.

Bucksport Golden Bucks (2-2) vs. Mattanawcook Academy Lynx (3-1), 7 p.m. Friday, Curry Field, Lincoln: Mattanawcook rebounded from a shutout loss to Class C state champion Lisbon with a victory over Dexter last Friday.

For Bucksport, the season has been up and down so far. Bucksport earned a shutout win over Stearns of Millinocket last week, but will face a much stiffer test against the Lynx.

Bucksport’s big challenge will be against Mattanawcook’s strong and talented line. If the Golden Bucks hold their own there, they may be able to capitalize on their backfield speed.

Winslow Black Raiders (4-0) vs. Gardiner Tigers (4-0), 7 p.m. Friday, Hoch Field, Gardiner: This game matches the last remaining unbeaten teams in the Pine Tree Conference Class B ranks.

Winslow has been the conference’s dominant team so far, averaging more than 45 points per game while playing its starters barely more than a half in each victory.

Gardiner opened with an overtime win against Belfast and has been steadily gaining momentum. The Tigers had a 29-14 victory last week over previously undefeated Waterville, with tailback Dan Fortune (276 rushing yards and four TDs) leading the way.

Mount Desert Island Trojans (3-1) vs. Morse Shipbuilders (2-2), 1:30 p.m. Saturday, McMann Field, Bath: MDI hopes to bounce back from its first loss against a Morse team riding a two-game win streak.

MDI is coming off a 7-6 loss to Brewer, a team that defeated Morse 20-6 in Week 1. Defensively the Trojans has allowed just one TD in their last two games.

That defense will be challenged by Morse running back Darrus Grate, who gained 252 yards on 31 carries last weekend as the Shipbuilders defeated Oak Hill of Wales 28-20.

Brewer Witches (2-2) vs. Hampden Academy Broncos (1-3), 7 p.m. Saturday at Hampden: Homecoming at Hampden Academy has playoff ramifications for both teams.

At 1-3, Hampden is where Brewer was a week ago, needing a win to rejuvenate its season. Brewer came through on the road last week with a 7-6 win at previously undefeated MDI, but needs a victory at Hampden to maintain that momentum.

Brewer’s losses have come against Gardiner and Waterville, teams with a combined 7-1 record. Hampden’s losses have come to Waterville, Mount Desert Island and Winslow, teams with a combined 10-2 record.

The Broncos will need to come up big defensively to earn its second home win of the season. Hampden has yielded the third-most points in the PTC Class B, with a defensive average of 36.7 points per game.