Atmosphere of Lobster Bowl excites Maine’s gridiron stars

The Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic is clearly the most electric of the state’s postseason high school all-star games.

But that’s not because of the lightning-filled storms that have delayed the start of the last two games.

The Lobster Bowl – scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday – offers both atmosphere and opportunity unmatched among postseason attractions.

Atmosphere comes from the site of the game, Waterhouse Field in Biddeford. It’s simply the best venue for high school football in Maine, with its small-town feel amid a big-time setting that hosts several thousand fans from around the state for the game each July.

“I came down four years ago when my brother played in it, and it was the first time I’d seen the game,” said Shey Gardner, an East strong safety from Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln. “I knew then that I hoped to be a part of it, because you’re playing in a game for a great cause, and playing with all the great athletes and coaches here is a lot of fun.”

Atmosphere also comes from the bonding among the players, who sacrifice a week of their final summer before college practicing at Hebron Academy to prepare for the game.

“The kids are having a great time this week,” said East coach Mike Marston of Skowhegan Area High School. “They’re meeting new friends, and some of these friendships will last a lifetime. My boy played here a number of years ago, and some of his best friends are guys he met here.”

Opportunity stems from each player’s goal for the experience. For some, it’s getting a head start on a college career. For the others, it’s a chance to don the pads one final time.

Take Gardner, whose senior season ended prematurely with a dislocated left elbow suffered during Mattanawcook’s Eastern Maine Class C playoff game against Bucksport.

The Lobster Bowl gives Gardner a chance to end his playing career on his terms before he begins pursuing a civil engineering degree at the University of Maine.

“I just want to win one more football game,” he said. “We’re raising money for the kids and the hospitals, and I’m looking forward to getting back out there and play one more game and make some tackles and see if I can play with some of these guys from the A and B schools.”

Or consider Gene Kim, a running back from Stearns High of Millinocket good enough to earn first-team All-LTC honors despite the fact the his team didn’t win a game last year. He doesn’t know if he will play football at Maine Maritime Academy this fall, but is appreciative of the opportunity the Lobster Bowl provides.

“It’s just great to play with kids you played against for the last three or four years,” he said. “You want to compete with the best, and this is where you can compete with the best of the best against the best.”

But beyond the individual motivations, there’s a collective reason the Lobster Bowl rules.

It’s a chance for 88 teenagers to give something back, to help someone else just as they have been helped along their path to football success, by raising money for the Shrine Hospitals of North America and the injured and sick children those hospitals serve.

That seems like the greatest opportunity of all.

“Everybody on both teams is a competitor, and come game time they’ll be ready to play the game,” said Marston. “But I think there’s not a person here that doesn’t understand that this game is about more than just who wins and loses. We’re all here for a greater cause.”

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