Injured Lynx QB Libbey hopes to be back for playoffs

Mattanawcook Academy quarterback and safety Derek Libbey, currently recovering from an injured right knee that has sidelined him for the last two games, hopes to return to action in time for the LTC playoffs that begin in early November.

“That’s what we’re shooting for,” said Libbey, who is undergoing physical therapy and otherwise resting his knee while walking on crutches.

Libbey suffered strains to the medial collateral ligament, anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his right knee during the first quarter of Mattanawcook’s Week 5 win at Dexter.

He was returning a pass interception when he jumped to avoid a tackler and was tripped up. Libbey landed on his back, and with his legs still in the air a player struck the inside of his right knee.

Libbey sat out the Lynx’s next offensive series and took just one more snap from center in that game before taking himself out.

“I limped off the field, and it just tightened up,” said Libbey. ” It didn’t start to swell up until that night.”

Libbey sat out MA’s next game against Mount View of Thorndike while giving his injury time to heal on its own, but when there was no improvement, he went to a doctor. Based on a subsequent magnetic resonance imaging test, he was informed Oct. 9 of the specifics of the injury.

“I didn’t really want to believe something was wrong,” said Libbey. “But then it just didn’t get better.”

Mattanawcook, 5-2 and riding a four-game win streak, has two regular-season games left – home contests against Orono this Friday and against Stearns of Millinocket on Oct. 26. Junior Kyle Epp has quarterbacked the Lynx in Libbey’s absence.

MA, which has reached the Eastern Maine Class C final each of the last two years, is in strong position to return to postseason play when regional semifinals are held the weekend of Nov. 2-3.

Ironically, Libbey made his first start at quarterback last year in the Eastern Maine final after Shey Gardner suffered an elbow injury in the semifinals a week earlier. In that start, Libbey led the Lynx on a late comeback that fell just short as Foxcroft Academy earned a 14-13 victory to advance to the state final.

This season, Libbey has completed 21 of 48 passes for 216 yards in four-plus games and has two pass interceptions on defense.

Libbey’s favorite sport is basketball, and he ranks as one of the state’s top returning players this season and hopes to play that sport at the collegiate level.

“That’s definitely crossed my mind,” said Libbey. “If I come back for football, it will be because I’ll be 100 percent ready.”

Searsport baseball team honored

The Searsport High School baseball team has been recognized by the Maine Legislature for its recent success.

A legislative proclamation was presented to Vikings’ coach Dave Pepin and several of his players by state Rep. Lance Weddell (D-Frankfort) during a recent meeting of the SAD 56 board of directors.

Searsport is the two-time defending Eastern Maine Class C champion. During Pepin’s four-year tenure as head coach the Vikings are 62-17 overall and 12-3 in postseason play – a run highlighted by the 2006 Class C state championship.

The Vikings also reached the Eastern C final in both 2004 and 2005.

Sixteen Vikings have earned either first- or second-team All-Penobscot Valley Conference honors during that span, while Pepin was named coach of the year in 2005 and was a finalist for that award on two other occasions.

Searsport figures to be a top contender again next spring. The Vikings did suffer some key graduations from last year’s 15-5 team, particularly Caleb Ashey (now at Husson College in Bangor) and Josh Nickerson (now at Thomas College in Waterville). But the team will have a strong returning nucleus, led by a veteran pitching staff featuring seniors Nate Adams, Casey Ashey and Tom Cameron.