Semifinals feature rivalries, past foes Lewiston seeks to snap 0-3 slide against Bangor tonight

BANGOR – It’s an old-school football rivalry among two of the state’s bigger schools, and when Bangor hosts Lewiston in a Pine Tree Conference Class A semifinal at Cameron Stadium on Friday night it will mark what should be the latest in a recent series of exciting clashes.

The two teams met twice a year ago, with Bangor winning a 42-35 shootout in the season opener and then outlasting the Blue Devils 14-7 in a regional semifinal.

This year the teams meet in the playoffs again, with the memory of their Week 6 regular-season showdown still fresh.

Lewiston jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead in its homecoming game, only to have Bangor rally for a 28-27 win when quarterback Ian Edwards scored in overtime and the Rams then held Lewiston short of the goal on a two-point attempt after it scored during its possession.

“We certainly don’t want to fall behind again like we did the last time,” said Bangor coach Mark Hackett.

Friday night’s other PTC semifinal has top-ranked and undefeated Lawrence of Fairfield hosting fourth-seeded Skowhegan. Lawrence, 9-0 this season, has a 20-game winning streak overall, including a 42-14 victory over Skowhegan at Keyes Field in Fairfield three weeks ago.

Lawrence led just 22-14 at halftime before breaking the game open behind running back Shawn Champagne, who rushed for 191 yards and three touchdowns, and quarterback Jack Hersom, who passed for 121 yards.

Skowhegan played without star running back Zack Whiting (mononucleosis) during its quarterfinal win over Mount Ararat of Topsham last Friday, and his status for tonight’s game is uncertain.

Second-ranked Bangor (8-1) enters its game off a 42-6 domination of No. 7 Brunswick last week, as the Rams ground out 409 yards of total offense while pitching a shutout until the game’s final play.

No. 3 Lewiston (8-1) had a tougher time in its quarterfinal before edging No. 6 Cony of Augusta 28-25.

Bangor’s switch to a wing-T offense this season has had several benefits. For one, it has spread the Rams’ offense among several playmakers. For another, that spreading of the offensive wealth has left the team has healthy as it has been in years at this point of the season.

“You need to be fresh down the stretch and you need to be excited,” said Hackett, “and I think we are.”

Bangor’s offense features the 1-2 punch of senior running backs Kyle Vanidestine and Shane Walton. Vanidestine (119 carries, 1, 086 yards and 14 TDs) is averaging 9.1 yards per carry, while Walton has added 693 yards and 12 touchdowns on 92 carries and in the second half of the season has established himself as a top receiving threat out of the backfield.

Walton is Bangor’s leading receiver with 17 receptions for 289 yards with two touchdowns, while classmates Ryan Weston (169 receiving yards) and C.J. Eaton (160 receiving yards) are other targets for Edwards, a senior who has 706 passing yards with seven TDs.

Edwards had one of his strongest offensive games of the season against Lewiston with 120 passing yards to go with 71 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

Edwards also has been a defensive catalyst for the Rams at safety, ranking second on the with 47.5 tackles. He trails only senior linebacker Tyler McDade (49.5 tackles), with defensive backs Vanidestine (44) and Matt Kenny (38.5) also key contributors to a balanced defensive set. Walton has a team-high seven interceptions.

Lewiston features the leading rusher in the PTC Class A ranks in junior tailback Wesley Myers, who rushed for more than 1,700 yards during the regular season and added 141 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s quarterfinal win.

He is joined in the backfield by fullback Matt Letourneau, who like Myers rushed for more than 100 years in the earlier meeting against Bangor, and quarterback Mason Giroux. Alfonzo Brooks is a dangerous deep receiving threat for the Blue Devils.

“Their size up front and their athleticism are impressive,” Hackett said. “They’re very quick on offense, and they can pound you, too. Their experience is up front, where ours is in our perimeter players.”