There were no surprises Tuesday morning as the Maine Principals’ Association announced start times for the three high school football state championship games to be held at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland on Saturday.

The tripleheader kicks off at 11:06 a.m. when defending state champion Lawrence of Fairfield (11-0) squares off against 2004 and 2005 champ Bonny Eagle of Standish (11-0) in the Class A final.

Lawrence, owner of a state-best 22-game winning streak, earned its return trip to Fitzpatrick with a 27-13 victory over Bangor in the Eastern Maine final, while Bonny Eagle topped Marshwood of South Berwick 49-16 in the Western Maine final to get back to the gold-ball game for the third time in four years.

That’s followed at 2:30 p.m. by the Class C final between Foxcroft Academy (11-0) and Boothbay Region (10-1). Foxcroft is making its third straight appearance in the championship game, fifth in the last six years, and is seeking its first state crown since 2003. Boothbay is back in the title game for the first time since winning back-to-back championships in 2001 and 2002.

Foxcroft advanced by edging John Bapst of Bangor 14-7 in last Saturday’s Eastern Maine final at Oakes Field in Dover-Foxcroft. Boothbay avenged its only loss of the season with a 28-21 victory over Winthrop in the Western C final.

The state championship nightcap features Gardiner (10-1) against defending state champion Mountain Valley of Rumford (10-1) in the Class B final at 6 p.m. Gardiner, which whipped Winslow 37-0 in the Eastern Maine final, is in search of its first state championship since 1985. Mountain Valley, which avenged its only loss of the season with a 10-0 victory over Cape Elizabeth in the Western B final, will attempt to win its third state title in the last four years.

Game times for the state championships typically are based on geographic considerations, with the team traveling the farthest – in this case Foxcroft – playing in the afternoon contest.

Lawrence, Gardiner and Boothbay have been designated as home teams for the games. Those designations alternate every other year.

Ticket prices for the games are $7 for adults and $4 for students. One ticket is good for all three games, but if you leave the facility you must purchase a second ticket to re-enter.

In addition, Fitzpatrick Stadium (City of Portland) policy does not allow fans to enter the stadium with backpacks, duffel bags or drink containers of any type.

Heroic Hersom leads ‘Dogs

Lawrence of Fairfield quarterback Jack Hersom has emerged as the top Eastern Maine candidate for the Fitzpatrick Trophy presented annually to the state’s top senior football player.

If he does go on to win the coveted award, his work in two victories over Bangor may represent the strongest supporting evidence in an otherwise stellar 2007 season.

Hersom has completed 21 of 36 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns in those two games while rushing for 187 yards and two more scores on 26 carries.

“It’s great to be able to get back to the state game, it’s what every team shoots for, us included,” he said after Lawrence’s 27-13 victory over Bangor in last Friday’s Eastern A final. “We had a big target on our backs this season as defending state champions trying to make it back, so it’s great to do it again.”

Bangor took a 13-12 lead on a touchdown run by Shane Walton late in the third quarter, but Hersom and Lawrence responded with two touchdown drives in the final period that led the defending state champs to their fifth consecutive win over Bangor.

The first drive featured the balance within Lawrence’s offense, as passes of 20 and 15 yards from Hersom to wideout Nick Nelson highlighted a 58-yard march that ended with a 3-yard scoring run by senior Shawn Champagne.

The second drive, a 56-yard procession, was aided by a 15-yard Hersom-to-Champagne connection on third-and-6 from the Bangor 26 before Hersom scored on a 1-yard keeper with 44 seconds left.

“We like to say that we’ve got some other guys that we want throw to, but Jack seems to look Nick’s way quite a bit,” said Lawrence coach John Hersom, Jack’s father. “We hit that pass over the middle to Shawn, and [tight end] Nic Lee caught a couple that were crucial, so I think Jack did a pretty good job finding open receivers, although he does have that closeness with Nick Nelson to get the ball to him.”

Nelson finished with seven catches for 115 yards, including a 15-yard TD pass from Hersom late in the first quarter.

“Nick bails me out a lot of times in jump-ball situations,” said Jack Hersom, who has passed for more than 1,200 yards and rushed for more than 600 this season. “He has great hands, and his athleticism and ability to jump makes it a lot easier for me to throw him the ball.”

Preseason hoop showcase Sunday

One day after the conclusion of the high school football season, the seventh annual MBR.org Preseason Interclass All-Star Showcase will be held Sunday at Falmouth High School.

The daylong event will feature 10 boys and girls basketball games involving invited players representing Eastern and Western Maine Classes A, B, C and D as well as top freshman players from Eastern and Western Maine.

Many of the top returning players in the state have committed to participate in the showcase, which will begin at 9 a.m. with the East D girls against the West D girls.

Girls games continue until 2 p.m., when the first of five boys contests is slated to begin.

Admission is $5.

For more information, access www.allstarweekend.org.