Trojans hoping to improve in competitive Class B

BAR HARBOR – When training camp starts, every football team’s goal is understandably the same: Win your last game.

On Mount Desert Island, however, the Trojans have a bit of a different goal.

“Our main objection is to continue to be competitive,” said sixth-year head coach Mark Shields as his club ran drills on a recent afternoon.

“[The Pine Tree Conference Class B] is an extremely difficult conference to win football games in. We’re hoping that we can be competitive in every game we’re in.”

The Trojans have made the postseason in the tough PTC ranks each of the last two seasons but have fallen in the opening round each time, so can they do better this year?

“I think every year you hope to improve. We’ve worked pretty hard. Hopefully, that comes to fruition for us,” said Shields.

With 12 returning starters and a number of players who played some key roles in 2007, that’s quite possible.

“We had some kids step in at the end of the year last year for us, got some good experience. It’s really helped them, I think, for this season,” said Shields

MDI has an assortment of speed to make up for a lack of size, with Tyler Crawford at quarterback, O’Dayne Gaynor at running back and Terrence Jones at wide receiver.

“We’re never going to be a power team, we’re not that sort of school. We don’t seem to have huge kids, we just never have,” Shields said.

The Trojans will look to mix things up offensively while mainly running and passing out of the straight-I.

Taylor Stewart, a junior, and Chase Bickford, a sophomore, will each see some time at fullback.

“We run the ball more, but we’ll try to air it out a little bit,” Shields said.

The Trojans will stick with the same 5-2 defensive scheme they’ve employed in the 12 years that Shields has been involved with the program.

“The kids know it well. We think with Camden Fernald we have a good linebacker who can fill some holes, so we’ll stick with that,” said Shields.

Fernald will head up MDI’s linebacking corps, along with Gaynor, while Crawford and Jones provide some quickness in the secondary.

“The defensive backfield is pretty athletic. We’re hoping it can shut down the passing game,” said Shields.

However, they could be asked to do a lot more in a league where teams like to pound the ball.

“In Class B most teams want to run the ball, so they’re going to have to come up to make some tackles too,” Shields said.

Up front, MDI will be bolstered by defensive tackles Dan Hale and Josh Williams.

The enthusiasm has been very high in camp as the Trojans chase a third consecutive berth in the postseason.

“They’ve been doing what we’ve asked, they’ve been working real hard,” said Shields. “We want to try to make the playoffs again. It’d be three straight years for us and that’s a big goal for us.”