At least three teams can stake claims as top contenders for the Eastern Maine Class C football championship as the LTC’s newly expanded eight-team playoffs get under way this weekend.

Bucksport enters the quarterfinals as the undefeated regular-season top seed with an 8-0 record, thanks to strong line play, a stout defense and the conference’s top rusher in senior tailback Nate Warren – who has averaged more than 200 yards per game this fall while helping the Golden Bucks average nearly 40 points per game.

John Bapst of Bangor boasts the LTC’s best regular-season record over the last two years at 15-2, and features perhaps the most talented array of offensive playmakers in the league as it seeks to return to the regional championship game for the second straight year.

Then there’s third-seeded Foxcroft Academy, the dominant team of the decade within the LTC. The Ponies are the defending state champions, the three-time defending Eastern C champions, and have reached the regional final each year since Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield edged Stearns of Millinocket in overtime in the 2000 title game.

“Obviously [Bucksport’s] got a dynamic group of seniors, they’re well coached and they’ve got an outstanding back in Nate Warren,” said 19th-year Foxcroft head coach Paul Withee, whose 5-3 team hosts No. 6 Orono (4-4) in a quarterfinal on Friday night. “Right now I think there’s a clear pecking order. There’s Bucksport, John Bapst and then us, but I think we’re every bit as good as those teams. We just have to stay consistent.”

Coach Joel Sankey’s Bucksport club surged past Foxcroft 48-12 in Week 3, and survived its toughest test of the season against John Bapst, a 40-39 overtime win in Week 1. The Golden Bucks, seeking their first EM and state titles since 2004, will host No. 8 MCI (4-4) in an LTC quarterfinal Friday night.

But John Bapst may have overcome a key psychological barrier with its season-ending 32-26 win over Foxcroft at Cameron Stadium in Bangor last Saturday night.

The 7-1 Crusaders, who host No. 7 Stearns (5-3) on Saturday night, had lost to Foxcroft twice last year – including in the Eastern C final – and hadn’t beaten the Ponies since 1995.

“It certainly doesn’t mean Foxcroft’s not going to show up in two weeks if they’re fortunate enough to win and we’re fortunate enough to win next weekend,” said John Bapst coach Dan O’Connell, alluding to a possible semifinal matchup between the teams. “But it goes a long way toward sending the message that because it’s Foxcroft and John Bapst we’re not just going to come up five yards short or four points short.

“I think they started to get the momentum in the second half, but the kids did a great job of stemming the tide and making a big stop and we were fortunate to get a win that cements the No. 2 spot in a way that doesn’t go to Crabtree points, which would be motivation for them, and proves that other than the loss to Bucksport we’re the No. 2 team in the league.”

There’s also a major-league upstart among the eight LTC playoff qualifiers, the first-year varsity team from Calais-Woodland, which finished fourth at 5-3 and will host No. 5 Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln (4-4) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Coach Ian Pratt’s Silverados have won five of their last six games, and were competitive in their losses to both Bucksport (20-8 in Week 6) and John Bapst (26-24 in Week 2).

Calais-Woodland’s double-wing offense has produced the league’s second-leading rusher in fullback Blake Ford and another top running back in Cam Shorey – and it’s an offense seemingly made for the deteriorating field conditions of late October and early November.

“When playoff time comes there’s a little added pressure,” said Withee. “The weather might not be as good, it gets a little windier, and everybody’s back at 0-0, so you never know what might happen.”

eclark@bangordailynews.net

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