Mt. Blue of Farmington traditionally has been one of the more successful Class A football programs in Eastern Maine.

With its 7-0 start this fall, coach Gary Parlin’s club has churned out 10 consecutive winning seasons, and the Cougars have had just seven losing campaigns since first fielding a team in 1969 – with four of those sub-.500 seasons coming in the first five years of the program.

Mt. Blue hosts rival 5-2 Skowhegan on Friday night with the chance to close out its first undefeated regular season since 1986 and take another step toward what it hopes is its first Eastern A title since 1987.

One knock against the Cougars in recent years is that their wide-open offense tends to struggle late in the season, when fields turn from green grass to mud, traction is tenuous, and finesse often gives way to sheer power.

Parlin, for one, thinks this year’s team is different – as evidenced last Friday by a blend of power running and precise passing amid muddy conditions that enabled the Cougars to top Bangor 42-0, the program’s first win at Cameron Stadium in Bangor since 1991.

“I think this is a team that’s made for November because of the offensive line,” said Parlin, referring to a veteran unit led by tackle Tom Robinson and Byron Staples. “Let’s face it, by that time of the year a lot of fields are pretty trashed, and you’ve got to be able to deal with that.”

While Mt. Blue is strong up front, the Cougars also boast talent at the skill positions, particularly quarterback Mason Barker, running back Mike Toothaker and wideout-defensive back John Moloney, whom Parlin describes as his team’s unsung hero.

“John Moloney is probably our most valuable player,” said Parlin. “He does all our kicking, he’s a great wide receiver, and he makes all our defensive calls. He makes the line calls and he calls the defensive back calls, and he’s come up with as many big plays the last two years as anyone we have.

“You never read a lot about John Moloney, but anyone in that locker room will tell you he’s our MVP.”

Mt. Blue will be without wideout Hal Robbins this weekend after he suffered a knee injury against Bangor, but the Cougars figure to get a boost with the return to the lineup of senior Hazen Pingree, a standout fullback and nose tackle who has been sidelined since suffering a dislocated kneecap during the team’s preseason game against Brunswick.

“It’s been a long, arduous road for Hazen, but he’s coming back and he’s so excited,” said Parlin. “He looks like the kid who never gets in the game because he hasn’t gotten in yet, but having him back will be a good lift for us.”