Josh Pelletier of Eastern Maine Class C champion Foxcroft Academy, Duncan Markie of Mattanawcook Academy in Lincoln and Aaron Chambers of Skowhegan are among nine semifinalists for the annual James J. Fitzpatrick Trophy symbolic of the state’s top senior high school football player.

Pelletier represents a rarity among the candidates, according to Fitzpatrick Trophy committee chairman Jack Dawson, in that the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Foxcroft co-captain is a lineman, at least on one side of the ball.

Pelletier was an All-LTC first-team offensive tackle and inside linebacker in leading coach Paul Withee’s Ponies to a 10-2 record and its third trip to the Class C state final in the last four years.

Pelletier, who had a team-leading 104 tackles during the regular season, is the third Foxcroft player to be named a semifinalist in the last three years. Josh Withee was nominated for the award after the 2003 season, while Bobby Gilbert was a Fitzy finalist last year.

Markie, a 5-foot-9, 160-pound tailback, led Mattanawcook to the 2005 LTC regular-season championship and a berth in the Eastern Maine Class C title game.

“Duncan certainly dedicated himself to getting prepared to have a great year,” said MA coach Art Greenlaw. “He tasted some success as a junior but got hurt late in the year. This year, he and a lot of the other seniors were determined to have even more success and take it to the next level.”

Markie, a first-team All-LTC choice on offense, rushed for 1,562 yards and scored 19 touchdowns to spark the Lynx to a 9-2 record.

“He was very much the heart and soul of the team,” said Greenlaw. “He’s a great kid to be around.”

Markie, also an LTC All-Academic choice, is the first Fitzpatrick Trophy semifinalist from Mattanawcook since B.J. Birtz after the 1999 season.

Chambers fought off an ankle injury that sidelined him for four weeks to lead Skowhegan to its second straight berth in the Eastern Maine Class A championship game.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound tailback rushed for 772 yards and scored 10 touchdowns for coach Mike Marston’s Indians as a senior, after a junior year in which he set a school rushing record.

Chambers is the second Skowhegan player to be named a Fitzpatrick Trophy semifinalist in the last three years, following Jared Walker, a nominee after the 2003 season.

Other nominees for the 2006 Fitzpatrick Trophy are Tyler Angell of Leavitt of Turner Center, Travis Fergola of Mountain Valley of Rumford, Joey Martin of Portland, Josh Morin of Biddeford, Ken Paul of Massabesic of Waterboro and John Wiechman of Bonny Eagle of Standish.

A list of finalists will be selected from the field of semifinalists and announced on Dec. 25, Dawson said. High school football coaches and members of the media vote for the eventual winner. The recipient will be announced Jan. 16, 2006, at a banquet in Portland.