Postponements caused by Saturday’s inclement weather mean it’s playoff Monday for several high school football teams – some officially and others in an unofficial, but just as real, sense.
The unofficial playoff game is set for 5 p.m. at Cameron Stadium in Bangor, where John Bapst hosts Orono. If John Bapst wins, the Crusaders earn the fourth LTC Class C playoff berth. If John Bapst loses, Rockland heads to the playoffs.
A John Bapst victory would leave both the Crusaders and Rockland with identical 5-4 records and tied in Crabtree points, given that they have played the same LTC foes and their Western C crossover opponents, Winthrop (John Bapst) and Old Orchard Beach (Rockland), each finished with a 4-5 record.
But John Bapst would win the tiebreaker against Rockland by virtue of its 27-26 victory over the Tigers in Week 4.
A John Bapst loss to Orono would leave Rockland at 5-4 and John Bapst at 4-5, with Rockland earning the playoff spot by virtue of having more Crabtree points thanks to its better win-loss record.
Either John Bapst or Rockland will advance to face top-seeded and defending EM champion Foxcroft Academy next weekend. The undefeated Ponies (9-0) defeated both teams during the regular season, Rockland 42-14 in Week 1 and John Bapst 26-6 in Week 8.
The other LTC Class C semifinal next weekend will send No. 3 Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln (6-3) to No. 2 Bucksport (7-2). Bucksport edged the Lynx 7-6 during their regular-season meeting in Week 5.
Two Pine Tree Conference Class B playoff games postponed from Saturday will be played at 1 p.m. today, with the winners to meet in a regional semifinal next weekend.
Sixth seed Mount Desert Island (5-3) plays at No. 3 Waterville (6-2), while No. 7 Leavitt of Turner Center (4-4) is at No. 2 Winslow (7-1). MDI and Waterville did not play during the regular season, while Winslow whipped Leavitt 44-8 in Week 1.
The other PTC B semifinal is set, with No. 4 Hampden Academy (6-3) at No. 1 Gardiner (9-0). Hampden won its quarterfinal by outlasting No. 5 Belfast 30-24 in overtime while Gardiner routed No. 8 Morse of Bath 67-12.
And in Eastern Maine Class A, the season continues where it began for Bangor High School.
Bangor, 7-1 after a 45-21 victory over Oxford Hills on Friday night, will open postseason play as the No. 2 seed in the Pine Tree Conference Class A ranks. The Rams will face No. 3 Lewiston (6-2) at Cameron Stadium on Friday night.
Those teams met in Week 1, with Bangor outscoring the Blue Devils 42-35. Both teams carry modest winning streaks into the rematch, with Bangor having won three in a row while Lewiston has won its last four games.
The other PTC “A” semifinal is a rematch of a game played Friday night as top-ranked Lawrence of Fairfield (8-0) hosts No. 4 Messalonskee (5-3). Lawrence, the only team back from last year’s Eastern “A” playoff field, defeated the Eagles 21-12 at Fairfield – the first time this season the Bulldogs have allowed more than one touchdown in a game.
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