DOVER-FOXCROFT – Saturday’s Eastern Maine Class C football final is an example of familiarity breeding respect.

When top-ranked Foxcroft Academy hosts No. 3 Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln for the regional title in a 1 p.m. start from Oakes Field, not only will it mark the second time they have clashed this season, but the fourth time in the last two years.

Foxcroft, the defending Eastern C champion and 10-0 this season, won all three earlier meetings, including a 28-14 win at Lincoln in last year’s final and a come-from-behind 21-15 win at Dover-Foxcroft in their regular-season game on Oct. 6.

“What a war,” said Foxcroft coach Paul Withee of the earlier meeting. “Mattanawcook’s a big, physical team and they really play outstanding team defense. We had all kinds of problems in the first half against them. It was 7-0, and we really couldn’t get anything consistently going on the offensive side of the ball, but we were still playing real good team defense.

“Then in the second half we were able to make a few adjustments and play a little more fundamentally sound.”

Big plays also ruled the day, as Brad Bellemare returned a third quarter punt 55 yards to tie the game, and Foxcroft later capitalized on two Mattanawcook turnovers in the fourth quarter, with Bellemare scoring the winning touchdown on a 56-yard run.

“We were up 15-14 and had stopped them on fourth-and-1 with less than four minutes left,” said MA coach Art Greenlaw. “You feel good about that, but the bad part is then we turned it over. We stopped them on fourth and one, but then we put the ball on the ground on the next play, and then they made plays.”

Neither team has lost since that game, though Foxcroft carries one much longer streak into the contest – the Ponies have not lost on their home field since a 24-14 defeat to Bucksport on Oct. 5, 2001, a span of 32 games.

Foxcroft also is making its sixth straight appearance in the Eastern C championship game, and 10th in the last 13 years.

This year’s Ponies are led by Bellemare, a senior wingback and safety who led a deep Foxcroft offense in rushing and scoring and also was among the team’s top tacklers despite missing two games due to injury late in the regular season.

Foxcroft also features a veteran line on both sides of the ball, with seniors Adam Dow, Bill Macomber and Tim Nason all returning starters from last year’s EM championship team. Inside linebackers Shaw Weeks and Ian Imbert also are big hitters from the middle of the Ponies’ 4-4 defense.

Mattanawcook (7-3) also relies on a 4-4 defensive set, led by defensive end Isaac Young and linebackers Ian and Nate Nevells and Steve Braley.

Junior Derek Libbey is a leader in the secondary for the Lynx, and has ranked among the LTC’s leading receivers on offense.

His role will change Saturday, however, as Libbey steps in as the starting quarterback in place of Shey Gardiner, sidelined by a dislocated left elbow suffered during the Lynx’ 15-6 semifinal win at Bucksport.

Sophomore tailback Brady Vose has rushed for more than 1,000 yards to pace the MA offense, complemented by Braley at fullback.

“It’s going to be a great game,” said Greenlaw, whose program is seeking its first EM title since the Lynx’ state championship season in 1999. “We’re going to be excited to go there and play.”

The winner advances to the Class C state championship game at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland on Saturday, Nov. 18, against the winner of Saturday’s Western C final between No. 1 Lisbon (10-0) and No. 2 Livermore Falls (8-2).