The rivalry between neighbors Fort Kent and Madawaska is an intense one similar to the Bangor-Brewer rivalry.

But Madawaska High School Athletic Director Ed Marshall and Fort Kent AD Paul Michaud intend to keep it a healthy rivalry in the wake of broken legs suffered by two Madawaska players at the feet of Fort Kent players.

The two athletic directors have met at length to ensure it remains a positive rivalry.

Madawaska senior Kyle Pelletier sustained a broken leg when he battled for a loose ball against a Fort Kent player during a summer league soccer game. Pelletier has yet to play but Marshall said there’s a chance the midfielder may return to the lineup after the potato harvest break.

Junior Curtis Thibeault, a midfielder-striker, was hurt in a recent game and will be lost for the season.

Some irate Madawaska parents had intended to make T-shirts with a disparaging comment about the injuries as the two teams prepare for a Tuesday clash in Fort Kent but Marshall has dissuaded them from doing so.

“I didn’t think it was a good idea,” said Marshall. “I want to make sure sportsmanship stays in tact from each point of view.

“I don’t feel the Fort Kent player intended to break Curtis’ leg,” explained Marshall, who was at the game. “Curtis had a two or three-step lead and was going in alone [on the goalie]. The Fort Kent player was at an angle and tried to slide tackle the ball away but he didn’t get the ball. He got Curtis.”

The player received a yellow card but not a red card since the referee didn’t feel the Fort Kent player was trying to injure Thibeault, explained Marshall, who agreed with the call.

A player must sit out 10 minutes if he receives a yellow card and, if he receives another, he will also receive a red card and is ejected from the game.

A referee can also issue an immediate red card, rather than a yellow, if he feels the foul is flagrant and warrants it.

Any player who receives a red card must sit out the next game as well.

“There were probably 15-20 slide tackles in the game and most were legal. It’s a physical game whenever we play each other,” said Marshall. “Four minutes after that one, one of our players made a slide tackle on one of their players that I didn’t like.”

“It was an accident. Our player had no intention of doing that. He feels terrible about it,” said Michaud.

“I don’t think any of our kids would purposely hurt someone,” added Michaud.

Michaud said he understands the reaction.

“I think some of our parents would have reacted the same way if it happened to our kids. Their reaction is justifiable,” said Michaud. “We’ll work it out.”

Michaud said he has no intentions of beefing up security at Tuesday’s game.

“It’s obviously a rivalry but, for the most part, it’s always been [healthy]. I trust everything’s going to be fine,” said Michaud.

Marshall and Michaud also agreed that the new Maine Principals’ Association-mandated shinguards leave a lot to be desired and may have contributed to the severity of the injuries.

“That really upsets me,” said Marshall. “We discussed it at the Aroostook County League meetings and sent a letter to the MPA about them.

“If my son was playing, there’s no way I’d let him wear these shinguards. They’re too small,” said Marshall. “We have to use giant ones for the middle school kids. The days of having a shinguard molded to cover the length of the shin and having padding to cover the ankle seem to be gone.”

He said both broken legs occurred “below the shinguard.

“The old shinguards would have covered that area. I don’t know if they would have prevented the broken legs but at least they would have been covered,” said Marshall.

Michaud concurred.

“They don’t look like anything we used when I coached,” said Michaud. “Maybe [the broken legs] wouldn’t have happened with the old shinguards.”

lmahoney@bangordailynews.net

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