Week 1 Friday, Sept. 5 googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if (slot_sizes[i][0] googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    BANGOR – Cory Smith is a young man who isn’t afraid to take on a difficult challenge. Smith is a starting defensive tackle and senior captain for coach Gabby Price at Husson College in Bangor. He also is a strong student in the school’s criminal… Read More
    FAIRFIELD – The resurgence of the Lawrence High School football program during the last three years has left rival teams in the Pine Tree Conference Class A ranks in its wake. The Bulldogs are 28-3 during that span, with a state championship in 2006 and… Read More
    BANGOR – The Bangor High School football roster featured considerable star power during the last three years. Edwards, Walton, Vanidestine, McDade and Weston were the dominant names and personalities of the time. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
    It’s almost formulaic now for the Skowhegan Indians as they head into each new football season. Fifth-year head coach Mike Marston can pretty much count on high numbers each season, and this year is no exception as 93 players – 33 of them freshmen –… Read More
    Things may be turning around in Madison. After literally nursing a fairly young team through a nine-game schedule each of the last two years, despite total player numbers in the teens, numbers – as well as expectations – are up for the Bulldogs. googletag.cmd.push(function ()… Read More
    BAR HARBOR – When training camp starts, every football team’s goal is understandably the same: Win your last game. On Mount Desert Island, however, the Trojans have a bit of a different goal. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes… Read More
    ORONO – The flip of a coin ended Orono’s season last year. Head coach Bob Sinclair wants to make sure that doesn’t happen again. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i… Read More
    CASTINE – Joe Blier didn’t start playing football until he was in the eighth grade. However, during his development in the Bangor High School program, he learned the importance of hard work in the weight room and on the practice field and intensity during games. Read More
    WEEK 1 Friday, Aug. 31 googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if (slot_sizes[i][0] googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    ORONO – Josh Caldwell enjoyed considerable success playing football, hockey and baseball at Brewer High School. Nothing could have prepared him, though, for the exhilaration he would experience the evening of Sept. 3, 2005. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var… Read More
    DEXTER – After a 2-7 record last season, you’d think things would be a little down in Dexter High School’s preseason camp. That is not the case, says head coach Tim Wilson. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes =… Read More
    BUCKSPORT – While the sun was setting over the nearby Penobscot Narrows Bridge on a recent late-August afternoon, it is beginning to rise on a new football season at Bucksport High School. Expectations are always high in Bucksport, but they may be higher this year… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – The Foxcroft Academy football team is hoping to channel last year’s letdown into this year’s success. With a number of talented skill players and one of the best defenses coach Paul Withee has had in his 18 seasons in charge of the program,… Read More
    BANGOR – What does it say about the 2007 football forecast for John Bapst of Bangor when even a returning 1,000-yard rusher is being challenged for playing time in the preseason? “Well, it tells me we have a lot of those ‘good problems’ to have,… Read More
    HAMPDEN – Two years under the tutelage of Harry McCluskey have brought steady progress to the Hampden Academy varsity football team. In 2005 the Broncos reached the Pine Tree Conference Class B quarterfinals. Last fall a senior-laden team rallied from a 1-3 start to earn… Read More
    Lawrence High School graduated 19 seniors off last year’s team. Ordinarily, that might be cause for concern. However, the Bulldogs of Fairfield also are coming off an undefeated 11-0 season that culminated in the Class A state championship. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    LINCOLN – For the last two years, the Mattanawcook Academy football team has been one victory away from its first LTC championship since 1999. However, one thing has stood in the Lynx’s way: Foxcroft Academy. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]];… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – It has nearly been a year since the Maine Central Institute football team has earned a victory, a 37-36 win over Stearns of Millinocket on Sept. 1, 2006. It was a promising first game of the 2006 season, especially considering that the Huskies… Read More
    At the end the 2006 season, Madison football coach Joe Hayden had 17 total players on his team roster and only 14 of them were in uniform. The Bulldogs lived up to their nickname and gutted out a tough 1-8 season despite exceptionally low player… Read More
    BAR HARBOR – After dire seasons, the Mount Desert Island football team is on an upward trajectory. The Trojans have shown progress since an 0-9 season in 2004, right up to last year, when they went 5-4 and earned a spot in the PTC Class… Read More
    With six starters returning on offense and five on defense from last season’s playoff team, Wes Littlefield has reason for optimism. Considering Messalonskee of Oakland’s football coach has a solid nucleus of 12 seniors leading a squad of 65 total players – 25 of whom… Read More
    NEWPORT – The motto on the T-shirts says it all about the state of the program – Nokomis Football: The Tradition Begins. And so the several communities that comprise SAD 48 now have a varsity football team to call their own, and with it an… Read More
    THORNDIKE – Ron Simmons already has seen his share of growing pains guiding the evolution of football in the Unity-Thorndike area from a nonaffiliated eight-on-eight youth league program to club status for the past two years at Mount View High School. Now comes the biggest… Read More
    OLD TOWN – Give credit to George McKay. In one of the bleakest hours of the history of the Old Town High School football program, the new coach of the Coyotes – and 22-year coach of Mount Desert Island High School – sees a bright… Read More
    ROCKLAND – The emphasis in the Rockland District High School football camp heading into the 2007 is on all that is new with the Tigers. There are new tweaks on offense, new wrinkles on defense, new uniforms, new responsibilities for assistant coaches – and a… Read More
    With just five seniors on a team of 69 players, the Skowhegan Indians knew the 2006 season would be one of development. This year, 21 of Skowhegan’s 72 players are seniors and another 19 are juniors, so the learning curve shouldn’t be nearly as drastic… Read More
    After being asked if his team was one of the Pine Tree Conference Class B favorites, Waterville football coach Frank Knight paused in midthought. “Well… a week ago I would have thought we were,” he said. “Offensively, we could be capable of spreading people out,… Read More
    MILLINOCKET – While they’re playing in the shadow of Maine’s tallest mountain, the Stearns football team has a mountain to climb of its own. The Minutemen are coming off an 0-9 2006 campaign, but with a solid junior class coming back for seventh-year head coach… Read More
    WINSLOW – The Winslow Black Raiders traditionally have had great success within the Class B football world thanks to a combination of speed, quickness, agility, talent and toughness. This year coach Mike Siviski’s club plans to add size to the mix. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
    WEEK 1 Friday, Sept. 1 googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if (slot_sizes[i][0] googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    BANGOR – Tyler Libbey enjoys nothing more than throwing his weight around on the football field. At 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, that can be a relatively easy chore for the Lincoln native, who is a fourth-year starter this season at Husson College. googletag.cmd.push(function () { //… Read More
    ORONO – Matt King was poised last fall to have a breakout season for the University of Maine football team. It literally slipped through his fingertips. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for… Read More
    The season ended a little more abruptly last year than players, coaches and fans are used to at Belfast High School. The fourth-seeded Lions hosted a Pine Tree Conference Class B quarterfinal against newly transplanted Class A power Waterville and the Purple Panthers shocked Belfast… Read More
    BUCKSPORT – Soon Class C will feel the effects of the youth movement taking hold on the hill overlooking Broadway. When a high school football team starts a junior under center and a sophomore in the backfield, most think the team will suffer a down… Read More
    DEXTER – In 1966, Tim Wilson took over as the head coach of the Dexter football team, the start of a six-year span that included two Class C co-state championships and two LTC titles. Now, after several years of teaching and serving others, the last… Read More
    DOVER-FOXCROFT – At first glance, the loss of two quarterbacks and a slew of running backs might mean a football team had some rebuilding to do. But this is Foxcroft Academy, where football teams have perennial success. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
    HAMPDEN – After leading the Hampden Academy football team to a Pine Tree Conference Class B playoff berth last fall in his first year as the Broncos’ head coach, Harry McCluskey sought to build on that momentum with a little help from his friends. So… Read More
    BANGOR – Looking back, the end of the 2005 season may serve as the unofficial start of the 2006 season for the John Bapst Crusaders. The Crusaders expected to be in the thick of the playoff chase last fall, but early struggles took them out… Read More
    FAIRFIELD – Pound the rock, knock a piece off until it splits. The translation: keep working hard everyday until the ultimate is achieved. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i =… Read More
    BANGOR – The Bangor High School football team’s quest to make the 2006 Pine Tree Conference Class A playoffs actually began with the final game of the 2005 season. The Rams trekked to South Paris to face Oxford Hills in a season finale rendered meaningless… Read More
    BREWER – The 2005 season ended with the Brewer Witches bringing home the Class B state championship trophy, the ultimate prize for a dominating late-season run that concluded with a 33-0 blitzing of York in the title game. But much has changed since Brewer captured… Read More
    The 2006 preseason started out with a good news-bad news scenario for Madison High School head football coach Joe Hayden. The good news is the cupboard wasn’t completely bare, as has been the case more than once the last few seasons, with six starters back. Read More
    LINCOLN – Like any good Broadway production, a high school football team has understudies ready to step in to take over when needed. The Mattanawcook Academy football team will be looking to several juniors and seniors who have waited in the wings over the past… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – Maine Central Institute returns its leading rusher, quarterback-turned-running back, Victor Quint. He is also the team’s leading tackler and had the most interceptions. The Huskies also bring back its sack leader, C.J. Laselle, from a season ago. In contrast, the Huskies lost four… Read More
    BAR HARBOR – Three senior members of the Mount Desert Island football team didn’t want to make any predictions about the upcoming season before a recent afternoon practice. They all agree, however, that the Trojans have a lot of potential for another successful season. googletag.cmd.push(function… Read More
    ORONO – What do the 2006 Orono Red Riots and the 1988 Permian Panthers have in common? A lot. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length;… Read More
    NEWPORT – The fledgling Nokomis football program enters its second year of club play well advanced of where it started a year ago, at ground zero. “We’re 200 percent ahead of where we were last year,” said Warriors’ coach David Evans, the former Dexter, Stearns… Read More
    ROCKLAND – After flirting with extinction less than 10 years ago, the Rockland High School football team has posted three consecutive 5-4 seasons – its first winning campaigns since the late 1980s. But what that success has yet to bring the Tigers is a trip… Read More
    Mike Marston has only been Skowhegan’s varsity football coach for three years, but he has already been in this situation before. Two years ago, he took over a team that had enjoyed some success, but had no returning starters, was largely unproven, and not expected… Read More
    OAKLAND – When you start a season reeling off four consecutive victories in an eight-game season, that’s usually a recipe for a playoff spot at the worst. However, sometimes, adversity creeps up when you least expect it. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes… Read More
    MILLINOCKET – For the Stearns Minutemen, there’s nowhere to go but up after suffering through a winless 2005 season. “I hope we’re better,” said coach Chris Preble. “I can’t imagine it getting a whole lot worse.” googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes =… Read More
    WINSLOW – Two years ago, a talented sophomore class led Winslow to an Eastern Maine Class B championship. Last year as juniors, they led the undefeated Black Raiders back to the regional final, where their season ended with a 21-10 loss to a red-hot Brewer… Read More
    WEEK 1 Friday, Sept. 2 googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var has_banner = false; for (var i = 0; i < slot_sizes.length; i++) { if (isMobileDevice()) { if (slot_sizes[i][0] googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var… Read More
    BUCKSPORT – When you win a state championship you’re going to have a big target on your chest. That’s an obstacle the Bucksport High football team will face this fall. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot var slot_sizes = [[300,250]]; var new_slot_sizes = []; var… Read More
    BANGOR – Whether choosing a pair of shoes or a college, Colby Horne knows the importance of a good fit. Since he was 15, Horne has worked at Colburn’s Shoe Store on Main Street in Belfast. The business, owned by his father, Brian Horne, has… Read More
    BELFAST – The Belfast football team’s co-head coaches didn’t make many changes to what their team does on the field this year. Instead, the biggest change was made for them – the Lions have what will likely be an even tougher schedule this year as… Read More
    HAMPDEN – As Harry McCluskey learns about his Hampden Academy football team and its opposition within the Pine Tree Conference Class B ranks, his priorities for the Broncos remain constant. “My goal is that if these kids play hard, and we get better every week,… Read More
    BANGOR – Soon after John Bapst head football coach Dan O’Connell appointed his brother Matt O’Connell to the position of offensive coordinator, Matt approached Dan with an idea that will make for a dramatically different look to this year’s Crusaders. It’s a change Dan O’Connell… Read More
    When you only have 23 total players on your team roster, the most important thing to work on in practice is conditioning, conditioning, and conditioning. “Yeah, we have a LOT of two-way starters so we’re emphasizing conditioning and versatility,” said Joe Hayden, who enters his… Read More
    BANGOR – OK, so four key players from the 2004 Eastern Maine Class A champion Bangor High football team are off pursuing college football careers. Two others are poised to play collegiate baseball, while another has graduated to junior hockey. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
    LINCOLN – While he’s the new head coach of Mattanawcook Academy, Art Greenlaw is no stranger to the Lynx football program. After working as an assistant for MA coach Mike Bisson last season, Greenlaw has become a head coach again, this time taking over for… Read More
    PITTSFIELD – Sometimes in football, when you don’t have top-notch talent, you have to rely on team chemistry to get the job done on the field. For the 2005 Maine Central Institute Huskies, that just may be the case. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
    OAKLAND – The linemen for the Messalonskee Eagles are hogs, but sympathy isn’t needed, they like it that way. “That’s our nickname for them,” coach Wes Littlefield said. “It’s a pride thing, they know it coming through that they’re hogs.” googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define… Read More
    NEWPORT – There they were, 10 to 15 football players challenging each other to contests of strength in the weight room about 45 minutes after another practice during the annual survival of the fittest known as double sessions. The scene is played out at nearly… Read More
    BAR HARBOR – Two years ago, when Mount Desert Island’s freshman football team went 6-1, football was fun for the young Trojans. But when last year’s varsity went winless, things didn’t have the same feel for the sophomore class. googletag.cmd.push(function () { // Define Slot… Read More
    OLD TOWN – Jarrett Lukas is experiencing the rebuilding process taking place within the Old Town football program from the ground floor, for as a freshman he was thrust into the role of starting quarterback. Now a junior, Lukas is beginning to see that rebuilding… Read More