Maybe when the season is over, the Winslow High School football team will look back at its 35-33 victory at Hermon last Friday as a season-defining game. Right now, though, the Black Raiders are putting the tough win behind them and getting ready for what should be a challenging game against Gardiner on Saturday.
“I’m proud of the way we came back each time Hermon scored,” Winslow coach Mike Siviski said. ‘It was their homecoming, and they were really fired up. We were lucky to escape with a win.”
Hermon entered the game at 3-1, but it was coming off a 44-6 loss to Mt. Desert Island. Winslow improved to 4-1 and remained in first place in Class C North with the victory.
“I don’t think we took them lightly,” Siviski said. “You don’t want them to, but the kids read the papers and go online and see what MDI is doing.”
The Black Raiders suffered some injuries on the offensive line, notably junior Isaac Targett, who could be lost for the season with a knee injury, Siviski said. Alex Demers moved from fullback to guard to help on the line, and Cody Ivey, Andrew Bolduc and Ronan Drummond also played well on the line, Siviski said.
“(Targett) was a player that was really coming on,” Siviski said.
Three of Hermon’s touchdowns came on plays of 40 yards or more. In the fourth quarter, with the Black Raiders holding a nine-point lead, Winslow went to a ball-control offense using Ryan Fredette and Ben Dorval as primary ball carriers.
“It got to where we didn’t want to give (Hermon) the ball back,” Siviski said. “Fredette and Dorval did a nice job running. They didn’t want to go down.”
Tackling will be a point of emphasis at practice this week, Siviski said. While Gardiner is 1-4, the Tigers are dangerous.
“Gardiner has some nice weapons. We’re going to have to improve,” Siviski said.
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Traditionally, Pine Tree Conference Class B is one of the most competitive leagues in the state. This season, good luck to anybody trying to pick a favorite.
Lawrence is in first place in the conference Heal Point standings at 3-2. Although 2-3, Brewer is still in second place, followed by a trio of 3-2 teams: Messalonskee, Skowhegan and Cony. A few games this week could give some teams an edge once playoff seeding shakes out in a few weeks. Brewer plays at Messalonskee on Friday, while Lawrence hosts defending state champ Brunswick (0-5).
Crossover games, especially those against Class B South foes, have been a problem for the PTC B this season — its members are 0-9 against that conference. The conference has two teams playing a crossover against Class B South this week, with Skowhegan playing at Biddeford (3-2), and Mt. Blue (1-4) hosting Westbrook (2-3). Neither Mt. Blue nor Hampden (0-5) has played against a B South team this season. Hampden will take on Mt. Ararat (2-3) in week eight.
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Waterville will continue its annual tradition this week by renting lights and playing the homecoming game on Friday night. The Purple Panthers host Mt. Desert Island at Drummond Field at 7 p.m. Friday.
This is the third consecutive year the Panthers will play a night game for homecoming. When this tradition began in 2015 with a game against Oceanside, the booster club rented lights after school officials canvassed the neighborhood, asking home owners near the field if one night game, and the crowds and noise that come with it, would be acceptable.
After winning a pair of games to open the season, Waterville dropped to 2-3 with a 29-28 loss at Lake Region last week. Defending conference champion MDI is a tough opponent, having won four games in a row since a season-opening loss at Winslow. A win would certainly vault the Panthers in the Heal Point standings. Waterville sits in ninth place in the region, with the top eight making the playoffs.
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The Skowhegan booster club inducted Brad Beauregard, Mike Lacasse and Robby Godin into its football hall of fame at halftime of last week’s win over Hampden:
A 2006 graduate, Beauregard was a captain and first-team all-PTC linebacker. Lacasse, an all-conference quarterback, also graduated in 2006. A 1997 graduate of Skowhegan, Godin began serving as a football team manager in 1996 and has excelled in track and field events in the Special Olympics, where he’s earned 138 medals, including 51 gold.
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Around the state: Defending Class A state champion Bonny Eagle continued its roll through the regular season with a 49-14 win over Class A South’s second place team, Thornton Academy. How good is Bonny Eagle? That 35-point margin of victory over the Trojans was the Scots’ closest game this season. Bonny Eagle hosts Massabesic (0-5) on Friday… The big game in Class C South his week is Cape Elizabeth (4-1) at Leavitt (5-0) … Undefeated Marshwood will be tested over the next two weeks. The Hawks host Falmouth (4-1) on Friday and will play at Kennebunk (5-0) on Oct. 14… It’s rare to see a playoff bid at stake when winless teams meet this late in the season, but 0-5 Portland travels north to take on 0-5 Bangor on Friday. The winner likely gets the sixth and final seed in the Class A North playoffs… Since an opening night loss to Madison, Foxcroft Academy has won four straight games to take control of the Little Ten Conference. The Ponies host Mount View (2-3) Friday.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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