2 years after a hazing scandal, Lisbon football is rebuilding its program
Lisbon, Maine – In a decisive Friday‑night showdown, the Lisbon High School Greyhounds routed the Mountain Valley Falcons 34‑6 at the Lisbon Memorial Field. The win moved the Greyhounds to 2‑1 on the season, a solid start after a tumultuous 2024 that saw the program suspended mid‑season for hazing allegations.
The game began with a homecoming display that drew a small crowd of youth players to the sidelines. Coach Dan Costantino, a 2012 Lisbon graduate and former Greyhound, watched as the younger athletes formed a tunnel for the varsity squad, then joined the team in a banner‑crashing pre‑game ritual. “Those guys are role models,” Costantino said. “A lot of these kids have older cousins on the team.”
Lisbon’s football tradition has been interrupted. The 2024 season started with a series of hazing incidents that prompted the school to halt the program. Under new head coach Walter Polky, who joined for the 2025 season, the Greyhounds returned to the field with a strict no‑tolerance policy, finishing 1‑7 last year. This season, the team has shown resilience, securing victories in its first two games, including the win over the Falcons.
Senior defensive back Maleek Beaumier capped the victory with a 58‑yard interception return for a touchdown just over a minute before the final whistle. “After last year and the whole hazing thing, and people getting kicked off the team, it was pretty hard,” Beaumier said. “People were down. People didn’t have enough energy. But we realized we still have all the players we need to compete, and we showed it today.”
Polky, a former player for Winthrop’s state‑champion squad that won the Class D title in 2019, praised the team’s growth. “It’s the kids. The kids are fantastic. They came in and they bought in. They’re starting to believe in each other a little bit. It’s building that confidence, and games like this help build it,” he said. He also reflected on the special nature of Friday nights in small‑town football, describing them as a communal experience that “plays for families and for the community.”
Lisbon’s early advantage was apparent after the first half, leading 6‑0, and at 14‑6 after three quarters. The Falcons’ offense faltered as the Greyhounds’ defense tightened, and the team pulled away for a comfortable finish. The Falcons, who have a storied history—including four of five Class B state championships between 2004 and 2010—now compete in Class D after previously playing eight‑man football due to declining enrollment.
With the win, the Greyhounds are set to travel to Bath next week to face Morse, a matchup that will offer another opportunity to continue rebuilding the program. The season’s early successes are seen as building blocks for a return to competitiveness in the coming years.
