Here are 3 Maine high school football games to watch in Week 9
Portland's Alex Martin will look to lead the Bulldogs to a late season win over rival South Portland. (Brewster Burns photo)
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For some football teams in Maine, playoff time has arrived. For others, this is the final week to either clinch a berth or settle their postseason paths.
However you slice it, it’s crunch time on the gridiron.
In Classes A and C, teams head into their regular-season finales. In Classes B and D and in the eight-man divisions, it’s elimination time, and title hopes are at stake from here on out.
Here are three games that should be among the weekend’s best:
Messalonskee (4-4) at Fryeburg Academy (4-4), 6 p.m. Friday
The first matchup between these teams was a tight battle, with Messalonskee holding on for a 28-20 victory in Oakland. The Raiders, seeded fourth in Class B North, will have home-field advantage this time in a quarterfinal matchup against the fifth-seeded Eagles.
Messalonskee’s ability to move the ball through the air made the difference last time, as Fin Minkel threw three touchdown passes, all to Malachi Cusano. Minkel also added a 37-yard touchdown run.
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Fryeburg has a dual-threat quarterback of its own in Marcus Sutton, who had a 56-yard touchdown run last week against Skowhegan. Lars Bruhn (two) and Buk Awe had rushing touchdowns in the first matchup.
Portland (6-2) at South Portland (4-4), 7 p.m. Friday
For South Portland, the mission is simple: Win, and the Red Riots, currently fifth in A South and one spot out of the four-team playoff field, would earn the No. 4 seed. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are looking to secure a home playoff matchup with Windham in Class A North.
Portland, led by the powerful rushing duo of Alex Martin and David Gomes, has gone 2-2 after a 4-0 start and has been outscored by 37 points in that stretch. South Portland, which earlier in the season battled Thornton Academy and Bonny Eagle in close losses, has dropped two straight to put its playoff hopes in jeopardy.
Christopher Salamone has been the top offensive threat and playmaker for the Red Riots.
Westbrook (3-5) at Falmouth (3-5), 6:30 p.m. Friday
The last two Class B champions will meet in the first round of the B South playoffs. The first matchup between the teams was a memorable one, as the Navigators edged the defending champs 22-18 in September. Andre Hicks III had a 90-yard kick return to put the Blue Blazes ahead with 7:23 to play, only for Micah Derrig to find Alex Hau for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 1:59 left.
Fourth-seeded Falmouth has scuffled lately, dropping two straight and three of its last four, while fifth-seeded Westbrook has seen success with wins over Deering and Gorham sandwiched around a six-point loss to second-seeded Kennebunk. The Blue Blazes have allowed only 14.7 points per game over that stretch but will be tested by a Navigators offense that has reached 20 points in all but one game.
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Tagged: falmouth navigators, fryeburg raiders, Messalonskee Eagles, portland bulldogs, south portland red riots, westbrook blue blazes
Drew Bonifant covers sports for the Press Herald, with beats in high school football, basketball and baseball. He was previously part of the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel sports team. A New Hampshire. More by Drew Bonifant
