Week 5 of the high school football season features two pivotal showdowns involving teams seeking to enhance their status for earning home-field advantage come playoff time.
Morse Shipbuilders (3-1) vs. Hampden Academy Broncos (3-1), 7 p.m. Friday, Weatherbee Complex, Hampden: Each team is separated from an undefeated record by an overtime loss in its season opener, but since then both the Broncos and Shipbuilders have been impressive in building their three-game winning streaks.
Morse of Bath, the defending Eastern Maine Class B champion, is led by running back Pat Wolfe, the Pine Tree Conference Class B’s leading rusher with 588 yards and seven touchdowns behind a physical offensive line.
“One of the things that stands out about Morse is Wolfe,” said Hampden coach Harry McCluskey. “He does a good job of finding the seams and then cutting back.”
Wolfe runs behind some fierce blocking by fullback J Cavanaugh — also a defensive catalyst for coach Jason Libby’s club — and a physical front line, while quarterback Michael Walton has completed 20 of 41 passes for 211 yards, with three TDs and no interceptions.
Hampden has outscored its last three opponents by a combined 169-14, with QB Jon Haws (30 of 50, 434 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INT), fullback Michael Jenkins (7 TDs), wide receiver Nolan Turner (5 TDs) and tailback Ryan Blake (244 rushing yards, 3 TDs) leading the way.
Jenkins, the middle linebacker, and Matt Lindemann are the leading tacklers for Hampden’s defense.
“I have a pretty good feeling of where this team is and what it’s capable of doing,” said McCluskey. “Since the Leavitt game we really have had our way, but part of that has to do with turnovers, so this will be a good test for us.”
John Bapst Crusaders (4-0) vs. Maine Central Institute Huskies (4-0), 7 p.m. Friday at Pittsfield: John Bapst, the defending Class C state champion, was expected to rank among the LTC leaders at the midpoint of the season, while MCI is one of the surprise stories of the league with its fast start.
John Bapst is coming off perhaps its most impressive win of the season, a 28-8 victory over Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln. Tailback-safety Bill Wetherbee continues to be one of the league’s top playmakers, while quarterback Shane Hass has guided coach Dan O’Connell’s club to an average of 36 points per game over the last three weeks.
MCI has shown a flair for the dramatic over those same three weeks, rallying in the final minute to defeat Bucksport 24-18, then outlasting Dexter 41-40 in overtime before edging Mount View of Thorndike in another one-point (36-35) decision last week.
This will be by far the toughest test to date for coach Tom Bertrand’s Huskies, who are led on both sides of the line of scrimmage by senior quarterback-strong safety Shawn Bennett.
Bangor Rams (4-0) vs. Mt. Blue Cougars (1-3), 7 p.m. Friday, Caldwell Field, Farmington: Bangor got the best of both worlds last week in a 13-12 survival at Messalonskee that left coach Mark Hackett’s club one of just two unbeaten teams left in Eastern Maine Class A.
The Rams got the win, but they also got the knowledge that the game isn’t always going to be as easy as it was during the first three weeks of the season, when they outscored their foes 135-33.
Bangor also got a strong bend-but-not-break effort out of its defense in the first game of the season the Rams’ high-powered offense was unable to impose its will on the opponent.
Senior tailback Lonnie Hackett had his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game against Messalonskee, and continues to lead the PTC Class A ranks with nearly 800 yards on the season.
Mt. Blue is in the middle of a grueling two-week stretch, as the Cougars are coming off a 41-8 loss at Lawrence.
The Cougars, who have lost three straight, have one of the more prolific passers in the PTC in Ryan Backus.
Messalonskee Eagles (3-1) vs. Brewer Witches (1-3), 7 p.m. Friday, Doyle Field, Brewer: Messalonskee will attempt to rebound from last week’s narrow loss to Bangor in this battle of the double-wing offenses.
The Eagles have a third-year starter at quarterback in Dylan Foster, and a bullish fullback in Desmond Nutter to lead their ground game.
Brewer will seek to bounce back from a 42-6 loss at Skowhegan in another clash of double-wing attacks last week.
The Witches, who averaged 26.3 points per game in their first three outings, found the going much more difficult last week against a Skowhegan defense used to playing against the double-wing in practice each day.
Senior Jamie Williamson leads Brewer’s ground game with nearly 400 yards, while classmate Pat McEwen has been another productive rusher for coach Don Farnham’s club.
Mattanawcook Academy Lynx (2-2) vs. Dexter Tigers (1-3), 1 p.m. Saturday at Dexter: Mattanawcook remains in position to earn home field for the opening round of the playoffs, but the Lynx can’t look past a Dexter team coming off two straight solid performances.
MA fell to John Bapst 28-8 last Friday night, but the Lynx have rallied around quarterback Ethan White, who has emerged as a top rushing and passing threat.
Dexter, which dropped a 41-40 overtime decision to MCI before besting Old Town 54-23 last Friday night, is led by hard-nosed senior running back Doug Richardson, the second-leading rusher in the LTC.
