With two weeks left in the Eastern Maine high school football season, the battles rage on for regular-season championships and playoff qualification. This weekend’s schedule is highlighted by Friday night’s Pine Tree Conference Class A clash of unbeatens between Bangor and Lawrence of Fairfield at Cameron Stadium in Bangor.
The winner likely will be the No. 1 seed entering postseason play in two weeks, though Messalonskee of Oakland also could be in the mix if Lawrence defeats Bangor because the 5-1 Eagles — whose only blemish is a one-point loss to Bangor — face Lawrence next weekend in a regular-season finale. Brunswick (5-1) and Lewiston (4-2) also are already playoff-bound, while 3-3 Cony of Augusta and 2-4 Skowhegan currently are best positioned to grab spots six and seven in the eight-team field.
That leaves Brewer and Mt. Blue of Farmington, both 1-5, among several contenders for the final playoff berth, and those teams meet Friday night in a game with playoff implications.
Undefeated Leavitt of Turner (6-0) has established itself as the favorite in the PTC Class B ranks, though a season- ending showdown against 5-1 Gardiner awaits. Morse of Bath, Waterville and Hampden Academy, all at 4-2, also are in contention for a top-four finish good for home-field advantage in the regional quarterfinals — with two of these teams likely to meet in a first-round game.
Hampden hosts Waterville this Friday before closing out its regular season against 1-5 Nokomis of Newport. Waterville faces Winslow in its regular-season finale, while Morse plays Belfast this weekend and Mount Desert Island next week.
Winslow (3-3) and MDI (2-4) are in line to finish sixth and seventh, with Winslow owning a 14-0 win over the Trojans. Belfast, Nokomis or Camden Hills of Rockport will earn the eighth seed, with Belfast already owning a win over Nokomis and set to visit Camden Hills in its regular-season finale. Nokomis also owns a win over Camden Hills.
Barring any Week 7 upsets, defending state Class C champion John Bapst of Bangor and 2007 state champion Foxcroft Academy will meet in a battle of unbeatens at Oakes Field in Dover-Foxcroft on Oct. 23 to determine the LTC regular season champion.
Third-place in the league may be at stake when 4-2 Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln faces 3-3 Bucksport this Friday, while Stearns of Millinocket and Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield are both 4-2 and also in the mix for a home game in the first round of the playoffs.
Four teams with 2-4 records, Calais-Woodland, Dexter, Mount View of Thorndike and Rockland are battling for the final two postseason berths. Rockland has the toughest schedule of the bunch with games remaining against Foxcroft and Mattanawcook. Calais-Woodland faces Dexter and winless Old Town, while Dexter plays Calais-Woodland and Mount View and Mount View plays Stearns and Dexter to close out the season.
Mainer earns national honor
John Gilboy of Thornton Academy of Saco is one of five high school football players nationwide from the Class of 2009 to be selected a 2009 National Football Foundation National High School Scholar-Athlete.
A team captain as a senior with the Golden Trojans last fall, Gilboy was a two-way starter at offensive guard and defensive tackle and a semifinalist for the Fitzpatrick Trophy, which goes to the top senior high school player in Maine. He also was a two-time Southern Maine Activities Association all-star, as well as a member of the SMAA All- Academic Team.
While taking advanced placement and Honors courses, Gilboy maintained a 4.28 GPA and graduated third in his class of 320 last June. He received certificates of excellence in advanced math, advanced U.S. History, Latin I, II, III & IV, as well as honors in biology, chemistry, algebra and English. Following two terms as president of his class, Gilboy was elected president of the entire student body his senior year. He also served as vice president in the National Honor Society.
“John’s innate work ethic also carries over to the playing field,” said Thornton head coach Kevin Kezal. “John played at a very high level and was one of the main reasons we were able to have a 10-1 record and play in our league’s championship game. He is a strong student-athlete who I believe his best academic and athletic years are still ahead of him.”
As a leader in the community and with a passion for giving back, Gilboy traveled to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip. His other community service includes volunteering at a local soup kitchen, Toys for Tots and MLK Day of Service.
Gilboy currently plays defensive tackle for Colby College and is in the pre-med program.
Selected from the 400,000 high school football players covered by the NFF Chapter Network, Gilboy and the four other recipients from around the nation will be recognized during the NFF Chapter Awards Luncheon on Dec. 8, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.
First bestowed in 1991, the NFF National High School Scholar-Athlete Award has become one of the most prestigious high school honors in the country. Criteria for the award include but are not limited to academic achievement, athletic accolades and community involvement during a student-athlete’s high school career.
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