DOVER-FOXCROFT — The LTC playoffs don’t begin until next weekend, but you’ll have a hard time convincing fans — and players and coaches — of the John Bapst of Bangor and Foxcroft Academy football teams.
Friday night’s regular-season finale between the unbeaten Class C powers at Oakes Field is a matchup that has been highly anticipated since the season began in early September.
At stake are at least two things: home-field advantage throughout the Eastern Maine Class C playoffs and the confidence and doubt that stem from winning or losing any game as it relates to a possible rematch in the regional final.
“Home field is undoubtedly important but the thing about it is that regardless of what happens we’ll both make the playoffs,” said Foxcroft Academy coach Danny White. “But the point of seeing your opponent and having the confidence of how you match up that first time is important, because we may see each other again.
“We may or we may not, but this gives both of us an advantage of seeing each other this late in the year and then turning around and maybe seeing them again in the playoffs in two or three weeks.”
Home-field advantage is not an insignificant factor, particularly given that Foxcroft has won 46 of its last 47 games at Oakes Field. But John Bapst counters with its own streak, 18 consecutive victories on any field that includes last year’s run to the Class C state title.
“A game like this gets you as ready as you can be for the next week,” said John Bapst coach Dan O’Connell. “Whether you get another shot at them or not you don’t know because win or lose this week you still have to take care of business next week.
“But the fact this game has a playoff feel and with the great atmosphere there always is at Oakes Field, to have this kind of meaningful game before the playoffs is a great opportunity.”
John Bapst defeated Foxcroft twice last year, 34-26 in the regular season for the Crusaders’ first win over the Ponies since 1995, and 41-22 in the LTC semifinals.
The last time these teams met in Dover-Foxcroft, Foxcroft earned a hard-fought 14-7 victory over John Bapst in the 2007 Eastern Maine final en route to winning that year’s state title.
John Bapst (7-0) features the LTC’s leading ground-gainer in Bill Wetherbee working behind a big, physical line featuring veterans Keith Nelson, Jason Pulley and Chris Desmond.
“John Bapst is very good at what they do best, and that’s run between the tackles,” said White. “They’re big and strong up front. They have obviously one of the top running backs in the state, let alone in this class. We feel he’s a threat to break a play at any point in time, but at the same time they have enough athletes so we can’t just focus on Weatherbee.”
Converted wide receiver Shane Hass has passed for 600 yards on a nearly 50 percent completion rate, with fullback Fred Lear and an emerging receiving corps including tight end Max Andrews, Dan Keefe, Adam Leadbetter and Lucas Philippon adding to the Crusaders’ offensive strength.
Foxcroft’s attack features one of the LTC’s most improved players in senior quarterback Ryan Stroud, as well as a top running back in classmate Ian Champeon, the conference’s reigning player of the week.
Seniors Ryan Olmstead and Brad Dow lead an aggressive front line, while wingback Chase Hutchinson, fullback Dylan Andrews and receivers Josiah Richard and Robbie Harmon give the Ponies an offensive diversity similar to what John Bapst enjoyed en route to its 2008 state crown.
“The biggest thing for me about them is their formation diversity and their ability to run the same plays out of multiple formations,” said O’Connell. “Whether it’s the quick passing game or the counter game, they can run them out of different formations and that makes them hard to defend.
“And they share the ball well. In any other season they’ve got a 1,000-yard rusher in Champeon, because if they gave him the ball 25 times a game he’d be a 1,000-yard rusher.”
Both teams also feature strong defenses, with Foxcroft’s statistics particularly impressive. The Ponies have allowed just 27 points this fall, which is tied with Western Maine Class B powers Cape Elizabeth and Mountain Valley of Rumford for the lowest total among teams in all classes statewide. And buoyed by a turnover ratio of nearly 4-to-1, the Ponies’ starting defense has allowed just one touchdown — none since its first series of the season.
“A lot of teams in our league are adept at forcing turnovers, but the thing about Foxcroft is they go for the jugular, they score off those turnovers and usually it isn’t just three [points],” said O’Connell.
“We’ve got to make sure we take care of the ball, and the good thing is that we’ve been able to do that all year.”