Three weeks into this season, a Brunswick High School football team with high aspirations was an uncomfortable 2-1.
The Dragons had rallied in the final moments to edge Skowhegan in Week 2, only to have Messalonskee of Oakland rally past them the following Friday night.
The answer, Brunswick coach Dan Cooper determined, was simple — get Rashon Edgerton the ball.
So Cooper moved his 6-foot-3, 190-pound wide receiver to tailback, and the Dragons have won seven straight games since then to advance to Friday night’s Pine Tree Conference Class A championship game against top-ranked and undefeated Bangor at Cameron Stadium.
“Rashon seemed to make something happen every time he got the ball, but early in the season we just weren’t getting him the ball enough,” said Cooper. “We thought by moving him into the backfield we could get him the ball more, and he stepped right into that role.”
Edgerton still lines up at receiver on nearly 50 percent of Brunswick’s offensive snaps, but his presence in the backfield with fullback John Williams has give the Dragons one of the more versatile rushing attacks in Eastern Maine.
Edgerton has rushed for 550 yards on 91 carries, caught 25 passes for 422 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. He’s also thrown two option passes for touchdowns, including a 43-yarder to Dylan Walton to cap off the third-ranked Dragons’ 27-14 upset of No. 2 Lawrence of Fairfield in last weekend’s regional semifinals.
Williams is Brunswick’s leading rusher with 971 yards on 171 carries, but he’s also had 15 catches for 250 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.
“We’ve been able to run with power, run with finesse, and really have some success with play-action passes,” said Cooper.
Quarterback Stefan Jensen runs the Brunswick attack, and has completed 56 percent of his passes for 910 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions, while Walton and Max Roberts have emerged as additional rushing and receiving threats.
Williams and James Cejka lead the Brunswick defense from their linebacking slots, while Edgerton has five interceptions as the Dragons’ free safety.
“Our front seven have been strong all year,” said Cooper. “Teams have had difficulty running on us.”
That success will be tested by a Bangor offense that features the PTC’s leading rusher in senior tailback Lonnie Hackett, who is approaching 1,900 yards through 10 games this fall.
“He’s tough,” said Cooper. “He’s not only tough but he’s fast and he’s quick to the hole.”
The Dragons also will be tasked with controlling a Bangor passing game featuring 6-6 Joe Seccareccia passing to 6-4 Josiah Hartley and Nate Henigan.
“Bangor’s certainly a challenge like we haven’t faced this year,” said Cooper. “We feel like we’ve got some places where we match up well, but they’ve got some very good athletes.”
Friday night’s game will be a rematch of the 2003 PTC final between the two schools at Cameron Stadium, when a Brunswick team led by future Florida State basketball player Ralph Mims and bullish fullback Phil Warren edged Bangor 14-12.
“It’s a great place to play,” said Cooper, an assistant on the 2003 Brunswick coaching staff, “a perfect place to play the PTC championship game.”
