BANGOR, Maine — The Eastern Maine Class A football playoff race took a different turn last weekend.
Part of that took place on the field, where Cheverus of Portland defeated Bangor 28-14 in a battle of once-beaten teams to regain the top seed in the division entering the final weekend of regular-season play.
Another turn took place off the field with Friday’s news that Portland had forfeited its 42-14 Week 2 victory over Deering of Portland after reporting its use of an ineligible player in the contest.
That helped Deering leapfrog Oxford Hills of South Paris into fifth place, setting up a possibile Portland-Deering rematch in next weekend’s regional quarterfinals, while third-seeded Bangor may have to host No. 6 Oxford Hills two straight weekends, with Friday night’s regular-season finale followed by a potential first-round playoff encounter on Halloween.
“It kind of looks like that might happen,” said Bangor coach Mark Hackett. “It’s bad and it’s good. It’s good that you get to know each other, and then the better team should win the one that matters.”
Week 8 of the high school football schedule marks the end of regular-season play everywhere but in the LTC Class D, which is playing a nine-week schedule before advancing four teams on to the playoffs.
Oxford Hills Vikings (3-4) at Bangor Rams (5-2), 7 p.m. Friday: Bangor seeks to maintain third place in Eastern Maine Class A against an improved Oxford Hills team that was competitive for most of its 26-7 loss to second-seeded and once-beaten Windham last week.
Both teams rely on physicality near the line of scrimmage, which has sparked the rushing success of Bangor’s Dane Johnson (1,257 yards, 18 TDs) and Oxford Hills’ Davis Turner (622 yards, eight TDs) and Malik Geiger (376 yards, three TDs).
“They’re as good up front as anyone we’ve played,” said Hackett. “They’re big, strong and aggressive. They’re proud football players.”
How much the game will be affected by wet field conditions remains to be determined.
“Thank God we can run the football,” said Hackett.” We’ve got a 240-pound fullback [Langston Hamer-Nagle] and a tailback [Johnson] who’s 190, and they’ve got big backs, too. It might be a fumble or a muffed kick that decides it. That’s how football used to be, and it maybe we’ll get into a throwback game.”
It also is Bangor’s homecoming weekend, a welcome respite from a travel itinerary that included three trips to Portland over the previous five weeks.
“[Oxford Hills] beat us two years ago at homecoming,” said Hackett. “We haven’t forgot that.”
Hampden Academy Broncos (1-6) at Brewer Witches (3-4), 7 p.m. Friday: Brewer hopes to bounce back from a last-second 37-36 loss last Saturday at Mt. Blue of Farmington.
The Witches hold down the sixth and final playoff berth in Eastern Maine Class B under first-year head coach Nick Arthers.
Hampden has struggled defensively in recent weeks, allowing 151 points in consecutive losses to Lawrence of Fairfield, Cony of Augusta and Messalonskee of Oakland.
Foxcroft Academy Ponies (5-2) at Mount Desert Island Trojans (3-4), 7 p.m. Friday at Bar Harbor: Foxcroft looks entrenched as the third seed heading into next week’s opening round of the six-team Eastern Maine Class C playoffs.
And with MDI residing in sixth place and 25 Crabtree points ahead of the next eligible contender, this might be the first of two meetings between these teams in as many weekends — with the rematch to come in the regional quarterfinals.
An upset victory by the Trojans could change that, however, as coach Mark Shields’ club is just three points out of fourth place.
Bucksport Golden Bucks (5-1) at Stearns Minutemen (4-2), 7 p.m. Friday at Millinocket: Bucksport seeks its fifth consecutive victory while hoping to inch closer to at least the No. 2 seed for the Nov. 7 LTC semifinals.
The defending conference champs are coming off a 21-13 victory on Friday night at Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln, with two Matthew Stewart-to-Dylan Soper touchdown passes among the game’s key plays.
Stearns has put together a solid season under first-year head coach John Jamo, with the Minutemen winning four of their last five games, including last Saturday’s 31-19 victory at Dexter. Stearns is ranked sixth in the LTC.
Maine Central Institute Huskies (7-0) at Houlton Shiretowners (2-4), 6 p.m. Saturday: Top seed MCI will try to cap off an undefeated LTC regular season on its trip to Aroostook County.
Coach Tom Bertrand’s Huskies have remained unbeaten despite playing without running backs Jonathan Santiago and Eric Hathaway the last three weeks. Alex Bertrand, Willie Moss and Eli Bussel have picked up the rushing slack with quarterback Greg Vigue, wideout Austin Tolman and tight end Mitchell Hallee providing balance in MCI’s no-huddle offense.
The new Houlton varsity entry is coming off its first road victory, a 28-14 win on Oct. 18 at Mount View of Thorndike. The Shiretowners feature the LTC’s leading rusher in Jake Drew, who has averaged 12.2 yards per carry while rushing for 1,150 yards and 14 touchdowns.
