SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — With this week’s rainy weather wreaking havoc on high school gridirons throughout the state, Marshwood High School athletic administrator Rich Buzzell turned to an alum to aid in drying his school’s football field.
Bruce Cultrera, who played football for the Hawks before graduating in 1973, used one of his helicopters from Seacoast Helicopters out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to help dry Marshwood’s field in preparation for a showdown with rival York.
Both teams entered the regular-season finale with undefeated records (7-0), and the winner will be the top seed in the upcoming Western Maine Class B playoffs.
Buzzell said Cultrera used a chopper with a 33-foot rotor span Friday morning to help dry the field. He flew over the field for about an hour and a half.
“We waited until the rain stopped,” Buzzell said. “They came in after we took care of the saturated area.”
Buzzell said late Friday morning the field is in good shape, and windy conditions throughout the afternoon will likely improve field conditions, he added.
“When flying over the [wet] areas, you could see the water spreading off the field,” Buzzell said.
Now that the field is fairly dry, Buzzell said crews could focus on painting yard markers early Friday afternoon.
A large crowd of between 3,000 to 5,000 fans was expected from the two schools, which are about 12 miles apart. Buzzell said rain is not expected during the game.
“The hype has been built for a couple of weeks out,” he said.
Buzzell said more than 2,000 tickets have already been purchased for the game. Game time is 7 p.m.
