The Nokomis of Newport football team will make its state championship-game debut Saturday afternoon in Portland.
Game times for the annual tripleheader at Fitzpatrick Stadium were announced by the Maine Principals’ Association Tuesday morning during a meeting with officials from the participating schools at the game site.
All three games, as well as Friday’s 7 p.m. Class D final between Foxcroft Academy and Wells, will be livestreamed on the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Network.
There will be no over-the-air television broadcasts of the games.
Nokomis, which last Saturday afternoon edged Hermon 13-6 to capture its first Class C North championship, will battle Class C South winner Fryeburg Academy for the gold ball at 2:30 p.m. in the second of Saturday’s three state finals.
Nokomis (7-4) defeated No. 5 Medomak Valley of Waldoboro, No. 1 Maine Central Institute of Pittsfield and No. 2 Hermon to capture its first regional crown in just the program’s 12th season of varsity football.
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Fryeburg Academy (10-1) will bring a 10-game winning streak into the contest after defeating Leavitt of Turner Center 20-13 on Saturday night to win its first regional title. Fryeburg was crowned the Class C state champion in 1963 before the current playoff format was developed.
Saturday’s 11 a.m. opener will be the Class A state final between North champion Portland (9-1) and South winner Thornton Academy (10-0) of Saco.
Portland will be playing in its third state title game in the past four years but has not won the gold ball since 2002. Thornton Academy last won it all in 2015 but will be trying to win its third state championship in the past five years and fourth in the past seven seasons.
The final game of the day at 6 p.m. will be the Class B matchup between North champion Brunswick (8-3) and South winner Marshwood of South Berwick (10-1).
Marshwood will be after its second straight state championship and fourth in five years while Brunswick, the 2016 Class B state champ, will be playing in its fourth final in the past five years.
Marshwood defeated Brunswick in both the 2014 (44-18) and 2015 (21-14) state games.
