Week 3 of the high school football season will proceed this weekend with some continued scheduling chaos due to COVID-19 cases around the state.
The latest game in the region to be shelved is a battle of 1-1 Class C North teams scheduled for Friday night that would have sent Old Town to Medomak Valley of Waldoboro. Old Town school officials announced Wednesday that the high school would pivot to remote learning for the rest of the week due to COVID-19 cases, and Old Town athletic administrator Jeremy Bousquet said the school’s football and boys soccer programs now are on break until Sept. 25.
But while many athletic administrators around the state scramble to deal with cancellations, races for some of the top spots in various divisions will begin to sort themselves out. Bangor High School faces its sternest test to date in its bid to remain unbeaten and Brewer returns home in search of its first victory.
Bangor Rams (2-0) at Scarborough Red Storm (1-1), 7 p.m. Friday: Bangor is one of four 2-0 Class A teams through two weeks along with Thornton Academy of Saco, Bonny Eagle of Standish and Oxford Hills of South Paris. The Rams face their biggest challenge to date against a Scarborough team that emerged among the state’s top programs with a 33-9 record over the last four years of tackle football. The Red Storm are guided by first-year head coach Packy Malia and feature one of Maine’s top playmakers in senior Jayden Flaker, who has returned a kickoff for a touchdown in each of the team’s first two games this year, including a 65-yard runback in Scarborough’s 20-6 loss to Bonny Eagle. Bangor has averaged 48 points per game in wins over Brewer and Lewiston, with senior halfback Joey Morrison leading the way with 43 carries for 397 yards and six touchdowns. Coach Dave Morris’ Rams also boast offensive balance, with senior quarterback Max Clark passing for 261 yards in two games.
Messalonskee Eagles (1-1) at Brewer Witches (0-2), 7 p.m. Friday: Brewer seeks to rebound from a challenging start to its season with losses to Class A Bangor and Class B Brunswick, a program that has won five regional championships and one state title (2016) in the last six seasons. Coach Scott Flagg’s club came on strong defensively during the second half of last Friday’s 28-12 loss at Brunswick, allowing just one second-half touchdown after an interception return for a score late in the first half enabled the Dragons to build a 21-6 lead. Brewer is led by junior running back Cameron Hughes, who has rushed for nearly 100 yards per game. Messalonskee of Oakland ended a 22-game losing streak last weekend with a 34-8 victory over Edward Little of Auburn, the Eagles’ first win since 2017. Quarterback Brady Doucette and running back Giovanni Caccamo combined for nearly 200 rushing yards during the victory, with Doucette scoring four touchdowns.
Camden Hills Windjammers (2-0) at Waterville Purple Panthers (2-0), 7 p.m. Friday: Two high-powered teams meet with a chance to gain sole possession of first place in the five-school 8-player large-school North division. Camden Hills has averaged 56 points in wins over Orono and Morse of Bath, with Hunter Norton leading the way. The senior running back and linebacker has rushed for 392 yards and eight touchdowns while adding additional scores on a pass reception and a pass interception. Senior quarterback Ryan Clifford has added three touchdown passes for the Windjammers. Waterville, which has scored 51 points per game in wins over Dexter and Mount View of Thorndike, has its own weapon at quarterback in Liam Von Oesen, who has rushed for 474 yards and seven touchdowns on just 21 carries in addition to throwing three touchdown passes.
Freeport Falcons (2-0) at Foxcroft Academy Ponies (2-0), 6 p.m. Friday: Two Class D clubs also off to fast starts clash at Oakes Field in Dover-Foxcroft, with each seeking to become the first 3-0 team in its division. Foxcroft has opened with solid victories over Lisbon-St. Dominic and Oak Hill of Wales, led by senior quarterback Austin Seavey and junior wideout Caden Crocker. Seavey has completed 28 of 37 passes for 477 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 132 yards and two more scores, while Crocker has 11 catches for 187 yards and four touchdowns. Freeport similarly has had little difficulty generating offense, totaling 79 points in victories over Madison-Carrabec and John Bapst of Bangor.
Other games Friday: Belfast (1-1) at Poland (0-0), 6 p.m.; Mount Desert Island (0-1) vs. Orono (0-2), 7 p.m. at University of Maine, Orono; Stearns-Schenck (1-1) vs. Mattanawcook Academy (0-1) at Lincoln; and Mount View (0-1) vs. Morse (1-1), 7 p.m. at Bath. Saturday: Maine Central Institute (0-1) at Winslow (1-1), 1 p.m.; Hampden Academy (0-2) vs. Nokomis (0-2), 1 p.m. at Newport; Winthrop-Monmouth-Hall-Dale (1-0) vs. John Bapst (0-1), 3 p.m. at Hermon High School.
Correction: A previous version of this article previously listed the incorrect division for Freeport and Foxcroft Academy.