Week four marks the midway point through the football season, yet there are several undefeated teams waiting to be knocked off and other up-and-coming teams seeking a breakout victory. Here are four of Friday’s best games to follow.
Bucksport at Orono, 7 p.m. Friday
The first matchup of undefeated teams on this list, Orono and Bucksport have been on a collision course since their heated battle in the first round of last year’s 8-man small playoffs.
Bucksport trounced Orono 36-15 in September 2022, but that was before Orono’s offense suddenly clicked and the Red Riots upset the Golden Bucks 51-46 four weeks later. The two sides haven’t played since and are itching to set the record straight.
“I’m really looking forward to the Bucksport game,” Orono senior wide receiver Pierce Walston said during preseason. “It’s two really aggressive and athletic teams, so it’s gonna be mano a mano.”
Through three weeks this season, Orono has outscored its opponents 151-20, and Bucksport 129-52. Both sides are 3-0, and their clash this Friday should be action-packed from the get-go.
Medomak Valley at Hermon, 7 p.m. Saturday
Saturday’s matchup in Hermon will be a rematch of last year’s Class C North championship game, in which the Medomak Panthers outlasted the Hermon Hawks 40-20.
But the history between these two teams doesn’t end there, considering they’ve played four times in the past two years. Hermon barely beat Medomak in the 2021 regional semifinal, 16-12, and Medomak barely beat Hermon 14-12 in the regular season last October.
“There’s a ton of familiarity between these two teams,” Medomak Valley head coach Ryan Snell said.
This year, the Panthers have picked up where they left off, starting 3-0 and outscoring opponents 98-28. Medomak’s one-two punch of running back Aaron Reed and quarterback Chase Peaslee is pacing a solid run game.
Hermon, meanwhile, has struggled so far. In the past two weeks, Hermon has lost to Oceanside 38-24 and Foxcroft Academy 48-0, and is desperate for a bounceback win. There’s as much, if not more, on the line for Hermon when it hosts Medomak Valley on Saturday.
Bangor at Lewiston, 7 p.m. Friday
This Friday, the 2-1 Bangor Rams will bus down to Lewiston to play the 1-2 Blue Devils. Both programs have struggled recently, and are looking to turn the corner this season.
At face value, Bangor is the favorite, considering its +28 point differential through three games, and Lewiston’s -81. But Lewiston has had a much harder schedule, playing two undefeated Class A favorites Oxford Hills and Portland, as well as a tough South Portland squad.
Bangor, on the other hand, has benefitted from beating up on Class B’s Lawrence and Skowhegan, and also suffered a 35-6 loss against Windham. Bangor needs this win in Lewiston to prove it can hang with its Class A counterparts, and improve to a convincing 3-1.
“We’re gonna watch film and trust our line,” Bangor quarterback Jack Schuck said. “We can come out with a win.”
Oxford Hills at Leavitt, 7 p.m. Saturday
The second matchup of undefeated teams on this list, the Oxford Hills Vikings and Leavitt Hornets have more than dominated Maine high school football in recent years.
Neither side has lost since 2021, with the Vikings winning last year’s Class A state championship, and Leavitt the Class C state championship. Moreover, both sides were state runners-up in 2021.
This will be a heavyweight prize fight in Turner this weekend, with the winner debatably earning the title of Maine’s best football team.
On paper, Oxford Hills is the favorite, considering it is two classes above Leavitt, but the Vikings graduated a stacked class of 2023, and Leavitt is averaging 51 points per game this season and has home field advantage. This is anyone’s game, and is definitely worth tuning into this weekend.
Correction: The Hermon vs. Medomak Valley game has been rescheduled for Saturday. The story has been updated.
