The Hermon High School football team is off to another fast start in its quest to capture a first state championship.
Hermon has won its first three contests and will entertain 0-3 Medomak Valley of Waldoboro at 7 p.m. Friday at Pottle Field.
The Hawks have won 19 of their last 24 games. The team won the Class C North title two years ago but lost to Fryeburg Academy, 28-0, in the state championship game.
Leavitt of Turner beat Hermon in the C North semifinals 47-14 a year ago en route to claiming the C North crown.
Tenth-year head coach Kyle Gallant said this is “probably my best all-around team especially when it comes to experience and depth, leadership and culture.”
It is a senior-heavy team with two of those seniors being two-way difference-makers Sam Hopkins and Dylan Yeo.
Hopkins is a hybrid slotback who leads the team in rushing and is a linebacker on defense, and Yeo is a fullback-running back and a linebacker.
Senior quarterback Ethan Curtis has been a starter for three and a half years, and Gallant said he has made noteworthy improvements.
“He has taken a step forward this year. He has a lot more say in our offense and how we do things. He is doing a great job,” said Gallant, who pointed out Curtis has thrown 38 passes, which is “a little bit more than normal at this point.”
Junior wide receiver Griffin Dunton has been one of his primary targets, with senior wideout Owen Lang and senior tight end Tyler Corson being the others.
A stout offensive line features seniors Peyton Tolliver and D.J. Sinclair at the tackle spots, senior Quintin Tidwell and junior Noah Romesburg at guard and senior Hunter McDonald at center.
“This is definitely the best offensive line we’ve had here,” Gallant said. “They take their jobs seriously. They want to get better every week. It has been a lot of fun to coach those guys.”
Tolliver, Romesburg and McDonald are also key performers on the defensive line with Tolliver and Romesburg at the ends and McDonald at tackle.
Junior linebacker Kaleb Keezer is another important contributor on defense.
Hermon had allowed only six points in wins over Foxcroft Academy of Dover-Foxcroft (24-0), Nokomis of Newport (28-6) and Hampden Academy (55-0).
Gallant has been “very happy” with the way his team has played and with “how our guys carry themselves on and off the field. You don’t have to coach them hard. They do things right on and off the field and my assistants are amazing.”
Gallant said they won’t take Medomak Valley lightly because the Panthers have lost to three quality football programs in Leavitt (39-8), Wells (21-8) and Camden Hills of Rockport (21-0).
Those three teams went a combined 25-8 last season and are 6-3 this fall.
“Medomak Valley is much better than its record,” said Gallant, whose Hawks beat Medomak Valley in the C North title game two years ago, 24-14.
In other games this weekend, the 2-1 Bangor High School Rams will seek a third straight win when they entertain 1-2 Windham at 6 p.m. Friday.
Junior quarterback Alex Tennett completed 14 of 22 passes for 243 yards, including a 21-yard TD pass to Obi Okafor in a 32-13 over Deering of Portland last weekend.
Speedy Gavin Hughes broke the game open with touchdown runs of 50 and 5 yards in the fourth quarter.
Windham is coming off a 39-13 loss to defending two-time A North champ Portland.
There will be a battle of 8-Man Large unbeatens at 6 p.m. Friday when Ellsworth-Sumner visits Yarmouth.
Both are 3-0 as Ellsworth-Sumner has beaten Bucksport (52-26), Waterville (50-0) and the Houlton co-op team (50-14), while Yarmouth has victories over Lake Region of Naples (44-6), Spruce Mountain of Jay (48-0) and Cape Elizabeth (82-40).
Defending 8-Man Small state champion and undefeated Stearns/Schenck of Millinocket/East Millinocket will look to make it four wins in a row when it treks to 1-2 Lake Region for a 7 p.m. game on Friday.
Foxcroft Academy, 2-1, will gun for a third straight win and 1-2 Madison will try to avoid a third consecutive loss when they meet in Madison at 7 p.m. Friday.
Also at 7 p.m. Friday, 1-2 Brewer will visit 2-1 Gardiner.
On Saturday at 1 p.m., a pair of 1-2 teams will square off when John Bapst of Bangor ventures to Sabattus for a game with Oak Hill.