Friday night’s high school football game between Bangor and visiting Edward Little of Auburn at Cameron Stadium is much more than a regular season affair.
It has serious post-season implications because the teams are tied for the fourth and final playoff berth in Class A North.
The winner is all but assured a playoff spot, although Bangor still has a point-worthy game remaining with Class A North leader Oxford Hills/Buckfield in the regular season finale.
Bangor and Edward Little are both 2-3 heading into Friday night’s 7:00 p.m. kickoff and each will have two games remaining after Friday. Bangor will travel to play Class A South team Sanford, currently 1-5, before hosting 4-1 Oxford Hills/Buckfield while Edward Little will host 2-4 Class B North team Mt. Blue of Farmington and 0-5 Lewiston.
Bangor is coming off a 28-21 road loss to 5-1 Portland, a game decided by a late touchdown run by Alex Martin. Portland is the defending two-time Class A North champ.
Bangor’s three losses have all come by one score or less.
“I was definitely proud of how the kids played,” said Bangor first-year head coach Jack Hersom. “It’s never okay to lose but we showed ourselves we can play with one of the top teams in the north.”
He compared Edward Little to season-opening opponent Massabesic of Waterboro, which beat the Rams 22-18.
“Edward Little will try to control the ball and control the clock to limit our possessions,” Hersom said. “They’re going to want to keep the ball on the ground. We know how important it will be for us to get some early stops and get them in situations where they aren’t comfortable.”
The Rams are led by the combination of quarterback Alex Tennett and dynamic receiver-running back Gavin Hughes, both juniors.
Tennett threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns and Hughes caught all three TD passes, including a 73-yarder. Hughes accounted for more than 200 of Tennett’s passing yards, Hersom said.
It is the second time in three games Tennett has thrown for more than 300 yards, according to Hersom. He also threw for 300-plus yards in a 32-13 victory over Deering of Portland.
Defensive back Hughes and linebacker Will Houghton each had 10-plus tackles against Portland. Hersom said he also received impressive performances from defensive ends Lucian Matzilevich and Owen Glanville-True.
Glanville-True is doubtful for the Edward Little game due to an injury, according to Hersom.
Sophomore Logan Stout had a four-touchdown game in a double-overtime win over Scarborough earlier this season as he rushed for three TDs and threw for another.
“He’s shifty when he has the ball in space. We’re going to have to bracket him and get 11 guys to the football,” Hersom said.
Defensive end Kohlson Alexander and linemen Joe Barriault and Elijah Odunlami are among other solid performers for the Eddies, who are coming off a 34-9 loss to Windham.
In other interesting matchups, the 6-0 Hermon Hawks will travel to take on defending state C champ 5-1 Greely High of Cumberland Center, 5-1, on Friday night at 7 p.m. in an important statewide Class C matchup.
The Hawks, led by slot back Sam Hopkins and quarterback Ethan Curtis, have outscored their opponents by an average of just over 40 points per game.
Greely has won all of its games by at least 20 points and its only loss has come to Leavitt of Turner. Leavitt lost to Greely in the state title game a year ago.
Among other 7 p.m. games on Friday, defending state Eight-Player Small champ Stearns/Schenck, 6-0, entertains 4-2 Ellsworth/Sumner, which is in the Eight-Player North Large School division; 2-3 Bucksport and 3-2 Washington Academy square off in East Machias in a battle of Eight-Player North Small playoff contenders and Class D North teams John Bapst of Bangor, 3-3, and 2-4 Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln will meet in Lincoln.