As football kickoff inches closer around the country, MaxPreps forecasts the top five teams in the state of Maine for the 2009 season.
1. Mountain Valley
The Falcons have been the team to beat in Class B for the better part of the past five seasons, winning three state championships in that time including last year’s final where they beat More 52-7. Mountain Valley racked up 568 points during a 12-0 season and only allowed 81. The Falcons reportedly trailed in a game for only 14 seconds all season long. Coach Jim Aylward is in his 21st year at Mountain Valley and has a 59-7 record over the past six seasons. While all-state running back Justin Staires has graduated, Cole Clark (6-2, 230), an all-state lineman who opened up holes in the defense for Staires, returns. The Falcons do return junior quarterback Cam Kaubris, who started as a sophomore. Ryan Laubauskas joins Clark to give the Falcons a solid tandem on the front line.
2. Bonny Eagle
The Scots have put together an outstanding run over the past five seasons, winning state titles nearly every year since 2004 and finishing second in 2006. Bonny Eagle finished second in the Cumberland County standings last year after losing an epic 29-28 battle with Deering. However the Scots rebounded and didn’t lose the rest of the season, including a 26-14 rematch with Deering in the playoffs. The Scots will have to get by without Fitzpatrick Trophy winner Nate Doehler, who was the starting QB on Bonny Eagle’s last two state title teams. Ryan Nason will be charged with moving into Doehler’s spot and take over the reins of Kevin Cooper’s spread offense. He’ll have two solid receivers to throw to in Joe Davis (6-1, 180) and Steve Martin (5-10, 185).
3. Cape Elizabeth
The Capers will try to do something that has proven quite difficult over the past five seasons – knock off Mountain Valley to win the Class B state championship. The two clubs have formed quite a rivalry over the years after facing each other in the playoffs on a regular basis. In fact a movie called “The Rivals” recently premiered in Maine documenting the rivalry between the two teams. The Capers are led by quarterback Ezra Wolfinger (whose father Kirk produced “The Rivals”), who was a starter last year along with Finn Melanson (6-0, 175) at receiver and Tom Foden (5-9, 180) at running back. Coach Aaron Filieo has eight returning starters on offense and five on defense from a team that went 9-2 overall with both losses coming against Mountain Valley.
4. Skowhegan
The Indians won the Pine Tree Conference championship for the first time in 19 seasons last year and finished the season with a 10-2 record after falling to Bonny Eagle in the Class A finals. Skowhegan must replace Fitzpatrick Award finalist Billy Clark, who ran for over 2,000 yards last year out of the Indians’ double-wing formation. The Indians return most of the receiving corps, including tight ends Jordan Taylor and Paul Verville and receivers Devin Withee and Craig Derouche. Quarterback Jordan McGowan is also back, however Skowhegan rarely throws the ball as its 330-yard per game rushing attack would attest. Ian Candage, an all-conference linebacker, returns to lead the defense.
5. Deering
The Rams rallied from 15 points down in the final three minutes to upset Bonny Eagle 29-28 during the regular season last year and capture first place in the Cumberland County Conference standings; however, Deering was unable to duplicate the feat in the playoffs and lost to Bonny Eagle 26-14 to finish the year at 9-1. If not for Bonny Eagle, Deering might be the envy of all Class A programs in Maine over the past six seasons. Deering is 51-13 over that span and 34-7 in conference play with most of those losses coming against the Scots. Jamie Ross returns at quarterback for the Rams after starting last year as a sophomore. Deering has 22 returning players from last year’s team including 12 who played as sophomores.
