Football Game Preview: Spruce Mountain Phoenix vs. Cape Elizabeth Capers

Spruce Mountain hasn't had much luck against Cape Elizabeth recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Phoenix are taking a road trip to square off against the Capers at 7:00 p.m. One thing working in Spruce Mountain's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points every time they've taken the field this season.

Spruce Mountain is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Maine's top teams: Gray-New Gloucester, who was ranked eighth at the time (Spruce Mountain was ranked sixth). The Phoenix took their matchup last Friday with ease, bagging a 58-24 victory over the Patriots. The result was nothing new for the Phoenix, who have now won three contests by 30 points or more so far this season.

Spruce Mountain's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Owen Kelvey, who rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries. Kelvey also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, making eight total tackles and defending two passes in addition to snagging an interception. Another rusher making a difference was Austin Armandi, who rushed for 108 yards and a pair of TDs on only eight carries.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Spruce Mountain was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 305 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 179 rushing yards in nine consecutive games dating back to last season.

Spruce Mountain didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. It was truly a group effort as Levi Richards, Kelvey, Armandi, and Dylan Jewett picked up one apiece.

Meanwhile, Cape Elizabeth came up short against Camden Hills on Saturday, falling 42-22.

Cape Elizabeth's defeat dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Spruce Mountain, their record now sits at 3-1.

Spruce Mountain took a serious blow against Cape Elizabeth when the teams last played back in September of 2016, falling 55-12. Can the Phoenix avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.