Nov. 15—EIGHT-MAN LARGE
Who: No. 4 Mt. Ararat (8-2) vs. No. 2 Greely (8-1)
When: 11 a.m. Saturday
Where: Veterans Memorial Field, Kennebunk
Outlook: Greely returns to the state championship game after finishing as the runner-up to Mount Desert Island last year. Mt. Ararat is back for the first time since winning the inaugural eight-man state title in 2019. … Greely took a 30-26 win over Mt. Ararat in the regular season on Oct. 19. Greely also beat the Eagles in the South semifinals last season. … For Greely’s defense, the key is containing Dash Farrell. Mt. Ararat’s senior running back rushed for 1,446 yards and 27 touchdowns in the regular season, and 504 yards and nine more touchdowns in two playoff wins. Nick Doughty is also a running threat for the Eagles, with 923 yards and nine touchdowns in the regular season. Adrian Reyes, a junior, proved himself as one of the top offensive linemen in the eight-man Large School division, leading a line that helped Mt. Ararat gain 2,855 yards on the ground in the regular season. Farrell leads the Eagles defense with 72 tackles as a linebacker. Reyes and Martell Bowman are mainstays on the defensive line. In the secondary, Aidan Ramsay has 30 tackles and three interceptions. … Greely uses two quarterbacks, Andrew Padgett and Luke Piper. Padgett leads the Rangers in rushing with 680 yards and 10 touchdowns, while throwing for 449 yards and seven touchdowns. Piper has 703 yards passing with nine touchdowns and has rushed for 164 yards. Wes Piper is another top weapon, with 511 yards rushing, 448 receiving and 11 touchdowns overall. Ben Kyles averages nearly 25 yards per catch. Linebacker Ben McCarron leads the defense with 112 tackles. Luke Piper has four interceptions and three sacks. … Greely enters the state final with an eight-game winning streak after a Week 1 loss to Camden Hills. … Mt. Ararat’s two losses were by a combined 10 points.
EIGHT-MAN SMALL
Who: Stearns (9-1) vs. Old Orchard Beach (10-0)
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Veterans Memorial Field, Kennebunk
Outlook: Old Orchard Beach is in the state championship game for the third consecutive season. The Seagulls won the title in 2022 but lost to Orono last year. Stearns is making its first appearance in a state final since 2010, when it lost in Class C to Yarmouth. … The Minutemen last won a football state championship in 1998, beating Boothbay for the Class C crown. … These teams played each other for the 1993 Class C title. OOB won that game, 7-0. … This game features the two highest scoring teams in the state, regardless of class. Old Orchard Beach has scored fewer than 50 points just once and averages 62 points per game, while Stearns was held under 50 only twice, including once by Large School finalist Greely in a 42-40 loss. The Minutemen average 54.4 points per game. … Quarterback Cam Atkinson is a multitalented threat for Stearns. As a passer, he has 983 yards and 17 touchdowns. As a runner, Atkinson has 1,413 yards and 28 touchdowns. Cohen Raymond (883 yards, 10 TDs) and Lucas Pelkey (751 yards, 13 TDs) are also strong running backs for the Minutemen. Top receivers for Stearns are Sam Jacobs (19 catches for 365 yards and five TDs) and Gavin Gagnon (19 catches, 231 yards, seven TDs). Coach Cody Herring said the key to Stearns’ offensive success is a veteran line led by David McGreevey, Brady Brooker, Luc McDonald and Gagnon. Defensively, the Minutemen are led by McGreevey, who has 9 1/2 sacks; Emerson Michaud, who has 12 tackles for a loss and three interceptions; and Brooker, who has 10 tackles for a loss and 4 1/2 sacks. … The Seagulls are a veteran team featuring several players who are in their third straight state championship game. Wide receiver Riley Provencher is one of the top playmakers in the state, with 33 catches for 880 yards and 15 touchdowns. Quarterback Brady Plante is a four-year starter and has completed 70% of his passes for 1,978 yards and 31 touchdowns, with only one interception. Wes Gallant leads the running game with 724 yards on just 34 carries, with 13 touchdowns. Brady Mansur leads the Seagulls defense with 112 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles. Kooper Gervais has 63 tackles and seven sacks. … Old Orchard Beach’s closest game this season was a 22-point win over Waterville. The Seagulls’ average margin of victory is 49.6 points.
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