Dec. 23—Two eight-man football players from opposite ends of the state and two Class A quarterbacks were announced as the four finalists for the 53rd James J. Fitzpatrick Trophy, given annually to the best senior football player in Maine.
Eight-man standouts Isaiah Ervin, a 6-foot-5 quarterback from Houlton, and Old Orchard Beach receiver/returner Riley Provencher will join Noble High’s Jamier Rose and Portland’s Louis Thurston at the head table at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland on Jan. 19, when the winner will be revealed.
The finalists advanced from a group of 14 semifinalists based on voting by the state’s head coaches and media members. Ervin was not originally announced as a semifinalist.
Ervin ran for 2,354 yards, 37 touchdowns and 34 2-point conversions for Houlton/Hodgdon/Southern Aroostook/Greater Houlton Christian Academy, which advanced to the eight-man Small School North final. He passed for 813 yards and 13 touchdowns, scoring another four touchdowns on special teams.
Provencher caught 40 passes for 1,121 yards and 18 touchdowns, turned 13 carries into 120 yards and three TDs, scored two defensive touchdowns and returned three kicks for scores for the eight-man Small School champions.
Rose, who was named the Varsity Maine Player of the Year, led Noble to its first regional final since 1997. He completed 105 of 169 passes for 1,518 yards and 19 touchdowns, rushed for 938 yards and 13 touchdowns on 116 carries, and made 34 solo tackles.
Thurston led the Bulldogs to their first Class A title since 2002, completing 97 of 154 passes for 1,465 yards and 20 touchdowns, rushing for a team-high 1,027 yards (eight touchdowns), and making 28 solo tackles and three interceptions on defense.
The ranked-choice voting is complete, but the winner is known only by an independent accounting firm. Jack Dawson, the chairman of the Fitzpatrick Trophy committee, said he gets only the names of the finalists in alphabetical order.
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