READFIELD — Whether it is in football, basketball or lacrosse, when the first whistle sounds, Levi Emery is ready to go.

“I just love to play sports. It’s something about it. It’s Friday nights for football, everyone there yelling is an amazing atmosphere,” Emery said. “Once you get on that game field it just flows. It’s hard to not find motivation when you’re on those fields.”

A senior at Maranacook Community High School, Emery is the starting tight end and cornerback on the school’s football team and coming off a year in which he was a Campbell Conference Class D All Star.

At 6-foot-5 he is the starting center on the school’s basketball team — which made an improbable run to Western Class C finals as the No. 8 seed last winter — as well as a starting defenseman on the Maranacook/Winthrop lacrosse team.

“He’s one of the smartest kids on the team. You tell him things once and I don’t have to tell him again,” said Joe Emery, Levi’s father and football coach. “After 8 or 9 yards he’s probably the fastest kid on the team. He’s tall and once he gets those legs going, he’s really fast. He can make up a lot of ground and he’s physical. He likes to hit.

“He has the mentality that he’s not going to let somebody beat him. He plays with passion and intensity.”

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As is the case with many athletes who play for their parents, Levi Emery noted that it has had its advantages and disadvantages.

“It’s definitely been an experience that we shared,” Levi said. “A lot of the time we spend together it’s different than just normal time with your parents. You really do get closer in some ways and in some ways it’s more frustrating. You definitely see side to your parent you haven’t seen before.”

Coaching his sons is nothing new for Joe Emery, as he coached his two older sons, Luke, 22, and Logan, 20, when they were at Maranacook. He is an assistant with the MW Hawks lacrosse team as well.

“It’s been mostly good,” Joe Emery said of the experience coaching his sons. “It’s been a challenge at times because I’m usually harder on my own sons than the other players, but I try to stand back and let them enjoy the game. I’ve had a lot of fun and I think they did too.”

Levi Emery also said he has liked the experience, but noted as well it can be difficult at times. He has done his best to make the best of it and, at times, use it as motivation.

“People don’t think you earn you’re position because he’s your parent,” Levi Emery said. “I feel like I need to prove myself more than some of the other kids do just to prove those people wrong.”

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That dynamic has made basketball season a bit of a reprieve for both of them, as it allows Joe an opportunity to change his moniker from coach to fan.

“During basketball I really enjoy not coaching, sitting in the seats and just watching him play,” Joe Emery said. “I’m all wound up during football. Basketball I have a lot of fun where I can just watch him play.”

The winter season will be here soon enough, but for now Joe, Levi and the Black Bears (3-1) are doing their best to make this final football season together a memorable one.

Maranacook’s lone loss came two weeks ago against Winthrop/Monmouth on a touchdown from the Ramblers in the closing seconds. The Black Bears will get a much better idea of where they stand going forward over the next few weeks, as they close the regular season with games against Old Orchard Beach (2-3) Friday, Lisbon (3-1) on Oct. 17 and Dirigo (3-2) on Oct. 23.

Evan Crawley — 621-5640

ecrawley@centralmaine.com

Twitter; @Evan_Crawley


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