Waterville Senior High School head coach Frank Knight saw a lot to like in his team’s 64-14 win over Winslow on Saturday.

“Offensively, we clicked pretty well,” Knight said. “We ended up playing a lot of kids. We don’t have any stars, but we have 17, 18 guys we think can play and help us.”

Junior quarterback Aidan Fitzgerald, now in his second year as the Panthers’ starter, looked comfortable rolling out and throwing the ball.

“He managed the game pretty well. He’s becoming a veteran,” Knight said.

The offensive line play was OK, Knight said, but with a number of new faces up front, the group should continue to improve.

Waterville led 14-6 at the half, but the Panthers’ edge in depth, combined with a hot afternoon, helped Waterville wear down the Black Raiders in the second half.

“It’s good for our mentality to beat them,” Knight said. “No matter what, they’re still Winslow, and it’s a big deal in our community.”

The Panthers open the regular season Friday at Mt. Desert Island. The Trojans use a run-heavy, T-formation offense with double tight ends.

“There’s a lot of misdirection. It’s pretty crafty. We have to play disciplined defense,” Knight said. “It’s another good test for us. We’ve beat them here, and they’ve beaten us down there.”

* * *

A scary moment in Saturday’s exhibition game between Winslow High School and Waterville turned out to have a happy ending. Winslow junior guard/linebacker Mike Clark is fine after leaving the game in an ambulance following an injury.

“He practiced (Monday),” Winslow head coach Mike Siviski said. “He didn’t hit, but he ran.”

Clark was hurt with 53.7 seconds left in the first half, on a Winslow punt. He was placed on a board before leaving Waterville’s Drummond Field on a stretcher. Siviski described the injury as a pinched nerve.

Siviski said Clark met the team in the locker room when it returned to Winslow after the game.

“All his extremities and everything were fine on the field,” Siviski said, “but you have to err on the side of caution.”

Winslow opens the season on Friday at Poland.

* * *

Lawrence and Brunswick played an exhibition game Friday night, and the Pine Tree Conference Class A rivals will meet again in the regular season on Oct. 19 in Brunswick. That regular season game had no bearing on Lawrence’s play calling Friday night, head coach John Hersom said.

“We didn’t think of that at all,” Hersom said.

If any plays were held back, Hersom said, it’s simply because they didn’t look sharp enough in practice.

“We’re not going to put the kids in that kind of situation,” Hersom said. “If it’s not really looking good in practice, we’re not going to run it in a game.”

Because of the short week (teams also scrimmaged on Monday), Hersom said he and his staff looked for mental progress Friday.

“We talked about playing with a little more intensity, a little more showing of confidence. I think we saw that. We had that enthusiasm. We played with a little more aggressiveness and intensity,” Hersom said.

Lawrence opens the season Friday in Auburn against Edward Little.

* * *

There’s a new scoreboard at Lawrence’s Keyes Field, thanks to a $10,000 donation by Fairfield VFW Post 6924.

The new board is a little larger than the old one, and has bigger numbers. It also operates on a wireless signal from the press box.

Post 6924’s donation covered almost the entire cost of the board, said Tim Martin, the vice-president of the Lawrence Football Boosters. The Boosters organized a golf tournament to cover the rest.

A dedication ceremony will be held prior to Lawrence’s home opener, Sept. 7, against rival Bangor High School.

The previous scoreboard was installed in the mid-1980’s, Martin said.

“It was overdue,” Martin said. “We got a lot of use out of the old one.”

* * *

There are a few big games on tap across the state this weekend that could have playoff implications down the line.

Defending Class B state champ Wells opens Friday night against perennial Western B playoff contender Cape Elizabeth. In the Southern Maine Activities Association action, Thornton Academy will host Deering at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Trojans and Rams are two of the top teams in the state.

Bangor will play at Brunswick on Friday night in a rematch of a Pine Tree Conference Class A semifinal game as well.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

 

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