DOVER-FOXCROFT — There might not be a player more excited to participate in this year’s Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl than Winthrop’s Jeremy Mihalakis.
“I’m happy I was picked for this. I’ve been dreaming about this day, getting picked for the Lobster Bowl, since probably my freshman year,” Mihalakis said. “I just loved the whole thought of East versus West. It’s a good old rivalry.”
The 6-foot-2, 250-pound Mihalakis will be a defensive tackle for the West squad in Saturday’s game, which benefits Shriners Hospitals for Children. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. at Waterhouse Field in Biddeford.
Getting selected for the Lobster Bowl has been a longtime goal for Mihalakis, who attended the game as a fan each of the last three years. Before he knew he’d been selected to play in the game, Mihalakis spoke about the experience with former Winthrop head coach Joel Stoneton, who played in the 1993 Lobster Bowl and served as the West head coach in 2012.
“(Stoneton) pretty much just said have fun,” Mihalakis said. “This is my last football game, but more than that we’re trying to help kids that really need, and it feels good.”
Dave St. Hiliare, Mihalakis’ coach at Winthrop High School last fall, said the former team captain was the perfect choice to represent the Ramblers in the annual all-star football game.
“He’s got a lot of energy, and he loves football,” St. Hilaire said.
At Winthrop, Mihalakis was a two-way starter on the line, and an all-Western C Campbell Conference selection.
“Jeremy was the leader of the linemen,” St. Hilaire said. “I don’t think he gave up a sack.”
For the West, Mihalakis will play on the defensive line. In an all-star game, defensive tackle is where St. Hilaire sees Mihalakis being the most effective. St. Hilaire recalled one-on-one lineman drills in practice in which Mihalakis used an array of moves to shed a blocker.
“He’s got all the tools in the toolbox,” St. Hilaire said. “We’d just stop and watch. He used every one and mixed them up. It’s always bang-bang, quick.”
Mihalakis said his speed has caught the attention of his coaches at Lobster Bowl training camp at Foxcroft Academy.
“For my size, I’m pretty quick. My coaches in the Lobster Bowl have said that, too,” he said.
Mihalakis recovered from a knee injury suffered as a freshman to become one of the most reliable linemen Winthrop had.
“He worked hard at becoming stronger and quicker,” St. Hilaire said.
On the offensive line, Mihalakis was at his best when the Ramblers ran their belly play, one of the team’s core runs. The play called for left tackle Mihalakis and the left guard to cross block.
“He would just annihilate the defensive tackle,” St. Hilaire said.
When devising defensive game plans, St. Hilaire said the coaching staff often worked from the point of view that, wherever Mihalakis was, the opponent’s first move would be in the other direction.
“We didn’t have to worry about him and where he was on the field. We knew they would run away from Jeremy, so we thought ‘How is that going to look?'”
In the fall, Mihalakis will enroll at St. Joseph’s College in Standish. He’s enjoying every second of Lobster Bowl training camp, and the final week of football it provides.
“It’s awesome, because I know I’m going to give 110 percent, but it’s kind of sad to know that it’s all over after that,” Mihalakis said.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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