Maine Central Institute went undefeated in Little Ten Conference play last season en route to a conference championship. It didn’t take long for the Huskies to establish themselves as the class of the league again this season. MCI was dominant in the first two weeks of the season. The Huskies had 50-point leads at halftime in each of the first two games, and have not allowed a point yet.
After winning just two games last season, and with a vast majority of players returning, Mount View entered 2015 with high expectations. So far, the Mustangs have met them. Mount View also is 2-0, and it’s scored at least 40 points in each of their first two games.
Morning Sentinel Game of the Week
MCI (2-0) at Mount View (2-0)
• When: 1 p.m. Saturday
• Where: Mount View High School, Thorndike
Saturday game between these LTC rivals should be a good early-season test for both. Here’s a look at the matchup:
MCI players to watch: FB/LB Alex Bertrand, QB Greg Vigue, RB/LB Eli Bussell, G/NG Curtis McLeod, RB/LB Willie Moss.
Mount View players to watch: RB/DE Tyler Ripley, QB/DB Cole Hannan, G/LB Ethan Sewell-Berry, T/DT Colton Medina, FB/LB Jack Axsom.
MCI coach Tom Bertrand on Mount View: “We’re going to play a good football team in Mount View. They’re running that option and they’ve got some big kids, some athletes. They’re playing at home and undefeated and hungry for it. We’re making sure we’re doing things the right way and we don’t take anybody lightly in our league.”
Mount View coach Haggie Pratt on MCI: “They’re a machine. In their no-huddle offense, they don’t miss a beat. They’ll go from a big set and pound (the ball) up the middle, then they’ll spread you out all over the field. It’s going to be quite a task for us.”
Three keys for MCI:
1. Do your job: MCI’s first two opponents, Washington Academy and Orono, ran many players from the T formation. While Mount View will line up in different formations, the Huskies know they need to follow their assignments.
“Defensively, we’re really doing a good job flying to the football, and playing assignment football,” Tom Bertrand said. “Playing the T two weeks in a row, it’s a lot of assignment football. Now playing against the option, it’s going to be a lot of assignment football.”
2. Stay focused: When you’ve won two games by a combined score of 131-0, it could be easy to relax. As Bertrand said, the Huskies need to continue playing hard and the right way. Mount View is a team that can match MCI, speed-wise. If the Huskies take a play or two off, they can find themselves in a hole on Saturday.
3. Don’t change: It’s almost impossible to find anything that needs major improvement in MCI’s play so far this season. The Huskies are rolling.
“Offensively, we’re executing. We’re not making a lot of mistakes. We’re able to keep our rhythm and our tempo going. We’re playing fast and with some confidence,” Tom Bertrand said.
Three keys for Mount View:
1. Don’t panic: MCI is now in its third season running its no-huddle offense, and the Huskies do it well. It’s unlikely the Mustangs will see anything like it the rest of the regular season, and Mount View defensive players can’t get so caught up in the pace that they lose focus of their jobs.
“Can you make those adjustments and be ready to go,” Pratt said he’s asked his team. “You’ve got to get your butt in position and make a play. Read your keys.”
2. Mix it up: Pratt said a big improvement in the Mustangs this season is they can throw when they want to, not just when they have to. While Mount View’s running game has been its strength this season, the Mustangs need to try to keep MCI’s defense guessing.
“We like to run option, but that’s not where our offense ends,” Pratt said.
3. Spread the wealth: The Mustangs have a number of weapons on offense. They need to get them all involved.
“We used nine ball carriers vs. Dexter (last week’s opponent), and that’s what we plan to do Saturday,” Pratt said.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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