FAIRFIELD — Coming into the season, John Hersom and the Lawrence High School football coaching staff knew that in senior Seth Powers they had an athlete who could do a little bit of everything and do it all well.

So, they decided, why not let him?

Lawrence running back Seth Powers fights off Mt. Blue’s Christian Whitney to reach the end zone during a Pine Tree Conference Class B game this season. Kevin Bennett file photo

After a breakout season as a junior, in which Powers was named first team all-Pine Tree Conference Class B at tight end and second team all conference at safety, Powers is having a strong senior season in which he’s become the Bulldogs most versatile offensive weapon.

“He’s just a pure athlete. He can run like a deer and he has the athletic ability, like we all know, to go up and get a throw and bring it down,” Hersom said. “If there’s anything in his space, we feel confident he’s going to come down with it. Often times, we’ll let our quarterbacks know, you don’t have to be real perfect with throwing in his direction because he can make up for something underthrown or overthrown.”

With wins over Hampden Academy and Gardiner over the last two weeks, the Bulldogs (2-4) have put themselves back in the hunt for a PTC B playoff berth. Lawrence plays at Nokomis on Saturday afternoon.

“Staying together,” was key after the team’s 0-4 start, Powers said. “Knowing that the season isn’t over yet. Anything can happen. This conference is so diverse in many ways. We just have to stay together and let it unfold. It’s win or go home.”

Powers said he’s never sure how he’ll be used from game to game.

“It’s all over the place. Every week’s different. It’s fun, getting the opportunity to be in every different position. I enjoy it, because I can try something I’ve never done before,” Powers said.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Powers has 25 catches for 354 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Since carrying the ball for the first time, against Hampden two weeks ago, Powers has seven carries for 101 yards. When Hersom explained the plan to Powers in the preseason, he was completely on board.

“I was excited. Anything to make us win, I was excited for. The team’s first, I’m second,” Powers said.

Powers emerged as the top tight end in the PTC B last season. He caught a pair of touchdowns in Lawrence’s conference quarterfinal win over Brewer. In a semifinal win at Cony, Powers caught two more touchdowns and the go-ahead 2-point conversion with just over a minute to play.

Because of Powers’ size and speed, he’s a tough matchup for most opponents and Hersom felt the Bulldogs needed to find more way to exploit that.

“We’re just trying to get him out in space where he can use his athleticism and possibly hurt a defense with a matchup problem, or get that extra space where he has a chance to move,” Hersom said.

In the season opener, a 12-0 loss at Skowhegan, Powers caught five passes for 87 yards and lined up in a variety of spots. In Week 3 against Mt. Blue, Powers was a bright spot in a 40-12 loss, catching seven passes for 112 yards, including a 27 yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Braden Ballard.

When he had his first carry in a game, Powers thought to himself, run hard and don’t get tackled.

“I like running the ball. I haven’t been doing that in high school. I was just running as fast as I can,” Powers said.

As he’s done new things on offense, Powers has learned a new defensive position, moving from safety to cornerback.

“It’s a lot different, because I’d been playing safety my entire high school career. I wasn’t too worried about trying a new position,” Powers said.

Cornerback is a harder position than safety, Powers said, and he’s had to adjust to the technical aspects of the position, as well as different reads.

“I think it was a big adjustment for him initially. We felt like with his size and his running ability, he would be able to match up athletically with most teams’ best receiving athlete,” Hersom said. “He’s a big body out there, and he can defend against fade balls and those things because of his height and jumping ability. We thought we would gain something by having him at corner.”

Powers isn’t sure of his college plans yet, but hopes they’ll include football.

“I would love to play football in my future. I’ll definitely think about it and see where it goes from there,” Powers said.

“There’s always a school for any kid who wants to and has that desire to move on,” Hersom said. “Seth has to look at some of his options and decide what’s a good fit for him.”

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

<URL destination=””>tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

</URL>Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM

Related Stories