The Class C state championship game Saturday features a few firsts for the Winslow High School football program. When the Black Raiders face Yarmouth High School at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland on Saturday afternoon, it will be Winslow’s second consecutive playoff game against an undefeated opponent.

“I’ve never experienced this before. We’re playing two undefeated teams, two weeks in a row,” Winslow head coach Mike Siviski said. The Black Raiders (10-0) knocked off undefeated Old Town in the Class C North championship game last week.

Winslow rnning back Kenny Rickard breaks through the Mt. Desert Island High School defense during a Big Ten Conference semifinal game Saturday in Winslow. Staff photo by Michael G. Seamans

Winslow vs. yarmouth

Class C Championship Game

When: 2:36 p.m. Saturday

Where: Fitzpatrick Stadium, Portland

Last meeting: Winslow 50, Yarmouth 22, in 2012 Class C West quarterfinals

Players to watch: Winslow — G/LB Alec Clark, QB/S Jake Trask, HB/DB Nate St. Amand, T/DT Nat Beckwith, FB/LB Kenny Rickard, DE Luke Fredette, WR/CB Trenton Bouchard, WR/CB Dylan Hutchinson, OL/DL Dimitrios Bailis, RB/LB Patrick Hopkins. Yarmouth — QB John Thoma, RB/S Jack Snyder, TE/LB Jack Venden, OL/LB Ricky Tillotson, RB/DL Lucas Uhl, OL/DL Joey Fortin, TE/DL Noah Colby-George, WR/DB Noah Eckersley-Ray, RB/S Remi LeBlanc, OL/DL Tyler Waaler.

Outlook: Winslow is playing in its fourth straight state championship game, and is looking for its second straight state title, while Yarmouth is playing for its first championship since winning back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011. The Clippers could be without leading rusher Cody Cook, a co-captain who was injured in the Southern Maine final last week. Snyder, Uhl and LeBlanc are capable runners in Yarmouth’s offense, which Winslow coach Mike Siviski described as a spread wing-T. St. Amand has run for more than 1,400 yards this season, including 331 in the regional final win at Old Town last week. The Black Raiders bring a 21-game win streak into the game, the state’s longest active win streak.

Winslow (10-0)

Regular season

Winslow 43, Belfast 0

Winslow 63, John Bapst 0

Winslow 35, Mt. Desert Island 20

Winslow 57, Madison 7

Winslow 68, Oceanside 0

Winslow 42, Foxcroft Academy 0

Winslow 64, Hermon 0

Winslow 35, Waterville 0

Playoffs

Winslow 21, Mt. Desert Island 0

Winslow 40, Old Town 27

 

Yarmouth (11-0)

Yarmouth 31, Lake Region 13

Yarmouth 40, Mountain Valley 14

Yarmouth 49, Poland 0

Yarmouth 40, Fryeburg Academy 12

Yarmouth 16, Wells 15

Yarmouth 29, Spruce Mountain 8

Yarmouth 37, Cape Elizabeth 36

Yarmouth 40, Freeport 14

Playoffs

Yarmouth 50, Mountain Valley 15

Yarmouth 54, Fryeburg Academy 12

Yarmouth 17, Wells 14

Leading the unbeaten Clippers (11-0) is head coach Jason Veilleux, a 1992 Winslow grad who played quarterback for Siviski. The longtime Winslow coach said he’s coached against teams coached by his former players before, but never in a game of this importance.

“This will be different. We’ve had other kids coaching at other programs, but never in a game of this magnitude,” Siviski said. “Jason was smart. He wasn’t that big. I don’t know if he weighed 150, 155 pounds. He was a student of the game. He did a good job in leadership, the things you’d expect from a quarterback.”

Winslow and Yarmouth will play the second of three state championship games at Fitzpatrick Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:36 p.m.

In his alma mater, Veilleux faces a challenging opponent. Winslow averages almost 47 points per game while allowing just over five.

“They play old-fashioned, smashmouth football. They’re not afraid to be physical. They’ll line up and run you over,” Veilleux said. “Attacking that defense will be a big challenge.”

The Clippers will likely be without senior running back Cody Cook, who led Yarmouth in rushing in the regular season with 653 yards and 11 touchdowns, and also was one of the team’s top receivers. Even without Cook, Yarmouth has a talented offense. Lucas Uhl (637 yards, eight TD’s) and Jack Snyder (552 rushing, 607 receiving, 22 touchdowns) will see more touches. Quarterback John Thoma threw for more than 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns in the regular season.

“They do a lot of good things,” Siviski said. “Yarmouth is very, very athletic. They can throw. They have a number of receivers.”

Winslow has played stifling defense all season. The Black Raiders have seven shutouts in 10 games. Led by defensive tackle Nat Beckwith’s dozen, the Black Raiders have 44 sacks.

Beckwith, defensive end Luke Fredette (38 tackles, five sacks), linebackers Alec Clark (85 tackles, four sacks), Kenny Rickard (47 tackles, four sacks) and Patrick Hopkins (77 tackles, three sacks) lead Winslow’s defensive front. Safety Jake Trask (three interceptions) and corners Trenton Bouchard and Dylan Hutchinson lead an experienced Black Raiders secondary.

The strength of Winslow’s offense is its running game. Junior tailback Nate St. Amand ran for 331 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s 40-27 win over Old Town in the regional final and now has 1,468 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season. Fullback Rickard (621 yards, 16 touchdowns) and quarterback Trask (360 yards, eight TD’s) are also running threats. Guards Clark and Cam Morrison, tackles Beckwith and Andrew Beals, and center Ben Abbott lead Winslow’s experienced offensive line.

Defensively, the Clippers are led by linebackers Ricky Tillotson (89 tackles, six sacks) and Jack Venden (81 tackles), and defensive lineman Joey Fortin (62 tackles, four sacks). On a team with many veterans, freshman cornerback Noah Eckersly-Ray has three interceptions for Yarmouth.

“The beauty of our team is, we’ve got great senior leadership. I’ve been with this senior class since they were in seventh grade. When they moved up, I moved up,” Veilleux said.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM

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