They’ll be arriving from near and far — in some cases, very far.

The Maine high school football focus shifts this weekend to Portland’s Fitzpatrick Stadium, which will be hosting three of the four state championship games. The Class A title game will be held first at 11 a.m., followed by the Class C game at 2:30 p.m. and the Class D game at 6. The Class B game will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at the University of Maine’s Alfond Stadium.

MCI defenders Clark Morrison, left, Adam Bertrand and Seth Bussell wrap up a Dexter running back during the Little Ten Conference championship game Friday night at Alumni Field in Pittsfield. Staff photo by Joe Phelan

And due to the rotations determining who plays where, some of the participating teams will have to drain their gas tanks just to get to the field. Brunswick will have to travel 122 miles, or just under two hours, to get to Orono for the Class B final. The Dragons won’t get much sympathy from their opponent; Kennebunk has Brunswick beat, needing a 164-mile or two-and-a-half hour voyage to make it up for the game.

The C game in Portland, however, will feature the most wayward travelers. Mount Desert Island will need to journey three hours for its matchup with Wells, the Trojans’ first state final in program history. It’s the longest trek any team’s had to make to Portland for a state final since Stearns went 200 miles — according to Google Maps, a longer trip by four minutes than the one for MDI — for the 2010 Class C final, a 34-6 loss to Yarmouth. With the Maine Principals’ Association’s preference to give the middle time slot to the team farthest away, there was little doubt that it would go to the Trojans, who are no strangers to long bus rides.

“Travel for our kids really is not an issue. We’re just used to doing that,” coach Mark Shields said. “At Mount Desert Island we are really separated, even from our own conference. … For us, a short trip is to Winslow. It’s really not a big deal.”

That’s not to say the Trojans aren’t doing what they can to make the trip a little easier.

“We’re going to have a chartered bus to take down so the kids can be a little more relaxed and comfortable,” he said. “I think we’re going to have a good crowd. It’s a Saturday, we’re playing the 2:30 game. It allows people to travel down there and not get up super early and get back at a reasonable time after the game.

With MDI in the mix, however, a team that could normally be a good bet for the longest trip to Fitzpatrick instead had to settle for one of the less accommodating end times. Maine Central Institute, which will play Lisbon in the Class D final, has an hour-and-a-half ride to Portland, and will have to deal with a long trip home and a late arrival time back in Pittsfield.

Like Shields, MCI coach Tom Bertrand doesn’t see his team having trouble acclimating.

“We’re used to playing at night,” he said. “When you’re playing for a state championship, it doesn’t matter if you’re playing at 9 in the morning or 9 at night. It’s such a great opportunity to go play.”

He would know. It’s the Huskies’ third straight time in the championship game, following back-to-back losses to Oak Hill. And whether the third time is the charm for MCI or not, Bertrand said the community will be active when the team returns, no matter what time that is.

“We’ll have a reception back at the gym, and we’ll have folks that are there for us,” he said. “For some, it might be a little bit too late one way or the other, but other than that, getting back late (is) not that big of an issue.”

The travel woes don’t apply to the A title game, however. Bonny Eagle is a half-hour away, while Portland High School has as short a trip as a school can hope for — the Bulldogs play their home games at Fitzpatrick.

• • •

It was hard to notice during a 41-0 victory, but MCI’s special teams flourished again Friday night. And if Saturday’s final is a close one, the Huskies could have an advantage with the most overlooked of the game’s three phases.

The Huskies’ kicking game was on point in the blowout win over Dexter. Josh Buker pinned a first-quarter punt at the Tigers’ 5-yard line, kickoff specialist Tom Schellen bolstered MCI’s field position advantage by booting two kickoffs for touchbacks and Devon Varney made all five extra points he attempted. Meanwhile, Dexter’s special teams units faltered, turning in a disastrous fake punt interception and a shanked punt that went for minus-4 yards, both in the second quarter.

The disparity was hidden by the one-sided score, but Bertrand knows that mistakes on special teams can mean everything in a game that goes down to the wire.

“I’ve won and lost games, plenty of them, due to special teams,” he said. “The closer and closer you get to the end of the season, the more you have to make sure your special teams are solid and sound.”

The Huskies have the right personnel to have an edge there on a weekly basis. Buker is one of the state’s most dangerous punt and kick returners, and can have a direct impact on both the field position battle and the scoreboard. And with Schellen and Varney, MCI has depth at a key position as well.

“We know it’s an important part of the game. … We spend a lot of time on it,” Bertrand said. “We know it’s an opportunity to make plays and an opportunity to make mistakes. We want to make sure we’re making plays.”

• • •

When Kurtis Bolton hauled in the catch that set Lisbon up for its incredible D South championship win, it was the latest step in a transition that’s seen the senior go from raw talent to offensive weapon.

Bolton’s 55-yard reception on a desperation throw from Tyler Halls set the stage for Noah Francis’ 1-yard run with less than a second left, giving the Greyhounds a stunning 20-17 win. The call to throw to Bolton, the team’s fastest receiver, wasn’t a hard one to make. But as coach Dick Mynahan said, it’s been a journey for Bolton to get the team’s trust for such a dramatic moment.

“He’s really come out of nowhere,” he said. “He wasn’t a part of the offense too much at the start of the year, but always part of the defense (as a safety) because of his speed.”

Given Bolton’s athleticism, the Greyhounds began to work him more and more into the offensive rotation, and then began to throw to him more and more on gamedays. As his workload increased, Mynahan saw the steady improvement.

“The last several games, he’s really come a long way,” he said. “Especially in catching the ball, and in running the ball as well. He’s really working himself into being a prominent part of the offense, as well as the defense.”

• • •

Around the state: The only state championship game being played Friday night is also the only matchup of unbeatens. Something will have to give when Brunswick (10-0) faces Kennebunk (11-0) at the University of Maine in the Class B final … Bonny Eagle is in its first state final since 2013. The Scots lost to Thornton Academy in the South final in 2014 and 2015, and beat Thornton in 2013 en route to the state title. … Class C’s final is the only one that doesn’t have a team returning to the game. Portland, Brunswick and MCI are all back, and all looking to avenge losses. … Bonny Eagle (2013), Wells (2011, Class B) and Lisbon (2006, Class C) all won the last time they played for state championships.

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