It’s been as good a start to the football season as Cony and coach BL Lippert could have hoped for. And now comes a challenge from a completely unfamiliar opponent.

The 3-0 Rams will take on a Class A team in Lewiston, marking the first time since Cony moved to Class B in 2012 that the teams will meet.

“When we did play Lewiston, we had some years where we had success and some years where they had (Fitzpatrick Trophy winner) Jared Turcotte and a few others that we couldn’t stop,” Lippert said. “That’s a program that seems pretty healthy and on the rise. … I think it is a measuring stick for us, and it’s interesting for our kids because it’s somebody new.”

Cony is coming off a 28-0 win over Messalonskee. Lewiston is 1-2 and coming off a 43-7 loss to defending Class A champion Thornton Academy, but one in which the Blue Devils were within two scores at halftime.

Coach Darren Hartley, in his first year back as Lewiston coach, said his team is looking forward to the matchup with the Rams as it tries to find some consistency.

“We think we match up a lot better with them than we did (with), say, a Thornton Academy,” Hartley said. “We’re anxiously looking forward to seeing how we measure up with a good Class B football team that looks like they can compete with anybody.”

Here’s a closer look at the Lewiston-Cony matchup:

When: 7 tonight

Where: Alumni Field, Augusta

Cony coach BL Lippert on Lewiston: “They look pretty difficult to defend. They’re in a lot of different formations, they are very unpredictable, they’re run-heavy at times, they’ll run the quarterback. … They do a lot of stuff offensively that is a challenge to prepare for. We have our work cut out for us.”

Lewiston coach Darren Hartley on Cony: “They’re kind of a finesse-style offense, but they’re more physical than their offense portrays. They can get downhill, and with the Geyer kid, he runs like any tailback-slash-kind of fullback. He’s very physical, and he’s not afraid of contact.”

Three keys for Lewiston:

• No missed tackles. Hartley’s right. Geyer can be a brusing runner when he’s got a head of steam, and arm tackles aren’t going to cut it. Blue Devil defenders need to either wrap up and bring down, or slow Geyer and the other Cony backs down enough for the team to come finish off the tackle. If not, they’ll be gouged early and often.

• Plug the gaps. Geyer’s got speed, but he prefers to do his damage on the ground up the middle rather than around the end. Lewiston has to make sure there aren’t lanes for him to hit between the tackles, and that there’s instead traffic up the gut.

“This isn’t rocket surgery,” Hartley said. “We have to stunt and blitz and do some zone packages. They might hit us over the top, but the key to our game is to tackle No. 13.”

• Know where Adrian Larrabee is. The senior has been a playmaker, with five touchdown receptions and two interceptions this season. The Blue Devils would be wise to have him accounted for on offense and defense.

Three keys for Cony:

• Ground and pound. The Blue Devils are faster than they are big and physical. A track meet could be problematic, but if the Rams can get going running downhill behind what’s been an excellent offensive line, the game should tilt in Cony’s favor as Lewiston sees the bruises grow.

• Spread them out. Seems like a contradiction from the first point, right? Well, a running game doesn’t need to be jumbo packages and double wings. Stretching the formation should force Lewiston to do the same, lightening the box and making life easier for the backs.

• Pass protect. Lippert pointed out on multiple occasions that the Lewiston pass rush is a threat, and Hartley wants to get it engaged. The Rams will need to have a solution to make sure Geyer isn’t under fire all game long.

“We need to protect the passer, for sure,” Lippert said. “We’re at our best when (Geyer’s) got some time to scan the field and pick out his targets.”

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