Maranacook football players work through a drill during an Aug. 18 practice in Readfield. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal

The number of eight-man football teams is on the rise, up from 10 two years ago to 26 for this fall. Many of the newcomers are former Class D programs that no longer had the numbers needed to compete.

That means that, with the struggling teams gone, parity has taken the place. The class has gone from two regions to one, and instead of getting some weaker squads on the schedule, teams will instead get more contenders from what was D’s other branch.

“We kind of lost a couple of those teams that we looked at as maybe a chance to get some wins,” Oak Hill coach Chad Stowell said. “Now we add a team like Bucksport, who’s got an unbelievable football tradition. … I think it’s going to be super competitive.”

The nine teams left went a combined 41-29 in the regular season in 2019. Six played in a regional final in either 2018 or ’19.

“I think every game is going to be a tough game,” Stowell said. “I think all week long, you’re going to see three or four games on the slate, all of them are going to be good games.”

Stowell is entering his first season at the helm, and is the Raiders’ second head coach since three-time champion Stacen Doucette died in December 2019. He has a good returning core of starters led by linebacker Jackson Arbour, who’ll take over at quarterback. Linebackers and running backs Caden Thompson and Tiger Hopkins, as well as center Latrell Williams, also will play big roles.

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Oak Hill’s offense will adapt as Arbour gets acclimated behind center, but the defense — led by Hopkins, Arbour, Thompson and linebacker Hunter Lynch — should be solid.

Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale defenders converge to tackle a Nokomis running back during an Aug. 23 preseason game in Winthrop. Andy Molloy/Kennebec Journal

“I think that will be a real strength that we’ll lean on,” Stowell said. “We’re a little bit thin up front, defensively. We have some talent, but our depth is going to be a little bit of an issue.”

After a trip to the D South final in 2019, Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale figures to be a team to beat again. The Ramblers will be an athletic group once again, featuring a strong group of skill players in running backs Logan Baird, Robby Feeney and Dom Trott and receivers Brayden Stubbert, Nick Keezer and Evan Jones. Andrew Foster and Owen Harding were the preseason candidates at quarterback.

“We’re going to have a lot of speed, we’re going to have some power running,” coach Dave St. Hilaire said. “We’re going to be pretty similar to the team we had two years ago, in terms of style.”

The team’s anchor is senior Jake Umberhind, whom St. Hilaire said could be the best lineman in the state.

“He’s 340 pounds, incredibly strong, he can do a split, he can do cartwheels,” St. Hilaire said. “When he lifts weights, it almost looks like movie props. He’s that strong.”

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Madison/Carrabec will play its first contact season under coach Shawn Bean, and he’s looking to halt a downward trend that has seen the team go from a 7-1 regular season in 2017 to 2-6 in 2019.

Danny Handley takes over at quarterback after leading the JV team to an undefeated season in 2019, and senior Thomas Dean will be a leader at tight end and defensive end. Keghan Perkins, Shyre Bonito and Quinn Cornforth form a deep running back contingent.

“Defense will be our strength,” Bean said. “But we’ve got firepower on offense and an experienced line, I think we’ll be all right.”

Eight-man

Maranacook’s first season in eight-man football went smoothly, as the Black Bears had an undefeated regular season and reached the championship game of the Large School division. Now in the Small School class, Maranacook had a great group coming back last year, but should be strong again this time.

“I’d be lying to say I didn’t have high aspirations for this team,” coach Jordan DeMillo said.

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The Black Bears lost quarterback and Fitzpatrick Trophy semifinalist Garit Laliberte from that team, but with quarterback Chris Reid, receivers Seth White, Travis Lemelin and C.J. Robertson and tight end Thomas Struck leading the way, DeMillo said his team could be more balanced than it was two years ago.

“I’m really kind of looking to spread the ball out this year,” DeMillo said. “A lot of spread offense, a lot of trips and bunch. I’ve got a good set of receivers. … If we spread the field with that wide receiver corps, I just think there are very, very, very few defenses that can cover that many athletes.”

Waterville Senior High School football team members work through a drill during an Aug. 16 practice in Waterville. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

Joining Maranacook in the small school field, albeit in the northern region, is Mount View, which went 1-7 in Class D two seasons ago. The Mustangs have low numbers — only 15 players were on the team going into the first practice — but a promising season of 7-on-7 last year has coach Rick Leary hoping his team can take to the new style well.

Running back Sammy Valleau is the “real deal,” Leary said, while sophomore running back and linebacker Wyatt Evensen and junior tight end and linebacker Rayon Kirby Jr. will be key players as well.

“Last year showed us how competitive we can be,” Leary said. “It’s coming down to the fundamentals of blocking and tackling, because there’s going to be a lot of open field. You get out on a couple of blocks, you could be off to the races pretty quickly.”

Waterville will also be making its eight-man debut, in the Large School division’s northern conference. With seniors Liam Von Oesen and Billy Place at quarterback and running back, respectively, the Purple Panthers have leadership on hand, and receiver Spencer Minihan and running back Tyson Smith pace a strong junior class.

With that mix, coach Isaac LeBlanc thinks Waterville’s first season in eight-man football could be a successful one.

“We’ve got a good core, nucleus of guys that have bought in,” LeBlanc said. “I think we have a lot of potential, but I say that very cautiously. There’s so much to the game of football, and it’s a very humbling game.”

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