AUGUSTA — A year ago, a new era in Maine high school football saw games played across state lines. Ahead of a new season, that trend is continuing.

Yes, the Class A teams that played regular-season games against New Hampshire opponents will be doing so again in 2023. The out-of-state push has also expanded beyond the state’s largest class with a few Class C teams headed to Massachusetts for preseason action.

“I think it’s something you’re seeing more teams open to,” said Gardiner head coach Pat Munzing. “I think it would be a unique experience if you’re to go out of the state for a game, or if a team from there is coming here, you can show them how we do things here in Maine.”

Although no central Maine teams have out-of-state foes scheduled just yet, area coaches say they’ve given it some thought. There’s some preliminary (albeit not universal) interest in the idea as programs see it unfold elsewhere in the state.

A year ago, a small Class A league that consisted of just eight teams saw a few of these teams face New Hampshire opponents. The idea was to create some more competitive games, and it succeeded as evidenced by Bonny Eagle’s 33-27 win over Merrimack and Thornton Academy’s 16-10 loss to Bedford.

This year, two Class C teams will join them when they cross state lines for preseason games Aug. 26. Brewer will play at Salem (Mass.), while Oceanside will take on Springfield (Mass.) International Charter in a neutral-site game in Manchester, New Hampshire.

“I think something like that would be really interesting and a great opportunity,” said first-year Messalonskee head coach Blair Doucette. “I think Maine football has come a long way with how offense and defenses here have evolved, and it would be cool to gauge that against schools in other states.”

It’s not a quick jaunt across state lines for teams centrally located in New England’s largest state, but the types of road trips that would be required aren’t necessarily unheard of. Munzing got used to them during Gardiner’s days in Class C South, and going a bit further, he said, is doable.

“We went to Fryeburg (in 2018), and that felt like an out-of-state game with how far it was,” Munzing said. “Two years ago, we were at York, and we were at Wells. I had some family from Mass. who called me and said, ‘Hey, we’re not that far; why don’t we come up to see your team play?’ So, we can do the travel.”

That’s not to say, as Munzing acknowledged, that doing so isn’t without downsides in an era of constrained school budgets and an ongoing bus-driver shortage. There’s also the fact that such games would replace traditional league games and that some funky math would be required in the Crabtree standings.

Other coaches simply want to keep things within their own state’s borders. The quality of football in Maine and the variety of opponents, Cony’s B.L. Lippert and Winslow’s Wes Littlefield said, doesn’t justify reaching across state lines to pick up opponents — especially in an era that includes numerous crossover games.

“It’s not something that really interests me, to be honest,” Lippert said. “I guess the Brewer thing is cool because it’s Witches vs. Witches, but we’ve got plenty of chances for Rams vs. Rams here. I just think Maine has plenty of competitive games here. For those A teams that need games, it’s great, but we’re here on the small end of Class B.”

 

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More on the minds of central Maine coaches than potential games in 2024, 2025 or beyond are their 2023 schedules — and with eight weeks until the first regular season games, those games aren’t far away.

The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in Class B North a year ago, Cony and Skowhegan will meet in Augusta in Week 2. Those teams also have key Week 1 clashes against South Portland and Windham, respectively.

Then, of course, there’s the game that’s as big as any: Cony vs. Gardiner. The Rams will host the Tigers in the Oct. 20 regular-season finale a week after taking on Falmouth in a battle of Pine Tree Conference contenders.

“South Portland in Week 1 is tough, but I guess it’s good that we get them out of the way early,” Lippert said. “After that, we get Skowhegan, Messalonskee, Lawrence and Mt. Blue. Those are four programs we have a lot of history with. It’s great to be playing Lawrence again because we didn’t play them last year.”

Lawrence, another PTC threat, plays the Rams in Augusta in Week 4 before hosting reigning Class C state champion Leavitt in Week 5. Gardiner hosts Nokomis, the only remaining Class C team in central Maine, in Week 5 and plays at Cheverus in Week 6 as part of a slate of three straight crossover games.

Maine Central Institute, Class D state champ in 2016 before making the jump to C the following year, is back in the smallest 11-man class and has big games Week 2 against Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale and Week 6 against Foxcroft. Winslow, also now in Class D, has the Ponies in its sights.

“That’s a Week 8 game, so it’s not the first one on your mind, but I can tell you I’m looking forward to playing them,” Littlefield said. “Danny (White) has done a really good job with that program; they’ve pushed people around the past few years. It’ll be a good test for us.”

In the eight-man ranks, Waterville will face a tough schedule in its bid to win a third consecutive Large School North championship. Two games, though, stand out to head coach Isaac LeBlanc: A Week 2 trip to Topsham to take on Mt. Ararat and a Week 7 regular-season finale against Large School class newcomer Mountain Valley.

“(Mountain Valley) had a really good year last year; they’re well-coached and have a really good system,” LeBlanc said. “For our crossovers, I love the fact that we’ve got Ararat. They’ve been one of the best teams ever since eight-man football got started.”

 

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Fans desperate for football don’t have to wait until Sept. 1 to get it — the Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl is scheduled for 4 p.m. on July 15 at Lewiston’s Don Roux Field, and central Maine will be well-represented.

For the East, Skowhegan has four players participating in the game in Kyle LePage, Collin LePage, Quintcey McCray and Hunter McEwen. Cony (Jaden Geyer, Dom Napolitano) and Nokomis (Grady Hartsgrove, Madden White) will also have multiple players with the Rams’ Lippert part of the coaching staff.

Bryce Crowell (Messalonskee), Colton Dube (Gardiner), Braydon Fitts (MCI) Parker Higgins (Lawrence), Noah Lattin (Madison), Spencer Minihan (Waterville), Jared Newgard (Winslow) and Isaac Wrigley (Mt. Blue) will also suit up for the East. Alex Hinkley (Oak Hill), Travis Lemelin (Maranacook) and Dom Trott (Winthrop) will play for the West.

The game, which features the state’s top senior players from the previous season, raises money for Shriners Hospitals for Children. The West won last year’s game 40-35 and has won 21 of the 31 games played.

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