Football: Fast, physical defense propelling Waterville to early success

WATERVILLE — Isaac LeBlanc remembers Waterville’s first year of eight-man football in 2021 — a season filled with more shootouts than the Wild West.

As teams adjusted to a brand-new version of the game, offenses reigned over their defensive counterparts. The Purple Panthers were at the heart of the high-scoring bonanza, playing games with final scores of 60-24, 74-54, 50-36, 58-48 and 50-40.

“Defensively, two years ago, it wasn’t good,” said LeBlanc, Waterville’s head coach of three years. “We had to win games in a lot different ways than we’ve had to recently. I remember playing Camden and Morse, and we’re winning games with crazy scores. Our guys on defense have come a long way since then.”

Indeed, Waterville is among the teams that have become defensive stalwarts upon growing more accustomed to the eight-man game with each passing year. After back-to-back state title game losses, the Panthers are hoping a defense that’s started the season with a pair of shutouts can take them all the way.

It’s hard enough to get one shutout in an eight-man game that gives players lots of space to run, much less two in a row. Yet that’s exactly what Waterville has done in beginning the season with a 34-0 win over Spruce Mountain before following it up with an impressive 24-0 victory over Mt. Ararat.

The key to that defense’s success, LeBlanc and top tacklers Jared Cayford and Dawson Harrison agreed, has been speed. Harrison, a top runner for Waterville’s track and field team, is electric, and Cayford, a former track runner himself, complements him in the secondary with enough quickness to outpace just about anyone.

That speed gets the Panthers in the faces of opposing quarterbacks, running backs and receivers as soon as they get the ball. From there, it’s all about knocking opponents to the turf, and that’s something Waterville takes great pride in doing.

“We’re quick, and we love to hit,” said Harrison, who had 13 tackles for Waterville in the season-opening victory over Spruce Mountain. “Everybody swarms to the ball, and when they drive the ball, they’ll make mistakes.”

Waterville defensive coordinator Mike Hamel, right, instructs the team during practice Tuesday in Waterville. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

That was particularly evident in Friday night’s win over Mt. Ararat. Although the Panthers didn’t completely shut down the run the way they did against Spruce Mountain, they made timely plays, forcing and recovering three fumbles, including two inside the Waterville 10-yard line.

“We were able to force those turnovers at key times in the game and then turned around and capitalized on them,” LeBlanc said. “I think that’s a good sign because good teams find ways to do that, and if you’re up against a team like Ararat that’s tough and is going to battle you, you need to do it.”

Personnel-wise, Waterville doesn’t have a weak unit defensively. In addition to Cayford and 2022 All-Campbell Conference first-teamer Harrison at defensive back, the Panthers have hard hitters at linebacker in Bradley Dickey and Ben Foster. The line is led by Griffin Pelotte, a second-team all-conference selection last year.

“I think we have guys that are solid at all three levels,” LeBlanc said. “I think the key on defense is that we play smart. In our two games so far, we haven’t made that bad mistake; we’ve made teams earn it on us. We’re disciplined, and we’re experienced in a lot of crucial roles, and so far, it’s paid dividends for us.”

Waterville football coach Isaac LeBlanc, center, instructs the team during practice Tuesday in Waterville. Rich Abrahamson/Morning Sentinel

Entering the season, much of the chatter in eight-man Large School was about Mt. Ararat and defending state champion Yarmouth, the two heavyweights in the South. That left Waterville players, many of whom have now played in two straight state championship games, feeling overlooked.

It’s disrespect, Harrison said, that has the Panthers playing with a fire. Waterville, after all, was right there with Yarmouth in the Large School state title game, losing by a single score after the Clippers mounted a last-minute drive. These early games, then, have been about sending a message.

“We have (that chip on our shoulder), 100%,” said Harrison, who’s also rushed for 436 yards and six touchdowns over the first two games. “There’s still nobody that believes in us to win it all. We’re going to do it this year.”

It’s not that bold of a prediction for a team that’s come so close. Waterville has been there twice, and after it took a touchdown with 32 seconds left in the state title game to deny them last year, you can’t fault the Panthers for thinking they’re so close to the mountaintop.

Defense has taken Waterville to that precipice. After the high-flying contests of 2021 and even early last season, the Panthers have ironed themselves into a stout defensive unit that’s excelled in every facet ever since last year’s playoffs.

“We want it more now,” said Cayford, who matched Harrison’s 13 tackles in the win over Spruce. “We love the game, and we love to come at you and hit hard. That’s what we do.”