Brunswick receiver Trevor Gerrish hauls in a pass in front of two Gray-New Gloucester defenders during a Sept. 1 game in Gray. Eric Maxim/The Times Record
BRUNSWICK — It’s not hard to spot Brunswick High junior Trevor Gerrish on a football field. He’s the 6-foot-5 athletic receiver who can line up just about anywhere.
It’s also not hard to see why Gerrish is putting up absurd numbers for the rejuvenated Dragons (2-1), who are thriving in their eight-man football debut. He’s the guy with oven mitts for hands and a thirst for the end zone.
He’s also a major mismatch for eight-man defenses.
“It’s tough to guard him, with how big he is,” said junior quarterback Cam Beal. “When I look for Trev and if I see one guy on him, I know he can get it. He’s mobile and he knows how to use his body. It’s a positive to his game.”
Added Gerrish: “Cam just gets me the ball. He puts it where I can catch it. It’s working.”
Is it ever.
The Dragons have scored 124 points in three games, good for third most in the eight-man Large division. Only Mountain Valley (166) and defending state champ Yarmouth (141) have scored more. And leading the way for new coach Mark Renna are Beal and Gerrish.
Beal has completed 50 of 86 passes (58%) for 814 yards and 11 touchdowns. Nine of those scoring strikes have gone to Gerrish, who has 21 catches for 543 yards. Wide receiver Liam Scholl has 20 catches for 164 yards and two touchdowns.
“We play to our strengths,” Beal said.
The strong start has also helped the program bounce back from what has been a turbulent three years. The coronavirus pandemic wiped out tackle football in 2020, and the school canceled the remainder of its 2021 season after only five games as a result of a preseason hazing incident. The investigation eventually led to the removal of longtime head coach Dan Cooper.
Brunswick needed a waiver from the Maine Principals’ Association to reinstate its program for the 2022 season. The Dragons then finished 0-8 in Class B North, getting outscored 388-34 under first-year coach Brandon Dorsett.
Brunswick junior quarterback Cam Beal looks to evade a Gray-New Gloucester defender during a Sept. 1 game in Gray. Eric Maxim/The Times Record
The school hired Renna as its coach in March as the program transitioned to the eight-man Large School division. Renna, a former Yarmouth defensive coordinator, is the third Brunswick head coach in as many seasons.
“The past is the past,” Renna said, “We preach that. We learn from the yesterdays and prepare for tomorrow. Today is the next step for tomorrow. My philosophy is next play, move on. It hasn’t been easy. They had the COVID year, then they lost a season to the hazing (incident), and last year was a debacle. Right now, we are just trying to teach them how to be leaders and how to win.”
The process has come quickly.
The Dragons throttled Gray-New Gloucester 54-26 in their eight-man debut on Sept. 1. The victory was the program’s first in 721 days, a stretch not lost on the players and coaches.
“It was a long time,” Beal said. “We saw eight-man as an opportunity for us to restart and get away from all the drama from freshmen and sophomore years. This is a restart and we want to make the most of it. We knew we could capitalize if we put the work in. My freshman and sophomore years, we weren’t even talking football. It’s nice to get back to that winning culture.”
Added Gerrish: “It was my first win in high school football. It felt awesome. It really showed that this team can really do something here. We are here to stay, we are here to win and we are here to compete with everyone.”
Gerrish isn’t the only weapon on a balanced Brunswick squad. Scholl has emerged as a strong complement to Gerrish in the passing game while running back Jimmy Cook helps the ground attack. Beal leads the team with 219 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
“Jimmy and Liam, they are some big horses on offense,” Renna said. “With Cam and Trevor, the team looks to them. They are both great students, great athletes and great leaders. They kind of rise to the top. The majority of the kids look to Cam and Trevor to break things down.”
Opposing coaches have taken notice, too.
Mt. Ararat coach Frank True, whose Eagles will visit Brunswick on Oct. 6, said Gerrish is a big-time threat.
“He is a big, strong, physical player who creates problems for defenses,” he said. “You will need to account for where he is on the field.”
Renna said the Dragons are still finding their way defensively. Christian McMaster has emerged as a standout linebacker while Albert Porter and Nate Baucom have provided steady play for a unit that has allowed 31 points per game.
“It’s coming along,” Renna said. “We have a lot of potential. There are no layers in eight-man defenses. It’s basically fundamental defense. If you make a mistake, it’s a touchdown. We have some hungry kids who are making plays, so that is good to see.”
After a 30-28 loss to Morse in a game that was played out over two days because of bad weather, the Dragons edged Greely 42-38 on Sept. 14. Gerrish hauled in five touchdown passes from Beal.
Next up for Brunswick is a homecoming game Friday against Lake Region (0-3). Spruce Mountain (0-3), Mt. Ararat (1-2) and Yarmouth (3-0) also loom on the schedule.
“We won’t take anything for granted,” Renna said. “Our goal is to make the playoffs and make a run for it. That is our goal.”
Beal said the Dragons have the potential to make some more noise this fall.
“There are definitely things we can work on, but I like how we’re playing right now,” Beal said. “We can build on that and get better every week. We got off to a hot start and hopefully it stays that way. … I think if we work hard enough, good things will happen. But only time will tell. We want the Gold Ball. We want to hold that Gold Ball, but we know it’s not given. We are going to have to work for it.”
Gerrish agreed.
“We can go as far as we want,” he said. “We want to get to that highest point, which is obviously holding the Gold Ball.”
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