Maranacook’s Owen Dunn makes contact with Sacopee Valley defender Riley Taylor during a Sept. 22 football game in Hiram. The Black Bears will take on 5-0 Old Orchard Beach on Friday in a matchup of two of the top teams in eight-man Small School South. Photo by Jen Jacobs
READFIELD — There have been a few programs that have become standard-bearers of eight-man football since the format was introduced in 2019. Not far down that list are Old Orchard Beach and Maranacook.
The Seagulls have been one of the iconic teams of the eight-man game, appearing in the inaugural eight-man state title and winning the Small School state title last year. With a 25-9 record and a 2021 Small School South championship to their name, the Black Bears aren’t far behind.
“We’ve both been very formidable,” said Old Orchard Beach head coach Dean Plante. “We’ve played some big games against them over the past few years, and they’re always physical. They’ve had some great players and great coaches, and it’s a game we always look forward to.”
It’ll be another big one when Maranacook takes on Old Orchard Beach on Friday. The Black Bears are back at home after their first loss of the year to take on the Seagulls, who are putting up video game-type numbers in one of the biggest eight-man football games of the 2023 season.
No team in eight-man football’s brief existence in Maine has done anything like what Old Orchard Beach (5-0) is doing right now. The Seagulls have yet to allow a single point on the season, outscoring opponents an astonishing 328-0 with most games being over after the first few drives.
“They’re fundamentally sound, and they execute and execute well every single game,” said Maranacook head coach Skip Bessey. “They load one side of the line, run that side and dare you to try to stop them, and so far, nobody’s been able to stop them. They’re very good at what they do.”
Wesley Gallant, right, of Old Orchard Beach celebrates his touchdown with teammates during the Seagulls’ season opener on Aug. 31 against Traip Academy. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer
OOB, which is fresh off an 82-0 win over Sacopee Valley last week, has a solid running back group led by Wesley Gallant, Asher Hubert and Reid MacNair. The Seagulls also have a solid passing game in junior quarterback Brady Plante and receivers Levi Perrone and Riley Provencheur.
More impressive, though, has been a defense that’s posted the first five-game shutout streak in Maine high school football in at least 20 years. OOB’s defensive line of MacNair, Ian Blake, Kyan Chase and Derrick Webber has been menacing, and the secondary, led by Plante and Provencheur is a no-fly zone.
“Our goal isn’t to shut people out, but when you reach benchmarks like that, everybody seems to be keeping track of that,” Dean Plante said. “They know they’ve set some records and standards, and we talk about that, but we’re also not going to call timeout and have a moment of silence when we give up that first score.”
Maranacook (4-1) is confident in its ability to score that first point. OOB, after all, hasn’t played an offense the likes of the Black Bears (55.0 points per game). The Black Bears have one of eight-man’s top running backs in Owen Dunn and a good passing game in quarterback Kody Goucher and receiver Robbie Vivenzio.
“(Vivenzio) at wide receiver is a legitimate threat, so we’ve got to be aware of where he lines up,” Plante said. “(Dunn) is a home-run hitter who can take it to the house any time he wants, and (Goucher) is a really good quarterback. That’s the three-headed monster we’re going to be dealing with defensively.”
Maranacook’s Owen Dunn breaks through for a 47 yard touchdown run against Dirigo during an eight-man Small School South football semifinal game last season in Readfield. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
There’s an itch to get back in the win column for Maranacook following a somewhat surprising 28-22 loss to Dirigo last week. Although Bessey said Maranacook prepared well and played a physical game against the Cougars, the execution simply wasn’t there following a game-day buildup that simply felt off.
“Going into the game, I felt like we needed to get punched in the mouth a little bit, and before the game, I just had that feeling,” Bessey said. “The bus ride just didn’t feel right, and walking around the field, I just had a feeling we were in for a game. On the field, the kids knew we left a good 21-28 points out there.”
Bessey fully expects his team to end OOB’s shutout streak Friday. His bigger concern is how his own defense fares against the Seagulls, whose first-strong offense has scored essentially every time it’s touched the ball this season. The key to that, he said, will be to contain the visitors in the run game.
Winning in all phases of the game is an enormous challenge against an OOB team that looks eons better than the version that won the Gold Ball a year ago. It’s a task, though, that Maranacook must be able to accomplish at some point as the Seagulls will likely be waiting for the Black Bears again come playoff time.
“We know that, if we don’t execute and play physical, it could be a long night for us,” Bessey said. “At the same time, it could be a really good football game, which I’m hoping for at this point. … I know there’s going to be a big crowd; people have been circling this game for a while. They’re excited for it. ”
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