WINSLOW — His football team was sliding, losing three straight games, but Winslow Coach Wes Littlefield still stuck to the same goals he’d had all year.

After a 35-21 loss to John Bapst dropped the Black Raiders to 2-3, Littlefield still believed his team could make a run. He set a date: Nov. 16, the Class D North title game. He also set an opponent: Foxcroft Academy.

“We sat them down, and I said, ‘Guys, this is my goal for you,’” said Littlefield. “I knew, if we made some changes, we could still be there. Now, we’re there, and I told my guys, ‘OK, I think you can play with them, so let’s go play with them.’ ”

Winslow (6-4), the No. 2 seed, will get that opportunity when it faces No. 1 Foxcroft (11-0) for the regional title at 11 a.m. Saturday at Hampden Academy. The Black Raiders, who have won four straight games after some late-season adjustments, will look to hand the Ponies their first Class D North loss since 2019.

After blowing out Maine Central Institute and Madison to start the season, Winslow began a skid when it lost to Foxcroft Academy, 35-3, in Week 3. The Black Raiders then lost to Lisbon, 26-20, before losing to John Bapst and Wells.

Prior to the Wells game, Littlefield shuffled the Black Raiders offensive line, moving 300-pound Zane Erickson to tackle and standout Seth Bard to guard, while Jacob Garcia, previously a fullback, became the tight end.

“I’ve definitely felt (our line being more in sync since then),” Bard said. “(Playing guard) makes it so I can pull, so that opens up a lot of windows for me. … Everybody knows their job, and we execute, and when you execute, you win.”

Members of the Winslow football team run a play during practice Tuesday. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

Since falling to 2-4 with their 42-6 loss to Wells, the Black Raiders have defeated Belfast (48-6), Old Town (34-6), Madison (44-18 in the North quarterfinals) and John Bapst (56-34 in the semifinals).

The playoff victory over John Bapst was evidence of Winslow’s turnaround. Liam Fortin and Hassan Hobbi combined for an astonishing 538 yards on the ground as the Black Raiders dominated from start to finish.

“As running backs, I think we’re able to see a lot more now,” said Fortin, who ran for 331 yards and two touchdowns. “With the blocking scheme and the effort that the linemen have been putting forth, we’ve been able to read better and make good cuts.”

Now, revamped Winslow has a chance at redemption, for both this season and last. In addition to the lopsided loss in Week 3, the Black Raiders were blown out by Foxcroft, 62-7, in last year’s semifinals as the Ponies were on their way to a third consecutive state championship game appearance.

Although Foxcroft is less experienced compared to previous teams, it is still a juggernaut. Winslow must watch out for quarterback Griffin Caruso and receiver Lucas Sandsm, and also must find success against a defense that is allowing just 7.1 points per game.

“(Coach) Danny White does a great job up there with his kids, and they’re talented and create some problems for every team,” Littlefield said. “They’re a great team, and we’re pumped for this game and thankful for the opportunity to play them. I think we can come out better than we did last time.”

Doing so will require Winslow to be more opportunistic than the regular-season showdown, in which it got inside the Foxcroft 20 four times but came away with just a field goal. Given the Black Raiders’ recent adjustments, they’re confident they can compete this time around.

“We just kept our heads down and kept working hard no matter what, and now we’re here,” Bard said. “(We’re going to have to) outphysical them; we need to play a physical game. We’re all excited.”