When training camp kicked off Thursday for three NCAA Division III football programs from Maine that play in the Conference of New England, it had a little more meaning for one of them.

Maine Maritime Academy’s program returns to varsity status and will play a full 10-game schedule for the first time since 2019. Financial strains caused by the COVID-19 pandemic forced the school to suspend the program in 2020. The program was reinstated in 2023, and the Mariners played a mix of varsity and subvarsity games for two seasons.

“There’s been a ton of support from President (Craig) Johnson and our athletic director, (Bill) Mottola,” head coach Nick Sheehan said. “I mean, it’s been incredible. This whole athletic department, our guys are really excited, I think. And the biggest thing from them was (that) they wanted to be true college football players.”

Sheehan previously served as Maine Maritime’s offensive coordinator and was named the head coach in December when Mottola, the interim head coach, took over as athletic director.

Maine’s other two participants in the Conference of New England opened camp with optimism after mixed results last season.

“The thing every coach loves about it is football all day,” UNE coach Mike Lichten said. “You get a chance to really work with the players directly, continuously each day for an extended period of time. You just feel as though you get a really good grasp on who your team is and who (the) members are and what the capabilities are, what needs to be done to get them to improve and perform up to your level of standard.”

Husson coach Nat Clark hopes the disappointment of last season motivates the Eagles. Husson started 6-2 before finishing 7-5 after losing in the Fusion Bowl to SUNY Maritime.

“We didn’t finish the season the way we had hoped and the way we thought we could have, particularly the last two weeks,” Clark said. “I hope that’s on their minds, you know, finishing. It’s great to get off to a great start over the last couple of days. But it’s really all about finishing here. I think that’s really on their minds.”

MMA FINDING WHAT WORKS ON OFFENSE

The Mariners run a vertical run-pass-option offense, and Sheehan is trying to learn his team’s strength before its opener at Hartwick College on Sept. 6.

“The biggest thing as coaches is finding out what our guys can do and putting those guys in really good situations to succeed,” Sheehan said. “(We need to) kind of figure out what we do really well. That’s what camp is, right? Finding out what we can do well and kind of leaning into that aspect of the offense.”

Maine Maritime will have a quarterback battle between two freshmen, Evan Arceneaux of New Orleans and Nyrel Norris of Springfield, Massachusetts.

Sheehan likes what the Mariners have in the backfield, with sophomore Will Keach of Leeds and junior Austin Harris from Jacksonville, Florida.

“Will is just a smart football player,” Sheehan said. “He’s kind of an old-school football player and can do a little bit of everything. … He handled a lot of stuff and was able to kind of touch the ball and give us some speed. Austin Harris did a really great job just pounding the rock for us, being able to get his foot on the ground and make some big plays in the running game. Then (he) was able to catch a few passes as well and make some things happen.”

Harris led the Mariners with 261 rushing yards in their three varsity games in 2024. He recorded seven catches for 47 yards and three receiving touchdowns. Keach, a former Leavitt standout, had seven carries for 36 yards, as well as six catches for 87 yards.

HUSSON FOCUSED ON LINE PLAY

One of Clark’s focuses during camp is to determine who will play on the offensive and defensive lines.

“I think in the offensive line, we had four or five starters last year that were seniors,” Clark said. “So the offensive line, we’re going to have some guys really fighting to play, and that’s fun, because there’s a lot of competition in that room. We’re going to be looking for a couple of tight ends here. We have our starter, Caleb Solomon, out of Houlton; he’s a senior. But (we need) to see who’s going to back him up, or when we play two tight ends.”

Solomon had five catches for 51 yards as a junior.

Gaziano Award winner Joe Dube of Lewiston is one of a handful of Mainers vying for a spot on the defensive line. Dube had three sacks and forced two fumbles during the Lobster Bowl and was named MVP for the East in the 41-6 loss to the West in July.

“On defense, we’re looking for depth just about everywhere,” Clark said. “And so on the (defensive) line, we’re actually led by two Maine guys. James Boyd out of Nokomis and Bryce Bussell from MCI. We have other guys there that we need, and Joe Dube is one of them. … He’s had a great couple of days. Certainly like where he’s at. He had a great Lobster Bowl. I think he’s kind of used the momentum from the Lobster Bowl here so far in the first couple of days at Husson.”

Bussell, a senior, had 52 tackles in 2024 while recording 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Boyd, a graduate student, played four games in 2024 and had 12 total tackles.

UNE EXCITED ABOUT ITS MAINERS

UNE’s Lichten said the Nor’Easters (4-6) have Mainers who can make a name for themselves during camp prior to their opener against Coast Guard on Sept. 6.

“The first guy that comes to mind is Will Ledbetter,” Lichten said. “He’s a quarterback from Windham and an incredibly talented player, but an even better person and student who’s been an ambassador here at UNE in a variety of ways, somebody I just really admire and I’m very proud of. Spencer LaBrecque was a Lobster Bowl player and a (defensive) rookie of the year in our conference.”

Ledbetter played sparingly at quarterback in 2024 but completed 10 of 12 passes for 112 yards with two touchdowns. He also saw time on defense.

LaBrecque, of Yarmouth, had 20 tackles last season.

“We also have some great young Maine players,” Lichten said. “I’m really excited about C.J. Cooper, who’s Coach (Kevin) Cooper’s son, out of Bonny Eagle. I know he’s anxious to represent his program and make a very solid impact here. Alex Yeaton is a tight end from Windham. Aidan DiMillo is a receiver from Portland. So we have some great Mainers on our roster.”