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Small can be mighty was the predominant theme at Tuesday’s preseason practices. We also learned that offense makes a team mightier, but when it’s all on the line, choose the defense.

Varsity Maine visited practices for the Dirigo and Kennebunk field hockey and Skowhegan football teams, and here’s everything we learned in Skowhegan:

Picking sides

Tuesday is offense day for many high school football teams around the state. Skowhegan is no different.

River Hawks coach Brad Cyr lined up three blockers and three defenders between cones near midfield. The goal was for a running back to take a pitch from an assistant coach and, with the assistance of his blockers, evade tacklers and reach the end line.

To wrap it up, Cyr upped the ante. At the end, the players not participating in the final rep were told to stand behind which unit they thought would win. Most chose the defense, and their reward when the D came up with a stop was not having to do much-dreaded pushups.

“That’s always a good motivator,” Cyr said. “We’ve been trying to do more competition drills like these. It really brings out the intensity.”

Skow back to school

Tuesday marked the last “summer camp” practice for Skowhegan players. Freshmen in the district begin school Wednesday, while sophomores, juniors and seniors start Thursday.

Senior Trevor Austin said his favorite part of school is Somerset Career & Technical Center, a hands-on vocational program offered at the school. For fellow senior Ayden Mulcahy? “Lunch.”

As for their favorite teacher, both were in agreement: Cyr, a math teacher, stood above the rest.