As far as central Maine football goes, the matchups don’t get more much immersed in history than this — nor do the postseason implications get much bigger.

No teams in the central Maine area have won more Gold Balls than Winslow’s 11 and Madison’s seven. On Friday night, the two will meet in a showdown of 5-1 teams at Madison’s Rudman Field, with a playoff bye likely on the line.

The Black Raiders have lived up to their billing as one of the favorites in the region. Fueled by a stout offensive line and a rushing attack that has racked up 2,432 yards (405.3 per game), they are averaging 44.8 points per game, second-most in 11-man football to Cony’s 50.2. The only blip in Winslow’s record was a 27-14 defeat at John Bapst (6-0) on Sept. 27.

Breathing down the Black Raiders’ necks for second place in D North is one of 2025’s biggest surprises: Madison. After going 3-29 from 2021-24, the Bulldogs have won five straight games following a season-opening loss at John Bapst. Madison is currently third in the region, only 2.08 Crabtree points behind Winslow, so the Bulldogs would leapfrog the Black Raiders with a win Friday.

Keys to a Winslow victory

• Defend against the pass. John Bapst was able to make key plays through the air against Winslow. Madison is capable of putting up big numbers through the air.

• Be prepared to adapt. Madison has used four quarterbacks this season and has been able to grind out wins in different ways. The Bulldogs might give Winslow different looks, and the Black Raiders must be ready.

Keys to a Madison victory

• Third-down conversions. Madison was 2 of 7 on third down against Mattanawcook Academy and Maranacook and 3 of 11 against Dirigo. Converting more often will be key against a defense allowing only 10.1 points per game.

• Start fast. Madison allowed Dirigo to return the opening kick for a score two weeks ago and led just 7-6 at halftime last week at Mattanawcook Academy before pulling away. The Bulldogs must pounce early against Winslow.

Winslow impact players

• Freshman RB/LB Michael Loubier (57 carries, 878 yards, 10 TDs; 30 total tackles)

• Senior RB/DL Hassan Hobbi (53 carries, 673 yards, 10 TDs)

• Senior QB/LB Liem Fortin (54 carries, 557 yards, 10 TDs)

• Senior TE/LB Ibrahim al-Subaihawi (30 total tackles)

• Senior OL/DL Nick McCann

Madison impact players

• Senior RB/DB Jayden Horton (38 carries, 369 yards, 3 TDs; 72 total tackles)

• Junior RB/DB Davyn Nichols (66 carries, 362 yards, 6 TDs)

• Sophomore TE/LB Logan Dawes (63 total tackles)

• Senior OL/LB Griffin Dickey (3.5 sacks)

• Junior QB/DB Bobby Vigue

Last meeting

• Nov. 2, 2024: Winslow, 44-18, in D North quarterfinals.

What they’re saying

• “I think they’re doing a great job over there (at Madison), and this will be a great game. We’re ready for that, and our kids are excited for it. I think we’ve played really well over the last couple weeks and have really improved, so we’re all looking forward to Friday night.” — Winslow coach Wes Littlefield

• “We learned (from losing to Bapst) that we can never go into a match cocky and assume that we’re going to win. I think that’s what set us back that game, but we definitely needed that loss to put us where we needed to be.” — Winslow senior Ibrahim al-Subaihawi

• “They’ve got a nice safety back there (Horton) who’s pretty strong. … It would be huge (to get a first-round bye), but truly, we just have to focus on winning this game and playing our 100-percent best.” — Winslow freshman Michael Loubier

Note: Madison coach Danny Moreshead told the Morning Sentinel that his team “respectfully declined” comment to the media as it focused on preparing for the game.