AUGUSTA — If you tried to concoct a juicier central Maine football game in a lab, it’s unlikely you’d succeed.
Take 133 years of history and combine it with the fewest combined losses ever between the two teams, and everything you could want in a Cony-Gardiner rivalry has manifested in the showdown that will take place when the Rams and Tigers battle Friday at Fuller Field.
Fueled by a defense allowing 12.1 points per game, Gardiner (6-1) is in the midst of its best season since 2010. The Tigers have registered 38 tackles for loss and 10 interceptions while allowing just two passing touchdowns and 34 completions.
Cony (7-0) hopes to change that. The Rams, No. 3 in the Varsity Maine poll, are averaging 49.6 points per game, the most in 11-man football. No team has come close to stopping a passing attack led by one of the state’s most prolific quarterbacks in Parker Morin.
It’s the 147th meeting between the Rams and Tigers. Cony leads the series, 78-58-10.
Keys to a Gardiner victory
• Motivation. While Cony has clinched the No. 1 seed in Class B North, the Tigers could still move up or down from No. 3 in Class C. Gardiner has also lost 11 of the past 12 games in the rivalry. These factors could fuel the Tigers on Friday.
• Perfection in the secondary. Led by Brayden Elliott, Henry Gingras and Chase McGrane, Gardiner’s vaunted no-fly zone will need its best effort of the season to prevent Cony’s passing game from lighting up the scoreboard.
Keys to a Cony victory
• Balance. Coach B.L. Lippert said injuries will likely keep star receiver Ethan Demmons out for a third straight contest. With running back Anderson Noyes fresh off a three-touchdown game, the Rams could use a more balanced attack.
• Vary the snap counts. Doing this, Lippert said, will be key against a Gardiner defense that makes up for its lack of size with its exceptional speed and technique. Cony needs to keep that defense unsteady.
Gardiner impact players
• Senior RB/LB Owen Chadwick (49 carries, 482 yards, 6 TDs; 54 tackles)
• Sophomore RB/LB Justin Doody (83 carries, 512 yards, 6 TDs; 10 tackles for loss, four sacks)
• Sophomore QB Isaac Madore (51 of 87 passing, 479 yards, 7 TDs, 4 INTs)
• Junior TE/DB Chase McGrane (24 receptions, 257 yards, 5 TDs; 3 INTs)
• Senior OL/DL Tyler Tourtelotte
Cony impact players
• Senior QB Parker Morin (86 of 128 passing, 1,798 yards, 26 TDs, 2 INTs)
• Junior RB Anderson Noyes (53 carries, 332 yards, 9 TDs; 11 receptions, 134 yards, 3 TDs)
• Senior WR Benjamin Hanke (25 receptions, 492 yards, 7 TDs)
• Senior OL/LB Kaiden Veilleux (48 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 2 sacks)
• Senior OL/DL Bohdy King Jones
Last meeting
What they’re saying
“They’re a great team, so we know we’re going to have to play great. We can’t be too spot-of-the-moment, make unforced errors or get off-track of our fundamentals and what we’ve been coached to do over the past seven games.” — Gardiner senior Jason Deering
“Their offensive line doesn’t get nearly enough credit. They’re really good up front, they’re really sound in their pass protection, and their scheme is great. Defensively, the way they’re able to generate pressure, they can really do a ton of stuff that makes it difficult to pick up on a lot of those things.” — Gardiner coach Pat Munzing
“They mix up the coverage a lot more than most of the teams we’ve seen. The guys in that secondary, they play the ball like an offensive player would — they’re ballhawks, and they play like they have just as much right to the ball as our receivers.” — B.L. Lippert
