Portland will host South Portland at Fitzpatrick Stadium on Friday night for the 109th Battle of the Bridge game, which dates to 1907.

With both teams coming off strong performances, the grudge match is one of the top storylines for Week 9 of the Maine high school football season.

Portland (6-2) and South Portland (5-3) are locked into their playoff spots. Portland will be the top seed in A North while South Portland will be the fourth seed in the South.

South Portland started 1-3 with losses to Class A South leaders Thornton Academy, Bonny Eagle, and Noble, all currently 7-1. Since then the Red Riots have won four straight, outscoring their opponents 123-25. Their defense is coming off shutouts against Scarborough and Massabesic.

South Portland’s surge corresponded to getting healthier. Standout tight end/linebacker Kai Turner was out early in the season and quarterback Parker Reny also missed games.

“They’re really big and physical. A ton of size up front,” Portland coach Nick Cliche said of South Portland’s defense. “Kai is an outstanding linebacker, they have great defensive backs, athletes everywhere, and I think improved health is a big piece of that.”

Portland has won 11 of the last 12 meetings, including a 29-20 victory in the B South regional final in 2022. Both programs returned to their traditional spots in Class A in 2023.

Portland is coming off its best all-around game, a 33-21 win at Exeter, New Hampshire. A year ago Exeter beat the Bulldogs in Portland but last Friday it was Portland that jumped to a quick 27-0 lead.

Portland quarterback Cordell Jones had a big game. He rushed for 174 yards and four scores, and threw for 90 yards and a TD. Moved to middle linebacker from safety the week before against Lewiston, Jones and made 14 tackles.

Getting nose guard Will Lukoki back from season-long injury, and the improved and increased play of Daniel Tsumbu, a 6-2, 305 defensive tackle, are also helping Portland.

PLAYOFF TIME

While Class A finishes its nine-game regular season, playoffs begin in all other divisions. The top two teams in B and C get byes, with the top six teams in the statewide Class C sitting idle this week.

The best matchup based on teams’ combined records is clearly in the eight-man Large School South division where No. 3 Yarmouth (7-1) is at No. 2 Mt. Ararat (7-1). That’s the Varsity Maine Game of the Week.

One Class B South game that figures to be entertaining is No. 5 Cheverus (4-4) at No. 4 Marshwood (5-3) in the South. The winner will go to No. 1 Westbrook (7-1). In the regular season, Marshwood beat the Stags 23-22 in South Berwick.

In eight-man Small School, No. 1 Old Orchard Beach will get an unexpected bye because Boothbay (3-4) declined its invitation to participate. While declining a playoff spot is uncommon, it is not unheard of and does not result in any sanctions.

POLAND LOOKING TO MAKE HISTORY

In D South, No. 3 Poland (5-3) is looking to claim the first home playoff victory in program history when it hosts No. 6 Morse (3-5). Poland hosted a playoff game for the first time two years ago, losing to Freeport.

Second-year coach Seth Johnson believes this time the Knights are ready to advance. “They’ve put in the work and effort all season to do the little things right,” Johnson said. “They’re watching film, learning techniques and learning everything to be successful as well as bringing the talent they have.”

Quarterback Damon Martin is the Knights’ top player. Fellow seniors Landon Cooper (WR), Jameson Plummer (TE/MLB), Miguel Cyr (RB/DE), and Damion Gerding-Shaw (OL) have emerged as leaders among their positional groups and the team.

Winthrop (8-0) is the unbeaten top seed in D South and gets a bye along with Dirigo (5-3). No. 4 Oak Hill and No. 5 Freeport are also 5-3.

MADISON BACK IN THE HUNT

The Bulldogs are 6-2 in D North under fourth-year head coach Danny Moreshead, the Bulldogs’ first winning season since 2017 when they went 9-2 and reached the D South final. They can claim their first playoff win since 2018 by beating No. 6 MCI (2-6).

Moreshead, a 2013 Madison grad, and his players have gone through lean years: 1-7 in 2022, 0-8 in 2023 and 2-7 with a playoff loss in 2024.

“We have great senior leadership this year. These are guys when they came in as freshmen were getting blown out left and right, and now there’s times when they’re doing the coaching and know what I expect,” Moreshead said.