With the Rumford paper mill in the background, the Mountain Valley High School football team practices Thursday for its upcoming game against longtime rival Cape Elizabeth. Declining enrollment at the school has made it difficult for the powerhouse to stay on top.

With enrollment down to 418 last year, Mountain Valley has a smaller pool for football talent.

Mountain Valley’s Curtis Gauvain gets warmed up at the start of practice Thursday in Rumford. The team plays Cape Elizabeth, once a major rival, on Friday.

Mountain Valley Athletic Director Alan Cayer, a Rumford High graduate (1974) and former assistant coach, says “we’d like to get back to the glory days” in the football program.

The football team’s trophy case at Mountain Valley High holds four state championship trophies and other hardware from successful seasons. That success meant that “from 2003 to 2010, we put 2,000 to 2,500 (fans) in the stadium,” said football coach Steve LaPointe.