The Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic is the place where children in critical need get a new lease on life and where the most bitter rivalries go to die.
If you were a fellow guest in the air-conditioned dormitories at Foxcroft Academy this week, you could set your watch to it. In a matter of minutes, the recent graduates who thought they liked one another the least gravitate to each other the quickest.
“Some of the closest guys I’m with this week are from Leavitt,” Peter Theriault of Spruce Mountain and the West squad. “It’s kind of weird. I’m not going to tell anyone back home.”
Leavitt ended Spruce Mountain’s 2013 season in the Class C West championship game and also stopped the Phoenix’s undefeated streak at seven in the 2014 regular-season finale.
Now, for six key components of the relatively young but contentious Route 4 rivalry, their last memory of the gridiron is being teammates and becoming fast friends.
Deonte Ring joins Peter Theriault in the West secondary, while Matt Vigue rounds out the Spruce trio at slot receiver. Their names will be indelibly linked in Livermore Falls and Jay for the rest of their lives, but now, at least for a day, you can associate them with Leavitt tight end Mitchel Davis, nose tackle and offensive lineman Will Parkin and split end Gabe Seeley.
All of them have swapped their shades of green for a blue jersey with ‘Shrine’ emblazoned across the front for the 26th annual charity game, which kicks off at 6 p.m. Saturday on Biddeford’s Waterhouse Field.
“Will, Gabe and I have been hanging out with Deonte and Matt all week,” Davis said. “We’re rivals. We’ll go at it during the game, but once we get here, we’re the same type of kids. Them and Frosty (Tyler Frost) from Dirigo. We’re together all the time.”
Leavitt’s fingerprints are all over the game. Mike Hathaway is head coach for the West, with Hornets’ assistants Dave Bochtler, Mark Bonnevie, Doug Conn and Kolin Gauthier comprising half the coaching staff.
Combine that with one look at the rosters, which have a glut of slot receivers and barely a mention of fullbacks, and it’s a safe bet that the ball will be upstairs early and often.
Zach Dubiel of Bonny Eagle and Noah Nelson of Falmouth will quarterback the West. Joining Vigue, Davis and Seeley as prime targets are Alex Mace of Oak Hill and Caleb Gauvin of Mountain Valley.
“We should put the ball in the air a little bit,” Davis said. “On offense, since I play tight end, I know all the (Leavitt) passing schemes and all the blocking schemes. If Hathaway’s off doing something else I can help everybody. It’s good.”
The West shouldn’t have any problem running, either. Kyle Flaherty of two-time Class D champion Oak Hill, Fitzpatrick Trophy winner Brett Gerry of Marshwood and Fitzy finalist Chris Carney of Wells are the backs.
Leavitt and Spruce Mountain join Windham, MCI, Bonny Eagle, Thornton as the only schools with three representatives in the game. Oak Hill has four, with defensive back Kyle Tervo and receiver/kicker Adam Merrill joining Flaherty and Mace.
“It’s pretty awesome to have three of us out here playing,” Ring said. “I’m honored. It’s nice to be recognized for football and hard work, and then it’s nice to play and raise money.”
All proceeds benefit the 22 Shrine hospitals for children in North America. Players were expected to sell tickets and solicit donations in the four months leading up to the game.
“It’s an honor being able to help out all the kids who need help, and being able to play football one more time,” Vigue said. “It’s pretty sweet.”
Saturday will be the final football game for the Spruce Mountain standouts.
Vigue received an academic scholarship to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., where he will major in homeland security. Theriault and Ring plan to play basketball at Southern Maine Community College while studying criminal justice and business, respectively.
Davis will cross the state line and play football while studying sports management at Plymouth State. The star-studded triple practice sessions of Lobster Bowl week have been solid preparation.
“Everybody’s unreal,” he said. “Everybody’s the best player on their team. Everybody’s huge, like brick walls.”
Other locals on the West roster are Frost, a linebacker; defensive tackles Tony Benedict of Poland, Ryan Vail of Telstar and Jeremy Mihilakis of Winthrop; and fullback/linebacker Joe Philbrick of Lisbon.
Quintarian Brown and Ace Curry of Lewiston, Hunter Martin of Edward Little, Davis Turner of Oxford Hills and J.T. Williams of Mt. Blue will suit up for the East, which has won six of the past nine lobster Bowls to narrow the West’s all-time led in the series to 17-8.
East players to watch include running backs Joe Fitzpatrick of Cheverus and Dylan Hapworth of Winslow, quarterback Mitchell Caron and receiver Tayler Carrier of Cony, defensive end Zack Roy of Windham and linebacker Peter Boyer of Foxcroft.
Team leaders have taken extra time this year to emphasize the deeper meaning of the game.
“We’ll get after it in practice, and then when things get a little too far, Coach will reel us in and remind us that it’s more than that,” Davis said. “We don’t want it to be like last year, when it got a little chippy. They’re telling us keep it clean and that the big meaning of the game is for the kids.”
Check those rivalries at the door, in other words.
koakes@sunjournal.com
Lobster Bowl rosters
EAST
1 Quintarian Brown, SE, Lewiston
3 Cody Soucier, slot, Madison
4 J.T. Williams, LB, Mt. Blue
5 Jake Drew, DB, Houlton
6 Branden Upshaw, S, Old Town
7 Austin Tolman, SE, MCI
8 Matt Stewart, QB, Bucksport
9 Jake Dexter, S, Messalonskee
10 Cody Martin, DB, Lawrence
11 Jackson Leonard, DB, John Bapst
12 Austin Pagnozzi, DB, Brewer
13 Colton Spear, S, Medomak Valley
14 Bobby Chenard, QB, Winslow
15 Mitchell Caron, QB, Cony
21 Hunter Martin, SE, Edward Little
22 Peter Boyer, LB, Foxcroft
23 Nick Bennett, TE, Hermon
24 Noah Kershner, LB, Nokomis
26 Matt Roy, DE, Windham
27 Joe Fitzpatrick, RB, Cheverus
28 Evan McAuliffe, LB, Bangor
29 Tanner Laberge, S, Windham
32 Zack Davis, DE, Windham
34 Steven Davis, slot, Belfast
35 Tayler Carrier, slot, Cony
37 Dylan Hapworth, RB, Winslow
41 Kaleb Brown, LB, Skowhegan
42 Ace Curry, SE, Lewiston
43 Davis Turner, LB, Oxford Hills
44 Marc Morneault, DB, Stearns
51 Dakota Cates-Wright, OL, Washington
55 Dan O’Brion, OL, Cheverus
59 Corey Huerfano, OL, Waterville
61 Nick Deckert, OL, MCI
66 Dominic Dimillo, OL, Portland
70 Jake Doyon, OL, Messalonskee
71 Ben Cox, OL, Waterville
72 Jake Nichols, OL, Nokomis
75 Bryan Clement, DT, Camden Hills
82 Jake Truman, DE, Gardiner
87 Alex Bandouveres, TE, Brunswick
91 Nick Haggan, DT, Hampden
93 Eric Hathaway, DT, MCI
94 Seamus McKaig, DT, Orono
96 Clay Carroll, DE, Foxcroft
97 Santos Henggeler, DT. MDI
98 Gus Benson, LB, Skowhegan
99 Jeremiah Israel-Copeland, DT, Portland
Head coach: Chris Bartlett, Belfast
Assistant coaches: Matt O’Connell, Nokomis; Dan White, Foxcroft; Bill County, Lewiston; Dave Sterling, Edward Little; Dan O’Connell, John Bapst; Matt Perkins, Windham; Nick Arthers, Brewer
WEST
2 Mitchel Davis, TE, Leavitt
5 Kyle Tervo, DB, Oak Hill
6 Gabe Seeley, WR, Leavitt
7 Zach Dubiel, QB/DB, Bonny Eagle
9 Chris Carney, RB, Wells
11 Quinn Piland, WR, Lake Region
12 Peter Theriault, DB, Spruce Mountain
13 Hayden Owen, slot, South Portland
14 Adam Merrill, WR/K, Oak Hill
15 Capen Macomber, DE, Biddeford
17 Jordan Pidgeon, DB, York
18 Noah Nelson, QB, Falmouth
20 Matt Vigue, slot, Spruce Mountain
21 Maurice Johnson, slot, Westbrook
22 Alex Mace, slot, Oak Hill
23 Derek Breunig, WR, Westbrook
25 Matt Stearns, DB, South Portland
26 Deonte Ring, DB, Spruce Mountain
27 Zach Mills, DB, Gorham
29 Andrew Simons, DE, Scarborough
32 Bryan Roberts, DB, Old Orchard Beach
33 Preston Spear, DB, Oceanside
37 Josh McDougal, CB, Morse
40 Jimmy Remmes, DE/FB, Thornton
43 Brett Gerry, RB/LB, Marshwood
44 Kyle Flaherty, RB, Oak Hill
45 Tyler Frost, LB, Dirigo
51 Tony Benedict, DT, Poland
52 Nick Dalecki, OL, Marshwood
53 Luke Winslow, DT, Bonny Eagle
54 Michael Tran, OL, Mt. Ararat
55 Jake Boothby, C, Kennebunk
56 Ryan Pomeroy, DT, Greely
57 Will Parkin, NT/OL, Leavitt
65 Dakota Chapman, OL, Sanford
69 Jeremy Mihilakis, DT, Winthrop
72 Josh Murphy, C, Maranacook
75 Ryan Vail, DT, Telstar
77 D’Andre Morgan, OL/DT, Thornton
78 Ben Zuke, OL, Thornton
80 John Hamme, LB/DE, Noble
81 Brandon Ludwig, WR, Fryeburg
84 Caleb Gauvin, TE, Mountain Valley
88 Ben Malloy, WR, Bonny Eagle
Joe Philbrick, LB/FB, Lisbon
Head coach: Mike Hathaway, Leavitt
Assistant coaches: Dave Bochtler, Leavitt; Doug Conn, Leavitt; Mark Bonnevie, Leavitt; Kolin Gauthier, Leavitt; Stacen Doucette, Oak Hill; Geoff Wright, Oak Hill; Bryan Dionne, Boothbay; Mike Marston, Winslow
CHEERLEADERS
EAST
Bangor: Hannah Miller, Emily Reilly
Brewer: Breannah Geiser, Taylor Richardson
Brunswick: Molly Steinman
Edward Little: Caitlyn Lewis
Gardiner: Molly Dow
Hampden: Laura Doyon, Hannah Bailey
Lawrence: Paige Castonguay, Mikaela Wyman
Lewiston: Andrea Bonin, Erika Thibault
Madison: Toni Candelmo
MCI: Leeann Robertson
Mt. Blue: Ashley Bouchard, Emily Walsh
MDI: Ashley McEachern
Nokomis: MiKayla Pelkey
Oxford Hills: Libby Belanger, Tiffany Herrick, Amber Mann
Portland: Laura Nielsen
WEST
Biddeford: Audrey Desjardin, Hannah Morin-Roy, Jillian Vigneault
Bonny Eagle: Karly Cannell, Lauren Collins
Dirigo: Kayla Perry
Kennebunk: Kate Doody
Lisbon: Abby Curtis
Marshwood- Amanda Rovnak, Ryley Sullivan, Jayna Ledger
Massabesic: Allison Cahill
Mountain Valley: Leah Perry
Morse: Chloe Frye
Noble: Kimberly Donoghue, Taylor Dupont
Spruce Mountain: Kaylee Marraffa
Thornton: O’Malley Walsh
Coaches: Deb Loveless and Jessie Becher, Oxford Hills; Alicia Curtis, Lawrence; Andrea Fullerton, Waterville; Peggy Mowatt, Kennebunk; Brandon Ouellette, Portland; Alycia Laferte (trainer)
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