If there is anything I hate more than fans and sports writers jumping to conclusions after two weeks of football, it’s those who jump to conclusions after one week.
Social media has destroyed all self-control and so all I do now is knee-jerk reactions. I’m actually proud I made it as far as Week 2. I might have made it to Week 3 if my record with the picks wasn’t so awful. I need to write down my snap judgments before I do any more damage to my credibility.
So, ready or not, here come the entirely too early, entirely too random, entirely too derivative and entirely too self-assured Whitehouse Talking Points after two weeks:
• Oxford Hills and Portland are clearly the two best teams in A North. Last year, Windham and Portland muddled through the regular season, then turned it on in the playoffs to reach the regional final as No. 4 and 6 seeds, respectively. I don’t see that happening this year. Barring key injuries, the Vikings and Bulldogs will have the first-round byes heading into the playoffs and take care of business in the semifinals.
• Related to the above, Vikings QB Colton Carson needs to be included in the early Fitzpatrick Trophy discussions. Beyond the impressive stats, the senior’s command of the offense and poise in and out of the pocket have transformed the Vikings’ offense. He’s also a vital part of their veteran secondary as a ball-hawking safety.
• Yes, unfortunately, we all know how Class D is going to end. Wells’ mauling of Cape Elizabeth last week confirmed that the Warriors again have a team that could win Class C.
The rest of D South was probably the least shocked by this “news” and continues trying to sort out who has the inside edge at being this year’s runner-up. Lisbon has two impressive wins under its belt — a pretty convincing win of its own over a Class C team in Fryeburg Academy and a physical nip-and-tuck home opener against Mountain Valley. The Greyhounds host another unbeaten team that could challenge them for that No. 2 spot, Spruce Mountain, on Saturday.
The battle for that other spot in the regional final could be interesting. Most coaches I’ve talked to agree that D South is stronger top to bottom than last year. Last year’s runner-up, Madison, should be a factor, and teams such as Poland and Oak Hill could play spoilers in October if they continue to improve as expected.
• I get why schools do it, but I never liked homecoming in September. Maybe it’s the pumpkin spice Christmas candy I’ve been gorging on, but it just seems too early.
• Dirigo isn’t the first program to reject the premise that Class E is football purgatory, but the Cougars are making sure the development class doesn’t lose its passion. The two teams that met in last year’s non-MPA sanctioned championship game, Maranacook (led by former Winthrop star and Spruce Mountain coach Walter Polky) and Boothbay, set a pretty high bar in E’s inaugural season.
The Cougars have knocked off a couple of Class C teams, Old Town and Gray-New Gloucester. Neither program is two classes above them in terms of talent and pedigree, but it’s a sign of how geared up coach Jim Hersom has his team ready to play week in and week out. Hersom said before the season his team would not feel sorry for itself because it had to drop down due to numbers, and his players pointed out the best way to get more kids to come out for football is to win games and create some excitement for the program. It’s not easy, but it can be done in Class E.
• You will note elsewhere on the page that I chose Lisbon/Spruce Mountain as the game of the week, but there are a couple of other good candidates involving local teams on Friday. You will just have to drive south to see them.
Leavitt at Cape Elizabeth could have major implications in C South. Oxford Hills at Sanford is a good measuring stick for the Vikings against a team that has already taken its lumps from Scarborough and Bonny Eagle.
• Eight-man football can’t get here soon enough. If you’re a player, parent or a coach who is skeptical that it isn’t “real” football, please do us all a favor and check some game tape out on YouTube, or talk to any one of the out-of-staters who seem to be flocking to our wonderful state lately who have seen it in person (including our very own Lee Horton). Chances are they will rave about it. It’s going to be a hot topic after this season, as it appears the Maine Principals’ Association is serious about exploring it as an option.
• Finally, here’s an invitation for everyone to join us for the Sun Journal’s own weekly, still unnamed, Facebook Live football postgame show. Every Friday night, the SJ sports staff gets together to talk about the games we just covered, react to the scores from other games, preview some of Saturday’s action and take stock of the overall high school football landscape. The start time varies (depending on how quickly we get the sports section cranked out), but it’s usually on Facebook Live around midnight and archived on Facebook and sunjournal.com in case you miss it. We don’t have video highlights or plucky anchors, but we have a lot of fun.
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