This season, Varsity Maine reporters will offer up suggestions each week for three games that are worth a drive to watch in person, with a brief explanation of why we think these games are worth a fan’s time.
It’s Week 8 of the Maine high school football season — the final week for most of the state, but the penultimate week for Class A and C teams.
Some teams are still fighting for postseason spots, while others have clinched berths but are seeking a higher seed.
Here are three games to keep on your radar:
Kennebunk (6-1) at Marshwood (6-1), 6 p.m. Friday
Friday’s clash between the Rams and the Hawks could be a preview of the Class B South final. It no doubt will determine the top seed in the region.
After starting the season 1-1, Kennebunk has won five games in a row. The Rams are coming off a hard-fought 20-14 victory over Westbrook. Ethan White scored two touchdowns for Kennebunk, which has a deep group of running backs and a productive passing game led by Giovanni D’Elia.
Marshwood was undefeated until last weekend, when it lost to Biddeford, 37-14. The Hawks have shredded most of their opponents with a relentless rushing attack, but their top two running backs are questionable because of injuries.
Lisbon (5-2) at Freeport (5-2), 6 p.m. Friday
Despite these teams having the same record, Lisbon is currently fourth in the Class D South Crabtree standings, while Freeport is in first place.
The Greyhounds lost to second-place Winthrop/Monmouth/Hall-Dale 34-3 in the season opener but are 5-1 since then and bring a three-game winning streak to Freeport.
Freeport has two close losses, against Class D North leader Winslow (14-6) and Class C contender Wells (28-24). Even with starting quarterback Andrew Thomas injured, the Falcons defeated Morse and Dirigo the past two weeks, and they can clinch the No. 1 seed by defeating Lisbon.
Bonny Eagle (7-0) at Thornton Academy (7-0), 1 p.m. Saturday
Saturday’s matinee is not only a potential Class A South final preview, but also features the top-two teams in the Varsity Maine poll.
Thornton has the recent upper-hand. The Trojans were victorious in both of last season’s matchups — 42-21 in the regular season and 40-28 in the regional final.
Thornton’s multifaceted offense is tough to stop. Five players have rushed for 160 yards or more, led by Brennan Tabor with 634 yards. Noah Fullerton helms a prolific passing attack, completing 42 of 60 passes for 772 yards and 16 scores. His top targets are Logan LeBlanc (18 catches, 454 yards, nine TDs) and Logan O’Keefe (11 catches, 110 yards, four TDs), but eight players have caught passes. Tabor, also one of the state’s top defensive players, has scored a team-best 14 touchdowns.
Bonny Eagle quarterback Lucas Klehn is a touchdown machine and the player the Golden Trojans will have to watch for most. Klehn has contributed nine touchdowns in the Scots’ last two games — a passing touchdown and four rushing touchdowns against Oxford Hills on Oct. 9 and four rushing TDs against Exeter (New Hampshire) on Oct. 15. But Klehn isn’t the Scots’ only weapon. Drew Gervais, the state’s fastest sprinter, is the top receiving target, while Ben Noe and Ben Havu have both rushed for more than 300 yards.