Not every football season starts as planned. That was certainly the case for Greely High, which was shut out in its opener against Kennebunk, then routed at Marshwood, 48-6.

“We thought we would give Marshwood a much better game and they just put it to us,” said Coach David Higgins.

Since then, the Rangers have won four straight to climb back to the middle of the Class B South playoff pack.

“We really talk a lot about overcoming adversity and we get adversity every week because we just don’t have the sheer numbers of some of the teams we play,” said Higgins, who has a 29-player roster. “But I do think it’s a matter of pride, and these guys want to improve every week and show they belong in Class B South, which is a tough division.”

Greely’s wins have come against teams with a combined record of 4-20. But last Friday’s 38-20 victory at Leavitt was significant, Higgins said. The Hornets (1-5) had played the division’s toughest schedule and still were smarting from a home playoff loss to Greely last fall.

“We knew they didn’t like us very much, especially after the playoff win there last year,” Higgins said. “It was the next step (our) players needed to take as a group and the kids played well.”

Greely has developed a solid running game with power backs Tim Coyle and Nolan Anderson, and big-play threat Joey Cassella, who scored three touchdowns against Leavitt.

Nick Gauvin took over at quarterback midway through last season and is continuing to improve as a junior.

Two-way lineman Paul Buchanan has been a disruptive force at defensive end. Higgins credits senior captain and two-way lineman Austin Roy for his leadership, and now younger players such as Jackson Williams and Will Schumacher are making greater impacts.

Higgins said improved play from the entire roster is vital.

Greely hosts Mt. Ararat (2-4) on Friday and finishes at Falmouth (5-1). Mt. Ararat, York and Morse likely are competing for the final two of the eight playoff spots.

“Just like Leavitt, Mt. Ararat’s record does not indicate the caliber of team they are,” Higgins said. “This is a very important game for us.”

CHEVERUS IN Class A North and Fryeburg Academy in Class C South are two other teams that bounced back from early-season setbacks, and are 4-2 and headed to the playoffs.

Cheverus opened with a win at Oxford Hills/Buckfield but was overwhelmed the next week in a 65-0 home loss to Thornton Academy.

“The challenge for us was to not let that one game define us,” said Stags Coach Mike Vance. “The Tuesday after that game was the best practice we’ve had all year. It wasn’t anything the coaches did. (The players) just showed up ready to move forward and I was encouraged by that.”

Cheverus has gone 3-1 since, losing only to Portland, 35-27. The improvement coincided with the return of quarterback Jack Casale and later, fullback Max Coffin, who both missed the start of the season with mononucleosis.

Cheverus has a 40-player roster that includes 11 freshmen. A key to the team’s improvement has been getting players ready to fill in at multiple positions.

“When you don’t have a lot of numbers you have to cross-train and that’s probably the way we’ve grown the most,” Vance said. “We don’t have a backup at every position. We have a backup for four positions.”

Cheverus finishes with a tough double, playing Friday at Scarborough (4-2) and finishing the regular season with a home game against Windham (3-3) that probably will decide which team gets a bye in the regional quarterfinals.

Fryeburg started 1-2. In hindsight, its season-opening 29-6 loss to Cape Elizabeth and a 35-18 setback to Wells in Week 3 actually speak to Fryeburg’s competitiveness. Cape and Wells – the division’s preseason favorites – are 6-0. Cape’s other wins have been by an average of 42.8 points, and Wells by an average of 44.

The Raiders have been similarly dominant, outscoring teams 171-27 in their four wins. Running backs Jared Chisari and Cody Gullikson have been a potent tandem.

BONNY EAGLE running back/linebacker Nick Thorne is expected to play Friday against Sanford, according to Scots Coach Kevin Cooper. Thorne has missed four games with an elbow injury suffered Sept. 9 against Scarborough. Thorne adds a powerful option in the run game that’s been led by quarterback Cam Day and Alex Sprague, and also strengthens Class A’s stingiest defense (9.5 points allowed per game). … Nate Richards, the top offensive threat for Deering, injured his back on the third offensive play last week in a 14-0 loss to Oxford Hills/Buckfield. He won’t be able to play Friday at Edward Little.

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