Championship quests are underway in several fall sports and the outlook is promising for local teams. Here’s a glimpse.

Football

Brunswick’s and Morse’s football teams are playoff bound.

The Dragons capped their 5-3 regular campaign with a 33-18 home win over Mt. Ararat last weekend. Brunswick earned the No. 8 seed for the Eastern Class A playoffs and has to go to top-ranked (8-0) Lawrence for the quarterfinals Friday night. The teams didn’t play in the regular season.

Mt. Ararat finished 0-8 after losing to the Dragons and didn’t qualify for the postseason.

In Eastern B, Morse’s 14-13 home victory over Mount Desert Island Saturday gave it a 2-6 record and the eighth and final playoff spot. The Shipbuilders go to top-ranked, undefeated and defending Class B state champion Leavitt for the quarterfinals Friday.

Boys’ soccer

The boys’ soccer playoffs began Wednesday.

Brunswick ended up 11-3 after a 9-0 win at Cony in the regular season finale last Tuesday. The third-ranked Dragons hosted No. 6 Mt. Blue (7-4-3) in the quarterfinals Wednesday. The teams didn’t play in the regular season. A victory would have sent Brunswick to No. 2 Lewiston (12-2) or at home for a matchup with No. 7 Messalonskee (7-6-1) for the semifinals Saturday. The Dragons split with the Blue Devils (each team won, 1-0, on the road) and didn’t face the Eagles this fall.

Morse’s 3-0 regular season ending loss at Lewiston last Tuesday gave it a 9-5 mark and the No. 4 seed in Eastern A. The Shipbuilders hosted No. 5 Waterville (8-5-1) Wednesday in the quarterfinals. The teams didn’t play this year. A Morse victory likely sends it to top-ranked Bangor (13-0-1) for Saturday’s semifinals. The Shipbuilders didn’t face the Rams in the regular season.

Mt. Ararat lost 2-0 at Erskine in its finale and wound up 5-6-3, out of the playoffs.

Looking ahead, the regional finals are Wednesday on the field of the highest remaining seeds. The Class A and B state finals are Saturday, Nov. 6, likely at Falmouth High School.

Girls’ soccer

On the girls’ side, Brunswick finished 14-0 with a 5-0 home win over Cony last Tuesday. The Dragons, who allowed just two goals all year, while scoring 70, wound up first in Eastern A. Tuesday night, Brunswick defeated No. 8 Erskine Academy, 4-0, in the quarterfinals to advance to Saturday’s semifinals at home versus No. 5 Hampden, which upset No. 4 Morse, 1-0, in overtime, in Tuesday’s quarterfinals. The Dragons and Broncos didn’t meet this year.

The Shipbuilders went 9-3-2 in the regular year, closing with a 4-3 win over Lewiston, but their playoff stay ended in agony and they wound up 9-4-2.

Mt. Ararat tied Erskine in its finale, 0-0, to end with a 9-3-2 mark, good for the No. 6 seed in Eastern A. Tuesday, the Eagles were eliminated after a 1-0 loss at No. 3 Waterville and finished 9-4-2.

Looking ahead, the regional finals are Wednesday on the field of the highest remaining seeds. The Class A and B state finals are Saturday, Nov. 6, likely at Falmouth High School.

Field hockey

Brunswick and Mt. Ararat’s field hockey teams went one-and-done in playoff action.

The Dragons finished 8-7 after a 7-1 loss at Messalonskee in the quarterfinals.

The Eagles wound up 6-9 after a 6-0 quarterfinal round loss at top-ranked Skowhegan, the nine-time defending regional champions.

Morse finished 0-14 this fall and didn’t qualify.

Cross country

The Eastern Class A cross country regionals were held Saturday in Belfast where Mt. Ararat won both the boys’ and girls’ races.

In the boys’ meet, the Eagles had 57 points to hold off Mt. Blue by 10. Andy Reifman-Packett led the way with a third-place showing (16 minutes, 57.30 seconds on the 5-kilometer course). Brunswick qualified with a sixth-place performance (154). Morse (299) was 11th and didn’t qualify for the state meet.

On the girls’ side, Mt. Ararat had 34 points and easily outdistanced the runner-up Dragons (75). Morse had 181 points to come in seventh, but didn’t qualify. Individually, Brunswick’s Kathleen McMahon won the race (19:11.86). The Eagles were led by Emma Wood (second, 19:38.29).

States are Saturday at Belfast. The Class A boys’ race begins at 2 p.m. The girls’ run at 2:45.

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Brunswick’s Kyle Franklin drives through the line and escapes the grasp of Mt. Ararat’s James Oliver during the teams’ annual season-ending showdown Friday night. The Dragons held on for a 33-18 win and moved on to the playoffs.

Mt Ararat senior Luke Leidman leaves a wake of Brunswick defenders behind him on this long run in the second half. The Eagles hung tough but finished 0-8 on the season.

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