Five Class B/C Teams to Watch

1. York: The Wildcats slowly have been building back and look to have a good chance of challenging for the Western Class B title. The team has experience, depth and 18 returning starters. Several of them are entering their third season as regulars. Coach Randy Small has been impressed with the work ethic in preseason. The Wildcats will use a two-tailback offense. At 200 pounds, Sean Kelly has the power to break tackles. Ross Hogan is a returning starter at quarterback with a strong arm. 

2. Yarmouth: The Clippers have won the last two Class C state titles and 24 consecutive games. Chris Pingitore takes over as head coach after Jim Hartman went to Portland High. Even though the Clippers graduated 12 seniors, they should be in contention for a third title with the likes of Brady Neujahr at quarterback, Nate Shields-Auble on both sides of the ball and some skilled linemen. Neujahr passed for 448 yards and five touchdowns, and ran for 247 yards and six touchdowns. 

3. Morse: The Shipbuilders have two of Class B’s top players in quarterback Kevin McKellar and running back D’Vaughn Myers. They also have 14 returning starters from a playoff team. McKellar and Myers were all-conference picks last season. Kaleb Snowdon and Cameron Malcolm have started in the line since their freshman seasons. The key is to stay healthy and keep improving each week. 

4. Greely: The Rangers have Svenn Jacobson, an all-conference running back his first two seasons. The team will run the triple option and with Drew Hodge, has experienced hands at the controls. Hodge is a co-captain with Dylan Rasch, who brings experience to the line. Nick Maynard made several nice catches last season and figures to be even better. 

5. Traip Academy: The Rangers should contend again as they return 16 starters. Corey Aldecoa rushed for 1,627 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. Ben Castellano was a Maine Sunday Telegram All-State selection at tackle. At 5-foot-11, 270 pounds, Castellano will be a force in the middle again. Quarterback Chris Czhor shows good game management and a strong arm.10 Class B/C Players to WatchCorey Aldecoa, Traip Academy, senior, running back: Aldecoa proved one of the top running backs in Class C and led the Rangers to their best season in years. Aldecoa rushed for 1,627 yards and 11 touchdowns. He uses better-than-average speed with excellent moves to find openings. 

10 Class B/C Players to Watch

Corey Aldecoa, Traip Academy, senior, running back: Aldecoa proved one of the top running backs in Class C and led the Rangers to their best season in years. Aldecoa rushed for 1,627 yards and 11 touchdowns. He uses better-than-average speed with excellent moves to find openings.

Ben Castellano, Traip Academy, senior, tackle: Castellano was named to the Maine Sunday Telegram All-State team last season, The 5-foot-11, 270-pounder has worked to improve his blocking technique, and with a 1,600-yard rusher for a teammate, it’s clear that Castellano cleared the way very effectively, leading Traip to the playoffs. 

Drew Hodge, Greely, senior, quarterback: Hodge showed good progress running the triple-option last season. He should be even better this year as the Rangers hope to go deeper into the Western Class B playoffs. Hodge looked strong in the preseason, which bodes well for when the games count. 

Svenn Jacobson, Greely, senior, running back: Jacobson is a two-time Class B Campbell Conference all-star. He combines speed and power to give the team a real running threat to go with the passing game. He hopes to give the Rangers a real boost in their quest of going deep into the playoffs. 

Kevin McKellar, Morse, senior, quarterback: Last season, McKellar showed he can run the option or drop back and air it out. Expect more of the same as the Shipbuilders look to make a run in Eastern Class B. McKellar passed for 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns. 

Sam Melkin, Oceanside, senior, quarterback: Melkin has improved each season and at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, has the size to survey the field and find receivers. He is tough to bring down when he decides to run. He passed for more than 1,000 yards last season. He also plays defensive end as one of the stalwarts of the defense. 

D’Vaughn Myers, Morse, senior, running back: The other half of the Shipbuilders’ strong 1-2 offensive punch. Myers showed versatility in rushing for 800 yards and catching passes for 500. He seems to be at his best against the top teams, rushing for 100 yards each against Gardiner and Leavitt. 

Brady Neujahr, Yarmouth, junior, quarterback: Neujahr passed for 448 yards and five touchdowns, and rushed for 247 yards and six touchdowns last season in helping the Clippers win a second straight Class C state title. With a year’s experience, he looks to have a better command of the offense. 

Joey Spinelli, Wells, senior, running back: Spinelli had a breakout season for Wells, which captured the Class B state title. He proved a deep threat for the team with his running and passing. With several big-name teammates, Spinelli might have gotten lost on the field, but there was no question of his importance to the Warriors. 

Tony Whalen, Poland, senior, quarterback: Whalen ran and passed for a combined 1,000 yards of offense to spark the Knights a year ago. His elusiveness and arm strength will be counted on again if Poland is to make a run in the postseason.