BRUNSWICK

I have counted, and I still have my 10 fingers and 10 toes.

Yes, two high school football games over two days in rather frosty conditions can definitely make you feel alive, with the tingle in the tips of one’s fingers enough to make you ask “why do I put myself through this?”

A simple question usually has a simple answer, and this one is no different. What I witnessed from the sidelines Friday night in Brunswick and Saturday afternoon in Lisbon Falls is why sports writers choose this profession. Packed crowds, excitement in the cold air, fans from both teams watching intently as the game sways from one team to the other.

Throughout this football campaign, I have been fortunate to cover a bunch of Brunswick contests. What a great group of athletes! Quite frankly, win or lose come Saturday against undefeated Marshwood (11- 0) at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland in the Class B title game, the Dragons have showed the resolve of a champion this season.

Here are some examples. A running attack led by the likes of Will Bessey and Alex Bandouveres, with support coming from Cam Berry and Hunter Garrett that has run as hard as any group of running backs can over these 10 games. An offensive line that has never once come off the field, asking for a break. A sophomore quarterback in young Thomas Hanson, who had to step in under the worst of conditions when “nice as can be” senior Pearson Cost went down with a badly broken wrist during the preseason. Talk about guts.

Think about this, if Brunswick struggles this season, it is really easy to point fingers, saying losing your starting quarterback is the worst thing that can ever happen. Hanson has not only stepped in, but he has done the job beyond reproach. On Friday, he was merely 3-for-3 in the air for 81 yards and a touchdown in Brunswick’s 48-19 win over Lawrence. Yes, most of the time he has handed the ball to Bandouveres and Bessey, but hey, wouldn’t you? Two 1,000-yard rushers running behind what I believe to be the best offensive line in the state is smart if you ask me.

And, lets talk about head coach Dan Cooper. Coop, as he is known by his friends, came in after the successful run of legendary leader Dick Leavitt, who led the Dragons to their last Regional title and state championship appearance in 2003 before his team lost to Deering in the State Class A Championship. Coop is class personified. He is friendly, knows football and has taken what he learned from Leavitt all those years ago and has brought his style along with him.

Many coaches might feel a bit intimidated to have their former mentor on the sideline. Not Coop! Leavitt has not only been on Brunswick’s sideline the past two playoff games, but he has even worked with Coop’s offensive talent.

With Coop at the helm of the Dragons football team and athletic director Jeff Ramich, who once applied his trade at football-loved Lisbon, the direction of Brunswick athletics is surely in good hands.

Thinking of the Greyhounds, who out there gave Lisbon a fighting chance against defending Class D state champion Oak Hill on Saturday?

I’m not foolish enough to believe that everyone picked the Raiders, even after they handled the ’Hounds 28-14 in the regular-season finale at the end of October.

Hey, with legendary coach Dick Mynahan leading the Greyhounds, I went to Thompson Field believing that Lisbon not only had a fighting chance, even with a sophomore quarterback in Tyler Halls starting his first game at the position after the season-ending knee injury of senior Kyle Bourget, but that the Greyhounds were going to win.

Yes, Oak Hill held on, 7-6, and though there were obvious tears of sadness on the Greyhounds side of things, each of Mynahan’s chargers left the field with their heads held high. For good reason! The Greyhounds gave it their all, and as a fan of high school football, I was proud of the effort, the intensity of the defensive battle, where neither team gave an inch throughout 48 minutes of hard-nosed football.

Halls showed that he has a great future leading the Greyhounds. He was 5-for-7 in the air for 64 yards six days after helping his Under- 16 hockey team, the Maine Moose, win the state title and earn a March trip to Nationals in Dallas.

Mynahan, a gentleman as always, embraced former assistant and now Oak Hill head coach Stacen Doucette, wished him good luck on Saturday in the Class D title game and Maine Central Institute and went into his team’s huddle to tell his Greyhounds how proud of them that he was. After the awards were handed out, Oak Hill and Lisbon players mingled at midfield, congratulating each other on a great season. The sportsmanship was evident between these Route 9 rivals.

For Lisbon and all Greyhound fans, there is no shame in Saturday’s loss. Losing is part of athletics, and oftentimes athletes grow more from the losses than the wins. For me, this defensive gem is a game I will remember for a long, long time.

So, after my three cups of hot chocolate, a bowl of warm chicken soup and a nice hot shower, my fingers and toes are back to normal.

Now onto this Saturday’s Class B title game. Man I hope it’s warmer than it was this weekend, but with Brunswick facing Marshwood after 6 p.m. under the lights, I expect chilly conditions once again. However, it doesn’t matter. The game of football is “why I do this.”

BOB CONN is The Times Record Sports Editor. He can be reached at bconn@timesrecord.com.