BRUNSWICK — The fall high school sports season is winding down. In fact, just one team, one game for our area teams, is left to be played.

On Saturday, Brunswick will take on Marshwood in the State Class B football championship at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland (time to be announced).

Let’s put this out there right off the bat. The Dragons advancing to the state championship in 2018 seemed like a pipe dream just a short time ago.

After losing 42-0 to Kennebunk in Week 4, after dropping a 30-6 home decision on Senior Night against Cony in the final regular season contest, did anyone have the Brunswick Dragons making it to Fitzpatrick Stadium this week? (Of course, those who chose the State Class C final teams — Nokomis vs. Fryeburg Academy — need to play the lottery now. Didn’t see that one coming)

I’ll be the first to stay, no way, no how, not a chance in …… For one, when the Dragons traveled over to Lewiston’s new turf field for the Class B North semifinal against second-seeded Cony, I gave the No. 3 seed little chance of winning. For those who saw first hand the way the Rams sliced and diced Brunswick on Friday night, Oct. 19, why could we say with confidence — the Dragons had a shot?

However, shouldn’t we by now realize that we don’t question the resolve of a Dan Cooper-led team?

This year’s senior class of football players were in junior high school when the Dragons began their run. It started with a thud, a tough home loss in the regional final to Cony in a wild offensive shootout.

Then came back-to-back regional final triumphs in 2014 and 2015.

I remember vividly those two state final games against Marshwood. After the dominating win by the Hawks in 2014, Cooper said the Dragons had that “deer in the highlight” look about them.

The 2015 Dragons again met those Hawks in Portland. A week earlier in a regional final domination of Brewer, standout running back Will Bessey came up lame, clutching his hamstring. The poor kid rehabbed his butt off from Sunday to Saturday, but was unable to go despite trying one play on the Fitzpatrick Stadium turf.

A horrible first half had the Dragons in a 21-0 halftime hole. Brunswick nearly dug out of it, relying on tough as nails runner Jesse Devereaux before falling, 21-14.

Then came 2016. Here was a Brunswick team that put it all together, eventually leading to a 28-6 state championship winning performance against a young Kennebunk squad at the University of Maine in Orono.

Now, let’s put last year out of our minds. Yes, it was a tough two-win season, where this year’s upperclassmen stepped into bigger roles, perhaps a season too early.

Then came 2018. A 5-3 team during the regular season suddenly found life. A 35-13 victory over No. 6 Brewer in the quarterfinals set the stage for the Cony rematch. This time, the Dragons rallied in the second half, shutting out the Rams for a 21-13 come-from-behind win.

“We always like beating Cony,” remarked Brunswick senior Nick Munn, who literally soaked up the cheers of the Brunswick faithful on a rainy night in Lewiston.

On Friday, the Dragons again shut out an opponent in the second half, rallying for a late 14-10 win over Lawrence.

“This team just refuses to lose,” Cooper said as his Dragons once again were soaked, with a consistent and cold rainstorm falling down while the team celebrated with the Class B North regional plaque.

Now comes Saturday. Trust me here, very few are giving Brunswick (8-3) a fighting chance against 10-1 Marshwood, a Hawks team that went on the road to end Kennebunk’s undefeated run with a 14-13 victory at Waterhouse Field in Biddeford this past Saturday, just a few shorts weeks after falling to the Rams on a late field goal, 17-14.

The stats will show this. How can a Dragons team that lost at home by 42 points to Kennebunk on Friday night, Sept. 21, come close to slowing down a Hawks team that will be looking for their third State Class B title win over the Dragons since the 2014 season and fourth in fifth after demolishing Skowhegan in last year’s B final, 63-20?

I have learned my lesson for one. I am not going to pick against these Dragons, a team that just seems to believe.

The key, as Cooper has said since day one of preseason practices — “the game will come down to how we perform up front.”

Go ahead, make your prediction, give Marshwood the state title before the teams have even stepped on the field of battle on Saturday, Nov. 17. I am willing to bet that the Hawks are not thinking this way. Marshwood will go into the game believing Brunswick has nothing to lose, and they will be right.

Strap in Brunswick, as the Dragons are going to another state title. As World Wrestling Federation champion and Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle says, “it’s true, it’s dam true.”

Freeport champs

Right up front, congratulations to Freeport and head coach Paul St. Pierre, who led his Falcons to the State Class E title on Saturday with a 28-13 victory over Dirigo.

For those of us that have seen the Freeport High School football program grow from a club, to a jayvee and then a varsity program, this season of playing in the developmental Class E program was a necessity.

Numbers have always been tough to come by for the Falcons. There were many times when 11 players were on the field and only a handful stood on the sidelines.

There is strong talk of 8-on-8 football coming to Maine, and I for one applaud it. There are teams out there — Telstar, Traip, Sacopee Valley — that need this program to survive, while others are not far away from having to decide between fielding a team or dropping the football program all together.

What will this state title mean for Freeport down the road? Hopefully this year’s success will bring more youth players to the sport of football.

One thing is for sure, the new Joan Benoit Samuelson Track and Field in Freeport had a wonderful fall sports season, with each of the four teams calling the field home finding success this year.

Bowdoin

The talk of the campus leading into this past weekend was the women’s volleyball team and the football team.

Both were in action, with each playing for something.

The football squad, coming off a win a week earlier, which ended a 24-game losing streak, played for the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin title against rival Colby at Waterville.

Yes, the Polar Bears came up short, falling to the Mules, 30-14, which gave Colby its first CBB title since 2005. But Bowdoin’s win over Bates on Nov. 3 certainly energized the campus and surrounding town of Brunswick.

Hopefully, this will lead to something and begin a winning football tradition in the near future.

The volleyball team finished up a successful campaign in the NCAA Division III Tournament this past weekend at Babson Park, Massachusetts.

After wins over Worcester State and Johns Hopkins on Friday and Saturday, respectfully, the Polar Bears fell to regional host Babson, 3-0, in a match that was much tighter than that score indicates.

Here are the numbers — Bowdoin was 29-2 this year, and the 3-0 setback to the Beavers was the only three-set loss to an opponent for Bowdoin this year.

It was certainly a great season for the Erin Cady-led Polar Bears this year, and with a strong roster set to return next fall, don’t be surprised if Bowdoin is strong once again in 2019.

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

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