Falmouth football coach Spencer Emerson talks with his team at the end of practice Tuesday. In Emerson’s first year as head coach of the Navigators, Falmouth is 5-0 and in first place in Class B North. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

FALMOUTH — The Falmouth High football team ended practice as football teams have done for decades, with sprints. It was getting dark on the practice field tucked just out of viewing distance from the school’s main turf field, where a night soccer game gave off ambient light. The Navigators got a short break to catch their breath, and led by head coach Spencer Emerson, they … danced?

Maroon 5’s “Move Like Jagger” came on, so of course they danced.

“We have a blast out here every day. We practice really hard, we ask a lot of them, but we enjoy it as well. That’s the mindset. We get to do this,” Emerson said. “It’s a chilly Tuesday in October, and our bodies are starting to feel sore, it’s Week 6, but their attitude has been great and they’ve done everything I’ve asked them to do so far.”

Nowhere have the Navigators found their groove more than on Friday nights when it’s game time. At 5-0, Falmouth sits in first place in Class B North, two wins ahead of Cony, Gardiner, and Lawrence. The Navigators play Friday night at Gardiner in a game that could solidify their spot as the top seed in the upcoming playoffs.

“I knew we had the talent to (win). I’ve been saying it since the beginning of the season. We have the talent to get to where we need to be. Just keep rolling,” said Indi Backman, a senior running back/linebacker.

Falmouth quarterback Tres Walker prepares to throw as head coach Spencer Emerson tosses a blocking pad at him to simulate defensive pressure. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

Coming off a 2-6 season that included a forfeit loss to Portland due to a lack of healthy players, and a turbulent offseason that led to Emerson’s hiring, Falmouth might be the biggest surprise and most improved team in the state. Biggest surprise to everyone but themselves.

“Coming from last year, 2-6, to already surpassing and doubling that (win total) this year. Beating Cony (21-7 on Sept, 20) was most satisfying, because that was one of the first teams we played at home,” said Owen Bombardier, a senior center/defensive lineman. “Home crowd. Sophomore year, we had beat them in regionals, and last year it was kind of a blowout (loss), so it was good to give it back.”

In January, 22 of the 30 players on the 2023 team signed and presented a petition – including 21 of the 28 eligible to return to the team this season – calling for the removal of longtime head coach John Fitzsimmons. In the petition, the players cited safety concerns and a loss of confidence in their coach. Days after a number of players spoke at a school board meeting, Fitzsimmons stepped down.

“It’s behind us now. We’re just moving forward,” Backman said.

Joey Guerrette, center, stopped playing football in seventh grade but returned to the sport this fall for his senior season and has become a key player for Falmouth. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

Enter Emerson, 31, whose coaching resumé includes two season as head coach at Poland High, as well as assistant coaching stops at Bates, Georgetown and the University of Chicago. Emerson investigated what happened at Falmouth prior to accepting the job and determined that, like the players, he would leave it in the past.

“I said to everyone who quote unquote warned me about last year, I wasn’t here. At the end of the day, it’s really none of my concern and none of my business,” said Emerson, who got his coaching start as an undergraduate video assistant at the University of Maine. “I come in with a fresh lens. I’m not even focused on what happened. I’m focused on the future.”

Emerson and the returning players could forget the past, but in the present they needed to recruit and increase the size of the roster. Emerson held meetings where he made his sales pitch. He focused on two things. One, he’d always have the players’ backs and advocate for them in every way. Two, playing football at Falmouth was going to be a blast.

“It’s not going to be your traditional high school football, ‘All right! Get lined up and get ready to roll!’ It’s going to be upbeat. It’s going to be pretty fast-paced,” Emerson said. “At every practice, we get in and out of things very quickly. We run from drill to drill. We run to go get water. Make it an enjoyable experience. We’ve got the music blasting. We’re dancing in between reps. We’re having a good time.”

A Falmouth roster that numbered 30 players last season has 49 players this season. Some, like senior brothers Gio and Joey Guerrette, were impressed by the pedigree Emerson and his assistant coaches brought. Joey Guerrette pointed at defensive coordinator Dylan Rottkov, who is also the director of operations for the Blue Wave Basketball club, and came recommended by friends who played hoops for him.

“I went into the meeting and met all of them and I just really liked (the coaches). That was the main reason for me coming back,” Joey Guerrette said. “I stopped playing in seventh grade and I just picked it up this year. It was a really good decision. The team is a lot of fun. I love the coaches. The players, too.”

The Navigators are athletic. Backman and the Guerrettes were lacrosse All-Americans last spring in helping Falmouth win the Class A state title, and all three have plans to play lacrosse at the NCAA Division I level. Backman was a key player on the football team last season. This fall, Joey Guerrette has made plays at wideout and defensive back, while Gio has played well at wideout and outside linebacker.

“The funny thing is, (the Guerrettes are) still learning. They probably know 60, 70% of what they need to know now. They’re still getting better. The hope is the in-game experience will help them get better as the games start to get a little more important deeper into our season,” Emerson said.

The Navigators are athletic across the field, and it shows. They average just over 30 points per game. They’ve allowed 30 points all season, and opened the season with back-to-back shutout wins over Cheverus and Skowhegan. Junior Tres Walker has played well at quarterback, Emerson said. Walker is also the man behind a good portion of the practice soundtrack, which includes Drake, Katy Perry and Morgan Wallen, among other artists.

“Defensively, we’ve had a lot of success because we always say, we’re not trying to stop them. They’re trying to score on us. That’s the mentality we take. We’re really aggressive. We dare teams to make plays,” Emerson said.

Three words were written on the back of the T-shirt Emerson wore while conducting practice: Attitude, detail and urgency. They serve as reminders to the Navigators about how to approach everything on the field.

“Out-effort our opponent and outwork our opponent. I believe we do that. It starts here,” Emerson said, standing alone on the practice field after dismissing the team. “You earn a win right now. You don’t earn a win on Friday. Friday’s a barometer. They’ve embraced it.”