Lake Region’s Sean Murphy slips away from Spruce Mountain defender Blake Simoneau during a Sept. 27 game in Naples. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

High school football playoff scenarios are typically in focus when regular-season finales are just a week away.

It’s easy to see which teams are in line for a top seed and which ones are fighting just to secure a postseason berth.

It’s still quite muddled, though, in the eight-man Large School division, where the top teams are driving through whiteout conditions to the end of the regular season.

With two games to play, Camden Hills, Lake Region, Mt. Ararat and Greely are 5-1. Any one of the four could end up in first place or fourth. Or even fifth or sixth, depending on how defending state champion Mt. Desert Island (3-3) or Gray-New Gloucester (3-3) do over the final two games.

“I think it’s fantastic. I think it’s great for football. There’s four good football teams up there, and we’re glad we’re one of them,” said Camden Hills Coach Chris Christie.

Christie’s Windjammers suffered their first loss of the season last week, 54-26 at Lake Region. If Camden Hills has an advantage in this playoff race, it comes from victories over Greely (14-6 in the season opener) and Mt. Ararat (36-30, two weeks ago). Lake Region’s lone loss was to Mt. Ararat, 30-20, on Sept. 13.

Coaches and players from this eight-man football Fab Four entered the season expecting parity.

“I knew Camden Hills and Greely would be good, and Lake Region had a lot returning (from last season). You could see they’re building something there. I knew it would be close at the top,” said Mt. Ararat Coach Frank True. “It’s exciting all the way down to the finish. The top four have separated themselves (from the pack).”

A revamped schedule designed to create matchups between teams of equal skill helped, too. The statewide Large School division has just nine teams this season, which resulted in some teams scheduling games against foes in the Small School division. Mt. Ararat, for example, played defending Small School champion Orono. Greely took on Stearns, the No. 1 team in Small School North.

“We knew coming into this season we were playing a lot of competitive teams. They kind of reorganized and tiered our schedule,” Greely Coach Caleb King said. “It worked out. It made it a more competitive conference. There’s a lot of good football players and good coaching in our conference.”

Greely’s Luke Piper takes on two MDI defenders during the eight-man Large School state championship game last season in Bangor. Piper and the Rangers are in contention to secure the top seed for the playoffs. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

How it all shakes out for when the playoffs begin Nov. 1 is still to be determined. It will come down to Crabtree points, the system used by the Maine Principals’ Association for playoff seeding. Crabtree points are calculated by adding a team’s winning percentage to the winning percentage of all its opponents. With four teams in the mix for the top seed, that means virtually every game over the next two weeks can affect the final standings.

One team will likely get knocked out of contention for the No. 1 seed on Saturday when Mt. Ararat hosts Greely. Game time is noon.

“Mt. Ararat’s always tough. I have the utmost respect for Coach True and his coaching staff. Year after year, they put a competitive team out there. We just have to be tough, and do what we do well. Play downhill and be aggressive to the point of attack,” King said.

Among the teams in the Large School division, only Lake Region has allowed fewer points than Greely, which has two shutouts.

“I think we’ve got the best defense in eight-man. When we play our best football, we’re the best team,” said middle linebacker Ben McCarron, who leads the Rangers with around 11 tackles per game.

The Rangers have used two quarterbacks, senior Andrew Padgett and sophomore Luke Piper, to get the ball to a number of weapons.

“They both find a way,” True said. “Greely’s a very tough matchup. In our coverage, we’ve got to stay with our guy.”

Mt. Ararat center Aiden Christensen prepares to snap the ball during a 56-26 win over Orono on Sept. 21. Cooper Sullivan/The Times Record

Mt. Ararat and Greely will close the regular season against a struggling opponent. Greely will play at Morse (1-5), while the Eagles host Yarmouth (1-5).

Greely played in the state championship game last season. Camden Hills reached the North final, and Mt. Ararat played in the South semifinals. All three were expected to be among the top teams this season.

Lake Region is making a case for the most improved team in the state, regardless of class. Over the last three seasons, the Lakers went a combined 4-19, including a winless season a year ago when they had no seniors on the roster.

The Lakers close the regular season against Sacopee Valley (4-2) and Orono (3-3), two Small School teams looking to improve their playoff seeding.

“Seniority’s always been an issue. Experience’s always been an issue, and numbers have always been an issue. But these guys have stuck together. They believe in themselves. The confidence is there,” said Lake Region Coach Mike Meehan. “It’s going to be a dog fight for a Gold Ball. Honestly, at this point we don’t care who we play. One week at a time. Focus on the process, and keep grinding.”

Lake Region quarterback Brock Gibbons explained the secret to his team’s success succinctly.

“We just play our butts off. That’s what we do,” Gibbons said.

With those victories over Greely and Mt. Ararat in the bank, Camden Hills could clinch the top spot by winning its final two games, at Mt. Desert Island and at home against Houlton (5-1). Last week’s loss at Lake Region was a wakeup call.

“We knew the second half of the season was the meat of the schedule. We’ve just got to get better,” Christie said.