The Greely Rangers have made it to the final weekend of the eight-man football season for the second year in a row.

One-time rival and former co-op partner Falmouth is on the brink of getting to the state game for the very first time.

It’s been a memorable gridiron campaign in Forecaster Country and we’re not done yet.

Unfinished business

Luke Piper and his Greely football teammates will get another shot at an eight-man, large school state title this coming Saturday. Cooper Sullivan / The Times Record

A year ago, Greely came from nowhere to steal headlines and reach the eight-man, large school championship game, but it lost to Mt. Desert Island.

This year’s team has been on a mission to return and after a loss to Camden Hills in the opener, hasn’t been beaten since. The Rangers won their final seven regular season games to earn the No. 2 seed and after a quarterfinal round bye, they had no trouble with No. 3 Lake Region in last Friday’s semifinals, winning, 40-6, to improve to 8-1.

Greely shot to a 12-0 lead after one quarter on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Padgett to Ben Kyles and a 2-yard Noah Allen TD run, opened it up to 26-6 at halftime, as Padgett hit Wes Piper for a 69-yard score and Allen had a 16-yard TD run. The Rangers rolled from there, as Padgett ran for a 33-yard touchdown in the third period and Luke Piper scored from 19-yards out in the fourth.

Padgett passed for 131 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 91 yards and another score. Wes Piper had six tackles, including four for losses.

“Lake Region was a good opponent,” said Greely coach Caleb King. “They play tough and had a pretty good offensive attack all season. We were able to score early and often, moving the ball around to our different skill position players. It was a complete team win for us. Our defense played lights out and our offense moved the ball well. Andrew and Luke both threw the ball well and our running backs by committee carried the load on the ground.”

The Rangers will face No. 4 Mt. Ararat (8-2) Saturday at 11 a.m., at Kennebunk High School in the large school title game.

On Oct. 19, Greely eked out a 30-26 victory at the Eagles. The teams’ lone prior playoff meeting saw the Rangers blank Mt. Ararat, 38-0, in last year’s semifinal round.

“We’re looking forward to a great game against Mt. Ararat this week,” King said. “They’re a good football team, but so are we. They obviously have some talented players and are well coached. They make their living on the ground, but we do too. Should be a really great game that showcases the talent that exists in eight-man football.”

Dream season continues

Senior Indi Backman and his Falmouth teammates have run circles around the opposition all season and have a chance to make history Friday night. Anna Chadwick / Morning Sentinel

Little was expected this fall of Falmouth, which went 2-6 a year ago, forfeiting a game along the way, before undergoing a coaching change, but everything that Spencer Emerson, his staff and players have touched this autumn has turned to gold.

After a first-ever perfect regular season, the top-ranked Navigators had a bye into the semifinals and last Friday, they steamrolled No. 5 Messalonskee, 51-7. After a scoreless first quarter, Falmouth took a 13-0 lead in the second period behind a 56-yard touchdown run from Indi Bachman and a 37-yard TD scamper from Gio Guerrette. After the Eagles got on the board, Peter Kearns’ 27-yard field goal made it 16-7 at the half.

The Navigators then blew it open in the third quarter, as quarterback Tres Walker hit Ben Robbins for a 43-yard touchdown, Walker scored on a 32-yard run, Backman scored from 16-yards out, Owen Ross raced 61-yards to paydirt and Eli Bush blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone.

Falmouth (9-0) has one last hurdle to reach its first state final, a Class B North Final contest versus No. 3 Lawrence (7-3) Friday at 6 p.m., in a game that will be played in Augusta.

On Oct. 18, the Navigators beat the Bulldogs, 48-3. In the teams’ lone prior playoff meeting, Falmouth lost, 34-8, in the 2019 quarterfinals.

If the Navigators reach Gold Ball Saturday for the first time, they will face either Kennebunk or Deering Nov. 23 at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net.