BRUNSWICK

It all started in the summer heat in August with double session practices and conditioning drills, but after preseason and several hardfought games, the football playoffs are now the primary focus for area high schools which have been able to qualify for a chance at a title.

Morse, Brunswick and Lisbon high schools have worked hard all season to get a chance at the postseason, and starting tonight with a quarterfinal game for Morse, there will be no turning back.

Morse

In Western Class B, the No. 6 Shipbuilders ended the season balancing out the Crabtree Standings, posting a 4-4 record as they will travel to Falmouth to take on the No. 3 Falmouth Yachtsman (7-1), looking to have a new outcome in the game as opposed to the 55-14 loss Falmouth handed them during the second week of the season.

“We’re a very different team than we were in week two,” Shipbuilders coach Jason Darling said of his team’s approach to its upcoming match-up. “It’s all about mindset. We’re in a one-game season right now and the boys know that.”

Seniors Andrew Payson, Josh McDougal and James Laser have been key for the Shipbuilders and will be looked to on the offensive front.

“Our seniors have been phenomenal in their leadership this season,” Darling said.

Laser led the Shipbuilders in rushing with 311 yards on 67 attempts, with McDougal adding 108 receiving yards.

Damon Osmond, a sophomore, has improved greatly according to Darling and is a much stronger threat on offense than in the week-two matchup against Falmouth. Osmond has scored six touchdowns on the season while collecting 308 receiving yards. He has also been dangerous on the defensive side of the ball, placing second on the team in tackles with 41. Both Osmond and McDougal were found often by quarterback Connor Upham, who completed 44 passes for a total of 456 yards.

Another component that was missed until the end of the season was Juwan Moore, who was absent for a majority of the season due to illness, but his return is one that might complete the puzzle for Morse heading into Friday.

“We’re very young on both sides of the ball in regard to sophomores,” Darling said. “But they’re not sophomores anymore at this point in the season and they’re ready to step up.”

Morse was outscored during the season, 198-140, with 115 points coming in the loss to Falmouth and a 60-7 loss to top-seeded Marshwood.

Elsewhere in Western B, Marshwood (8-0) hosts No. 8 Fryeburg Academy (3-5), second seeded York (7-1) entertains defending Western B champ Kennebunk (2-6) and No. 5 Westbrook (3-5) visits No. 4 Greely (4-4).

Brunswick

The Brunswick Dragons have been a force to be reckoned with all season long, posting a 7-1 record, with their only loss coming against No. 4 Messalonskee on Oct. 10 (20-7). With six of nine teams making the playoffs, both Brunswick and No. 2 Cony earned firstround byes and will await the semifinals starting on Nov. 7. The Dragons will host the winner of No. 4 Messalonskee (4-4) vs. No. 5 Mt. Blue (4-4).

Also in the Eastern B quarters tonight, No. 3 Lawrence (6-2) plays host to No. 6 Brewer (4-4), with the winner visiting second-seeded Cony (6-2)

The Dragons rolled to a 35- 7 win over Mt. Blue on Oct. 3.

Brunswick has outscored its opponents 296-129, with a season high 52 coming against Cony in week 3 (Sept. 19).

Lisbon

After finishing the season 6-1, the Lisbon Greyhounds will enter the postseason as the No. 1 seed in Western Class D.

With nine teams in the division and eight eligible to make the playoffs, the Greyhounds were set to take on No. 8 Telstar on Saturday to open up the playoffs. However, the Rebels ended the season 1-7 with its one win coming by way of a forfeit to Traip Academy because of player eligibility issues earlier in the season.

Telstar opted to also forfeit this Saturday’s contest against the Greyhounds, putting Lisbon in the semifinals to face the winner of tonight’s No. 4 Old Orchard Beach-No. 5 Winthrop/Monmouth contest.

In the seven games played, the Greyhounds outscored their opponents 208-77, 28 of the 77 coming as a season high allowed to No. 3 Oak Hill in the last game of the regular season.

During the regular season, Lisbon downed Winthrop/Monmouth, 28-24, and rolled to a 42-7 win at Old Orchard Beach. The semifinal will take place on Nov. 8 on Thompson Field.

Elsewhere in Western D, No. 2 Dirigo (6-1) takes on No. 7 Boothbay (2-5) tonight, and third-seeded Oak Hill (7- 1) entertains No. 6 Maranacook (3-4) on Saturday.

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