Greely and Camden

The consensus for Week 2 was that Leavitt and Greely was the game of the week, but the Model thought that Saturday's Camden and Mt. Ararat matchup was the game of the week. So obviously I had to go to both.

First up: Leavitt @ Greely.

I included the video intro because Greely has a new turf field and if you get a chance you have to check it out. From the first step, you can tell it's different. It's soft, almost like when your kids scatter pillows all over the floor because it's lava. After the game, I spoke to David Shapiro, Greely's Athletic Director. Turns out Greely is the only place in New England that has this Scandinavian technology. In extreme heat they can hose it down and it will have a cooling effect, basically the opposite of playing pickup ball on black pavement in July. It can take 40(!!!) inches of rain. It's very, very cool.

As for the game, Greely does not seem to be having much trouble adapting to 11-man. They dominated the first half, led by QB Luke Piper, who had this dime on 4th and 20.

But Leavitt rallied in the second half, coming all the way back to tie it. In the end, a failed 2-point conversion doomed Leavitt in a game that turned out to be a thriller.

Greely holds off Leavitt for palpitating, signature win

CUMBERLAND—It turns out that championship heart can carry the day at any level. And Greely’s football team, the reigning eight-man, large division state champion, now competing in Class C, has plenty of championship heart to go around. Friday evening at Glenn A. Hutchins Field, hosting perennial powerhouse Leavitt in

Hoffer's High School SportsMichael Hoffer

Last year, Camden rallied down 24-0 in Week 5 to stun Mt. Ararat. The Eagles got their revenge in the playoffs, blowing out the Windjammers to advance to the State Game, where they lost to Greely. But with Greely gone, these two teams could have Gold Ball aspirations.

Mt. Ararat was favored by 2.5 and at the half, they led 14-12, which was making the Model look pretty good. But Camden assistant coach Jeremy Marks told me at halftime they were going to prove it wrong and in the second half they did. Behind a huge game from standout Junior Braden Beveridge, they did just that.

Beveridge finished with 178 yards, a couple TDs, and a really nice interception to snuff out a Mt. Ararat drive at the end of the first half.

And when Mt. Ararat had a must-score drive late in the 4th quarter, sophomore Emmett Milliken, in only his second football game, blew up the Mt. Ararat backfield with two massive defensive plays and Camden got their own revenge, 30-20.

Camden Hills football uses big plays to beat Mt. Ararat

The Windjammers return a kickoff for a touchdown and convert two fourth-and-short situations for long scores on their way to victory.

The Portland Press HeraldCooper Sullivan

After the game, I spoke to Camden head coach Chris Christie.

Later this week, I'll have the Week 2 Overreactions podcast where a guest and I will dig into the rest of the slate. Make sure you subscribe to YouTube to get that.

Also, Heal Points are up and running, even if I haven't completely sorted out the soccer class D and 8-person classification (there's a LOT of changes).

In addition to being just a little bit easier to read than the MPA's site, it'll also calculate Crabtree for soccer, if you want that. It'll also do Heal Points for football.

Fall Heal Points

The basketball heal points format you’ve grown to rely on, but with Fall Sports. Upgrade to Paid

Maine Basketball RankingsLucas McNelly

Valley's Cody Laweryson made his made his Big League debut this weekend, tossing 2 scoreless innings for the Twins.

Former UMaine pitcher set to make Major League debut with Twins

After more than 300 innings in the minor leagues, Cody Laweryson is going to realize his dream.

Bangor Daily NewsLarry Mahoney

The Spreads page is being updated daily, since the newsletter doesn't every day during the Fall and I know coaches want to know how big of an underdog they are so they can beat it.

Spreads

But did you beat the spread?

Maine Basketball RankingsLucas McNelly