For most area high school football coaches, the 2005 season ended weeks ago. The only teams still playing this past weekend were playing for a trip to the state championship game.
Those coaches on the outside are still thinking Xs and Os, though. If they’re not already laying out depth charts for next season they’re at least tinkering with off-season workout programs and watching as much football as time permits.
Coaches from Thornton Academy, Scarborough, Windham, Biddeford and Noble could all be seen in the crowd during Saturday’s Western Class A final between Bonny Eagle and Massabesic. And of course there was a contingent of coaches from Mt. Blue scouting the game, too – the Cougars play Bonny Eagle Saturday at 11 a.m. in the Class A state championship game at Portland’s Fitzpatrick Stadium.
“I had to choose between this and Notre Dame and because they were playing Navy I figured they’d probably win that one, so I came here,” said Craig McDonald, a quarterbacks/linebackers coach at Scarborough.
As it turned out, McDonald made the right decision. The Fighting Irish jumped out to a 28-7 halftime lead and rolled over the Midshipmen, 42-21. At Massabesic’s Ronco Field, the score was tied 14-7 at halftime before the Scots used two big runs by John Wiechman to go up 27-7.
Thornton Academy head coach Kevin Kezal saw what he expected to see.
“It’s a pretty even game,” Kezal said at halftime. “Massabesic runs the option well and they set their pass game up off the option. Bonny Eagle has those two guys (quarterback Mike O’Donnell and Wiechman) as their go-to guys.”
Windham’s Matt Perkins said at halftime – when it was still 14-7 – that he was expecting to see some more scoring out of both teams. And he predicted that there would be more scoring as the game progressed.
“The whole first quarter they were kind of testing each other out,” Perkins said. Where they played each other and scored so much in the first game of the year now they’re just checking out each other.”
The Mt. Blue coaches who were scouting the game didn’t know what to expect. They hadn’t seen either team in action – on tape or in person – until Saturday. So, with head coach Gary Parlin down in the Boston area watching his son play his final game for Middlebury, a quartet of coaches piled into a car and made the ride down from Farmington.
Their impression of what they saw from both teams?
“They’re big and quick,” said offensive line coach Peter Franchetti.
Added defensive coordinator Greg Collins: “And strong and fast.”
Armed with that information and some more in-depth stuff pertaining to offensive and defensive fronts, the coaches were planning on checking in with Parlin later on.
“I’m sure we’ll ruin his evening when we get home,” said Collins, who also added that he wasn’t hoping to face one team more than the other.
Kezal, McDonald and Old Orchard Beach baseball coach Tom LaChance all admitted to having a rooting interest in the game.
“I like York County,” said Kezal, referring to Massabesic. “I’d like to keep it in York County, get it back in York County, I guess. It’s been in Cumberland County for a while.”
McDonald and LaChance were both pulling for the Scots.
“Our head coach (Eric Klein) coached for Bonny Eagle three years ago so he coached most of these kids,” said McDonald. “He was the offensive line coach and I think this was his last group that he had. So we have pretty good ties.”
LaChance, who was an assistant coach football at OOB under Jack Trull, has a niece and nephew who go to Bonny Eagle. He would’ve been at the game regardless, though.
“It’s my love (even more than baseball),” he said. “There isn’t a sport like it.”
Why else would all of these coaches be spending a warm and sunny day-off in Waterboro instead of raking leaves?
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