Thursday, October 23, 2008
The Fitzy ballots went out this week to head coaches throughout the state. Each coach can nominate a senior from his team who is deserving of consideration.
The trophy selection committee then selects a group of semifinalists from the names submitted.
Ballots with the semifinalists´ names are then mailed to coaches and media representatives. The top three vote-getters are the finalists for the prestigious trophy that has been awarded since 1971.
Last year, Nate Doehler of Bonny Eagle would have been a top candidate had he been eligible, but he was a junior. Now he is eligible and will be the prohibitive favorite if the Scots go all the way.
Doehler had an eye-popping offensive year as a junior and is well on his way to another one. Doehler passed for 20 touchdowns and ran for 20 more in leading Bonny Eagle to the Class A state title in 2007, capping a 12-0 season.
Another top candidate is Jack Heary of Deering. The Rams´ running back is having another outstanding season to match his junior campaign, when he rushed for 2,027 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Joey Eon, Massabesic´s rugged fullback and linebacker, is another solid candidate. He is the workhorse in the Mustangs´ backfield, rushing for 1,200 yards so far with two 300-yard games.
Dana Kneeland of Marshwood is another potential candidate. The fullback has more than 1,000 yards rushing for a young team. Nate Curran of Biddeford has had a good season as the Tigers´ chief offensive threat. Greely quarterback Nate Martin is another potential candidate.
Only one lineman has won the Fitzpatrick Trophy, but that doesn´t mean there aren´t qualified candidates. Two that come to mind in Western Maine are Nathanael Lavallee of Cape Elizabeth and John Gilboy of Thornton Academy. They are two-way linemen who are the anchors of their teams´ forward walls.
In Eastern Maine, the top candidates are Wesley Myers of Lewiston, Billy Clark of Skowhegan and Cody Goddard of Edward Little.
Myers and Clark are running backs and Goddard is a quarterback.
Clark and Myers are neck-and-neck for the Pine Tree Conference rushing lead. Through seven games, Clark has 1,165 yards and Myers has 1,130. Goddard has sparked a revived Red Eddies team to a 6-1 record, connecting on 51 percent of his passes for 1,054 yards and 13 touchdowns.
There are other Fitzy candidates, for sure, around the state and coaches can nominate whomever they want from their team. There are often a few surprises among those included and those left off.
The Fitzpatrick dinner will be held Jan. 18 at Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland.
CAPE ELIZABETH is installing bleachers on the home side of Hannaford Field. The first-class synthetic field serves as home for the Capers´ football, soccer and lacrosse teams.
The project is expected to be completed by Nov. 7. The bleachers will seat approximately 1,400 spectators. Dant Clayton Co. of Kentucky is doing the installation. The project cost $350,000 and was a joint financing venture involving private and town monies.
The bleachers also will include a press box.
MASSABESIC DEFENSIVE back Quintin Drain is one interception away from tying the school record for a season. Drain has six interceptions through seven games. Derek Eggleton set the single-season record with seven in 2000.
Drain is tied with two others for most interceptions in a game with three. Jason O´Tash, a former all-state quarterback, and Greg Knight, who played in the early 1970s, also had three interceptions in a game for the Mustangs.
Staff Writer Tom Chard can be reached at 791-6419 or at:
tchard@pressherald.com