Proving their mettle

Losing football games can become a bad habit or part of a vicious cycle, but that doesn’t mean players or coaches ever accept it.

Poland Regional High School coach Mark Soehren sensed that his team was headed in the right direction when he saw players well up with emotion after every loss this season, five of them in a row to start a campaign packed with promise.

Soehren saw the tears again last Saturday, perhaps a few of them clouding his own eyes. And they tasted decidedly better.

The Knights used multiple goal-line stands to protect a 7-0 victory over Fryeburg in their homecoming game.

“We have believed in our defense from the start of the season and through the Cape Elizabeth game (a 25-0 loss in Week 1). We seemed to have a crisis of confidence after the Greely game, and it persisted until the Fryeburg game,” Soehren said. “We had been physical with other teams, but we finally put a whole game together with minimal mental mistakes.”

Despite dropping all nine games in 2009, Poland entered the season with confidence on multiple fronts. The Knights were undefeated in the preseason, edging Livermore Falls and Oxford Hills. Fifteen starters, most of them seniors, returned with hopes of helping the Knights turn the corner.

Those seniors played the game of their careers last week. Connor King, Mike Adams, Frank Benedict stuffed the Fryeburg run at the point of attack. Inside linebackers Conrad Labbe, Cam Woodford and Jake Moody and safety Derek Hanscom filled the gaps.

Soehren is pleased with his team’s reaction to the win. The Knights have practiced for Saturday’s tough test against Wells in businesslike fashion, as if nothing changed.

“The win hasn’t seemed to change the atmosphere all that much. We have a great group of kids with a great attitude week to week. I will say that the film session was a lot more fun,” Soehren said. “I think that the win will allow us to play with less fear of making mistakes.”

Now in its eighth season of varsity football, Poland is still trying to establish both a winning tradition and the traditions of winning.

Prior to this season, Poland instituted a celebratory rite that is a play on its nickname.

The Knights walk out for every home game as a team. A player who excelled in practice that week leads the group, wielding a sword that he places in a rock.

When the game ends, the player of the game gets to remove the sword and wave it, Braveheart-style.

“The seniors removed it together,” Soehren said. “It was a good moment, one we will remember for the rest of our lives.”

Scoreboard watch

You can make a compelling case that the Western Class C playoffs have already begun.

While it’s true that the eight-team field won’t be set until after next weekend’s games, a quick look at the Crabtree point standings shows five quality teams locked in a fierce battle for the final four spots.

Dirigo, Jay, Livermore Falls, Maranacook and Oak Hill rank fifth through ninth, in that order, separated by fewer than 11 points. To put it into perspective, that’s less than the 14-point gap between No. 4 Traip and No. 5 Dirigo.

This week’s crucial match-ups are Winthrop at Jay, Oak Hill at Livermore Falls and Dirigo at Maranacook. Next weekend, Jay travels to Livermore Falls and Oak Hill visits Maranacook.

Safest in the bunch probably is Dirigo, which will be favored against Madison next week with a good chance to fatten its winning percentage. Two wins by anyone else will punch their ticket. Split or lose both, and it’ll be time to get out the calculator and a handkerchief to mop the sweat from their brow.

koakes@sunjournal.com