Quarterback Dalton Therrien, from Oak Hill, runs with the ball for the West team, as Dillon Hummes, representing Edward Little for the East team, tries to block him during the 27th annual Maine Lobster Bowl Classic held in Biddeford last year.
As the only Edward Little representative at the 28th Annual Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic, Tyler Blanchard wasn’t sure how he would fit in with his teammates on the East squad when training camp opened last Sunday at Foxcroft Academy.
“I was a little nervous coming in. I knew a lot of kids from Lewiston and kids that we played in from our conference, but I didn’t know a lot of people from outside our conference,” Blanchard said. “We’ve all really jelled together and we’re pretty close.”
Players on the East and West will have had six days to jell by Saturday’s 4 p.m. kickoff at Hill Stadium at Thornton Academy in Saco. The West leads the all-time series, 18-9, but the bond that brings together is the game’s cause, which is summed up by the game’s slogan: “Strong legs run so that weak legs may walk.”
Net proceeds from the Lobster Bowl benefit the Shriners Hospitals for Children.
“It’s great to see people from all over the state of Maine from all different classes coming together and bonding to support such a great cause,” said Dirigo’s Bryce Whittemore, a defensive end for the West. “It’s been great to be a part of it.”
Players and cheerleaders make more than just a one-week commitment to the Lobster Bowl. They start in April with team meetings at the Kora Temple in Lewiston, where they learn about their fundraising responsibilities (a minimum of $500 per participant).
If that doesn’t drive home the point that it is more than an all-star game, the appearance of a former patient to impart the life-saving work done by the Hospitals for Children usually does.
“It really opened my eyes about what this game is about,” said Mountain Valley’s Kyle Farrar, a kicker and defensive back for the West. “Growing up, I knew what about the Lobster Bowl and I always knew I wanted to go. But like one of our players said in a meeting the other day, it’s bigger than us. It really is. It’s not only for us to go show off our skills and how talented we are. It’s for the kids at the hospital. We’ve raised a lot of money for those kids, which is awesome.”
The offensive fireworks of last year’s game left fans in awe, and there is plenty of talent to keep the scoreboard operator busy Saturday.
Quarterbacks Garrett McSweeney of Skowhegan and Taylor Heath of Cony lead the East. Among those joining them in the backfield are Fitzpatrick Trophy finalist Dylan Bolduc of Portland and Ryland VanDecker of Oxford Hills, but both quarterbacks came from pass-oriented offenses, so expect receivers such as Blanchard and Oxford Hills tight end Connor Bickford to be heavily involved.
Both teams feature big offensive lines. The East line, which includes Mt. Blue’s Brandon Durrell and Adaryan Ray of Oxford Hills averages 264 pounds.
Oak Hill’s Adam Mooney anchors a smaller West front, averaging 253 pounds, which will protect quarterbacks Cam Day of Bonny Eagle and Frankie Veino of Sanford. Leavitt running back Hunter Sirois will also be in the backfield, while Lisbon quarterback Tyler Halls highlights a receiving corps that also includes Oak Hill slot Steven Gilbert.
Among those charged with containing all of that offensive talent are defensive linemen Tanton Mattson of Lisbon and Caulin Parker of Spruce Mountain, and linebacker Alec Brown and safety Cam Scott of Winthrop/Monmouth for the West, and Lewiston safety Roman Dennis for the East.
This year’s game was moved to Thornton Academy from Biddeford’s Waterhouse Field, which was closed after the bleachers there were found to be unsafe. Hill Stadium hosted the first Lobster Bowl in 1990.
East Roster
# Player Name Position Height Weight School
1 Chris Farnsworth DB 6’1″ 190 MDI
2 Taylor Heath QB 6’1″ 175 Cony
4 TJ Crawford RB 5’10” 182 Old Town
5 Griffin Nye DE 6’0″ 200 Hampden
7 Jesse Devereaux LB 5’8″ 185 Brunswick
8 Josh Geagan LB 5’10” 195 Bucksport
9 Dominic Casale DB 6’3″ 170 Cheverus
10 Tyler Blanchard WR 5’10” 180 Edward Little
11 Jackson Gordon DE 6’4″ 200 Brunswick
12 Nick Archambault LB 6’0″ 190 Portland
14 Dylan Hutchinson DB 6’0″ 175 Winslow
15 Gunner McAllister DB 5’10” 165 Lawrence
17 Zach White DB 6’1″ 175 Dexter
20 Austin Brown SLOT 5’6″ 160 Houlton
21 Colby Furrow WR 5’10” 175 Mt. View
22 Josh Buker SLOT 5’11” 175 MCI
23 Tyler Hafford WR 6’2″ 175 Brewer
24 Colby Dexter DB 5’11” 170 Messalonskee
27 Roman Dennis LB 5’10” 190 Lewiston
34 Josiah Grace DB 5’8″ 160 Orono
35 Dylan Bolduc RB 6’0″ 180 Portland
36 Kenny Rickard DL 5’8″ 220 Winslow
37 Ryland VanDecker RB 5’10 200 Oxford Hills
40 Rylan Benedict DL 5’9″ 185 Cheverus
42 Cody Rice DL 5’8″ 185 Nokomis
43 Kaleb Caron DE 6’0″ 210 Gardiner
51 Adaryan Ray OL 5’10” 280 Oxford Hills
55 Owen Boardman OL 6’0″ 250 Skowhegan
57 Max Rogers LB 6’3″ 230 Waterville
59 Hunter Allen OL 6’1″ 315 Skowhegan
60 Ben MacDonald OL 6’0″ 250 Windham
62 Matt Storer DL 6’2″ 280 Foxcroft
63 Austin Labee OL 6’0″ 310 Bangor
66 Brandon Durrell OL 6’0″ 265 Mt. Blue
67 Jacob Lennon DL 6’1″ 210 Lawrence
75 Travis Tran DL 6’0″ 220 Belfast
76 Garrett Casburn OL 6’1″ 205 John Bapst
77 Keith Jordan OL 6’0″ 235 Ellsworth
80 Justin Villone TE 6’1 190 Wash. Acad
81 Carter Ward WR 5’9″ 185 Mattanawcook
82 Garrett McSweeney QB 6’1 195 Skowhegan
83 Gage Modery WR 6’0″ 190 Stearns
87 Connor Bickford TE 6’5″ 245 Oxford Hills
88 Mitch Jarvais WR 6’2″ 195 Madison
Head Coach — Matt Perkins, Windham
West Roster
# Player Name Position Height Weight School
1 Ben Ekedahl WR 6’3″ 175 Cape Elizabeth
2 Joey Curit DB 5’7″ 180 Biddeford
4 Hunter Sirois RB 6’0″ 195 Leavitt
5 Ethan Belanger WR 5’11” 215 Sanford
6 Tyler Halls WR 6’1″ 175 Lisbon
7 Nate Scott DB 5’9″ 150 Winthrop/Monmouth
9 Finn Zechman DB 6’0″ 180 S. Portland
10 Deandre Woods DE 6’3″ 220 Wells
11 Frankie Veino QB 6’2″ 220 Sanford
12 Cam Day QB 5’11 175 Bonny Eagle
13 Angelo Succi DB 6’0 170 Traip
14 Owen Berry DB 5’10” 165 Wells
15 Steven Gilbert SLOT 5’10” 175 Oak Hill
20 Brandon Martin H-Back 6’0″ 220 Falmouth
21 TJ Morrill WR/K 5’11” 165 Freeport
22 Remi LeBlanc WR 5’10” 170 Yarmouth
23 Drew Davis RB 5’9″ 180 Maranacook
24 Kyle Farrar DB 5’9″ 170 Mtn. Valley
25 Logan Pomerleau DB 5’8 150Noble
26 Riley Dempsey DB 5’10 170 Wells
29 Aren Dickman LB 5’11 220 Scarborough
31 Jared Vigue LB 5’9″ 170 Massabesic
32 Raz Baltazar LB 5’6″ 165 Morse
33 Robert Hetherman LB 6’0″ 190 Mt. Ararat
34 Ryan Daley H-Back 5’11” 180 York
36 Nick Howard DL 5’8″ 200 Sanford
40 Alec Brown LB 5’8 195 Winthrop/Monmouth
42 Rob Dacey DB 5’10” 170 Deering
44 Patrick Saunders LB 5’10” 220 Kennebunk
45 Matt Anderson DE 6’0″ 190 Gorham
50 Parker Gammon OL 6’1″ 220 Bonny Eagle
51 Austin Roy DL 5’10” 185 Greely
52 Tyler Stewart OL 5’10” 225 Medomak
62 Taunton Mattson DL 5’10” 240 Lisbon
63 Jon Gillis DE 6’1″ 195 OOB
64 Nick Bartholomew OL 6’3 265 Thornton Academy
65 Adam Mooney OL 5’9″ 260 Oak Hill
67 Kyle Holman OL 6’3 300 Thornton Academy
69 Kevin Ventura DL 6’0″ 215 Fryeburg
71 Ben Roakes OL 6’0″ 210 Lake Region
74 Loukas Coussoule OL 6’2″ 285 Marshwood
73 Dakota Joy OL 6’3″ 260 Scarborough
72 Kirby Morrell DL 6’2″ 220 Bonny Eagle
74 Loukas Coussoule OL 6’2″ 285 Marshwood
76 Dave Redmond DL 6’1″ 260 Westbrooke
77 Bryce Whittemore LB 6’0″ 175 Dirigo
Head Coach — Mike Fallon, Sanford
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