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HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

GAME OF THE WEEK: Rams still hold grudge

Cony still remembers Mt. Ararat comeback

By Bill Stewart bstewart@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

Cony High School senior wide receiver Nick Lucas remembers the meltdown well. Ditto senior tackle Keenan Tilsley.

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TOUCHDOWN: Cony’s Nick Lucas catches a touchdown pass in a game against Gardiner last preseason. Lucas and the Rams will open their season tonight against Mt. Ararat in Topsham.

Joe Phelan

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Tonight
Bangor at Skowhegan, 7 p.m.
Lawrence at Brewer, 7 p.m.
MCI at Bucksport, 7 p.m.
Winslow at Gardiner, 7 p.m.
Messalonskee at Mt. Blue, 7 p.m.
Cony at Mt. Ararat, 6 p.m.
Madison at Winthrop, 7 p.m.
Saturday
Morse at Waterville, 11 a.m.
Nokomis at Camden, 1:30 p.m.
John Bapst at Mt. View, 1 p.m.
Oak Hill at Lisbon, 1:30 p.m.
Maranacook at Traip, 1:30 pm.

So when the subject of the team's last trip to Mt. Ararat came up, Lucas and Tilsley could only roll their eyes.

"I remember it well," said Lucas.

In the 2008 season opener, Cony ventured to Topsham and raced out to a 20-6 lead in the third quarter.

Game over, right?

Not exactly. The Eagles outscored the Rams 22-6 the rest of the way to take a 28-26 victory.

Cony will return to Mt. Ararat at 6 tonight in the Pine Tree Conference Class A opener. The opening kickoff was moved up an hour as a result of inclement weather expected.

"We're going down there with a chip on our shoulder," Lucas added.

In other action tonight, rivals Winslow and Gardiner will play at 7 at Hoch Field and Winthrop will host Madison in a Campbell Conference Class C game.

On Saturday, Maranacook will play at Traip while Oak Hill will visit Lisbon. Both Campbell Conference Class C games are scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.

The 2008 loss to Mt. Ararat was especially painful for Cony because the Rams were stymied on a potential game-winning scoring drive late in the fourth.

Although the Rams beat the Eagles 28-7 last season, the 2008 trip to Topsham was firmly imprinted on the minds of many players this week.

"It wasn't a great feeling," Tilsley said. "Them coming back like that and beating us, it sticks with you. But we're a different team now."

For starters, Lucas is no longer the starting quarterback, having shifted to wide receiver. He now catches passes from fellow senior Luke Duncklee, one of the most explosive players in the state.

Duncklee scored 24 touchdowns last season and finished with 2,092 yards of total offense.

The Rams run the spread offense to give Duncklee ample room to run or throw.

"We are certainly impressed with him," Mt. Ararat coach Mark LaFountain said. "He's a double threat. He's a great talent. He's very fast and has a good nose for the end zone. He presents some interesting problems."

The Eagles also run a spread offense, but last season they implemented some changes.

"We're not as spread out as they are," LaFountain said. "We'll do some stuff like that, but we will go in the I-formation. We started doing it last year. It's been a good opener for both of us. They've been some interesting games. Some have gone our way, some haven't. It's a good way to start."

Cony coach Robby Vachon stressed this week the importance of opening with a victory, particularly with PTC A powers Messalonskee and Bangor following Mt. Ararat on the schedule.

"You don't want to go 0-3 out of the gate," he said. "We feel we can compete with anybody, but we want this one."

Gardiner, meanwhile, will host a Winslow team that is coming off its worst season since 1991.

The Tigers thumped the Black Raiders 28-14 last season with dynamic tailback Alonzo Connor still waiting on the bench for his opportunity.

Connor is the starting tailback now, and he presents an array of problems for defenses as well.

"I expect them to be pretty hungry after going through some of the challenges they went through last year," Gardiner coach Jim Palmer said. "They want redemption, I'm sure."

In Campbell Conference Class C, Oak Hill will play at Lisbon in a game ripe with playoff implications. Both teams qualified for the postseason last season.

"We expect it to be a dogfight," Oak Hill coach Dave Wing said. "They have quick kids off the ball. They have a lot of good kids at the skill positions."

Senior halfback Josh Allen, who rushed for 985 yards last season, leads the Raiders.

Bill Stewart -- 623-3811, ext. 515

bstewart@centralmaine.com