Dexter football among teams finding new opponents amid COVID cancellations

By Ernie Clark, Bangor Daily News Staff

Revisions in the high school football schedule due to COVID-19 cancellations are starting to take shape.

New matchups already scheduled include an 11-player matchup that sends Class C Belfast to Class D Poland and an 8-player contest with Camden Hills of Rockport at Waterville.

Camden Hills and Waterville originally were supposed to meet next week in Rockport, but when both teams found themselves without an opponent this weekend they agreed to play at 7 p.m. Friday at Drummond Field in Waterville.

“It’s Waterville’s homecoming, and we’re trying to help them out a little bit so they don’t lose that,” Camden Hills Athletic Administrator Jeff Hart said. “I think they may have been able to play Ellsworth on Monday, but that would have left football out of their homecoming events. That was part of it, and then both of us needed a game.”

Camden Hills was set to host Houlton-Hodgdon this Saturday, but Houlton schools are in remote learning and have halted all sports activities until Sept. 27.

Waterville was scheduled to host Ellsworth-Sumner on Friday night, but Ellsworth Athletic Administrator Josh Frost said half of his school’s football team remains in quarantine due to contact tracing until Saturday.

Frost said he is attempting to find a different opponent for the Eagles to play on Monday.

Ellsworth-Sumner had to cancel last Friday’s scheduled home game against Camden Hills, and the Windjammers instead played at Morse High School of Bath on Saturday and scored a 60-42 victory. 

Hart and Waterville Athletic Administrator Heidi Bernier haven’t ruled out having their football teams play for a second straight week as now scheduled on Sept. 25, but Hart said that by next week there may be other alternatives.

“Both Waterville and ourselves are looking at that but we’re trying not to get too ahead of ourselves with the way things are going,” he said. “We’re going to see what this week holds out and probably both of us may try to play teams like Ellsworth or Dexter that lost a game but might be ready to come back next week.”

Dexter was scheduled to play at Washington Academy of East Machias this weekend, but the academy opted out of the season before it started due to a lack of players. The Tigers then were supposed to host Houlton-Hodgdon on Sept. 25 but the Shiretowners won’t be back on the gridiron until the following Monday.

Dexter now is set to host Ellsworth-Sumner on Sept. 25, according to Dexter Athletic Administrator Roy Pelotte.

“We all know that we’re all just a phone call away from being in quarantine and not able to play,” Hart said.

Belfast was supposed to play Hermon in a Class C North game Friday, but Hermon’s high school and middle school have been on remote learning this week and all athletic activities have been halted until next Monday.

Hermon’s football team has yet to play a countable football game this fall after the Hawks were forced to cancel previous matchups against Cape Elizabeth and Leavitt of Turner Center due to COVID-19 issues.

Belfast Athletic Administrator Matt Battani said the Lions’ game against Hermon probably will not be made up unless both schools have a common week off later in the season. Belfast will make up its lost junior varsity game against Hermon by playing at Lawrence of Fairfield next Monday.

Poland, which had a Week 1 bye and then didn’t have an opponent last weekend after Bucksport had to cancel due to COVID-19 concerns, was due to host Madison-Carrabec this weekend but both Madison and Carrabec high schools are in remote learning and the Bulldogs already had to cancel its Week 2 game against Lisbon due to players quarantining.