Instead of Friday night under the lights, all three local football teams took the field under Saturday afternoon sunshine last weekend, but only one left the gridiron victorious.

That was Cape Elizabeth, which won its sixth in a row and improved to 6-1 with a 29-6 victory at Fryeburg. A Connor Maguire to Bill Brooks TD pass, Donald Clark TD run and Matt Ross field goal built a 17-0 lead at the half. Clark and Derek Roberts had scoring runs in the second half to account for the final score.

The Capers (third in the latest Western Class B Crabtree Points standings) host 6-1 Mountain Valley in the regular season finale Friday night. The winner will get the No. 2 seed for the playoffs. A year ago, Cape Elizabeth lost to the Falcons in Rumford, 25-0.

Scarborough lost its fourth in a row Saturday, 28-14, at Thornton Academy. The Red Storm did welcome back senior standout running back Scott Thibeault, who had 112 yards on 12 rushes, but it wasn’t enough. Scarborough took a 7-0 lead on a Thibeault 52-yard TD scamper and went up 14-7 at halftime, thanks to Ben Greenberg’s 10 yard scoring pass to Charlie Raybine. The Golden Trojans would dominate the second half, however, scoring twice in the third period and once more in the fourth to drop the Red Storm to 2-5.

“I think our kids played hard,” Scarborough coach Lance Johnson said. “They have all year. They’re great kids. It’s not the season we wanted, but they come to practice every day and work extremely hard. They’re extremely dedicated and do a great job trying to prepare. We just haven’t performed on game day.”

The Red Storm are 11th in the latest Western A Crabtrees, but only eight teams qualify for the postseason. The team believes it’s still alive entering its finale at 4-3 Gorham Friday.

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“I think there’s hope,” Johnson said. “It’s been a funny season. It depends on who wins and loses. There are a couple 4-4 teams I think we can slide in front of with our strength of schedule.”

A year ago, host Scarborough blanked Gorham, 33-0.

As painful as the Red Storm’s loss was Saturday, South Portland’s was worse.

The Red Riots, riding a five-game win streak, went to desperate Windham and lost in a triple overtime classic, 20-19.

The game was actually scoreless at halftime and South Portland was down 7-0 in the fourth quarter before drawing even on a short TD pass from quarterback Michael Salvatore to Zach Compton and it was on to overtime.

Neither team could score in the first overtime (the Red Riots missed a field goal), so it was on to a second. There, the visitors got to the brink of victory on a scoring run from Joey DiBiase, but they missed the extra point. Windham answered with a score and also missed the PAT, so it was on to overtime number three tied at 13-13. The Eagles then scored a TD and got the extra point, putting all the pressure on South Portland. The Red Riots rose to the occasion, scoring on a 10-yard DiBiase run, but on the subsequent two-point conversion, Salvatore’s pass was tipped at the line and fell incomplete and Windham held on for the thrilling victory.

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South Portland is now third in the Crabtrees, behind defending state champion Cheverus and Thornton Academy. The Red Riots are at dangerous 2-5 Portland Friday night for the latest installment of the Battle of the Bridge.

Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.

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South Portland senior quarterback Michael Salvatore turns the corner on a run during Saturday’s thriller at Windham. Despite a valiant effort, the Red Riots’ five-game win streak ended with a 20-19, triple overtime loss to the Eagles.

South Portland senior Logan Gaddar leaps to make a reception during Saturday’s game. The Red Riots finish the regular season at Portland Friday night.


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