Here's a look at a few college basketball players who are alumni of central Maine high schools. As you'll see, some of these players are already making a big impact as freshmen.

Here's my final top 10 of the high school football season:

1. Bonny Eagle
2. Deering
3. Skowhegan
4. Mountain Valley
5. Thornton Academy
6. Lawrence
7. John Bapst
8. Edward Little
9. Windham
10. Winthrop

It's often the little things that eventually mean the most in high school sports, perhaps offering a word of encouragement to a teammate or even helping an opponent up.

Travis Lazarczyk just called in from the Class A state championship game with news that the Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl will be played on a Saturday in 2009.

"It was brought up as a suggestion," said Rick Hersom, who is on the Lobster Bowl committee. "For people up north with a long drive it is a lot easier to get to."

The game has always been played on a Friday night in July in the past. This year, the game will be played at 4 p.m. on a Saturday.

It will still be held at Waterhouse Field in Biddeford.

Derek Smith killed the clock by taking a knee and the John Bapst Crusaders beat Winthrop High School 21-14 to win the Class C state championship at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland.

We're introducing a regular feature in the blogs each Friday. It's a quick look at some former central Maine high school players who are now playing in college. I hope you enjoy it.

The John Bapst Memorial High School football team spent Friday night in Portland, choosing to make the long trek from Bangor the day before the Class C state title game against Winthrop.

With just one day left in the high school football season, here is how I voted in the media poll. The outcomes of Saturday's three championship games could sway next week's final poll a great deal.

1. Bonny Eagle
2. Skowhegan
3. Deering
4. Thornton Academy
5. Lawrence
6. Mountan Valley
7. Morse
8. Edward Little
9. Windham
10. Winthrop

Jordan Conant had on big winter mittens, a mask covering his face another and a hat covering his head, ears and the back of his neck (but he still had on his trademark green bandana). And he kept complaining that his cheeks were numb.

And Conant was fired up.

Travis Lazarczyk and Bill Stewart are back for another edition of Gridiron Gurus. This week they preview the state championship games.

Brad Greenleaf said the competition with himself and Jordan McGowan for the starting quarterback job on the Skowhegan football team this summer was intense.

The Winthrop and John Bapst football teams will deviate from normal routine and shift their practices to turf field this week in anticipation of playing Saturday at Fitzpatrick Stadium for the Class C state championship.

When Bonny Eagle of Standish and Skowhegan meet in the Class A state championship game next Saturday, it will be the first time since 2004 the teams play each other.

Skowhegan and Bonny Eagle were paired up in the 2003 and 2004 seasons, when PTC teams played one crossover game against a SMAA opponent each season.

In 2003, Skowhegan defeated Bonny Eagle, 27-26. In 2004, Bonny Eagle evened the series with a 42-8 win. That season, the Scots also won their first state championship.

Bonny Eagle will play for its fourth state title in five years on Saturday. Skowhegan, on the other hand, is in the state final for the first time since 1989, and hopes to win the gold ball for the first time since 1978.

The muddy mess that was the football field behind the Winthrop Grade School turned out to be a terrific place to celebrate on Saturday.

It was muddy. It was wet. It was, simply, a mess at Winthrop Grade School for the Campbell Conference Class C title game Saturday between No. 1 Winthrop and No. 3 Lisbon.

Here's how I voted in this week's poll.

1. Bonny Eagle
2. Deering
3. Skowhegan
4. Thornton Academy
5. Lawrence
6. Mountain Valley
7. Edward Little
8. Morse
9. Windham
10. Winthrop

Mt. Blue High School, which returns two very talented guards in Ben Russell and Jamie Sawyer, was picked second in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A coaches poll on Thursday.

Win or lose in the Pine Tree Conference championship game against Skowhegan on Saturday, the 9-1 Edward Little football team already has had a fantastic season.

Last year, the Red Eddies went 1-7, despite high expectations. Part of this year's improvement comes from head coach Darren Hartley tweaking the lineup a little. But most of it comes from the experience gained during last season's struggles.

"I have 13 or 14 seniors who really took it on the chin last year," Hartley said.

Last season, Hartley said at the start of the season he expected the team to win four or five games and compete for a playoff spot. When that didn't happen, he had an administrator question him.

"He said maybe I shouldn't said we're a playoff team," Hartley said. "I asked him what he thought I should say."

Staff writers Bill Stewart and Travis Lazarczyk return for another edition of Gridiron Gurus. This week they discuss the Pine Tree Conference Class A championship game between Skowhegan and Edward Little, as well as the Campbell Conference Class C title game between Winthrop and Lisbon.

The Winthrop High School football team hosts Lisbon on Saturday in the Campbell Conference Class C title game.

The Ramblers (10-0) plowed through the conference this season, averaging 38.4 points and allowing just four a game.

Waterville Senior High School is lucky to have a coach the caliber of Ian Wilson.

Want to relive the Waterville girls soccer team's 5-1 win over Gorham in the Class A state championship game.

Go to our home page at www.onlinesentinel.com and check out Andy Molloy's slideshow of photos from the game.

There you will also be able to find a link to a game story by staff writer Matt DiFilippo.

Last week, we looked at four Player of the Year candidates from the Pine Tree Conference Class A division. Today, let's look at four candidates in the PTC B.

Remember, all stats are regular season only:

Tyler Green, Leavitt: 1,076 rushing yards, 17 touchdowns.
Jasper Cousins, Mt. Desert Island: 20 catches for 288 yards, 12 total touchdowns, 71 solo tackles, four interceptions.
Forrest Chadwick, Gardiner: 712 rushing yards, 314 receiving yards, 15 total touchdowns, three interceptions, 41.8 yards per punt average.
Pat Wolfe, Morse: 947 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns.

Gardiner Area High School senior Pete Caradonna had successful leg surgery Friday at Maine General Medical Center. However, the injury $suffered in the final regular season game against Leavitt $ was worse than originally thought.

A more-tightly called game at Saturday's State Class D boys soccer championship would likely have favored Richmond for a couple of reasons.

I don't think anynone saw this coming -- OK, I KNOW no one saw this coming. In Friday night's PTC A semifinal, Skowhegan's passing yardage (149) nearly equaled Lawrence's total yardage (150).

Katahdin boys soccer coach Matt Lindsay admitted to having limited knowledge about the Richmond team he will face in the Class D state championship game on Saturday.

One thing he heard, he was really curious about.

Staff writers Travis Lazarczyk and Bill Stewart return for another edition of Gridiron Gurus. This week they talk about the highly anticipated Pine Tree Conference Class A semifinal matchup between Skowhegan and Lawrence, the PTC B semifinal between Gardiner and Mount Desert Island and the Campbell C Conference game between Livermore Falls and Winthrop.

Here's my top 10 for the week:

1. Deering
2. Lawrence
3. Bonny Eagle
4. Thornton Academy
5. Skowhegan
6. Mountain Valley
7. Edward Little
8. Lewiston
9. Windham
10. Winthrop

The Gardiner Area High School football team is preparing for the long bus ride to Bar Harbor on Friday night, when it will play Mount Desert Island High School in a Pine Tree Conference Class B semifinal.

Waterville and Brusnwick each finished the regular season undefeated in Eastern A girls soccer. They played in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Class A championship game, and Waterville won, 2-0. Wednesday's regional final between the teams was better, and what you'd hope for in a matchup between two unbeaten teams.

The Winthrop High School football team plays its home games on Friday nights and therefore has had plenty of chances to see Lisbon, which plays its home games on Saturday afternoons.

That advance scouting paid off in a big way Saturday.

It helps that Boothbay coach Nick Scott comes from a strong cross country background. The 2001 Monmouth Academy was part of two state championship teams with the Mustangs and went on to star with the University of Maine at Farmington.