The 2022 Boothbay football team will have something old, something new, something borrowed, and 26 football players wearing blue during their four home games. The first is Friday, Sept. 2 at Sherman Field against Sacopee Valley.

The “old” are eight seniors, most who have played three seasons of eight-man football under Head Coach Ed Crocker. Quarterback Kayden Ames will lead this year’s offensive attack as he did last season. Crocker used Ames in the shotgun formation last season to maximize his running and passing skills. As a junior, Ames was also one of the team’s better defensive players. He played on the defensive line and as linebacker, but this season he expects to play mostly offense. 

“Most eight-man teams have their best athletes play two-way, but it’s physically demanding. We discovered last year it wears out a team. So we ended up using some players either on defense or offense,” he said.

In the past couple years, Ames has transformed his physique into becoming one of the most physical runners in Maine high school football. Ames is a dedicated weightlifter and is primed to start his final gridiron season. “I lift six days a week and I’m careful about my diet,” he said. Ames follows the same regimen  former Boothbay football player Cam Crocker used as a University of New England college player. “I began training with him a couple years ago. I watched what he did. I’m in condition and ready to go,” he said.

Boothbay has a few new players from last year’s middle school team. The Seahawks also have a junior who never played football. Andrew Fowlie will make his “Friday Night Lights” debut this week either as an offensive or defensive lineman. “This is my first year so I don’t really know where I will play. I guess I have to wait until Friday. You know, Coach Eddie is a mystery man,” he said. 

Ames recruited Fowlie to play football after the two began working out together 18 months ago. “If I wanted to play, I knew I had to get bigger,” Fowlie said. “I am looking forward to getting into better shape this season and making a lot of new friends.”

The “borrowed” comes by the way of Wiscasset Middle High School. Senior Nathan Schutte planned on playing soccer for Wiscasset this season. But that all changed due to a lack of Wolverine players this fall. “When our season ended I decided to come to Boothbay and give football a try,” he said.

Schutte has never played organized football, but the coaches noticed immediately he is a gifted athlete. “He can run, catch and kick,” Coach Crocker said. “He is probably the fastest guy in our league. He will play a big role in our offense.”

The coach also points to several underclassmen he expects will make significant contributions this season. “This team has a lot of talent. Underclassmen Aidric Canada, Tyson French and Spencer Wenners have been impressive in pre-season, and I’m excited for the season to start.”

Boothbay will play a seven-game schedule in the Eight-man Football Small Conference’s Southern Division. Boothbay had 30 players in training camp this summer, but the number dropped. The coach expects a couple more to show up once school starts.

The football program already has one “unexpected victory” even before the season has started. “We have enough players this year to play six or seven junior varsity games which is really a good sign for our program,” he said.