Lawrence’s Colton Carter is brought down by Falmouth’s Eli Bush during their October 18 game in Falmouth. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

November is here — and it’s a month in which central Maine football teams historically thrive.

Every year for 12 straight years, at least one area team has brought home a regional championship and played for a state title. In 2024, though, that streak is in doubt as no central Maine team holds a top seed as they navigate playoff fields headlined by strong outsiders.

Look no further than the Pine Tree Conference. Falmouth has taken the division by storm this year, going 8-0 to claim Class B North’s No. 1 spot. Ahead of the first playoff games this weekend, it’s clear the Navigators are the team Cony, Lawrence, Gardiner, Messalonskee and Skowhegan are chasing.

“I think Falmouth has shown that they’re the class of the field,” said Messalonskee head coach Blair Doucette. “They’ve beaten everyone (in the region) and gone 8-0, so they’re the team to beat. Until somebody else is able to knock them off, I wouldn’t think otherwise.”

Led by Tres Walker and quarterback, Indi Backman at running back and linebacker and Joey Guerrette at receiver and corner, the athletic Navs have claimed one of the PTC’s two byes. The other has gone to Cony (5-3), which will face either No. 3 Lawrence (5-3) or No. 6 Skowhegan (2-6) in the semifinals.

Cony has passed plenty this year with Parker Morin throwing for 1,416 yards and 14 touchdowns and Ethan Demmons (34 catches, 599 yards) excelling in the receiving game. To contend for a title, though, head coach B.L. Lippert said his team must also complement its passing attack with a strong ground game.

“I thought in last year’s playoffs, we became a little bit one-dimensional, and that makes it tough to win in November,” Lippert said. “We have two good running backs (Anderson Noyes and Anderson St. Onge), and looking ahead to next Friday, it could be snow, and that can make a pass-first offense a bit of a problem.”

Should Cony face Lawrence, the Rams will be tasked with stopping a ground game led by Colton Carter and Preston Roy, who combined for 472 rushing yards last week. The River Hawks, led by Jason Aubin at quarterback, will look to upset the Bulldogs in Friday’s quarterfinals and avenge a 32-7 loss back in Week 3.

Meanwhile, No. 4 Gardiner (4-4) will host No. 5 Messalonskee (3-5) on Friday for the right to face Falmouth. Doucette said the Eagles, who beat the Tigers 13-6 back in Week 4, are preparing for both Asher Nagy and Brayden Elliott at quarterback after the latter passed for 201 yards last week in a win over Oceanside.

Gardiner head coach Pat Munzing is still unsure as to which quarterback will start this week. As for Messalonskee, the Eagles have their own threat at the position in Tatum Doucette, who has 985 yards, 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions through the air and 895 yards and 11 scores on the ground. 

“His ability to escape the pocket and make plays when things break down is something you’re always concerned with,” Munzing said of Doucette. “Defensively, we did a really good job of the bend-don’t-break kind of thing (in our regular-season matchup), but so did they. It’s going to be a battle, for sure.”

In Class C North, No. 3 Nokomis (4-4) is set to host No. 6 Brewer (1-7) in a regional quarterfinal battle Saturday. It’s a rematch of the regular-season finale, in which the Warriors got 215 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Seth Bowden to claim a 22-6 road victory over the Witches.

Nokomis quarterback Seth Bowden looks for a passing option against Medomak Valley during a September game in Newport. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel

Nokomis is sure to count on Bowden — who has 150 carries for 898 yards and 12 scores this season — even more in this weekend’s rematch. The Warriors will also be looking to win the turnover battle, something they’ve done in seven of eight games this year for a plus-12 turnover margin.

“We’re not good enough defensively where we’re going to shut teams out, so we really have to force the issue when it comes to turnovers,” said head coach Jake Rogers. “That’s just how we’ve built our defense. We’re probably the smallest in the state at linebacker; I call them the leprechaun crew because there ain’t a one of them over 5-5.”

A win would earn Nokomis a date with second-ranked Medomak Valley (6-2) in the Class B North semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, No. 5 Hampden Academy (4-4) will travel to Rockland to take on No. 4 Oceanside with the winner set to take on top-seeded Hermon (6-2) in the semis.

In Class D South, it’s hard to say that top-ranked Wells (8-0) isn’t the favorite. The Warriors haven’t lost a Class D game in the four years they’ve played in the division (2017-18, 2023-24), and they clinched the No. 1 seed again with a 30-13 win over the Ramblers on Friday.

“Until somebody beats them, they have to be the favorite,” Oak Hill head coach Chad Stowell said of Wells. “We call it a football factory down there, and it really is. Coach (Tim) Roche has it going on; they have big, bowling-ball running backs, and their offensive line and their defense, they’re just so disciplined.”

Wells will face the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal game between Stowell’s No. 5 Oak Hill team (5-3) and No. 4 Freeport (5-3). That contest will pit a Raiders offense led by quarterback Braden Dubuc and running back Kaiden Delano against a Falcons defense that was stiff throughout October.

“They make you beat them,” Stowell said. “What we have to do is take care of our assignments and play sound. We understand that this is a team that’s playing really good football and that we’re going to have to bring our A-game, but that’s the case no matter who you’re playing in the playoffs. Every game is going to be tough.”

At 7-1, Winthrop, which has the other bye in Class D South, boasts the best record of anyone in central Maine. Led by Carter Rivers (1,021 yards, six touchdowns) and Cody Cobb (665 yards, 15 touchdowns; 57 tackles, 11 tackles for loss), the Ramblers will host either No. 3 Dirigo (6-1) or No. 6 Mountain Valley (2-6) in the semis.

Whereas Wells has been the king of Class D South since 2017, Foxcroft has ruled the North, winning regional titles each time Class D has been divided into regions with the exception of 2019. The top-seeded Ponies have had some battles this year, but at 8-0, they’re the favorites in D North again as the 2024 playoffs begin.

Should Foxcroft take down No. 8 Belfast (0-8) on Friday, it would face either No. 4 Maine Central Institute (5-3) or No. 5 Old Town (3-5). Led by the combo of Caleb Kennedy at quarterback and Drew Shorey at receiver, the Huskies are riding a three-game winning streak into the postseason.

“I think they’re a real sleeper team,” MCI co-head coach Tom Bertrand said of Old Town. “Just because we beat them (21-12 back in Week 2) doesn’t mean we’re not going to take them lightly at all. They had a big win over Bapst, who beat us (34-0). We need to execute well and hope we can stay healthy.”

Another Class D North quarterfinal game will see No. 2 Winslow (4-4) host No. 7 Madison (2-6) on Saturday in a rematch of a Week 2 game won 50-6 by the Black Raiders. The winner of that showdown will take on either No. 3 John Bapst (4-4) or No. 6 Mattanawcook Academy (2-6) in the semifinals.