GARDINER — True rivalries can stand the test of time. Look no further than Cony-Gardiner football for proof.
The 2020s have done everything possible to prevent the Rams and Tigers from continuing the state’s longest-running rivalry on the gridiron. Two years ago, a pandemic forced the cancellation of the tackle football season; last year, Gardiner’s move down to Class C South prevented the teams from meeting in the regular season.
But true rivals will move mountains to play one another, as Cony and Gardiner did in meeting in a seven-on-seven game in 2020 and a preseason matchup last year. Now, it’s back to its roots — and everything from “The Boot” to bragging rights to crucial Crabtree points will be on the line as the Rams and Tigers meet Friday at Hoch Field.
“I think it feels more special for me because, for us seniors, we haven’t really played a varsity Cony-Gardiner game in the regular season,” said Cony senior running back Eli Klaiber. “It’s something we’ve had to wait for, and that makes it even bigger. I know they’ve been waiting for it, too.”
It’s the 144th meeting between Cony and Gardiner, which together boast one of the 20 oldest football rivalries in the country. The Rams lead the all-time series 75-58-10. Cony won the seven-on-seven game in 2020, but that victory is not recognized on the boot.
Lately, though, it’s been a rivalry that’s been lopsided in favor of the red and white. Cony (4-2) seeks its fifth straight victory in the rivalry and 10th in the last 11 games in the series. The Rams’ recent dominance is certainly not something that sits with Gardiner’s current players.
“People don’t really respect us as much as we think we deserve, but we know we have to go out and earn that respect,” said Gardiner junior running back Evan Michaud. “I think we’re ready to do that; it’s a game you look forward to your whole life, and we’re ready to go out and show people.”
Gardiner (3-3) has been competitive this season, winning three straight games from Week 2-Week 4 and having lost by a single score in two of its three defeats. The only lopsided defeat came in a 32-6 loss in Week 5 against Skowhegan, a game in which the Tigers trailed by just one score until late in the first half.
The Cony and Gardiner football teams play for this boot, which has all the scores of the series that dates to 1892. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
Offensively, Gardiner’s offense runs through Wyatt Chadwick, a dual-threat quarterback who’s routinely eclipsed 300 yards of total offense this year. In Chadwick, running back Colton Dube and receiver Zach Kristan, the Tigers have a lot of weapons in the run-pass option, something Cony expects to see from the Tigers on Friday.
“They do the (run-pass option) to force you to play the run, and they do a nice job of distributing the ball to their athletes,” said Cony head coach B.L. Lippert. “They can really pose a lot of matchup problems for you. We’ll have our hands full with what they can do offensively.”
Cony, though, has its own weapons at the skill positions in running backs Caden Schleis-Hooyman, Klaiber (also an elite pass-catcher) and wide receiver Kam Douin. On the offensive line, the Rams are led by Jaden Geyer, one of the top linemen in the Pine Tree Conference.
Then there’s quarterback Dom Napolitano. The senior split time with Davyn Flynn under center to start the year but has since solidified the starter role at the position. Napolitano can make plays with his arm and with his feet, something he did Friday against Messalonskee (159 yards passing and 144 rushing).
“By this point, I’m feeling really comfortable there,” Napolitano said of his recent success at the quarterback position. “I think our run game has been good, and the pass game is starting to open up a lot more for us, so I’m feeling good about it.”
The scores of the annual Cony-Gardiner football game are displayed on the boot trophy. The longtime rivals first played in 1892, with Cony winning 62-4. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
Although the annual rivalry is big regardless of records, this showdown has major implications for both teams. The Rams, currently second in Class B North, can strengthen their grip on that spot with a victory; the Tigers, in sixth, would like to climb closer to fourth and a potential home playoff game.
“People are always excited for it, and this year, you add in that it’s also a huge game for Class B North,” said Gardiner head coach Pat Munzing. “There’s a lot to be decided because there’s a lot of things that can go one way or the other depending on who wins. It doesn’t just affect us; it affects the other teams around us.”
There’s an unusual twist on this year’s meeting in that it’s being held in Week 7 rather than its traditional Week 8 slot. Instead of concluding their regular seasons against one another, the two teams will play again next week with Cony hosting Falmouth and Gardiner hosting Mt. Blue.
Even with the timing somewhat different and heavy rain expected, the game’s significance has left no shortage of anticipation. It’s the first meeting on either school’s turf playing surfaces, and with the contest being the first in the regular season in three years, Cony-Gardiner is as real — and as bitter — as ever.
“There’s just so much history in this game,” Chadwick said. “My dad played in it, my grandparents played in it, and now, I get to play in it. … Both teams want that boot and that plaque, and it’s time to go out and execute.”
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