HOULTON, Maine — With the fall sports season rapidly approaching, members of the Shire football team are eager to pick up where they left off.
A combination of Houlton, Hodgdon, Southern Aroostook, Katahdin and Greater Houlton Christian Academy, the Shires enjoyed a strong overall campaign in their first year competing in the 8-man football division last season.
The Shires finished 3-1 during the regular season — a couple of games were canceled due to COVID-19 — and were the No. 2 seed in the 8-man, Northern Small School division. The team hosted No. 3 Dexter in the semifinals and were upset 60-32.
Dexter went on to win the state championship last year.
For third-year varsity coach Jon Solomon, the outlook for the upcoming season is simple — just win.
“The goal for this year is to have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time [in the program’s history],” he said. “Our strength should be our offensive and defensive lines.”
The Shires have just 22 players on the varsity roster, but the lack of numbers does not mean there is a lack of talent.
Seniors Collin Crouse (offensive/defensive line) and AJ Lewis (fullback/linebacker); juniors Kohl Skehan (running back/linebacker) and Bronson Hanning (wide receiver/defensive back); and sophomore Isaiah Ervin (quarterback/defensive back) are just a few of the key returning components of the Shires squad this year.
Crouse was named a second-team lineman a year ago, while Lewis is the top returning tackler and will see action carrying the ball this year as a fullback.
Hanning is the team’s top returning wide receiver and defensive back, having tied the team lead with three interceptions last season. Skehan was a starter on defense and takes over as the team’s top runner.
With Ervin, the Shires have an exceptional talent at quarterback. He finished the regular season with a completion percentage of 68 percent for 513 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions as a freshman. He also ran for 217 yards and two touchdowns earning Second-Team Quarterback honors in the Little Ten Conference.
Rounding out the Shire roster are juniors Logan Faggiole, Hayden Stoker-Pelletier, Gavin Wright, Jacob Watson, Cleo Phillips and Sean Crouse; sophomores Gage Folsom, Sam Jay, Dominic Hatch and Jackson Cullen; and freshmen Aedan Valles, Wyatt Sanford, Daniel Clark, RJ Gilmore, Landon Botting and Hunter Farrar.
Junior Zach Ervin, an offensive/defensive lineman, will miss the season after undergoing knee surgery.
The Shires also lost four key players to graduation — captains Chris Caswell, Troy Hipsley, Kurt Reynolds and Caleb Solomon. All four of those players earned First Team All-Conference honors, with Reynolds being named the LTC Defensive Lineman of the Year.
Coach Solomon said the one area he hopes to see improvement throughout the season is poise on the field.
“All of our players only have one year of high school football experience,” he said. “Getting used to the speed and intensity of a varsity game will take us some time to get used to.”
The managers are Marissa Dow, Drew Warman, Grace Brewer, Nora Kenney and Lilie Henderson.
Assisting Solomon will be Michael Carlos, Michael Dobbs and Andrew Lewis, along with volunteer assistants David Day, Tom Demers, Robert Gilmore and Kris Kellerhals.
The Shires open their season Friday, Sept. 2, at 6 p.m. hosting Orono.
HOULTON, Maine — August 20, 2022 — Houlton football coach Jon Solomon speaks to his team during a break in the action of a Saturday morning scrimmage against Valley Unified. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
HOULTON, Maine — August 20, 2022 — Houlton’s Jackson Cullen goes to the ground after getting tackled Saturday in a scrimmage with Valley Unified. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
