For Boothbay football coach Ed Crocker, the 2022 season was one of missed opportunities. The Seahawks finished with a 2-7 record following an Eight-Man Small Conference playoff loss, 47-28, versus Dirigo on Oct. 21. But Boothbay believed Dirigo was a competitive match-up due to a 14-12 loss on Sept. 23 at Sherman Field.

In Dixfield, Boothbay committed only one turnover and kept penalties to a minimum in the postseason encounter. But the Cougars won the quarterfinal playoff match-up. “They had a key guy missing in the first game who rushed for a lot of yards, and our defense had trouble stopping them,” Crocker said. Boothbay finished in sixth place in the eight-team conference, but Crocker believes his team should have been closer to the middle of pack. “I enjoyed the season. We had a great group of players who worked hard, but it didn’t really feel like a 2-6 team. We beat ourselves too many times, and that’s the difference in our season.”

Crocker has 20 underclassmen returning for next season. He also expects eight eighth-graders to replace the eight graduating seniors on this year’s squad. “We have several returning players who played key roles this season so I think there is reason for optimism,” he said.

On defense, Dylan Plummer was the team’s leading tackler with 8.5. On offense, Plummer caught five passes for 78 yards. Quarterback Kayden Ames completed eight passes on 14 attempts for 114 yards. Ames was also the team’s leading rusher with 147 yards on 28 carries.

Dirigo finished in a three-way tie for second place in the conference. The Cougars (6-2) travel to Readfield Oct. 28 to play Maranacook (6-2) in the conference semifinals.