Greater Bangor’s biggest rivalry game will not happen this year.
The Bangor Rams and Brewer Witches have met on the gridiron 110 times in history, with Bangor leading the all-time series 75-27, with eight ties. The Witches won last year’s matchup, 35-6 in Bangor.
But the rivals will have to wait until at least next year to play again because of scheduling issues related to Brewer’s reclassification this offseason.
The Witches requested to move from Class B to Class C in the Maine Principals’ Association, which was approved. Classification is usually determined by enrollment size, but schools can move up or down based on competitiveness. Brewer went a combined 4-12 over the last two regular seasons.
With the Class A Rams now two classes apart from Brewer, the prospect of a rematch this year diminished.
“It’s very unusual for Class A and Class C teams to play each other,” Bangor Athletic Director Steven Vanidestine said. “We would really love to play Brewer every year, but the Class A Football Committee’s schedule didn’t have them on there.”
The Rams went a combined 7-11 over the last two regular seasons.
Maine football teams are annually afforded one exhibition slot for situations like these, but the Witches’ sole exhibition match had already been scheduled for several months.
On Aug. 26, Brewer will be traveling to Salem, Massachusetts, to play the only other high school team in the U.S. with the mascot the “Witches.” Coincidentally, both Brewer and Salem have been coached by Maine Sports Hall of Famer Ken Perrone. Perrone led each program to multiple state championships, between 1967 to 1994.
“We are really excited about the Salem game,” Brewer head coach Scott Flagg said. “A lot of people will be disappointed we aren’t playing Bangor; I was disappointed. The players really look forward to it too.”
It’s the second time the annual rivalry game has been canceled in four years. The game was also called off in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the moment, it is unclear if Bangor and Brewer will play each other next year.
“I can’t predict something that far ahead,” Bangor head coach Dave Morris said. “It’s always a great rivalry. We’re looking forward to playing them in the future.”
Vanedistine says an exhibition game will probably be in order for next year.
