WATERBORO (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- It's been a while since Massabesic has been in the Gold Ball conversation, but there's a new man leading the team that's hoping to restore the football buzz in Waterboro.
Eric Ouellette played high school football in Biddeford, college football at UMaine and coached at the college level at Northeastern and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Now he's ready to help write a new chapter in Massabesic football history.
"My biggest goal this season is to get people talking about football here again," says Ouellette. "To get the interest back in the community and in our youth programs. Once we get those players from our youth programs continuing into high school, we're going to be pretty good."
It's been a tough run for this team lately. Massabesic hasn't played in a state title game since 2000 and has gone 3-21 in the past three seasons, with two of those wins coming in their last two games. That taste of victory was enough to motivate this young team to get behind their new head coach and get to work.
"Getting those two wins last year at the end of the year really put a fire under us," says senior captain Jason Guinard. "We're really excited about coming back this year, and with the few seniors that we have, we really just want to bring some success to the program and leave the program in a great place."
Ouellette was an assistant coach with the Mustangs the last two seasons and is also head of the guidance department at the school, so returning players know him well. They say he's a great coach to play for.
Massabesic kicks off the season on Saturday, September 1 at Cheverus.