WESTBROOK — Both teams can make history Friday night in the Class B South football championship game.

But only one will do so when second-seeded Kennebunk (8-1) travels to Westbrook to take on the top-seeded Blue Blazes (8-1).

Kennebunk, one of the region’s blueblood programs, is trying to earn a third straight trip to the state championship game, something the Rams have never done.

For Westbrook (8-1), which has already set a program record for wins in a season, it’s a chance to reach the school’s first state championship game. In fact, this is the first time Westbrook has played in a conference championship game.

“Every day, we’re excited to go out there and play and compete,” said senior receiver/cornerback Dimitri Lubin. “We have a great opportunity in front of us, so we can’t take anything for granted.”

Westbrook’s 20-0 home win against Kennebunk during the regular season made them the only Class B South team to beat the Rams since Kennebunk coach Keith Noel took over as head coach in 2023 after Joe Rafferty retired.

Westbrook has multiple three-year starters, including playmaking quarterback Gio Staples and Lubin, a star receiver. Both are also outstanding cornerbacks.

The Blue Blazes have size up front and ample secondary threats on offense. Sideline-to-sideline tackler Tony Bongomin at middle linebacker is regarded as the best defensive player in B South. He was second to Kennebunk’s Austin West in the league’s overall Player of the Year voting. Junior defensive end Camillo Jones was voted the defensive lineman of the year.

“Defensively, there’s no real vulnerabilities or weak spot,” said Westbrook fourth-year coach Sam Johnson.

The players have a perceptible buzz of energy that even nighttime skies and wind-chill temperatures in the teens couldn’t mute at Tuesday’s practice.

“The energy within the community and our team has just been amazing,” Bongomin said.

But Johnson acknowledges that outside of the team’s growing legion of community supporters, there is probably a prevailing opinion that the Blue Blazes have been a little bit lucky.

Johnson gets it.

Westbrook wasn’t picked as a contender after going 2-6 a year ago.

Westbrook has never won a football title.

Since defeating Kennebunk, Westbrook has won its next three games by a total of 11 points. Staples’ late touchdown to beat No. 4 Marshwood, 15-12, in the regional semifinal came after a fourth-down failure by the Hawks deep in their own territory.

“We’re still sort of this underdog. We’re the 1 seed. Kennebunk is coming here,” Johnson said. “And I think it’s fun because both things can be true. We’ve earned this and protected home field. And, we don’t have pedigree. Until now. We’re in real time kind of building this and developing this.

RAMS READY TO GO THIS TIME

At blustery morning practice on Veterans Day, optimism was high at Kennebunk.

Noel and his senior captains — star running back/defensive end Austin West (1,382 yards and 15 TDs; 54 tackles, 3 INTs in regular season), wide receiver Jaiden Homa (27 catches, 528 yards, 4 TDs) and offensive lineman Jimmy Spinney gave Westbrook all the appropriate props.

Noel emphasizes how Staples’ elusiveness and field vision allow Westbrook to extend plays, and that Johnson and his staff have created a tough team that plays to the whistle. Homa views Westbrook as having a lot of athletes playing in “a system that works.” West, himself a three-year starter, noted that in addition to the Blue Blazes’ regular-season victory over Kennenbunk, Westbrook’s veterans nearly upset the Rams two years ago, “and they’re definitely coming to get us, so we have to play our hearts out on Friday.”

But to a man, they believe Westbrook did not see Kennebunk at its best in the regular-season game, played on a sunny Saturday in Week 6.

“We didn’t really get off the bus, and Westbrook had more momentum than we did right from the start, and it kind of showed in our play,” Noel said.

“We just didn’t come to play,” West said.

“It just wasn’t us. It wasn’t how we play. Nobody showed up,” Spinney said.

Homa said it’s up to Kennebunk to change the narrative.

“They’re a great team,” he said, “and I think it will definitely be a battle this time, but I think we can absolutely put up a better standing than we did the last time.”