High school football rivals in Maine take to the field in emotional game exactly a week after mass shooting at bowling alley left 18 dead

The city of Lewiston took another tentative step in recovering from Maine’s deadliest mass shooting as its storied high school football rivalry resumed Wednesday night.

The game is known as the Battle of the Bridge and featured cross-river rivals Lewiston High School and Edward Little High School of Auburn. Lewiston won 34-18.

Kasey Clark, who presented a trophy named after his father to the winning team, said the game was “something the community desperately needed.”

“After the tragedy that has happened in our community – our connection to each other, our bond with each other – this makes our community strong,” Clark said at midfield, surrounded by both teams.

“That strength is on full display for the entire state, the country and the entire world,” he said before bringing both teams together to sing, “Strong.”

Last Friday’s match between the Blue Devils and the Red Eddies was postponed after communities were put into lockdown while police searched for 40-year-old Robert Card.

He was found dead Friday, days after shooting dead 18 people and wounding 13 others at a bowling alley and bar in Lewiston. Residents of both Lewiston and Auburn lost family and friends in the Oct. 25 shooting.

Singer James Taylor sang an acoustic version of the national anthem before kick-off. There was a moment of silence.

“Words cannot express the tremendous sadness our communities are experiencing over the tragedy of the past week,” a speaker said over the public address system. “As a community we are stunned. We mourn the tragic loss of life and injuries, and our deepest condolences go out to the victims, their families and friends.”

Then the person read out the names of the eighteen dead and said, “Let us not forget these names.”

“A week ago today, this community faced an unforeseeable tragedy,” Lewiston Police Chief David St Pierre told the crowd. “I can affirm with unwavering confidence that Lewiston’s resilience has been proven and continues to shine brightly in these difficult times.”

Lewiston Public Schools Superintendent Jake Langlais also spoke and thanked first responders.

‘We started this week by trying to get the best out of ourselves. “We had a purpose to take care of those who took care of us, and tonight we are doing that,” he said.

“We’re trying to accelerate our return to the new normal, whatever that may be, in what was a command center a week ago,” Langlais said, referring to how the Lewiston campus was used by police during the massive search. “Today that place is a place of community. … We gather to give thanks, to recognize the power of family history between Lewiston and Auburn.”

Fans and students, decked out in school colors, arrived about two hours before kickoff to get good seats. Blue and white balloons hung from a fence near the field, and a banner featured the interlocking first letters of Lewiston and Auburn and the phrase, “We stand together.”

Signs were also placed on the fence with the names of each of the victims written in blue in the center of a heart.

One of the first to arrive was Mark Barrett, a 58-year-old car salesman from Lewiston who knew two people injured in the shooting.

“It’s like they’re saying, ‘Lewiston strong.’ We are all here together as one,” Barrett said. “This is probably the perfect setting because it’s against your crosstown rival. It’s going to be a great game. It will be a game of unity.’

The game is one of the most important for the former mill towns each year, with friends and family having connections dating back decades. In the past, the schools have held a walking parade from one town to another, with fans dressing up in their team colors: blue and white for Lewiston, maroon and white for Edward Little.

The winner gets the trophy of the year and, of course, bragging rights.

Before kickoff, organizers held a ceremony honoring first responders, including police, firefighters, paramedics and hospital workers. Dozens lined up on the field as the crowd cheered for several minutes,

Kaiya Poulin, a 15-year-old freshman from Lewiston, said she was encouraged to get support even from people in Auburn who would normally be bitter rivals.

“It’s definitely good to see everyone again,” she said. ‘We missed everyone. We couldn’t see each other. We were worried about each other.’

Barrett’s granddaughter, 13-year-old Aiyana Warren, said she was a little nervous about coming out for the game, but was glad she did.

“At the end of the day, I feel like we’re all coming together,” she said. “Most of us here have good intentions, we’re just trying to get back to our community and build back better.”

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft sent a message of support.

“Tonight, two communities come together to celebrate a centuries-old tradition, the Battle of the Bridge,” Kraft said in a video statement. ‘Despite heavy hearts, football has always brought communities together, and never has that been more important than now.’

This game even caught the attention of actor Will Ferrell, who created a hype video that the Lewiston High athletic department posted on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter. In it, Ferrell stares into the camera as if he is a coach preparing his players for the big game.

‘Today is the day. Showdown. Lewiston vs. Edward Little. Everyone will be watching, everyone will be talking about it,” he says. ‘So bring it on! Let’s do it like Donkey Kong! Have a great game. To go! Fight! To win! Whatever that means.”

The school confirmed that they worked with Ferrell on the video, with Langlais calling him a “good person who thought comedy and humor could help as part of the healing process.”

Brandon Morin, 36, a lifelong resident of Lewiston, brought his 3- and 5-year-old daughters to the game.

“Unity is the big word going around right now,” he said. “It’s huge that we’re all coming together because after the tragic things that have happened, it’s good that we remember the importance of each other and the passion of friendship, family and love.”

Jennifer Laroche-Albert, counselor at Lewiston High, said it was “great to see families, students and our athletes bonding with each other.”