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Editor’s note: Each week during the fall sports season, Varsity Maine will highlight a boys and girls team of the week. The teams, picked by staff members, will take into account several factors, including success stories, bounce-back efforts and notable accomplishments, among others. Athletes, coaches and athletic directors can nominate teams by emailing sports editor Bill Stewart at [email protected] or Varsity Maine editor Lee Horton at [email protected].

Biddeford was a clear underdog heading into its game against then-undefeated Marshwood. The Tigers, though, were unfazed.

“ I tell the kids to pursue excellence,” coach Steve Allosso said. “They grasped excellence the second half of that game, because Marshwood is an outstanding team.”

With a 5-2 record, Biddeford is ranked third in the Class B South Heal point standings heading into its regular-season finale Friday against Cheverus. Last year, the Tigers finished 1-7.

Senior quarterback Ernie Dore says that experience has played a large role in this season’s turnaround.

“ A lot of guys this year (were) starting last year on both sides,” Dore said. “I think that’s really played a factor.”

Despite injuries that forced Biddeford to use second- or third-string players at points this fall, including against Marshwood, junior receiver/running back Estevao Lembissa says that the win over an undefeated team is just a glimpse of the Tigers’ potential.

“ It’s the best we played all season, in my opinion,” Lembissa said. “ We gotta bring that to next week, because we have nothing to lose.”

A win over Cheverus would likely give Biddeford the No. 2 seed in the playoffs and a first-round bye. It would also mean a chance for the Tigers to play in front of a home crowd in the semifinals.

“ Last year, they supported us a lot, even when we were 1-7,” Dore said. “ Now, there’s a lot more people supporting us.”