PORTLAND — One rallied from a injury-plagued junior season. The other was asked to fill the shoes of one of his school’s all-time greats.

Each led his team to a championship and into one of the most eagerly anticipated high school football games in recent memory.

Cam Kaubris of Mountain Valley and Max Cloutier of Leavitt were rewarded Wednesday, named among 12 semifinalists for the James J. Fitzpatrick Trophy.

The Fitzy is awarded each year to the outstanding senior football player in the state, regardless of class. Scholarship and citizenship also are considered.

Coaches throughout the state nominate one player from their team and participate in preliminary voting.

Second-round voting will narrow the list to three finalists, which will be announced in December. The winner is revealed at the annual banquet Jan. 16.

Between his exploits as a passer, runner and defensive back, Kaubris accounted for 18 touchdowns. He intercepted 11 passes.

Kaubris rushed for a touchdown and threw to Christian Durland for another last Saturday in Mountain Valley’s 20-0 shutout of Leavitt in the Class B final at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Mountain Valley (12-0) claimed its fourth state championship in the last seven seasons, unseating Leavitt and snapping the Hornets’ 23-game winning streak.

It was the first meeting between Western Maine champion Mountain Valley and Eastern Maine champion Leavitt since 2004. Prior to that, the two schools — located 30 miles apart — were conference rivals for many years.

Durland, a defensive end and tight end, won the Campbell Award as the most valuable player in Western Class B. Kaubris was named a conference all-star.

The Falcons shut out eight of their 12 opponents and allowed a total of 30 points on the season.

Kaubris quarterbacked Mountain Valley to a Class B title as a sophomore in 2008 before suffering a separated shoulder while making a tackle during the 2009 preseason.

He played sparingly during the second half of that season, mostly on defense, and missed the playoffs.

A three-sport athlete, Kaubris intends to play basketball in college and has narrowed his list to Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, UMaine-Farmington and St. Joe’s.

Mountain Valley’s Justin Staires was the school’s first-ever semifinalist for the Fitzy in 2008. He later was named a finalist.

Cloutier was an all-Pine Tree Conference center both his junior and senior years.

His defensive role changed this season, when he was moved to nose tackle as successor to Matt Pellerin, now a starter at Maine Maritime.

Cloutier also performed placekicking duties for the Hornets, booting a 38-yard field goal in Leavitt’s regional semifinal win over Belfast.

Each of Maine’s three state champions is represented among the Fitzy semifinalists. Peter Gwilym of Cheverus (Class A) and Nick Proscia of Yarmouth (Class C) are in the running.

The other contenders are Jamie Ross of Deering, Kyle Bishop of Waterville, Michael Cyr of Scarborough, Ethan Drigotas of Kennebunk, Nick Gagne of Biddeford, Jonathan Haws of Hampden, Caleb Kenney of Portland and Josh Woodward of Thornton.

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