No college credits are earned, but several players in the Maine Shrine Lobster Bowl Classic will get a valuable college prep course nonetheless.

Several players on the East and West teams who will compete Saturday in the all-star football game at Lewiston High (4 p.m. kickoff) intend to play college football.

For them, the Lobster Bowl is a “primer” for the college game, said West coach Aaron Filieo of South Portland.

“You live in the dorms. You’re away from home. It’s intense football training,” he said. “So when they report to their college camp, they’re going to have to do the same thing, so it is good for them. That’s why I encourage my guys every year who are going to play at the next level to come to this game if they can get on the team.”

Oceanside’s Zeb Foster is going to be a preferred walk-on at Maine. He’ll get one last chance to play wide receiver in the Lobster Bowl because he expects to play free safety in college. Since he’ll redshirt his first year in Orono, Foster won’t report to Maine until after training camp but will practice with the Black Bears throughout the season. The Lobster Bowl gives him a chance to test his football acumen, as well as his athleticism.

“I’m definitely using this as a training for training camp almost,” said the 5-foot-11, 170-pound Foster, who also was a four-year starter in basketball. “Every team has different formations and uses different terminology for every route. So it’s good to get away from Oceanside’s terminology, come to a new terminology, learn that, and really work your brain in that way.”

Brunswick’s Trevor Gerrish, a 6-5, 235-pound tight end, will soon adjust to playing slot receiver for Colby College. His size allowed him to dominate while drawing double coverages in the eight-man ranks and then last year in Class C South. Lobster Bowl week has been a crash course on facing equally talented players during long practice days.

“There’s a lot of us college guys and it’s exciting,” Gerrish said. “I report on Aug. 19 at Colby. We’ve got three-a-days going on here and we’ll probably have two- or three-a-days there, so it’s good to get back to it, get back in shape.”

CJ Cooper, a 6-3 playmaker from Bonny Eagle, will play at the University of New England as a wide receiver while majoring in exercise science.

“I went into this week thinking this will be kind of a test run to see where I am as an athlete and a player going into fall camp later this year,” Cooper said. “I think right now, I’m in a good spot. I need to keep training, keep getting better each day.

Many other players at the Lobster Bowl also intend to play in college. The far from all-inclusive list includes running back Aidan McGowan (Portland High/Muhlenberg College); receiver Riley Provencher (Old Orchard Beach/Bates); defensive backs Drake Brunelle (Messalonskee/Bates) and Logan McVeigh (Falmouth/Saint Anselm); tight end Wyatt Gawtry (Yarmouth/Bowdoin); kicker Andy Henaghen (Hampden Academy/Saint Anselm); and linemen Colin Kelly (Portland/Maine Maritime), Wyatt Weaver (Bucksport/Maine Maritime), Charles Majkowski (Kennebunk/Stonehill), Chandise Wells (Sacopee Valley/Westfield State) and Brady Haynes (South Portland/New England College).

Other players, such as two-time Varsity Maine all-state lineman Anthony Tavares of Portland and speedy receiver Jackson Paradis of Thornton Academy, are using a year at Bridgton Academy (or other prep schools) as a stepping stone to get them ready for college football — and life away from home with new teammates.

“Everyone here is very competitive, and we’re all in it for the same thing. I know in Bridgton, it’s the exact same way,” Tavares said. “It’s going to really help, dorms, brotherhood.”

There are, of course, many other Lobster Bowl players who will put on the pads for the final time, notably the two starting quarterbacks: Fitzpatrick Trophy winner and Varsity Maine Male Athlete of the Year Jamier Rose of Noble for the West and Fitzy finalist and Class A champion Louis Thurston of Portland for the East. Rose will play basketball at Southern New Hampshire University. Thurston will start his premed academic career at East Carolina University.

Thurston said the Lobster Bowl is a great final farewell to football.

“It’s starting to feel really real that this is it, so you just have to love every moment and be grateful for every moment out there,” he said.