Chad Stowell didn’t get much time to enjoy the Oak Hill football team’s first win of the season.

The Raiders (1-1) hit the road for another Class D South showdown at 7 p.m. Saturday against Dirigo (2-0). The Cougars are off to a hot start under first-year head coach Joshua Newhall.

“We’re looking forward to another monster road game,” said Stowell, Oak Hill’s head coach. “We’ve had a tough start to the schedule, (opening) with Winthrop on the road. Now, two weeks down the road, we have to head to Dixfield on a Saturday night.”

Oak Hill fell 28-12 to Winthrop in the season opener on Sept. 5, but fought back last week with a 32-6 win over Morse. The Cougars, who have beaten Lisbon (46-18) and Poland (39-14), are averaging 42.5 points per game.

“I’m blessed. Usually, for a guy coming in for a first-year coaching gig, they don’t usually get blessed with the talent I did,” said Newhall, who was hired to lead the program in May. “It’s a wonderful group. They’ve bought into what I’ve been selling early and take it to the biggest degree.”

Keys to an Oak Hill victory

• Continue to improve its offensive balance. The Raiders had success with their running game last week, particularly P.J. Smith (8 carries, 154 yards, 2 TDs) and Keeghan Morrissette (14 carries, 146 yards, TD). At the same time, Oak Hill has a strong passer in quarterback Braden Dubuc, and Smith is as dangerous a receiver as he is a runner.

• Maintain the defensive momentum it had last week against Morse. The Raiders stopped the Shipbuilders on fourth down three times in the red zone.

Keys to a Dirigo victory

• Keep the ball in Hudson Lufkin’s hands. The junior quarterback is already having a standout season on the ground (444 yards on 29 carries, 4 TDs) and through the air (20 of 31 passing, 315 yards, 8 TDs, 4 INTs). He’s also one of the toughest players in the conference, as a two-time Varsity Maine All-State wrestler.

• Speaking of wrestling, there are a number of grapplers on the Dirigo football team. Newhall said that background has helped the team develop a tough and rugged group, particularly on defense. Lufkin leads Dirigo with 19 tackles and four sacks.

Oak Hill difference makers

• Senior WR/DB P.J. Smith (8 carries, 154 yards, 2 TDs vs. Morse); senior RB Keeghan Morrissette (14 carries, 146 yards, TD vs. Morse); junior RB Joey Greenwood (21 carries, 97 yards vs. Winthrop in Week 1)

Dirigo difference makers

• Junior QB/S Hudson Lufkin (29 carries, 444 rushing yards, 4 TDs); senior RB/LB Tanner Bradden (17 carries, 95 yards); senior WR/DB Trevor Crosby (6 receptions, 165 yards, 5 TDs)

Last meeting

Sept. 14, 2024: Dirigo, 14-13

Coach’s comments

• “They’re a really tough team. They’re a very physical team. They have a very physical offensive line, they have very physical backs. Defensively, they’re very aggressive. They tackle well. They always have that physical mindset. And they have probably the best player in Class D football right now in Hudson Lufkin. He’s playing really well, the stats show it. … He’s a tough kid to stop, sort of the centerpiece of their offense.” — Oak Hill’s Chad Stowell.

• “They’re always going to be passionate and physical. P.J. Smith is a stud. He can make any play with the ball in his hands. I think the big mission this week is to contain him as much as we can. I know they’ve had some injuries early, but they always seem to reload.” — Dirigo’s Joshua Newhall.