Schemengees Bar and Grille in Lewiston, Maine is shown, on Wednesday, Nov., 1, 2023, just a week after a shooter entered the restaurant and killed several people. The Army reservist, Robert Card, had opened fire in a bowling alley and then at the bar, killing 18 people, on Wednesday, Oct. 25. Known as the Battle of the Bridge, the game features cross-river rivals Lewiston High School and Edward Little High School in Auburn.
Fans and students decked out in school colors began arriving about two hours before kickoff to snag good seats. Blue and white balloons hung from a fence near the field, and a banner displayed the interlocked first letters of Lewiston and Auburn and the phrase, “We stand together.” “It’s like they say, ‘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 great game. It’s going to be a game of unity.”
“It’s definitely good to see everyone,” she said. “We missed everyone. We couldn’t see each other. We were worried about one another.” This game even caught the eye of actor Will Ferrell, who did a hype video that the Lewiston High's athletic department, formerly known as Twitter. In it, Ferrell stares into the camera as if he is a coach prepping his players for the big game.
Brandon Morin, 36, a lifelong Lewiston resident, brought his 3- and 5-year-old daughters to the game.