Ponies move on to the semifinals after defeating MDI

FA will play at No. 2 Waterville Saturday afternoon

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — As a light rain fell, both Foxcroft Academy and Mount Desert Island High School had to contend with slick conditions in the teams’ second meeting in just over a week during a Class C East quarterfinal on Nov. 1.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    TWO FROM HIS ARM AND TWO FROM HIS FEET — Junior quarterback Hunter Smith helped lead Foxcroft to a 35-20 victory in the Class C East quarterfinals against MDI on Nov. 1 at Oakes Field. Smith scored twice on the ground, including a 37-yard run (pictured) on the very first offensive snap of the game, and he threw for a pair of touchdown passes. The No. 3 Ponies are scheduled to play at second seed Waterville on Saturday afternoon.

    While both squads lost a pair of fumbles, the third-seeded Ponies took advantage with 14 points off these turnovers while preventing the No. 6 Trojans from finding the endzone after the miscues. Foxcroft (7-2) also scored another two touchdowns following or on special teams misplays by MDI to win 35-20 and return to the Class C East semifinals after a year’s absence.
    The Trojans (who ended 2014 with a record of 3-6 which included falling at home to Foxcroft 43-8in the regular season finale) opted to receive the opening kickoff. On the run back senior Brandon Dyer knocked the ball loose and junior Hunter Smith scooped up the pigskin at the Trojan-42.
    After two plays from scrimmage, moving the ball five yards, Smith took the shotgun snap and faked the handoff to senior Peter Boyer. Smith took off and ran into a big hole in the MDI defense. He stayed inbounds along the right sideline and did not stop until crossing the goal line to put Foxcroft on the board 64 seconds in. Junior Nate Church’s ensuing PAT made the score 7-0.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    CAN’T BREAK FREE FROM NO. 23 — Pony senior Isaiah Kennell wraps up MDI senior Jalique Keene during Saturday night’s Class C East quarterfinal. The third-seeded Ponies defeated No. 6 MDI for the second time in eight days, winning the matchup in Dover-Foxcroft by a score of 35-20.

    MDI followed by getting on the scoreboard behind a 6-yard run from senior Sandy Henggeler, who accounted for all three of his team’s touchdowns, but a bad snap resulted in no point after attempt to keep the game at 7-6.
    The Trojans would not get any closer as Foxcroft used nine plays to march down the field 54 yards to the opposition’s 10. On a third-and-6 Smith looked to pass and he connected with junior Chris Storer, who was inside the right pylon and got a foot down in-bounds, for the 10-yard touchdown in the final seconds of the opening quarter.
    On the ensuing drive MDI fumbled, and the Ponies made the recovery at the Trojan-41. Three plays later Smith threw to sophomore Billy Brock, who hauled in the reception just over the goal line for the 17-yard touchdown pass. Despite being pushed back five yards on a flag for a false start, Church converted the PAT for the 21-6 advantage.
    Down by two possessions, MDI gambled in the third quarter by running a fake punt at midfield. Trojan freshman Colby Lee had the football snapped to him instead of to junior punter Isaiah Keene. Lee ran but he ended up being tackled several yards behind the line of scrimmage as Foxcroft took over at the MDI-45.
    Four plays later the ball was at the 34-yard line for a third-and-13. Smith opted to run rather than throw and the decision worked to perfection as he found a seam in the defense and ran all the way for the touchdown, his fourth overall with two on the ground and a pair through the air as part of a game with nearly 200 all-purpose yards.
    Church continued his perfect night with the fourth of his five PATS to make the score 28-6 in favor of Foxcroft, with a little more than 15 total minutes of game time remaining.
    Early in the fourth quarter a 4-yard run by Henggeler helped keep MDI’s hopes alive as the game was then 28-12 — the conversion pass attempt fell incomplete.
    The Pony kick return team then immediately dashed these hopes. The shorter kick landed on the turf at the Foxcroft-31 where Brock scooped up the football. With blockers set up to lead the way and stop the would-be tacklers, Brock ran up the left side of the field 69 yards for the score and fifth and final Pony touchdown.
    Waterville will enter Saturday’s 1 p.m. contest at 7-1 and the second seed, having earned a bye for the first round of the playoffs. The Purple Panthers won at home vs. Foxcroft, 36-14, on Sept. 6 in a mutual season opener.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    THE SEASON CONTINUES — Making the tackle on MDI senior Jalique Keene is Foxcroft junior Brandon Brock. With a 35-20 victory the Ponies advance to the Class C East semifinals after falling in last year’s quarterfinal round.