Ponies roll past Mount View 56-12 to open the regular season

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Foxcroft Academy jumped out to a 35-0 lead in first quarter behind touchdowns from five different players and the Ponies never looked back with a 56-12 victory in the 2018 opener vs. Mount View High School of Thorndike on the evening of Aug. 31.

The Foxcroft offense was more than ready for the regular season after the team elected to receive and got the ball at the team’s own 22-yard line after a short kickoff return. Four plays quickly moved the football to the Mustang-23 and on the fifth play of the drive senior quarterback Matthew Spooner hit sophomore Logan Martin over the middle. The slotback was wide open and he ran into the endzone easily for the first of what would be eight total Foxcroft touchdowns.

Spooner and Martin would later connect for a pair of touchdown receptions in the second quarter, at 34 and 28 yds with the second scoring play extending the team’s advantage to 49-6. Martin finished with five catches for 130 yards and three touchdowns, making up a large part of Spooner’s 220 yards and four touchdowns on 11-of-16 passing as Foxcroft never had a need to punt all night.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
EASY PATH TO THE ENDZONE — Foxcroft Academy senior Michaleb Niles goes up the middle five yards for a touchdown during the first quarter of the 2018 regular season opener vs. Mount View on Aug. 31. Niles’ touchdown was the second of five the Ponies would score to build a 35-0 first quarter lead, helping the team win 56-12.

The Pony defense would hold the opposition to without a first down until very late in the opening quarter. After forcing a punt on the first Mount View possession of the contest, Foxcroft needed only four plays and less than two minutes to drive 62 yards to the endzone.

Senior Michaleb Niles had a hole up the middle to run through five yards for what would be the first of his two rushing touchdowns, the second was from nine yards out in the third quarter. He rushed for a game-high 96 yards on 10 carries as starting linemen, from left to right tackle, junior Sam Clawson and seniors Caleb Ladd, Ryan Vienneau, Mason McLeish and Eli Bickford paved the way.

The linemen and players behind them would need only a single play on the next possession after a three-and-out for Mount View. Senior Jeremy Richard took the handoff, broke a tackle and ran 53 yards down the left sideline for the touchdown and ensuing 21-0 lead. Sophomore Luke Stedman finished a perfect 8-for-8 on his point after kicks.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
A PONY IS FASTER THAN A HERD OF MUSTANGS — Senior Jeremy Richard breaks a tackle attempt by Mount View junior Jacob Nelson and outruns a pack of defenders on his way to a 53-yard touchdown run in the first quarter during a mutual 2018 opener on Aug. 31 in Dover-Foxcroft.

The defense got into the act of finding the endzone just after a minute after the Richard touchdown. Clawson picked off a pass at the Pony-45 and he returned the interception 55 yards for the touchdown.

A fumble recovered by sophomore Josh Tibbetts gave Foxcroft possession once again and the turnover led to seven more Pony points. A 25-yard completion from Spooner to senior Hyatt Smith moved the ball to the Mustang-7 — the two accounted for three receptions and 51 yards — and on first-and-goal Spooner found classmate Noah Contreras wide open on the left side of the endzone to help set up the 35-0 advantage after less than nine and half minutes into the game.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
SHOESTRING TACKLE — Pony sophomore Logan Martin brings down Mount View junior Mark Ward on Friday night. Martin would catch three touchdown passes from senior quarterback Matthew Spooner in Foxcroft’s 56-12

Foxcroft will travel to Houlton on Friday night, Sept. 7 to face the Shiretowners in the team’s 2018 home opener. The southern Aroostook County program is a cooperative team also open to Hodgdon High School and Greater Houlton Christian Academy students.

The matchup will be the first at the varsity level between the Ponies and the current Houlton program, which brought varsity football back in 2014 after several seasons at the development level and at one time having the sport in the mid-20th century. Houlton lost its first game of 2018 63-6 at Bucksport High School.

FOOTBALL
Foxcroft 56,
Mt. View 12
MV 6 0 0 6 | 12
FA 35 14 7 0 | 56
First: F — Martin 23 yds
from Spooner (Stedman kick)
F — Niles 5 yds
(Stedman kick)
F — Richard 53 yds
(Stedman kick)
F — Clawson 55-yd Int.
return (Stedman kick)
F — Contreras 7 yds from
Spooner (Stedman kick)
M — Valleau 36 yds
(kick blocked)
Second: F– Martin 34 yds
from Spooner
(Stedman kick)
F — Martin 28 yds
from Spooner
(Stedman kick)
Third: F — Niles 9 yds
(Stedman kick)
Fourth: M — Valleau
5 yds (kick short)
Passing: F — Spooner
11-of-16 220 yds 4 TDs;
Seavey 0-of-0
M — Moulton 5-of-12
71 yds;
Inman 0-of-0
Receiving: F — Martin 5,
130 yds 3 TDs;
Smith 3, 51 yds;
Stedman 2, 32 yds;
Contreras 1, 7 yds TD
M — Thompson 2, 14 yds;
Noble 2, 8 yds;
Smith 1, 49 yds
Rushing: F — Niles 10,
96 yds 2 TD;
Richard 4, 70 yds TD;
Spooner 4, 8 yds;
Drury 4, 7 yds;
Martin 1, 3 yds;
Topolski 1 2 yds;
Kleicamp 1, 0 yds
M — Valleau 6,
48 yds 2 TD;
Moulton 7, 43 yds;
Nobles 3, 11 yds;
Wood 3, -3 yds;
Inman 1, -5 yds
Records: F 1-0,
M 0-1

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
GOOD HANDS AND FEET –.Foxcroft sophomore Levi Stedman hauls in a reception against Mount View. Stedman would also end the evening a perfect 8-for-8 on his PAT attempts.