Last-second touchdown gives MDI win over Ponies

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — With less than three minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Foxcroft Academy tied the score at 14 behind a 31-yard touchdown run by senior Corey Bjornson on Oct. 11 during a game vs. Mount Desert Island High School. The remaining 2:44 on the clock would end up giving the Trojans enough time work with to follow the Pony score with one of the team’s own for a 21-14 victory.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

PUNT-FORCING TACKLE — Junior Peter Boyer brings down MDI senior quarterback Jonathan Phelps, with senior Corey Bjornson looking on, during Foxcroft’s Oct. 11 game against the Trojans. The tackle set up a fourth-and-3 on the opening series of the contest. MDI ended up winning, 21-14.

    Trailing 14-7 just over five minutes into the fourth quarter, the Foxcroft defense forced an MDI punt. Trojan senior Jonathan Phelps took the long snap and then tried to run for the first down, but Pony sophomore Brandon Brock brought down the loose punter at the Foxcroft-41.
    The Pony offense took advantage of the field position by marching down the field — including a fourth-and-7 conversion on a 12-yard pass from senior quarterback Hunter Law to sophomore Hunter Smith — to the Trojan’s 31-yard line for a second-and-8.
    On second down Bjornson took the handoff and found a hole in the middle of the line. He kept running through a hole in the middle of the defense as no one could catch him before finding the endzone. Sophomore Nate Church then kicked the ball through the up-rights for the tying point with 2:44 to go.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    IN THE WRONG HANDS — MDI sophomore William Laverdiere intercepts a pass intended for senior Kolby Kendall during the second quarter of the Pony-Trojan matchup. Less than two minutes later the Foxcroft defense returned the favor as junior Peter Boyer picked off an MDI pass to prevent the opposition from having any points off the turnover.

    Having all three timeouts to work with, the MDI return team fell on a short kick by Bjornson at the team’s own 32. After a two–yard rush, Phelps scrambled to the left and he was not tackled until he reached the Pony-18 for a 48-yard gain with the clock running to under two minutes.
    Trojan sophomore Taner Bickford gained six yards on the ground on the next two plays to set up a third-and-4. Phelps then took the snap and, seeing no receivers open, secured the football and took off. He was tackled at the 5-yard line as MDI head coach Mark Shields decided to use a timeout with 10.8 seconds remaining in regulation.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

   THE OPTION IS AN OPTION — Running with the football, Pony senior quarterback Hunter Law decides to keep possession of the pigskin rather than pitch it to classmate Corey Bjornson trailing behind him against MDI.

    The break in the action gave the Foxcroft defense a chance to prepare for the ensuing play as well, as Phelps got under center with Bickford and senior Teagan Candage in the backfield. The MDI quarterback faked the handoff to Bickford going to the left before putting the pigskin in the grasp of Candage. The running back then ran off the right tackle and snuck across the goal line for the go-ahead score. A Phelps PAT then made the game 21-14 in favor of the island team.
    With six seconds left to play, freshman Billy Brock caught the MDI kickoff at the Pony-31 and he returned the ball seven yards before being tackled. Three-tenths of a second remained to allow for one more offensive play for Foxcroft. Law then took the snap and looked to pass but the football fell to the turf incomplete as the Trojans won to improve to 4-2 and drop Foxcroft to 4-2.
    In the game’s opening quarter MDI could not handle a Foxcroft punt and Smith made the recovery at the Trojan-22. Junior Peter Boyer followed by gaining nine of his game-high 124 yards to move the ball to the 13-yard line.
    Law followed by running left and not stopping until he reached the endzone for the game’s first touchdown. The senior gained 36 yards on the ground and he passed for another 80, with 71 of these coming on seven receptions by Smith.

Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom

    STICK IT TO BICKFORD — Foxcroft sophomore Hunter Smith wraps up MDI sophomore Taner Bickford early in the third quarter of the Oct. 11 contest at Oakes Field, to the right is freshman Billy Brock.

    MDI would end up tying the game later in the first quarter on a 1-yard plunge by Candage, and then the team went ahead 14-7 late in the third quarter on a two-yard score by Bickford.
    Next up for the Ponies will be a game against Winslow High School (6-0 and ranked first in the Class C East Crabtree standings) on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. The contest will be a rematch of the 2012 Class C state championship, in which Foxcroft defeated the then Class C West champions 22-20.
    The evening of Oct. 11 served as Senior Night for the football and cheering teams, with players and squad members recognized during a pregame ceremony along with their parents/guardians or dorm parents. Football seniors are Corey Bjornson, Corbyn Bruce, Craig Chambers, Kolby Kendall, Hunter Law, Devin Madigan, Troy Pearl and Ryan Wang. The cheering team seniors are Fia Dang, Selina Guo, Kelsey Nason, Brittany Perkins and Kate Sukhanova.