Mattanawcook tops Foxcroft in late season clash
DOVER-FOXCROFT — In a game featuring plenty of offense — the two teams combined for a dozen trips to the endzone — Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln scored three times in the fourth quarter to retake the lead and hold off Foxcroft 47-35 in a Class D North/Little Ten Conference matchup on Friday, October 18 at Oakes Field.
The Lynx won the team’s fifth straight game to improve to 5-2 and stay ahead of the Ponies (the team fell to 3-4 and lost for the fourth time in five contests) in third place in the league standings with one weekend of regular season play left.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
EYES ON IRELAND — Foxcroft senior Isaac Weymouth pursues Mattanawcook junior Thomas Ireland during an October 18 contest in Dover-Foxcroft. The visiting Lynx scored three times in the fourth quarter to win 47-35.
The fourth quarter began with Foxcroft ahead 35-27. The team had a 21-0 advantage in the third quarter as junior Logan Martin scored three touchdowns in about seven and a half minutes. Martin had a 48-yard touchdown rush, ran the ball in from the Mattanawcook 3-yard line and he scored on a 63-yard screen pass from sophomore quarterback Austin Seavey. A trio of PATS by junior Levi Stedman (he was 5-of-5 on the evening) helped Foxcroft lead by eight after the third.
On the first play of the final quarter, Lynx senior fullback Brayden Lujan caught a short pass from freshman signal caller Isaac Hainer and he added more than two dozen yards after the catch for a 33-yard touchdown. The Lynx went for two and the tie but junior Jameson Peters was tackled in the backfield by Foxcroft sophomore Gideon Topolski on the toss to the right to keep the score 35-33.
After one first down on a fake punt by Martin, the Ponies did boot the ball away on the team’s next offensive possession with the punt downed at the Mattanawcook-34. The Lynx kept the ball on the ground behind its 3-headed rushing attack as Lujan, Hainer and Peters all finished with more than 100 yards. Six carries between the three moved the offense to the Foxcroft-11.
Lujan took the first-and-10 handoff and he ran up the middle for what would turn out to the winning score with 5:17 to go. The Lynx went for two and Lujan got the ball over the goalline for a 41-35 advantage.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
COVERING THE KICK — Freshman Caden Crocker covers up a Mattanawcook squib kick that rolled to the Foxcroft 18-yard line early in the fourth quarter.
Throughout the game an easterly wind blew across the field and in the fourth quarter the Foxcroft offense had to head into the wind. A short kickoff put the football at the Pony-38 and on first down Seavey threw over the middle. The pass ended up in Lujan’s grasp and he returned it from near midfield to the 33-yard line.
The fullback ended up carrying the football 27 times, including three times after the turnover. From the 22-yard line he ran up the middle and made a move to get past a defender and into the endzone for a 47-35 lead (Hainer was sacked on the 2-point attempt). Lujan ended with 203 rushing yards and three touchdowns while also having both of his team’s receptions for 53 yards and another touchdown.
Foxcroft’s last chance came after the team got into Mattanawcook territory at the 32. A pass on first down was picked off by Lynx senior Malcolm Slomienski and he returned a few yards to his team’s own 29 with 3:14 to play. The Lynx kept running the ball and a first down enabled the team to run out the clock.
Martin finished as his team’s leader in both rushing and receiving. His 10 carries resulted in 69 yards and a pair of touchdowns and he caught nine of Seavey’s 11 completions for a game-high 134 receiving yards and two other touchdowns. In addition to his 63-yarder to cap off the three in the third quarter, Martin had a 16-yard touchdown reception on a fourth-and-goal in the second quarter where he leaped between two members of the Mattanawcook secondary to come down with the ball in the endzone.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
ROOM TO RUN — Pony junior Logan Martin looks to run by block from senior left tackle Isaac Weymouth after catching a screen pass. The play would result in 13 yards and a first down at the Mattanawcook-24, extending a drive ending in a 16-yard Martin touchdown reception — the first of his four trips to the endzone.
Foxcroft will conclude the regular season by hosting Bucksport High School on Senior Night for the eldest players and members of the cheering squad at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 25. The first-place Golden Bucks will come in at 6-0 following a week seven bye.
FOOTBALL
Mattanawcook 47,
Foxcroft 35
MA 13 14 0 20 | 47
FA 0 14 21 0 | 35
First: M — Hainer 40 yds
(Lujan kick)
M — Peters 38 yds
(kick blocked)
Second: F — Martin 16 yds
from Seavey (Stedman kick)
M — Lujan 15 yds (Ireland rush)
F — Seavey 7 yds
(Stedman kick)
M — Peters 8 yds (rush fail)
Third: F — Martin 48 yds
(Stedman kick)
F — Martin 3 yds
(Stedman kick)
F — Martin 63 yds from Seavey
(Stedman kick)
Fourth: M — Lujan 33 yds
from Hainer (rush fail)
M — Lujan 11 yds (Lujan rush)
M — Lujan 22 yds (pass fail)
Passing: M — Hainer 2-of-4
53 yds TD
F — Seavey 11-of-20 154 yds
2 TD 2 Int
Receiving: M — Lujan 2,
53 yds TD
F — Martin 9, 134 yds 2 TD;
Stedman 2, 20 yds
Rushing: M — Lujan 27,
203 yds 3 TD; Hainer 9,
166 yds TD; Peters 13,
102 yds 2 TD; Ireland
4, 14 yds
F — Martin 10, 69 yds 2 TD;
Crocker 12, 52 yds;
Seavey 3, 16 yds TD
Records: M 5-2,
F 3-4