It was as gutsy as high school football gets in this state.

One week after going for a first down on a fourth-and-short from their own 12-yard line against arch-rival Bangor, the Brewer Witches outdid themselves against the Belfast Lions on Friday night in their inaugural LTC football game.

With the game tied at 6-6 with 44 seconds remaining, the Witches successfully completed a fumblerooski on a field goal attempt from the Lions’ 12-yard line, lifting the Witches to a 12-6 victory at Doyle Field in Brewer.

It was the season opener for both teams. (Brewer’s game vs. Bangor was exhibition).

After nearly handing the game to the Lions with two defensive penalties (roughing the kicker, too many men on the field) on a pair of fourth down Belfast punt attempts, the Witches drove 79 yards in 4:14 to set up the game-winner. The key play came on a 50-yard sweep to the left by Chris Horr, in which the sophomore running back made a nifty cutback to the outside to pick up the extra yardage.

In that same drive, Ben Umel came up about three inches short of the goal line on third down, setting up the field goal attempt.

Enter placekicker Gordon Pawson, who had already kicked a pair of 29-yard field goals. The Witches then took a delay of game penalty, moving the ball to the 6-yard line.

With quarterback Gabe Rios set for the hold, Pawson and Co. set up in field goal formation. The ball was snapped cleanly to Rios who laid the ball horizontally on the tee. Pawson leaned toward the ball, as if to pick it up, and as the Belfast defense converged on the kicker, Rios slipped away for a 12-yard jaunt into the end zone.

After the game, however, the Witches – with the exception of sly smiles all around – were mum about the play being a set play.

“It was supposed to be a field goal,” Rios said grinning. “I set it down and it spun off the tee. The kicker grabbed it and I took it away and went in. Nothing to it.”

Belfast boss Lew Dyer begged to differ.

“They had it planned,” Dyer said. “I talked to their No. 17 (Rios) when he was over here on defense and he said, `I can’t believe coach called that play.’ But, hey, we weren’t even supposed to be in the ballgame tonight. I’m real proud of the job we did.”

“We have an imagination,” Brewer Coach Dan O’Connell said. “I guess that’s a mark of a good competitive team.”

Despite a pair of 107-yard rushing performances by Brewer’s Jerry Crafts (16 carries) and Horr (20 carries), O’Connell was not happy with the team’s overall performance. They had 13 penalties for 125 yards.

“I said I wanted us to go in and attack the LTC and we just sat back on our heels,” O’Connell said. “I wasn’t very happy with what we did tonight.”

Early in the second quarter, Belfast put together an 8-play, 24-yard drive which was capped when junior running back J.D. Way (13 carries, 42 yards) dove in from two yards out.

Witches 12, Lions 6

Belfast 0 6 0 0 – 6

Brewer 3 0 3 6 -12

Brew – Pawson 29 field goal

Belf – Way 2 run (rush failed)

Brew – Pawson 29 field goal

Brew – Rios 12 run (pass failed)

Brewer Belfast First downs 13 6 Rushing: att. – yards 52-278 33-89 Passing: att. – comp. 6-0 8-2 Yards passing 0 0 Total yards 278 89 Intercepted by 0 0 Punts – average 3-24.3 6-28.0 Fumbles – lost 1-0 0-0 Penalties – yards 13-125 11-75