BUCKSPORT – Bucksport High School football coach Joel Sankey summed up the evening appropriately when he said, “I’ve been involved in coaching for over 20 years and this was the first high school football game I’ve seen like this.”

His sophomore quarterback, Cameron Giroux, had just thrown for four touchdowns and 223 yards only to be outshadowed by the Mount Desert Island halfback tandem of Peter Nicholson and Max McGarr in MDI’s wild and woolly 59-41 triumph in their mutual season opener.

The 6-foot, 200-pound Nicholson, a slashing senior runner who broke dozens of tackles, ran the ball 30 times for 204 yards and scored five touchdowns, while the 5-11, 185-pound McGarr parlayed his quick, shifty feet into 174 yards. Junior McGarr carried the ball 11 times and scored one touchdown.

One of Nicholson’s TDs came on a 26-yard interception return from his linebacker slot. Safety McGarr tackled Bucksport’s Zach Adams in the end zone for a safety.

Nicholson and McGarr each set career highs for yardage.

“We have to really thank our line,” said McGarr.

“We have a big strong line and they work all the time on the [blocking] sled,” agreed Nicholson.

Nicholson scored on the game’s first play from scrimmage, a 62-yard scamper, and added TD runs of 1 and 3 yards to give the Trojans a 20-0 lead.

Following Giroux’s 21-yard TD pass to Johnny Beck, Nicholson scored on a 25-yard run to give MDI a seemingly comfortable 27-7 lead with a little more than three minutes left in the half.

But the Bucks stunned the Trojans when Giroux fired a perfect strike to Beck streaking up the left sidelines for a 61-yard TD only 30 seconds later, and Giroux and Beck combined again on a 52-yard TD pass with only 11 seconds remaining in the half. Two MDI defenders collided on the play.

Ryan Pelkey’s 45-yard kickoff return to open the second half set the Bucks up at the MDI-38 and, 10 plays later, Beck jumped in front of MDI’s Andy Burns for a 12-yard TD reception to give the Bucks their first lead.

That lead lasted only 1:08 as MDI quarterback Matt McFarland fired a 43-yard TD strike to end Dave Blaney on a quick slant-in.

Nicholson upped the lead to 42-29 when he cut in front of a Bucksport receiver on a square-out pattern, picked off Giroux’s pass, and raced unmolested into the end zone.

“I saw their ends pass blocking, I knew their receivers were going to run a delay pattern, and I ran and intercepted the ball,” said Nicholson.

Adams, who ran for 106 yards, scored on a 3-yard run early in the fourth quarter, but on the next play from scrimmage, McGarr took the pitchout on an option play, cut back, and rambled 65 yards for a clinching score.

“I think their defensive backs overread a little and went in a little too deep,” said McGarr. “I cut back and there was an alley for me.”

Nicholson and Adams added TD runs before McGarr’s safety capped the scoring.

Middle linebacker Brandon Neff was in on 11 tackles for MDI, end Blaney figured in 10 tackles, and outside linebacker Jamie Cunningham was in on nine tackles.

Trojans 59, Bucks 41 MDI (1-0) 14 13 15 17 – 59 Bucksport (1-0) 0 22 7 12 – 41

MDI – Nicholson 62 run (Neff kick)

MDI – Nicholson 1 run (Neff kick)

MDI – Nicholson 3 run (kick failed)

BUCK – Beck 21 pass from Giroux (Nightingale kick)

MDI – Nicholson 25 run (Neff kick)

BUCK – Beck 61 pass from Giroux (Nightingale kick)

BUCK – Bridges 52 pass from Giroux (Macomber rush)

BUCK – Beck 12 pass from Giroux (Nightingale kick)

MDI – Blaney 43 pass from Nicholson (McFarland rush)

MDI – Nicholson 26 interception return (Neff kick)

BUCK – Adams 3 run (kick failed)

MDI – McGarr 65 run (Blaney pass from McFarland)

MDI – Nicholson 11 run (Neff kick)

BUCK – Adams 39 run (rush failed)

MDI – Safety, McGarr tackled Adams in end zone

MDI Bucksport

First downs 24 17 Rushing att. – yds 49-406 38-123 Passing cmp. – att. 3-5 9-20 Yards passing 66 223 Total yards 472 346 Intercepted by 1 0 Punts – avg. 2-20.5 3-26 Fumbles – lost 0-0 2-1 Penalties – yds 7-61 2-20

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – MDI: Nicholson 30-204, McGarr 11-174, Jones 4-18, McFarland 4-10; Bucksport: Adams 25-106, Macomber 7-20, Giroux 6-minus 3

PASSING – MDI: McFarland 3-5-0-66; Bucksport: Giroux 9-20-1-227

RECEIVING – MDI: Blaney 3-66; Bucksport: Beck 6-133, Bridges 2-82, Adams 1-8