March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Belfast runs by Broncs for first victory

HAMPDEN – Eleven minutes into Friday night’s homecoming contest, the Belfast Lions had run 24 plays from scrimmage to Hampden’s zero – and were tied 8-8.

Five minutes into the second half, the Lions had given up enough big or timely plays to trail the Broncos by a pair of touchdowns despite earning a healthy yardage advantage.

All in all, the Lions were playing like a hardluck squad that had opened the season 0-3.

But over the final 7:24 of the third period of a game they would eventually win 30-28, Belfast finally looked like the defending state Class B champs.

Belfast rode the slippery running of senior quarterback Sazi Guthrie and the pounding up-the-middle jaunts of junior tailback Tim Parenteau to two touchdowns in the third, then buckled down on defense in the fourth to preserve the lead.

The Broncos dropped to 2-2, but the monkey that had been riding Belfast coach Butch Arthurs’ back over a rough three-week span was nowhere to be found.

“He just jumped off,” Arthurs laughed. “I think he jumped off from about three stories. That’s how good it feels.”

Guthrie ran 26 times for 189 yards and three touchdowns, while Parenteau carried 19 times for 141 yards.

Ben Preston paced the Hampden attack, rushing 17 times for 104 yards and returning five kickoffs for 150 more. He also scored a touchdown on a 34-yard reception.

Hampden struck first when Jordan Marden blocked a Josh Brady punt and Andy Pierce scooped it up at the B-45 and scampered into the end zone.

The elusive Guthrie answered for Belfast when he rambled three yards to cap a 17-play, eight-minute drive that set the tone for the game.

While Preston gave the Broncos good field position after each score, the Lions were content to slug it out in the trenches.

Vince Bennett pushed the Bronco bulge out to 28-16 on a six-play, 21-yard drive after Jeremy Hopkins dove on a fumbled punt at the beginning of the third.

But after that, it was all Lions.

Guthrie scored on a 10-yard jaunt to make it 28-24 with 3:57 to go in the third. Then, after a three-and-out drive by the Broncs, he spearheaded a 65-yard scoring drive.

Guthrie capped the drive with another 10-yard scoot for a TD with 53 seconds to go in the quarter to end the scoring.

Arthurs credited the hard running of Parenteau and Guthrie and the execution of the offensive line with a 353-213 rushing advantage.

“[Guthrie] is very intelligent and knows our offense inside-out,” Arthurs said. “He had a couple of plays that he was designed to run wide and he saw that it wasn’t happening so he cut it up quick.”

In the fourth, it was up to the defense.

“We switched our D up a little bit and kept them off balance,”Arthurs said.

Guthrie said despite the Broncos’ success on the scoreboard, the Lions were comfortable with the way the game was going.

“They had a couple of big plays to be ahead at halftime, but other than that we were in control of the game. Coming out of halftime we thought we had to run the ball just like we were,” Guthrie said.

The Lions gave up some yardage in the fourth, but buckled down when they had to. Hampden drove into Lions’ territory twice in the period – getting as far as the B-23, but weren’t able to punch it in.

Junior defensive back Matt Darres ended the most serious threat with his second interception of the game with 7:03 to go.

Despite giving up 30 points, Guthrie – who also plays DB – said the defense came through.

“Our defense played very solid, I think, when you look at the total yardage,” he said. It was just big plays that hurt us and kept us in the game. Luckily we pulled it out.”

Lions 30, Broncos 28

Belfast (1-3) 8 8 14 0 – 30

Hampden (2-2) 8 12 8 0 – 28

HA – Pierce 45 blocked punt return (Preston rush)

B – Guthrie 3 run (Parenteau rush)

B – Parenteau 18 run (Guthrie rush)

HA – Preston 34 pass from Gilbert (rush failed)

HA – Bennett 3 run (Preston rush)

HA – Bennett 1 run (Preston rush)

B – Guthrie 10 run (Guthrie pass to Darres)

B – Guthrie 10 run (rush failed)

Belfast Hampden

First downs 18 12 Rushing att. – yds 52-353 41-213 Passing cmp. – att. 2-5 3-9 Yards passing 26 43 Total yards 379 256 Intercepted by 2 1 Punts – avg. 3-20.6 3-32.0 Fumbles – lost 3-1 0-0 Penalties – yds 6-45 6-55

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – Belfast: Guthrie 26-189, Parenteau 19-141, Hurd 6-6, Maheux 1-7; Hampden: Preston 17-104, Hopkins 3-8, Gilbert 1-(-6), Marden 11-56, Bennett 9-51

PASSING – Belfast: Guthrie 2-5-26-1; Hampden: Gilbert 3-9-43-1

RECEIVING – Belfast: Darres 1-21, Hurd 1-5; Hampden: Dostie 1-(-2), Preston 1-34, Marden 1-11


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